What Shall Our Children Read ? by Ellen G. White

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 30, 1913

What Shall Our Children Read ?

By Ellen G. White

(Concluded)

MRS. E. G. WHITE

Preoccupy the Soil

THE best way to prevent the growth of evil is to preoccupy the soil. Instead of recommending your children to read “Robinson Crusoe,” or fascinating stories of real life, such as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” open the Scriptures to them, and spend some time each day in reading and studying God’s Word. The mental tastes must be disciplined and educated with the greatest care. Parents must begin early to unfold the Scriptures to the expanding minds of their children, that proper habits of thought may be formed.

No efforts should be spared to establish right habits of study. If the mind wanders, bring it back. If the intellectual and moral tastes have been perverted by overwrought and exciting tales of fiction, so that there is a disinclination to apply the mind, there is a battle to be fought to overcome this habit. A love for fictitious reading should be overcome at once. Rigid rules should be enforced to hold the mind in the proper channel.

Between an uncultivated field and an untrained mind there is a striking similarity. In the minds of children and youth the enemy sows tares, and unless parents keep watchful guard, these will spring up to bear their evil fruit. Unceasing care is needed in cultivating the soil of the mind, and sowing it with the precious seed of Bible truth. Children should be taught to reject trashy, exciting tales, and to turn to sensible reading, which will lead the mind to take an interest in Bible story, history, and argument. Reading that will throw light upon the Sacred Volume and quicken the desire to study it, is not dangerous, but beneficial.

The Sabbath-School Lesson

The Sabbath-school affords to parents and children an opportunity for the study of God’s Word. But in order for them to gain that benefit which they should gain in the Sabbath-school, both parents and children should devote time to the study of the lesson, seeking to obtain a thorough knowledge of the facts presented, and also of the spiritual truths which these facts are designed to teach. We should especially impress upon the minds of the youth the importance of seeking the full significance of the scripture under consideration.

Parents, set apart a little time each day for the study of the Sabbath-school lesson with your children. Give up the social visit, if need be, rather than sacrifice the hour devoted to the lessons of sacred history. Parents as well as children will receive benefit from this study. Let the more important passages of Scripture connected with the lesson be committed to memory, not as a task, but as a privilege. Though at first the memory may be defective, it will gain strength by exercise, so that after a time one will delight thus to treasure up the words of truth. And the habit will prove a most valuable aid to spiritual growth.

The Home Reading Circle

Let our people show that they have a live interest in medical missionary work. Let them prepare themselves for usefulness by studying the literature that has been prepared for our instruction on these subjects. This work deserves much more attention and appreciation than it has received. Those who study and practise the principles of right living will be greatly blessed, both physically and spiritually. An understanding of the philosophy of health is a safeguard against many of the ever-increasing evils.

Fathers and mothers, obtain all the help you can from the study of our books and publications. Take time to read to your children from the health books, as well as from the books treating more particularly on religious subjects. Teach them the importance of caring for the body, the house they live in. Form a home reading circle, in which every member of the family shall lay aside the busy cares of the day and unite in study. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, take up this work heartily, and see if the church in the home will not be greatly improved. Especially will the youth who have been accustomed to reading novels and cheap story-books, receive benefit from joining in the evening family study. Young men and women, read the literature that will give you true knowledge, and that will be a help to the entire family.

The Bible

Above all, take time to read the Bible— the Book of books. A daily study of the Scriptures has a sanctifying, uplifting influence upon the mind. Bind the Holy Volume to your hearts. It will prove to you a friend and a guide in perplexity.

Both old and young neglect the Bible. They do not make it their study, the rule of their life. Especially are the young guilty of this neglect. Most of them find time to read other books, but the Book that points out the way to eternal life is not daily studied. Idle stories are attentively read, while the Bible is neglected. This Book is our guide to a higher, holier life. The youth would pronounce it the most interesting book they ever read, had not their imagination been perverted by the reading of fictitious stories.

Youthful minds fail to reach their noblest development when they neglect the highest source of wisdom—the Word of God. That we are in God’s world, in the presence of the Creator; that we are made in his likeness; that he watches over us and loves us and cares for us,—these are wonderful themes for thought, and lead the mind into broad, exalted fields of meditation. He who opens mind and heart to the contemplation of such themes as these, will never be satisfied with trivial, sensational subjects.

The importance of seeking a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures can hardly be estimated. “Given by inspiration of God,” able to make us “wise unto salvation,” rendering the man of God “perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:15-17), the Bible has the highest claim to our reverent attention. We should not be satisfied with a superficial knowledge, but should seek to learn the full meaning of the words of truth, to drink deep of the spirit of the holy oracles.