Feeding the Mind by Emma Hildreth Adams

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 3, 1909

Feeding the Mind.

By Emma Hildreth Adams

By Emma Hildreth Adams.

[Mrs. Adams is not writing from theory, but from many years' experience as a teacher, an author, a keen observer, of wide experience. She has not frittered away time, and her mind is as fresh, as eager, as youthful to-day as in the yester years. We commend her thoughtful and intensely practical article to our young readers; yes, to all of them.—EDITOR.]

It need hardly be stated that in order to develop rightly, to accomplish its noblest work, to reach its highest attainment, the mind of man, equally with the body, requires nourishment adapted to the purpose; for, like the body, it thrives or wastes through that it feeds upon.

In perfect wisdom the divine Creator has so constituted the mind of man that, under the influence of proper food, taken temperately, judiciously, it may think great thoughts; may plan mighty schemes; manage intricate affairs; produce happiest results from correct causes, indeed, may think, and act, and live in harmony with God.

Further, thoughtful, observant persons may discern that all invasion of this plan of God, all departure therefrom, cripples man's ability, sows great mental discomfort for him, plants large territory with evil, and reaps bountiful harvest of pain and punishment.

How does the mind require food? In infancy, through sight and hearing and feeling chiefly, if not solely. To these, later, will be added conversation, reading, and observation.

Two classes of reading hold out tempting invitation to those who have taste therefor — the harmful, destructive, poisonous order, and that which nourishes, builds up, invigorates, gives life to the mental powers.

To decide with which variety one will build his mind, is ever — when the ultimate consequences are heeded — a most serious, and oftentimes a momentous matter. It is the purpose of this article to study briefly the effects of mental food, obtained through reading.

There is to-day a vast field of literature which deals indeed with facts, with events which actually occur, with happenings which are wholly real, but at the same time are frightfully sensational, blood-stirring, wasteful, as food for the mind.

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Phil. 4:8.

On this field achieve their amazing success many daily papers throughout the land. They present column after column filled with paragraphs and short articles which shock, daze, benumb the mind, dissipate its power to think closely, deeply, logically.

Also on the shelves of many public and private libraries, and especially of second-hand bookstores, are to be found publications — books, periodicals, pamphlets — devoted to fiction, which are deluding, destructive, poisonous in their effects. They lack every element of pure food for the mind. They are read eagerly, greedily, daily, by hundreds of men and women, old and young.

To spend the precious hours of this ultra-busy, prophecy-laden, alarmingly significant period with such faulty works, is simply to throw away time; is to vitiate all taste for reading which enlightens; is to supplant all concern for salutary information, for knowledge which brings a blessing. It is to sin.

Unquestionably, it is the most serious duty of every aged man and woman, of every young man and woman, now, in this sharp, testing time, to do the things, and read the matter — so far as possible — which will develop the highest possibilities of mind and soul.

To this lofty end, there is, in all the vast field of literature, no instrumentality so perfectly adapted as the Word of God.

Taken from Genesis to Revelation there inheres in its moral and spiritual teaching a force, a power, an energy, which arouses, stirs into life and action, mind and soul. And, what awakens keenest surprise and adds boundlessly to the value of the wonderful Book is the strange fact that the more one reads, studies, thinks upon, practises, its varied, far-reaching teachings, one's pleasure, profit, and fascination therein increase.

Reader, have you been for a long time a true student of this most peculiar, most individual of books? If so, have you not observed in yourself an ever increasing relish for its splendid display of spiritual, moral, scientific, and philosophic truth; its brilliant exhibition of majestic poetry; its thrilling chapters of sad, sin-stained history; its wonderful display of triumphant FAITH?

And have you not observed in yourself an ever increasing capacity to understand, fathom, appreciate this truth, this poetry, this history, this FAITH?

Then, too, out of this Book, as from an overflowing fountain, have been pouring for centuries streams of literature uplifting, upbuilding, fascinating. Alcoves in city libraries are filled with volumes drawn from it. Home bookcases are jeweled with them. Like the fountain from which they come they are filled with meat for heart, mind, and spirit, yes, and for the body also.

But, aside from the Bible and the broad field of literature related thereto, there are stores of publications dealing with all manner of natural history, subjects all ably written, beautifully illustrated, filled with delightful facts, and giving acquaintance with the myriad works of Christ the Creator of all things.

At city libraries these books can be had for the asking. Time spent in reading them is loaned out at an interest incalculable. They feed thought, they clothe thought, they lead thought up, into, and along the Creator's lines of thought. Mentally, they bring the student face to face with Him.

Now, since there are munificent supplies of such reading, within possible reach of perhaps the majority of people, is it not a step of deepest import, of gravest consequence, if one turns aside for mental food from opportunity so promising to the deluding, destructive publications read, so greedily, so generally to-day, even by boys and girls too young to exercise sound judgment in matters so important?

The high possibilities of their being — in this life and in that to come — are pushed aside for pernicious entertainment. The responsibility of parents in this matter exceeds all estimate. Need of care on their part, in the case is beyond all expressions.