Why God Gave Us the Health Message

QUESTION:

Of all people upon the face of the earth, to whom did the Lord give the Health Message, and why did He give it to them?

ANSWER: “Seventh-Day Adventists are handling momentous truths. More than forty years ago (It's been 140+ years now) the Lord gave us special light on health reform...”  {9T 158.1}

“Our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us the great blessing of health reform...it is the duty of those who have received light upon this important subject to manifest greater interest for those who are still suffering for want of knowledge. Those who are looking for the soon appearing of their Saviour should be the last to manifest a lack of interest in this great work of reform...”  (Counsels on Health pg. 50, paragraph 3)

“It is our duty to understand and respect the principles of health reform. On the subject of temperance we should be in advance of all other people…” (and we are) {9T 158.1}

WHY?

“Seventh-Day Adventists are handling momentous truths...”  (9T 158.1)

WHY THE HEALTH MESSAGE?

#1: “It was IN LOVE that our heavenly Father sent the light of health reform...” {CTBH 134.1}

#2: “God's blessing will rest upon every effort made to awaken an interest in health reform; for it is needed everywhere. There must be a revival in regard to this matter; for God purposes to accomplish much through this agency...”  {PH142 1.2}

#3: “The work of HEALTH REFORM is the Lord's means for lessening suffering in our world...”
{CD 77.1}

#4: “There are divinely appointed rules which if observed will keep human beings from disease and premature death.”  {CD 16.4}(Also, see Ecclesiastes 7:17)

#5: “If the sick and suffering will do only as well as they know in regard to living out the principles of health reform perseveringly, then they will in nine cases out of ten (that's 90%) recover from their ailments.”  {MM 223.4}

#6: “...HEALTH REFORM...All should realize that this is an important part of the Lord's great work for the salvation of souls...”  {PH142 1.1}

#7: “The light God has given on HEALTH REFORM is for our salvation and the salvation of the world...”  {CH 446.1}

#8:  “I was again shown that the HEALTH REFORM is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord.  It is as closely connected with the third angel's message as the hand is with the body...”  {3T 161.1}

#9: “The work of HEALTH REFORM is the Lord's means...for purifying his church...”  {CD 77.1}

#10: “God desires his people to bind medical missionary work up with the work of the third angel's message. This is the work that will restore the moral image of God in man...”  {MM 160.2}

#11: “Eating, drinking, and dressing all have a direct bearing upon our spiritual advancement.” {SD 172.2}

#12: “The better you observe the laws of health, the more clearly you can discern temptations, and resist them, and the more clearly you can discern the value of eternal things.” {Te 188.3}

#13: “When properly conducted, the health work is an entering wedge, making a way for other truths to reach the heart...”  (6T p. 327) (1900).

#14: “As efforts are made to remove suffering and disease, the hearts of the patients will be softened...”  {1MR 241.4} (See Isaiah 58:10)

#15: “Much of the prejudice that prevents the truth of the third angel's message from reaching the hearts of the people, might be removed if more attention were given to health reform. When people become interested in this subject, the way is often prepared for the entrance of other truths. If they see we are intelligent with regard to health, they will be more ready to believe that we are sound in Bible doctrines...”  {CD 76.5}

#16: “I have been instructed that we are not to delay to do the work that needs to be done in health reform lines. Through this work we are to reach souls in the highways and the byways.”  {CD 76.3}

#17: “The gospel of Jesus Christ includes the work of helping the sick...only by this work can the prejudice which exists in the world against our faith be broken down.”  {CH 532.2}

“..Had you done medical missionary work, trying to heal soul and body, you would have seen hundreds and thousands coming into the truth...do among them practical missionary work. Thus many souls will be brought to a knowledge of the truth.”  {1888 1750.6}{1888 1750.6}

#18: “First meet the temporal necessities of the needy and relieve their physical wants and sufferings, and you will then find an open avenue to the heart, where you may plant the good seeds of virtue and religion.”  {4T 226.3}

#19: “I have been informed by my guide that not only should those who believe the truth practice HEALTH REFORM but they should also teach it diligently to others; for it will be an agency through which the truth can be presented to the attention of unbelievers. They will reason that if we have such sound ideas in regard to health and temperance, there must be something in our religious belief that is worth investigation...” {Ev 514.3}

#20: “The Lord desires us to obtain all the education possible, with the object in view of imparting our knowledge to others. None can know where or how they may be called to labor or to speak for God. Our heavenly father alone sees what he can make of men. There are before us possibilities which our feeble faith does not discern. Our minds should be so trained that if necessary we can present the truths of his word before the highest earthly authorities in such a way as to glorify his name. We should not let slip even one opportunity of qualifying ourselves intellectually to work for God.”  {COL 333.4}

#21: “...concerning these lines of missionary work... Obtain all the help you can from the study of our books and publications...from the health books...Take up this work heartily and see if the home church will not be greatly improved.”  {7T 63.3}

#22: “...but when the plagues of God shall be all around you, you will then see the principles of health reform and strict temperance in all things,-- that temperance alone is the foundation of all the graces that come from God, the foundation of all victories to be gained...”  {Te 201.4}

#23:  “God has permitted the light of health reform to shine upon us in these last days, that by walking in the light we may escape many of the dangers to which we shall be exposed...” {CTBH 75.1/3T 561.1}

HEALTH MESSAGE TO BE KEPT IN THE FRONT:

“Keep the work of HEALTH REFORM to the front is the message I am instructed to bear. Show so plainly its value that a widespread need for it will be felt.”  {9T 113.1}

***Conclusion: We have to do the health message on such a grand scale so that hundreds and thousands of people will come to learn the truth we have.

WHERE DOES SISTER WHITE SAY HER KNOWLEDGE ON THE HEALTH MESSAGE CAME FROM?

DOCTORS AND BOOKS OR FROM GOD HIMSELF?

“QUESTION ON THE VISION.—Did you receive your views upon health reform before visiting the health institute at Dansville, New York, [THE MOST PROMINENT OF MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES FEATURING REFORMS IN DIET AND IN THE TREATMENT OF THE SICK WAS AT THIS TIME OPERATED BY DR. JAMES C. JACKSON AT DANSVILLE, NEW YORK, --COMPILERS.] Or before you had read works on the subject?  {3SM 276.1}

ANSWER.—It was at the house of Bro. A. Hilliard, at Otsego, Mich., June 6, 1863, that the great subject of HEALTH REFORM was opened before me in vision.”  {3SM 276.2}

“I did not visit Dansville till August, 1864, fourteen months after I had the view. I did not read any works upon health until I had written Spiritual Gifts, Volumes 3 and 4, Appeal To Mothers, and had sketched out most of my six articles in the six numbers of How To Live.”  {3SM 276.3}

…I did not know that such a paper existed as The Laws of Life, published at Dansville, N.Y. I had not heard of the several works upon health, written by Dr. J. C. Jackson, and other publications at Dansville, at the time I had the view named above. I did not know that such works existed until September, 1863, when in Boston, Mass., my husband saw them advertised in a periodical called the Voice of the Prophets, published by Eld. J. V. Himes. My husband ordered the works from Dansville and received them at Topsham, Maine. His business gave him no time to peruse them, and as I determined not to read them until I had written out my views, the books remained in their wrappers.”  {3SM 276.4}

As I introduced the subject of health to friends where I labored in Michigan, New England, and in the State of New York, and spoke against drugs and flesh meats, and in favor of water, pure air, and a proper diet, the reply was often made, “You speak very nearly the opinions taught in the Laws of Life, and other publications, by Drs. Trall, Jackson, and others. Have you read that paper and those works?”  {3SM 277.1}

“My reply was that I had not, neither should I read them till I had fully written out my views, lest it should be said that I have received my light upon the subject of health reform from physicians, and not from the Lord.”  {3SM 277.2}

And after I had written my six articles for How to Live, I then searched the various works on hygiene and was surprised to find them so nearly in harmony with what the Lord had revealed to me. And to show this harmony, and to set before my brethren and sisters the subject as brought out by able writers, I determined to publish ‘How to Live’, in which I largely extracted from the works referred to.”  {3SM 277.3}

                

CLOSING QUOTES:

“We have come to a time when EVERY MEMBER of the church should take hold of medical missionary work…”  {7T 62.1}

“As religious aggression subverts the liberties of our nation, those who would stand for freedom of conscience will be placed in unfavorable positions. For their own sake, they should, while they have opportunity, become intelligent in regard to disease, its causes, prevention, and cure…” {CH 506.1}

“It is the DUTY of EVERY PERSON to become intelligent in regard to disease and its causes…”  {HL 19.5}

SOP ABBREVIATIONS:

1MR = 1st Manuscript Release

2SM = Selected Messages, volume 2

3T = Testimonies for The Church, Volume 3

4T = Testimonies for The Church, Volume 4

6T = Testimonies for The Church, Volume 6

9T = Testimonies for The Church, Volume 9

CD = Counsels on Diets and Foods

CE = A Call to Medical Evangelism

CH = Counsels on Health

COL = Christ's Object Lessons

CTBH = Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene

EV   = Evangelism

HP = In Heavenly Places

MH = Ministry of Healing

MM = Medical Ministry

PH   = Pamphlet

TE = Temperance
YI = Youth Instructor

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