A Pen Controlled by the Holy Spirit—Speech and pen are to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. If this is not the case with the writers for our periodicals, they might better lay aside the pen, and take up work of another order. God calls us into the mount to talk with Him, and when by faith we behold Him who is invisible, our words will not be cheap and common. The space in our papers is too precious to be filled up with articles that are not the best. Crowd in subjects weighty with eternal interests. Put not the crib too high for the minds of the common people. Let the articles be written with Christlike simplicity, and let them be free from all chaff and stubble, for this will be consumed as worthless. God calls for consecrated pens. The articles published in our papers should be full of practical, elevating, ennobling thoughts, which will help and teach and strengthen the mind that reads them. God help our editors to choose wisely....”—Manuscript 80, 1899. (CW 19.1) MC VC

Spiritual Articles vs. Current News—It is not the business of any of God’s stewards to extol any human being, be he living or dead. God has given us no such message to bear. Let all who by pen or voice are brought before the public be sifted of all inclination to laud any human being; for in doing this work they are entirely out of their boundary. In giving expression to these sentiments, so easy to flow from human lips and pens, time is lost which is very precious now, and which should be used in appropriate speech, after much prayer to God and converse with Jesus Christ. Let every word be seasoned with grace, and thus reveal that you have been in communion with God and are imbued with His spirit. (CW 19.2) MC VC

The Good Health places the crib too high to meet the demands of uninformed men and women. There must be greater simplicity and we must make that journal a living thing, full of interesting matter to do its work on the Pacific Coast.... The Lord would have the journal live and it shall live; because Elder ----- has ceased to edit it it shall not die. He may criticize it as much as he pleases, as Trall criticized the Health Reformer; nevertheless, it shall live.—Letter 10, 1887. (CW 128.1) MC VC

Spicy, Not Prosy—While working for the Herald of Health [published in Australia commencing January, 1898. Later known respectively as Australasian Good Health and Life and Health.] believe in the Lord Jesus, and seek to make the paper a success. Please make your sentences short, for then your articles will be much more interesting.... (CW 128.2) MC VC

I hope and pray that you may make the Herald of Health a living, speaking, vital agency for good. Do not let it get prosy. Let it be spicy with the fragrance of pure truth. This is a savor of life unto life.—Letter 137, 1900. (CW 128.3) MC VC