Preach in your lives the practical godliness of the faith that you believe. Let it be seen that the truth never degrades the receiver, making him rough and coarse, or fretful and impatient. Make apparent to all your patience, your kindness, your long-suffering, gentleness, compassion, and true goodness; for these graces are the expression of the character of the God whom you serve.—Manuscript 49, 1907. (Ev 400.1) MC VC

Workers for the Southland—Let missionaries work quietly for both white and colored people in the South. Let them work in a way to help those who most need help, who are surrounded with influences that are misleading. Many of them are under the control of those who will stir up the worst passions of the human heart. The priests and rulers in Christ’s day worked most successfully in stirring up the passions of the mob, because they were ignorant, and had placed their trust in man. Thus they were led to denounce and reject Christ and to choose a robber and murderer in His place. The work in the South should be done without noise or parade. Let missionaries who are truly converted, and who feel the burden of the work, seek wisdom from God, and with all the tact they can command, let them go into this field. Medical missionaries can find a field in which to relieve the distress of those who are falling under bodily ailments. They should have means so that they may clothe the naked and feed the hungry. Christian help work will do more than the preaching of sermons.... Let the workers be Christlike, that they may by precept and example exert an elevating influence. Let them furnish themselves with the most appropriate, simple lessons from the life of Christ to present to the people. Let them not dwell too much upon doctrinal points, or upon features of our faith that will seem strange and new; but let them present the sufferings and the sacrifice of Christ; let them hold up His righteousness and reveal His grace; let them manifest His purity and holiness of character. Workers in the Southern field will need to teach the people line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.—The Review and Herald, December 24, 1895. (Ev 400.2) MC VC

Southern City Workers to Receive Encouragement—The Lord God has been at work. My brethren, instead of criticizing what has been done, save your speech for the great cities that have not yet been worked, such as New Orleans, Memphis, and St. Louis. Go to these places and labor for the people, but do not speak a word of censure regarding those who have tried so hard to do everything in their power for the advancement of the work. Sometimes these workers would be almost discouraged, but we kept praying for them. Wherever I was, I would ask the prayers of God’s people in their behalf.—The Review and Herald, May 25, 1905. (Ev 401.1) MC VC

Philadelphia, New Orleans, and St. Louis—You speak of the work which should be done in America, but which is undone. I wish to speak of these neglected fields as they are presented to me. I wish to speak, not merely in behalf of the Southern field, but in behalf of the large cities, whose neglected, unwarned condition is a condemnation to our people, who claim to be missionaries for the Master.... (Ev 401.2) MC VC

We stand rebuked by God because the large cities right within our sight are unworked and unwarned. A terrible charge of neglect is brought against those who have been long in the work, in this very America, and yet have not entered the large cities. What has been done in Philadelphia, in New Orleans, in St. Louis, and in other cities that I might name? We have done none too much for foreign fields, but we have done comparatively nothing for the great cities right beside our own doors.—Letter 187, 1905. (Ev 401.3) MC VC