Avoid Pictures of Cruel Persecution—Catholic pictures of persecution and burning should be kept out of our publications. It is enough to read of these wicked deeds without trying to bring them, in all their terrible details, before the eyes. When I was a child, Fox’s Book of Martyrs was given me to read. I saw the pictures representing various horrible acts of cruelty. I could scarcely eat or sleep. Day and night I was passing through the horrors, identifying myself with the suffering ones. I almost lost confidence in God because He allowed such things. It was a long time before I could overcome the impression made on my mind. Whenever the Book of Martyrs, or any other book of like illustrations, finds its way into my library, I hide it, that no child may be caused to suffer as I did. Such pictures do not increase faith.—Letter 18, 1897. (PM 217.1) MC VC

Bible Pictures of Superior Quality—The dummy of Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, with the illustrations, I received. The illustrations I could not possibly accept under any consideration. Some of them look as if prepared for a comic almanac.... (PM 217.2) MC VC

Pictures to represent Bible scenes must be no cheap designs.... The knowledge which God imparts is not of a character to belittle our ideas of sacred things. The glory of God must be kept before the mind’s eye, not the cheap, earthly representations that imprint in the memory scenes which give a false conception of Christ and heavenly things. A proper illustration of Bible scenes requires talent of a superior quality. With these cheap, common productions, the sacred lessons of the Bible disdain comparison.... (PM 217.3) MC VC

The work before us is great and cannot be done in any cheap style. I am at a loss to know just what to do with the books I am urged to write. May the Lord help me is my prayer. God forbid that we should please the devil by lowering the standard of eternal truth by using illustrations that men, women, and children will make sport of.—Manuscript 23, 1896. (PM 217.4) MC VC