Personal Experience of a Physician

by John Ellis

And church organizations are languishing for the want of such teachers, and can never thrive in true doctrine and good lives, as they should, without them.

Surely every one can but see of what immense benefit such lecturers would be, especially to the young in our churches. One physician might be employed by and serve several societies, giving to the different societies once or twice a week a lecture in each society, fully illustrated by drawings, plates, stereoscopic and microscopic views, which would attract young and old, and fill our churches to overflowing with those who now attend no church; and the latter, when they found a physician, with the consent of the church, thus clearly pointing out the great evils of life which cause so much suffering, wretchedness, sorrow, and so many premature deaths, and calling young and old, from a religious standpoint, to shun them as sins against God, could but feel that our churches are striving to elevate humanity, and are a great blessing, and that it would be desirable to belong to them, and especially to have their children brought up under the influence of the Church.

Nearly the same could be said in regard to the important services which a second class of teachers of which I am about to speak could render. By the lectures of the two new life would be infused into our churches, and they would stand upon a sure foundation by manifesting love to God and man in our external natural lives, by teaching and leading men to act from spiritual motives, and to be willing to see their evils, and to commence by shunning well-known evils as sins against God. What a glorious day would this open up to our churches and for the elevation of our race through them!

THE SECOND CLASS OF TEACHERS REQUIRED.

Physicians as teachers in our churches should have for a special work the teaching of truth as to the physical life of man in connection with his spiritual life—the laws of health, the causes of prevailing diseases, deformities, insanities, and premature deaths, together with the methods and the duty of shunning them as sins against God. But there are other evils and questions which require careful consideration in our churches, such as the true relation, according to the laws of justice, mercy, and right, which should exist between men as neighbors, citizens, and Christians; and the clear light of this New Day should be brought down to guide men into a life of peace and harmony and good-will in this wilderness state of the world. Important questions are pressing for a solution, and for a careful consideration, by the religious teachers of our churches, such as the ecclesiastical and civil government best adapted for men of different countries and races, especially for our own country and churches; the relation of capital and labor; the right of single individuals to hold an unlimited amount of real estate, and transmit it to their children; the rights of corporations and of women; and our duties to others in all the relations of life. Fortunately, we have in our churches legal men or lawyers, who, while familiar with the doctrines of the Church, have devoted their lives to the consideration of such questions. It would not be difficult to point out several members of the legal fraternity belonging to our church organizations who would be able to perform a great use to the Church as lecturers and acting as missionaries among those who do not attend church as opportunity may offer. They would enter into a field of usefulness almost altogether beyond the reach and influence of our present ministers. Their advice, their counsel, their discourse, in their legal practice, are channels for the introduction of Christian thought and doctrine otherwise closed. There is one passage in the Writings which indicates this use:—

"And strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die—that hereby is signified; that the things which pertain to the moral life should be vivified, appears from the signification of strengthening, as denoting to vivify the moral life by truths; for truths from the Word vivify that life, which, when it is vivified, is also strengthened, for it then acts as one with the spiritual life." (A. E. 188.)

To meet and vivify the moral life of man with truths from the Word is a use eminently adapted to the position and mind of the legal profession. We need the services of such ministers, especially at this day, when we inherit from the fallen churches of the past an inclination to the love of spiritual and temporal dominion or rule, and the love of money and of vain show without regard to use. The evils that result from the gratification of such perverted affections must be fearlessly exposed, and a call to repentance made, before the injustice, oppression, and wrong which exist all over the world can be materially lessened. Lawyers, by making a special study of the Word in connection with their professional-studies, could not fail to impart much valuable instruction both to the Church and the world.

Christian physicians and lawyers would take hold of men in their present low state, showing them what acts are evil and wrong, and why they are so; and would call on them to repent and stop doing the evil acts which the truth condemns, fully realizing that a man must cease doing evil before he can cease thinking and willing evil; or, in other words, that reformation must commence on the natural plane, and from the highest motives of which the individual at present is susceptible.

It is the duty of our clergy to teach spiritual truths and the spiritual sense of the Word, and to lead men and women to live good lives, in obedience to the Divine commandments, from spiritual and celestial motives. But it is difficult for them to fill the entire field where religious instruction is needed, for we are living in the midst of the most direful evils of life, which must be put away before the New Jerusalem can descend and have an abiding place with men. Evils so terrible as to destroy vast multitudes of men and women of all ages, and even innocent children, all around us, too frequently go unheeded by our clergy and the periodicals under their charge. I know that in this respect there are some noble exceptions among our clergy and editors; but however willing and anxious they may be, it is impossible for one man to possess the knowledge and to impart all the necessary instruction as perfectly as three men thoroughly educated and trained for the different fields for labor could do it.

To recapitulate: The physicians are required to teach and to lead men to obey, from a principle of obedience, the spiritual and natural laws of health and life; the lawyers are required to teach and lead men by spiritual truths to act from a principle of justice, truth, and neighborly love in all their relations with others; our ministers are required to teach and lead men to act from love to the Lord and thence the neighbor, and to do right because it is right, and to administer the ordinances of the Church.