Wherever a church is established, all the members should
engage actively in missionary work. They should visit every family in the
neighborhood and know their spiritual condition. If professed Christians
had engaged in this work from the time when their names were first placed
on the church books, there would not now be such widespread unbelief, such
depths of iniquity, such unparalleled wickedness, as is seen in the world
at the present time. If every church member had sought to enlighten others,
thousands upon thousands would today stand with God's commandment-keeping
people.
And not only in the world do we see the result of the
church's neglect to work in Christ's lines. By this neglect
a condition of things has been brought into the church that has eclipsed
the high and holy interests of the work of God. A spirit of criticism and
bitterness has come into the church, and the spiritual discernment of many
has been dimmed. Because of this the cause of Christ has suffered great
loss. Heavenly intelligences have been waiting to co-operate with human
agencies, but we have not discerned their presence.