EXAMINING THE BLUEPRINT — KEY POINTS IN THE BLUEPRINT

Here, in one letter from Ellen White, dated March 24, 1908, is a brief statement of some key aspects of the blueprint:

“Elder J.A. Burden and others at L.L. Sanitarium, California.

“I feel a deep interest that careful study shall be given to the needs of our institutions at Loma Linda, and that the right moves be made. In the carrying forward of the work at this place, men of talent and of decided spirituality are needed.

“We may, in the work of educating our nurses, reach a high standard in the knowledge of the true science of healing. That which is of the most im-portance is that the students be taught how to truly represent the principles of health reform. Teach the students to pursue this line of study faithfully, combined with other essential lines of education.

The grace of Jesus Christ will give wisdom to all who will follow the Lord’s plan of true education.

“Let the students follow closely the example of the One who purchased the human race with the costly price of His own life. Let them appeal to the Examining the Blueprint

Saviour and depend on Him as the One who heals all manner of diseases. The Lord would have the workers make special efforts to point the sick and suffering to the great Physician who made the hu-man body. He would have all become obedient chil-dren to the faith, that they may come with confi-dence and ask for bodily restoration. Many who come to our sanitariums will be blessed as they learn the truth concerning the Word of God, many who would never learn it through any other medium.

“It is well that our training schools for Chris-tian workers should be established near to our health institutions, that the students may be edu-cated in the principles of healthful living. Institu-tions that send forth workers who are able to give a reason for their faith, and who have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul, are of great value.

“I have clear instructions that wherever it is pos-sible, schools should be established near our sani-tariums, that each institution may be a help to the other. But I dare not advise that steps be taken at this time to branch out so largely in the educa-tional work at Loma Linda that a great outlay of means will be required to erect new buildings. Our faithful workers at Loma Linda must not be over-whelmed with such great responsibilities that they will be in danger of becoming worn and discour-aged.

“I am charged to caution you against building extensively for the accommodation of the stu-dents. It would not be wise to invest at this time so large a capital as would be required to equip a medical college that would properly qualify phy-sicians to stand the test of the medical examina-tions of different states.

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“A movement should not now be inaugurated that would add greatly to the investment upon the Loma Linda property. Already there is a large debt resting upon the institution, and discouragement and per-plexity would follow if this indebtedness were to be greatly increased. As the work progresses new im-provements may be added from time to time as they are found necessary. An elevator should soon be installed in the main building. But there is need of strict economy. Let our brethren move cautiously and wisely, and plan no larger than they can handle without being overburdened.

“In the work of the school maintain simplicity.

No argument is so powerful as is success founded on simplicity. And you may attain success in the education of the students as medical missionar-ies without a medical school that can qualify phy-sicians to compete with the phyphy-sicians of the world.

“Let the students be given a practical education.

And the less dependent you are upon worldly methods of education, the better it will be for the students. Special instructions should be given in the art of treating the sick without the use of poi-sonous drugs, and in harmony with the light God has given. Students should come forth from the school without having sacrificed the principles of health reform.

“The education that meets the world’s standard is to be less and less valued by those who are seek-ing for efficiency in carryseek-ing the medical missionary work in connection with the work of the third angel’s message. They are to be educated from the stand-point of conscience; and as they conscientiously and faithfully follow right methods in their treat-ment of the sick, these methods will come to be Examining the Blueprint

recognized as preferable to the methods of nurs-ing to which many have become accustomed, which demands the use of poisonous drugs.

“We should not at this time seek to compete with worldly medical schools. Should we do this, our chances of success would be small. We are not now prepared to carry out successfully the work of establishing large medical institutions of learning.

Moreover, should we follow the world’s methods of medical practice, exacting large fees that worldly physicians demand for their survives, we would work away from Christ’s plan for our min-istry to the sick.

“There should be at our sanitariums intelligent men and women who can instruct in Christ’s methods of ministry. Under the instruction of com-petent consecrated teachers, the youth may become partakers of the divine nature and learn how to es-cape the corruptions that are in the world through lust. I have been shown that we should have many more women, many more lady nurses who will treat the sick in a simple way and without the use of drugs.

“There are many simple herbs which, if our nurses would learn the value of, they could use in the place of drugs and find very effective. Many times I have been applied to for advice as to what should be done in cases of sickness or accident, and I have mentioned some of these simple rem-edies, and they have proved helpful . .

“I write these things that you may know that the Lord has not left us without the use of simple rem-edies which when used will not leave the system in the weakened condition in which the use of drugs so often leaves it. We need well-trained nurses who can understand how to use the simple

rem-193 edies that nature has provided for restoration to health and who can teach those who are ignorant of the laws of health, how to use these simple but effective cures. He who created men and women has an interest in those who suffer. He has directed in the establishment of our sanitariums and in the building up of schools close to our sanitariums, that they may become efficient mediums in train-ing men and women for the work of ministertrain-ing to suffering humanity. In the treatment of the sick, poisonous drugs need not be used. Alcohol or to-bacco in any form must not be recommended, lest some soul be led to imbibe a taste for these things. There will be no excuse for the liquor deal-ers in that day when every man shall receive accord-ing to his works. Those who have destroyed life will by their own life have to pay the penalty. God’s law is holy and just and good.

“We have seen the poor wrecks of humanity come to our sanitariums to be cured of the liquor habit.

We have seen those who have ruined their health by wrong habits of diet and by the use of flesh meats.

This is why we need to lift up the voice like a trumpet and show ‘My people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins’ . .

“Let Seventh-day Adventist medical workers re-member that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Christ was the greatest Physician that ever trod the sin-cursed earth. The Lord would have His people come to Him for their power of healing. He will bap-tize them with His Holy Spirit and fit them for a service that will make them a blessing in restoring the spiritual and physical health of those who need healing.”—March 24, 1908; printed in The Medical Evangelist, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1910.

The above letter was not hidden in a file

cabi-Examining the Blueprint

net, but printed and mailed in their periodical early 1910 to every sponsor, church leader, and member of the college board. Essential highlights of the blue-print were spelled out in that letter: Only use natural remedies, the school and sanitarium must blend, do not affiliate with the world or seek its accreditation.

Our method is superior.

NATURAL REMEDIES

Here is a classic statement on the remedies to be used in the treatment of the sick, and the remedies not to be used:

“There are many ways of practicing the heal-ing art, but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God’s remedies are the simple agencies of nature, that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God, are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying, yet these remedies are going out of date because their skillful use re-quires work that the people do not appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet pre-mises, are within the reach of all with but little ex-pense; but drugs are expensive, both in the out-lay of means and the effect produced upon the system.”—Counsels on Health, p. 323.

Here is another fundamental statement. It is in that special chapter in Ministry of Healing (chapter 8) which explains how the physician is carry on his prac-tice. This astounding passage contains the basics of the medical course in the early years at Loma Linda.

Every health worker should learn these basics.

“The physician has many opportunities both of imparting a knowledge of health principles and of showing the importance of putting them in

prac-195 tice. By right instruction he can do much to cor-rect evils that are working untold harm.

“A practice that is laying the foundation of a vast amount of disease and of even more serious evils is the free use of poisonous drugs. When at-tacked by disease, many will not take the trouble to search out the cause of their illness. Their chief anxi-ety is to rid themselves of pain and inconvenience.

So they resort to patent nostrums, of whose real properties they know little, or they apply to a physi-cian for some remedy to counteract the result of their misdoing, but with no thought of making a change in their unhealthful habits. If immediate ben-efit is not realized, another medicine is tried, and then another. Thus the evil continues.

“People need to be taught that drugs do not cure disease. It is true that they sometimes afford present relief, and the patient appears to recover as the result of their use; this is because nature has sufficient vital force to expel the poison and to correct the conditions that caused the disease.

Health is recovered in spite of the drug. But in most cases the drug only changes the form and loca-tion of the disease. Often the effect of the poison seems to be overcome for a time, but the results remain in the system and work great harm at some later period.

“By the use of poisonous drugs, many bring upon themselves lifelong illness, and many lives are lost that might be saved by the use of natural methods of healing. The poisons contained in many so-called remedies create habits and appetites that mean ruin to both soul and body. Many of the popu-lar nostrums called patent medicines, and even some of the drugs dispensed by physicians, act a part in laying the foundation of the liquor habit, the opium Examining the Blueprint

habit, the morphine habit, that are so terrible a curse to society.

“The only hope of better things is in the educa-tion of the people in right principles. Let physi-cians teach the people that restorative power is not in drugs, but in nature. Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained.

Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to re-establish right conditions in the system.

“Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exer-cise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power—these are the true remedies. Every person should have a knowledge of nature’s remedial agencies and how to apply them. It is essential both to understand the principles involved in the treatment of the sick and to have a practical train-ing that will enable one rightly to use this knowl-edge.

“The use of natural remedies requires an amount of care and effort that many are not will-ing to give. Nature’s process of healwill-ing and upbuilding is gradual, and to the impatient it seems slow. The surrender of hurtful indulgences re-quires sacrifice. But in the end it will be found that nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely and well.

Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the reward in health of body and health of mind.”—Ministry of Healing, pp. 126-127.

In Ellen White’s writings, the comment was fre-quently made about getting the patient out of doors, as the weather permitted. The fresh country air strengthens the body. The sights, sounds, and peace

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of surrounding nature are restful to the whole being and draw the thoughts to God above. Reclining, sit-ting, walking, and gardening as the patient strength-ens, strengthens his will and fills him with hope and courage.

“Keep the patients out of doors as much as pos-sible and give them cheering, happy talks in the parlor, with simple reading and Bible lessons easy to be understood, which will be an encouragement to the soul. Talk on health reform, and do not you, my brother, become a burden bearer in so many lines that you cannot teach the simple lessons of health reform. Those who go from the Sanitarium should go so well instructed that they can teach others the methods of treating their families.”—

EGW, June 17, 1906.

Both students and patients should be taught ba-sic healthful living, the total avoidance of medici-nal drugs, the use of simple remedies, and looking to Christ as their Healer and Saviour.

“The blending of our schools and sanitariums will prove an advantage in many ways. Through the instruction given by the sanitarium, students will learn how to avoid forming careless, intemperate habits in eating. Let the instruction be given in simple words. We have no need to use the many expressions used by worldly physicians which are so difficult to understand that they must be inter-preted by the physicians. These long names are often used to conceal the character of the drugs being used to combat disease. We do not need these.

Nature’s simple remedies will aid in recovery with-out leaving the deadly aftereffects so often felt by those who use poisonous drugs. They destroy the power of the patient to help himself. This power the patients are to be taught to exercise by learning Examining the Blueprint

to eat simple healthful foods. By refusing to over-load the stomach with a variety of foods at one meal. All these things should come into the educa-tion of the sick. Talks should be given showing how to preserve health, how to shun sickness, how to rest when rest is needed.

“There are many inventions which cost large sums of money which, it is just as well, should not come into our work. They are not what our students need. Let the education given be simple in its na-ture. In giving us His Son, the Father gave the most costly gift that Heaven could bestow. This gift it is our privilege to use in our ministration to the sick.

Let Christ be your dependence. Commit every case to the great Healer; let Him guide in every opera-tion. The prayer offered in sincerity and in faith will be heard. This will give confidence to the physi-cians and courage to the sufferer.

“I have been instructed that we should lead the sick in our institutions to expect large things be-cause of the faith of the physician in the great Healer, who, in the years of His early ministry, went through the towns and villages of the land and healed all who came to Him. None were turned away;

He healed them all. Let the sick realize that, al-though unseen, Christ is present to bring relief and healing.”—EGW, February 20, 1908.

APPLIANCES AND ELECTRICAL TREATMENTS

“There is danger of spending far too much money on [medical] machinery and appliances which the patients can never use in their home les-sons. They should rather be taught how to regulate the diet, so that the living machinery of the whole being will work in harmony.”—EGW, June 17, 1906.

“When we were at the Paradise Valley Sanitarium, we were conducted through the new treatment