Chapter 2
This is taken from the book "Thy Nakedness; Lord, What Shall I Wear?"
by Gwen and Rick Shorter (Used by permission.)
"Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Jeremiah 6:16
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
"For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowl edge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." Hebrews 10:26
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:15-17
"Dear Brethren and Sisters: My apology for calling your at tention again to the subject of dress is that some do not seem to understand what I have before written; and an effort is made, perhaps by those who do not wish to believe what I have written, to make confusion in our churches upon this IMPORTANT SUBJECT. Many letters have been written to me, stating difficulties, which I have not had time to answer; and now, to answer the many inquiries, I give the following statements, which it is hoped will forever put the subject at rest, so far as my testimonies are concerned." 1T 456
"Christ is ashamed of His professed followers. Wherein do we bear any resemblance to Him? Wherein does our dress conform to the Bible requirements? I do not want the sins of the people upon me, and I will give the trumpet a certain sound. For years I have borne a plain and decided testimony upon this subject, in print and upon the speaker's stand. I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. I must be clear of the blood of all. The fact that worldliness and pride bear almost universal sway is no excuse for one Christian to do as others do. God has said: Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil." 4T 647
"God's people have, to a great extent, lost their peculiarity, and have been gradually patterning after the world, and mingling with them, until they have in many respects become like them. This is displeasing to God." 1T 525
"Perhaps no question has ever come up among us which has caused such development of character as has the dress reform." 4T 636
"The Lord is displeased with the pride manifested among His professed people. He is dishonored by their conformity to the unhealthful, immodest, and expensive fashions of this degener ate age." 4T 634
"One of the points upon which those newly come to the faith will need instruction is the subject of dress. Let the new converts be faithfully dealt with." 6T 96
"Another reason which I offer as an apology for calling atten tion to the subject of dress is that not one in twenty of the sisters who profess to believe the Testimonies has taken the first step in the dress reform." 1T 465
"Our words, our actions, and our dress are daily, living preachers, gathering with Christ or scattering abroad. This is no trivial matter to be passed off with a jest." 4T 641
"Reformatory action is always attended with sacrifice. It de mands that love of ease, selfish interest, and the lust of ambition be held in subjection to the principles of right. Whoever has the courage to reform must encounter obstacles. He will be opposed by the conservatism of those whose business or pleasure brings them in contact with the votaries of fashion, and who will lose caste by the change." 4T 636
"God leads His people on, step by step. He brings them up to different points calculated to manifest what is in the heart. Some endure at one point, but fall at the next. At every advanced point the heart is tested and tried a little closer. If the professed people of God find their hearts opposed to this straight work, it should convince them that they have a work to do to overcome, if they would not be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord. Said the angel, 'God will bring His work closer and closer to test and prove every one of His people.' Some are willing to receive one point; but when God brings them to another testing point, they shrink from it and stand back, because they find that it strikes directly at some cherished idol. Here they have opportunity to see what is in their hearts that shuts out Jesus. They prize something higher than the truth, and their hearts are not prepared to receive Jesus. Individuals are tested and proved a length of time to see if they will sacrifice their idols and heed the counsel of the True Witness. If any will not be purified through obeying the truth, and overcome their selfishness, their pride, and evil passions, the angels of God have the charge: They are joined to their idols, let them alone,' and they pass on to their work, leaving these with their sinful traits unsubdued, to the control of evil angels. Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for trans lation." 1T 187
"A revival and a reformation must take place under the min istration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of the mind and heart, a resurrection from spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits, and practices. Reforma tion will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reforma tion are to do their appointed work and in doing this work they must blend." CS 42
"We need now to begin over again. Reforms must be en tered into with heart and soul and will. Errors may be hoary with age; but age does not make error truth, nor truth error. Altogether too long have the old customs and habits been followed." 6T 142
"God will have a people separate and distinct from the world. And as soon as any have a desire to imitate the fash ions of the world, that they do not immediately subdue, just so soon God ceases to acknowledge them as His children. They are the children of the world and of darkness." 1T 137
"Our faith, if carried out, will lead us to be so plain in dress, and zealous of good works, that we shall be marked as peculiar." 1T275
"Many dress like the world in order to have an influence over unbelievers, but here they make a sad mistake. If they would have a true and saving influence, let them live out their profes sion, show their faith by their righteous works, and make the distinction plain between the Christian and the worldling. The words, the dress, the actions should tell for God." 4T 634
"in these last days fashions are shameful and immodest. They are noticed in prophecy. They were first brought in by a class over whom Satan has entire control, who, 'being past feeling [without any conviction of the Spirit of God] have given them selves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.' If God's professed people had not greatly departed from Him, there would now be a marked difference between their dress and that of the world...The inhabitants of earth are grow ing more and more corrupt, and the line of distinction between them and the Israel of God must be more plain, or the curse which falls upon worldlings will fall on God's professed people." 1T189
"In the vision given me in Rochester, New York, December 25, 1865, I was shown that a most solemn work is before us. Its importance and magnitude are not realized. As I marked the indifference which was everywhere apparent, I was alarmed for ministers and people. There seemed to be a paralysis upon the cause of present truth. The work of God seemed stayed. Minis ters and people are unprepared for the time in which they live, and nearly all who profess to believe present truth are unpre pared to understand the work of preparation for this time. In their present state of worldly ambition, with their lack of consecration to God, their devotion to self, they are wholly unfitted to receive the latter rain and, having done all, to stand against the wrath of Satan, who by his inventions would cause them to make ship wreck of faith, fastening upon them some pleasing self-decep tion. They think they are all right, when they are all wrong.
"Ministers and people must make greater advancement in the work of reform. They should commence without delay to correct their wrong habits of eating, drinking, dressing, and working. I saw that quite a number of the ministers are not awake upon this important subject. They are not all where God would have them. The result is, some can show but little fruit of their labors. Ministers should be ensamples to the flock of God. But they are not safe from Satan's temptations. They are the very ones whom he will seek to ensnare. If he can succeed in lulling one minister to carnal security, and by so doing divert his mind from the work, or deceive him with regard to his own true condition before God, he has accomplished much." 1T 466
"Sleeping preachers preaching to a sleeping people!...Some of the ministers are asleep, and the people are also asleep; but Satan is wide awake." 2T 336,337
Additional reading: Ev 272, 273; 1T 131; 1T 138,139; 1T 176; 1T 188; 1T 469; 4T 641-642
