My beloved children,

How I pray that your lives will always be a manifestation of incorruptibility. The words above were so beautiful to me, and when I think of them in relation to you, they are even more beautiful: to think of the lives of each of my children being full of esteem and respect and incorruptibility.

One thing which I want to share with you which has become very important to me is in relation to the books that you read. There is so much reading material out there which will badly corrupt. Everything we read, with the exception of the Scriptures, will perhaps have some things in it that we disagree with. A good friend of mine once shared with me, though, that we must choose our books with this thought in mind: Is the book a field full of weeds with only an occasional profitable plant, or is it a garden of fruitful plants with only an occasional weed here and there? There is a vast difference.

I have sought to hold a very high standard in regards to reading material. There are things I do not approve of that many others, even other believers, find acceptable. Several things I would admonish you, my dears, are that you ought not think that you have to read a certain book or that it would be really good to read it, just because a lot of people are reading it, or just because a good friend read it; you should not feel like you have to finish a book or a series just because you started it; and you should not feel like you have to read something just because a friend wrote it or asked you to read it.

Never forget, my dears, that I am immensely interested in your reading material, and if you ever have any questions about whether or not something is worthwhile to read, your father and I welcome your concern, and we will be very glad to help you discern whether or not you ought to read it. Please don’t ever hesitate to ask our advice if you aren’t sure. I remember when I checked a book out of the library that I started reading and wasn’t completely sure about. I shared my concerns with my parents and with my older brother. I actually turned the book over to my older brother and asked him to read it. He read through the whole thing before I ever read it, and he approved of it. I welcomed his thoughts and was blessed by his advice. I did end up reading the book, but I was so blessed to have older wiser people looking out for me and helping me to be sure that what I was doing was right.

That book was part of a series. While I really enjoyed that first book, later on in the series, I developed a real unrest with the way the story was leaning. I began to feel really burdened. Again, I sought parental guidance, and I found great freedom in taking the book I was then reading back to the library. Don’t ever forget that you can stop anywhere in the middle of a book if you find it to be unprofitable.

There are several standards against which a book can be measured. For one thing, does it uphold Yahweh as the highest authority? Secondarily, does it uphold virtue and the values that are dear to your heart? For the absolutely best books, the answers to both of these questions will be "yes". A good story should encourage you to have higher ideals, purer ambitions, nobler dreams, and a more refined manner, speech, and conduct. Once again, there will probably be things in every book that you will disagree with, but do the main characters generally uphold the ideals and character traits which are important to you? Do they seem to have a heart desire to please Yahweh and to walk in accordance with His will? Do they long for heavenly things? Are they progressing in their faith?

There is another style of story, and that is the style where someone takes a wrong road, lacks peace and contentment, and ends up finding victory and inner peace when they submit their lives to Yahweh. Some of these stories I definitely would not approve of at all, and would never desire you to read. There are stories of this type though that build character and are quality reading material. Several factors to keep in mind with this style of a book are: Does the book plant ideas in your mind which you would not have thought of otherwise? In other words, does it end up being more of a corrupting influence than it does a positive encouragement? Another thing to consider is how the book effects you: Do you find it discouraging or encouraging? Something to remember is that just because somebody else may have been blessed by a book does not mean it is a good book for you. Different books will effect different people different ways. If you find a book to be incredibly discouraging or to be pulling you down, it doesn’t matter how many good things a friend or a cousin has said about it: it is probably not a good book for you to read.

Another real concern I have about books like this is that some stories seem like they present a scenario of it being normal for a young person in a believing home to rebel against their parents, go out into the world, and eventually come back to the faith. I never want you to think this is normal. Even though you may be completely dedicated and grounded in your own personal faith, if you embrace the concept that it "cannot be helped" or that it is in any way "normal" or "to be expected" that offspring of Yahweh-fearing parents will turn their backs on the truth, I am concerned that it could cause you to subconsciously be more lax in parenting your own children someday. The Scriptures clearly say that if parents train up their children in the way they should go, they will NOT depart from it. I pray that you will take this very serious, both now and in the future when you have children of your own. When young people in stories "go the wrong way", we need to recognize that either both or one of their parents did something wrong in their training of that child. I am afraid that this aspect of the child’s departure from the faith is not often stressed enough, and I fear that the influence of books that present the parents as good parents who "couldn’t have done anything wrong" and who "couldn’t help what their son or daughter did" can be dangerous.

There is another type of book which I really should mention, and that is the style which (even though it does not tell of anything particularly bad) doesn’t bring Yahweh into the picture either. While they don’t really have anything negative in them, these books lack spiritual dreams and goals. This type of book can’t completely be called bad, when the characters in it are pretty upright people who treat others well and live a decent life. I wouldn’t necessarily forbid you to read a book like this. I have enjoyed some books of this type, especially if they were on a topic that was of specific interest to me. However, once again, I truly do believe that the BEST books are the ones which highly acclaim and lift up Yahweh, and I don’t think it is wise for anyone to choose books that fail to mention Him, as their main source of reading material. It is one thing to read such a book here and there, but even in such books, it is extremely important that you choose ones which do uphold good standards, such as honesty, respect towards one’s authorities, consideration of other’s feelings, etc. And as far as the majority of your reading, I would desire you to choose books which are obviously built around a love for Yahweh and the Scriptures.

Even in educational books, remember, my dears, that the purpose of all learning is to know Yahweh. I hope that all of your educational pursuits will draw you nearer to the Author of all truth. There is much false science, false history, etc. out there that is designed to draw people away from truth, rather than to truly increase their genuine education. The best science and history books will draw Yahweh into them too, as Yahweh is the author of all true science and is a part of all history. In the case of books which do not specifically mention Him, you still ought to pick books which will be supportive of your belief in Yahweh. For example, a good science book will not be steeped with evolutionary teaching. A good history book will paint a realistic view of the flaws in America’s founding fathers and government, the evils of slavery, etc., rather than glossing it over and trying to make it all appear "religious" and "Biblical". Once again, does the book deepen your appreciation and admiration for Yahweh, your compassion for humanity, your resolve to stand firm, and your understanding of the purpose of life and of the necessity to believe always, everywhere, no matter what?

One other kind of book I especially want to warn you against, and especially my girls, is romance novels. Boys, please do not think this is not important for you to read, because after all, some things about girls are important for you to know. Someday, Yahweh-willing, you will have a wife, and daughters, and granddaughters. Even now you have a mother and sisters. You do need to understand girls and women to a certain degree, for Yahweh created men to be the protectors and the guardians of the women. What I am about to say to the girls is certainly relevant to you girls, and it is very pertinent to you boys too so that you can know what standards I desire to pass on for your daughters. My dears, this letter is not merely for you; I write this letter because I yearn with my heart of hearts for every one of my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and beyond to reach the Promised Land. I write this letter to you because I want to pass on to you the foundational things which I hope will be deeply embedded in your life, and which I hope you will in turn embed in your children’s lives faithfully enough that they will pass it on to those who will follow them as well, and so on until Messiah’s return.

This type of book I was going to mention is the all-popular "romance novel" of today. It comes in different forms, but it is many times considered "Christian". It will probably be read by a lot of people you know, but I hope you will never be tempted to read romance novels. They portray a totally unscriptural method of "falling in love" uncontrollably, unaccountably, and unwisely. They are very deceiving, and will only plant unscriptural ideas in your mind and your emotions. If you want to read a "romance", read the book of Tobit, or the story of Isaac and Rebekah.

There is a lot of shallow reading material out there, my dears. "Corrupting" does not just mean something that plants a lot of negative ideas. "Corrupting" can be a book which has no educational or spiritual value, and which is merely a shallow carnal story or column that does nothing to enhance your life, your practical knowledge, or your spiritual dedication and fervor. Don’t settle for this kind of reading material. Reach for the highest and the noblest and the best, and fill your mind with those things which will root you firmly in your faith and keep you going strong and steady.

My beloved children, it is sometimes very hard to know just where to draw the line for the most quality reading material, or to know just what is acceptable and what isn’t. Remember that Yahweh’s Word is a true and steady guide against which to measure everything. Never forget that your father and I are here to help you too. And always seek to keep your ears open to the voice of your conscience, Yahweh speaking within your heart. I hope that you will always strive to follow the guidance of Yahweh’s Word and Spirit, and to choose those things which He would be glad to see you read. I hope that you will always pursue esteem and respect and incorruptibility.

With much prayerful concern, your loving Mother