Loading...
Larger font
Smaller font
Copy
Print
Contents
General Conference Bulletin, vol. 4 - Contents
  • Results
  • Related
  • Featured
No results found for: "".
  • Weighted Relevancy
  • Content Sequence
  • Relevancy
  • Earliest First
  • Latest First
    Larger font
    Smaller font
    Copy
    Print
    Contents

    Fifteenth Meeting, April 12, 11 A. M

    ELDER G. A. IRWIN in the chair. No. 775 was the opening hymn. After a moment of silent prayer, Elder Irwin led in audible prayer.GCB April 14, 1901, page 216.12

    The Chair: As it was stated before the intermission, we will continue the line of thought of the forenoon. The subjects under consideration are very important,—not only the sale of the book, “Christ’s Object Lessons” in the interest of the schools, but also the change of location for the Battle Creek College, and getting it into the country, where pupils will be away from the many temptations and allurements met with in a place like this. As this will be the only time, perhaps, that these points will come up for consideration, it is thought best to continue the consideration of them in this meeting.GCB April 14, 1901, page 216.13

    There are a number of persons in the congregation who have had a rich experience in the sale of the book; and I am sure that a recital of these experiences would do us all good, and inspire courage in our hearts to continue in the work, or, if we have not taken it up hitherto, to engage in it.GCB April 14, 1901, page 216.14

    As you heard from the report, and from what Sister White said, a good beginning has been made, and she was pleased that it had already accomplished so much; but only a beginning has been made, and if we receive the full blessing from this enterprise that God designs we should receive from it, we must continue it with not only the same energy, but with renewed energy and zeal. There never has been a plan inaugurated by the people of God, which has seemed to meet the approval of all concerned so generally as this one. It is not to be wondered at, because the plan is not earthborn, but from heaven. There are more promises connected with co-operating in this plan than in anything else we have ever had brought to our attention. So I have felt very anxious that we do not deprive ourselves of the blessing that may come to us individually by slackening the effort already made.GCB April 14, 1901, page 216.15

    I believe that there are possibilities in this plan that will raise us to a place where we can sing the song of jubilee, the song of freedom from debt. I am sure that that is a song in which every one of us hopes to participate. It need not be any very distant date in the future, either, if we take hold of it with a will.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.1

    I, for one, am heartily in favor of this plan, and have done a little to help carry it into effect. But I do not want to speak for myself. I know that there are a number in the congregation who have had a rich experience, and we would like to hear them. We will not confine any one simply to this one thought. If persons have burdens to speak along the line of the changing of the location of the college, let them be perfectly free.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.2

    S. N. Haskell: I, like every other Seventh-day Adventist, am very much in sympathy with this move. We are in sympathy with it because God is in it; and from the time that I first heard of it. I felt heartily in sympathy with it, from the fact that it brought back a sacrificing spirit into the truth, beginning with the one who furnished the matter for the book, and runs down through to the one who sells the book.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.3

    The definition of a saint, as given in the fiftieth psalm, is one that sacrifices. I believe that if we can all feel in sympathy with this movement, so as to act a part in it, even though it cost a sacrifice, it will revive in the heart that spirit which has been so sadly lacking; and we shall yet realize God’s blessing in a large measure.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.4

    But there is another thing I will speak of, and that is the location of the school. I remember the time when the present site was selected for the location of the college here in Battle Creek. I remember also what Sister White then said to her husband, “Why do you not go up here and buy the fair ground?” The fair ground at that time, if I remember a right, contained fifty acres. Brother White said, “We have not the money.” There was a meeting appointed, and he was to visit the leading men in the city of Battle Creek, and see what they would do. He made certain propositions to them. One was, I think, that we would invest as much in the school buildings as the city would give toward the land.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.5

    But for some cause the donation was not forthcoming, and so the school was located where it is. But when they talked the matter over with Sister White, she always said: “Get the school on some land outside of the thickly settled city, where the students can work on the land. I wanted to say that, in view of what Sister White said here, as I was present at the time.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.6

    The future of our work in entering new fields will depend largely upon the students who will go out from our schools. The mold that they receive in these they will carry to others; and it would therefore be inconsistent for them to be given any other than one in which they will be taught to co-operate fully with the Lord, so that they may adapt themselves to conditions to be met in different countries of the world. A school situated in the country, away from city customs and city ways, is better adapted for this purpose than one located in the very heart of a large town. I know this from personal observation. While in Australia we became accustomed to the style of architecture there maintained. Our school there was located in the bush; our surroundings were peculiar, and I was influenced accordingly: When I returned to this country the architecture of the buildings the houses which surrounded the school and the general aspect of things were not pleasing to my taste, which had become adapted to the surroundings of that situation.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.7

    One may say that students can be trained in cities, and have manual labor by which they may adapt themselves to their fields to which they are sent later. But under such conditions they get a false idea of things. It is a fact that there is no place in the world, no nation or people, who have so much sham as those who live in America. It is shown in our architecture, in business, in everything; and when we spend some time in foreign countries, we find it out. We are not much over a hundred years old in this country. In many foreign lands, things have been established for hundreds of years, and many things are of a more substantial character. If we become educated in these artificial things connected with city life, we are liable to find that our ideas and manners will prove to be barriers to the reception of the truths we may present in foreign lands. For this reason, God would have us establish our schools in the country, where we may behold the beauties of nature, the trees, the fields of grain, the orchards of fruit, the birds in the air; and as we see these objects around us on every side, and learn from them the lessons God would have us learn, we shall imperceptibly receive a divine mold upon our characters. We will also be better able to adapt ourselves to conditions, so we may find them in foreign lands.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.8

    S. H. Lane: The report of Professor Magan shows that thousands upon thousands of “Christ’s Object Lessons” have already been sold. It was seen, when the books were issued, that if every Seventh-day Adventist would sell to his merchant, blacksmith, tailor, and all parties with whom he dealt, the 300,000 copies would be disposed of. This work has been entered upon to some extent, and the results are wonderful. Those connected with the Review and Herald office and the sanitarium, have been selling the book to drummers of wholesale firms who come here to solicit orders for supplies. Brother W. H. Hall, of the Sanitarium has had some rich experiences in this work, and has sold scores of books in this way, but unfortunately he has just gone to Florida, and will not be here to tell us of his work. However, Brother W. C. Sisley, superintendent of the manufacturing department of the Review and Herald office, is here, and we should be glad to hear from him.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.9

    W. C. Sisley: I have had a blessed experience in selling these books. I was very deeply interested in the plan when I first heard of it, but not so much so as I was when I studied it a little while. Every time I studied it, I could see more and more in it, until I became satisfied that it was the best plan that was ever introduced among our people for doing good. I became interested to have a part in it. I studied to think how we could put it into practical use, so that all our people could sell books. As I was leader of the Battle Creek Missionary Society, it seemed to me I should have to sell some of the books myself. I had never sold books, but had urged others to do so many times. I tried to persuade myself that I was too busy to sell books; that it was too small business for me; but I could not get away from the impression to sell them myself.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.10

    The first man I spoke to about it was a gentleman with whom I was talking over the telephone. He was thirty miles away. I told him of the plan, and he said, “Certainly, I will buy one, and I will sell some for you, too.” That surprised me. I thought that if men who had charge of large business enterprises, and who were not religiously inclined, were willing to sell these books, I certainly ought to sell some. I began, and have continued. It would take half an hour to tell the experiences I have had. I have been greatly blessed, and the work has given me a great deal of courage, faith, and hope. I can see that the paying of the college debts is really the smallest part of the blessing in this work. It is good to get rid of this debt, but a better thing to get all our people at work; for we are dying for the sake of something to do. We all need more work than we have been doing to save souls.GCB April 14, 1901, page 217.11

    Such a precious book as that ought to have a sale of three hundred thousand copies in a short time. When selling the book, I told those with whom I talked the condition we were in,—of our debt and that we were each going to help, and that we wanted them to do something. After these men bought books of me they would come around and ask how I was succeeding. I would tell them that in a few months we hoped to get our debts all paid, that then we were going to sing the song of jubilee, and I invited them to sing with us, and that I would let them know about it. It seems to me we ought not to take years to sell these books. It is no easy task, but it is easier than for a man to tell others how to sell when he has not sold any himself.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.1

    Chas. Thompson: I had laid plans to start out and sell the book for some time; but when the appointed moment came, something would hinder, and I would make an excuse that I could not go. But finally I resolved to go out on a certain morning. That morning came, and I sought the Lord earnestly for help and guidance. I put the book in my overcoat pocket, so that it could not be seen. I walked around the street until noon that day before I had the courage to take the book out of my pocket. I really did not know what to say. I had never canvassed for a book in my life. But I went down to one of the schools the first thing, inasmuch as the book was for the advancement of the educational work. I canvassed a teacher for the book and was refused. I felt somewhat discouraged at that. But I next went to the primary teacher and canvassed her, and she very reluctantly took one. I got about as much consolation in her taking one as I did in the other one refusing, but it made me think I might possibly have some success, so I went from there to the president of the school board, and he gave me his order. From there I went to another member of the school board, who also gave me his order. That gave me courage to go on, so I kept on until I had canvassed all the business men there. While a great many of them did not buy, many of them did, and I can say that I received a great blessing of the Lord.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.2

    I did not have any set form of canvass, but I had to invent something for every man. When talking to a man interested in school work, I talked to him on education, and when canvassing a minister, I talked to him of religion. When I met a man who was interested in secret societies, I had something for him; and when I met a man who was not interested in any of these, I had to invent something else; but I hardly ever canvassed a man who did not have a family, and I always talked to him about the obligation he owed his family, to provide them with good literature upon which to feed their minds. I have succeeded in selling forty-three copies of the book.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.3

    R. F. Andrews: I am interested in the matters that have been presented this morning. If we circulate three hundred thousand copies of this book, do you think the truths it contains will be lost? If we could only sense these precious truths that are in that book, and get them before the people, it would do more good in melting down the prejudices against us than any one thing I ever heard of.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.4

    So far as selling the book is concerned, there is no trouble. One can not have a set canvass that he can give to everybody, like a bird singing one note over and over again. The contingencies with which he will be surrounded will have to be taken into consideration. In my own town, where I spent three hours in taking orders for the book, I sold eighteen; and I spent a good deal more time with about half a dozen people that did not take the book than with those to whom I sold. When I came to deliver the books, I spent about one hour, and sold five more, making a total of twenty-three books sold and delivered in four hours.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.5

    I also went to Gibson City, a place where I was not known, and in three hours I sold eighteen books. The selling of these books has given me scores of opportunities to tell the people about the truth. The sale of the book brings three blessings: first, it will do much good to the individual that engages in the sale; second, it will help the one who buys the book, for he can not read it without being benefited; and, third, it will help to pay the debt. Every time you get one of these books out, you give more than sixty sermons to the people. I believe it is doing God’s service, and advancing the message, to sell this book.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.6

    I remember selling one man a book, whom I met a few days afterward on the street, and he told me it was a grand book and wanted to know if he could get more of that author’s works. I told him where he could get them, and all about our publications. That man is now reading the Review and Herald as the result of that book.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.7

    L. V. Finster: I come from the southern part of Wyoming, where the saying is that nothing grows but sage-brush and sin. When this plan was suggested, I thought I could not sell those books in the West. People there care little for religion of any kind. But I started out to sell the book, and I was surprised to find that people took it as they did. I was holding meetings in a place at the time. I was quite well acquainted with a great many there; but I found, in selling these books, and going around from house to house, that there were many interested in the work, and it was only a means of helping me to get acquainted with those who were searching for truth. I visited from place to place. and held meetings in the evenings, and sold a great many books in different places. I sold in all four hundred in that country. I believe if our people would take hold of this work, they could sell the books anywhere.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.8

    H. M. J. Richards: I have learned one lesson that is most encouraging to me, and that is that we are one people, and that we can work together. In the State of Colorado we desire to be in harmony with every interest of God’s cause that we love. There are five or six of our workers in Colorado who have sold one hundred books or more each. I believe God will bless us still more in this work. I could occupy the whole day in telling experiences of how God has worked in selling the book.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.9

    M. G. Huffman: In the first place, I have no sympathy with the debts. I have gone from conference to conference, and everywhere I went I found a large debt and they were calling for help. I would try to help one conference, and then I would go to another, and find the same thing. I am tired of paying other people’s debts. When God spoke to us and said so plainly that with this book he was trying his people and wanted them to help, I said, All right, for I am a firm believer in the Almighty God, and believe God is speaking to us. I started out and took orders for fifty-one books, and delivered them, all in five days. I never experienced such wonderful blessings as I did in canvassing for that book. I found people who had been reading our literature and were very much interested in it, especially in Mrs. White’s writings, and they would all be glad to take the book.GCB April 14, 1901, page 218.10

    A. O. Burrill: My first opportunity came while I was waiting for a train in Maine. I spent part of two days canvassing in that State, and of twenty books I had with me, I disposed of seventeen during those two days. I sold quite a number of the books at Adams Center, N. Y., during the week of prayer. These were sold largely to our own people. In January I had a good experience in Syracuse, N. Y., where I live. That city has, perhaps, 125,000 inhabitants. I could canvass there only a part of each day; but I started out to educate the brethren and sisters—mostly sisters—how to canvass for this book. It was hard work to get volunteers to introduce me to families, or to canvass for this book. We finally succeeded, however, in getting quite a number of the sisters to sell “Christ’s Object Lessons.” They would almost invariably sell from one to four books, after they once started out. In all, about 150 books have been sold there as a result of this effort. It is reviving the spirit of our people there. I would like nothing better than to spend all my time in going from house to house among our people, and trying to educate others to go out and sell these books.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.1

    George F. Watson: Colorado has six ordained ministers who have sold more than 100 books apiece. We have one Bible worker in Leadville, who sold 100 books in one month. One brother in a mining-camp tried it, and was completely discouraged with the book, and could not sell it. I wrote him that I believed with all my heart that “Object Lessons” is a gift from God, not to keep, but to sell. I wrote him a good letter. He got it on Sabbath, and spent most of Sabbath afternoon praying. After sundown, he went out and sold five books in the first thirty minutes. During the evening, he sold six. We thank God that the books are selling in Colorado.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.2

    At this point A. T. Jones spoke as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Educational Society, as follows:—GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.3

    “You heard the word directly, and which needs no explanation, and no sanction, that we should get the college out of Battle Creek, and that we should sell the buildings and grounds in Battle Creek just as soon as possible.”GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.4

    Elder Jones then called for all the stockholders of the Seventh-day Adventist Educational Association who were present, and favored the carrying out of the instruction that had been given, to rise to their feet. There was a hearty response; and when a negative vote was called for, no one responded.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.5

    Then an expression on the part of the delegates of the General Conference was called for; and the vote to carry out the instruction was unanimous. Then a third expression was called for, from the congregation. Those who composed the congregation expressed a unanimous desire, by rising to their feet, that the proposed steps with reference to the college should be taken, as suggested.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.6

    G. A. Irwin: The Committee on Organization has another partial report to bring in.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.7

    W. C. White [reading]: Your Committee on Organization further recommend:—GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.8

    “11. That the General Conference Committee of twenty-five, as soon as elected, nominate the members to constitute the corporate membership of the Foreign Mission Board. Said members to be elected by the Conference.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.9

    “12. That the administration of the Foreign Mission work be under the supervision of the General Conference Executive Committee.GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.10

    “13. That it be left to the General Conference Committee to decide how long the corporate life of the Foreign Mission Board be continued.”GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.11

    There is another matter which the Committee wishes to bring before you as a matter of information—regarding it as a matter of information and counsel to the Executive Committee when it shall be prepared to organize. [Reading]:—GCB April 14, 1901, page 219.12

    Larger font
    Smaller font
    Copy
    Print
    Contents