The Impressions Of Many Readers

Many a reader, knowing nothing of the author’s experience, has felt that these books showed some special spiritual gift on the writer’s part. I give a few examples to illustrate, gathered from here and there, impressions of Catholic readers as well as Protestant.SPIAM 37.2

At a conference in the city of Washington one of our laymen said: “I loaned the book, ‘Steps to Christ,’ to a young woman in business. She returned it, saying she had never read such a book before. ‘It seemed to me it was inspired,’ she said.”SPIAM 37.3

In far Lithuania, one of the Baltic states of Europe, a colporteur called at a Catholic home: “The wife ran in,” he said, “and brought out a book. ‘This is our Bible,’ she said, holding it up triumphantly. I took it, and saw at once it was our book, ‘Steps to Christ.’”SPIAM 37.4

One denunciation of that little book is equally a testimony to the exceptional power of its simple message. In one country of Eastern Europe, our workers told of a great poster put up by an archbishop. It read: “Adventist Literature Forbidden! Of the books sold by the Adventists, the book, ‘Steps to Christ,’ is the worst of all.”SPIAM 37.5

On the other hand, in New England, a Catholic man lent a French “Steps to Christ” to a friend, who wrote to the office of our Book and Bible House: “I have a book, ‘Vers Christ,’ given me by a Roman Catholic friend, who said it was the best thing he ever read written by human hand.”SPIAM 38.1

At a conference in Northern California an old schoolmate of long ago, Mr. Axtell, told me: “While living in Arizona, I loaned the book, ‘Christian Education,’ to a public-school man. He returned it, saying: ‘That book reads as if it were inspired.’”SPIAM 38.2

A nurse in New England was invited by a wealthy and cultured lady, whom she had met in one of our medical institutions, to spend a holiday at the lady’s summer home at the seaside. Our nurse took along for reading the book “Education.” I was told the story:SPIAM 38.3

“The lady of the house saw the book, and read it. ‘The author of this book must have been a woman of exceptional education,’ the lady said. ‘No,’ replied the nurse; ‘not at all. It was the very reverse. She was called into religious work as a young girl, with only common-school instruction.’ ‘Then she must have written by inspiration,’ was the comment of this highly educated lady, who was able to appreciate the exceptional character of the book.”SPIAM 38.4

Only recently a clergyman, a Yale University man, with London University postgraduate study, happened into a ministerial class in one of our colleges. He said he was of the liberal school of thought. He picked up and examined a copy of “Testimonies to Ministers,” which the class was using. He later said to our teacher:SPIAM 38.5

“I have looked through this book and I find it is the very best material you could place in the hands of young men studying for the ministry. These young people should count themselves fortunate in having such instruction. I have read some of Mrs. White’s works. With the limited education that she had, no one could write such books as she has written unless inspired of God.”SPIAM 38.6