Fourth Annual Session Of The Australian Seventh-Day Adventist Conference

On the next Thursday evening, December 24, the fourth annual session of the Australian Seventh-day Adventist Conference opened in Federal Hall. About 100 people were present, representing the churches in Australia. Since the next day was Christmas, Mrs. White delivered an appropriate message on “the birth and mission of Christ, illustrating the love of God and showing the propriety of making gifts of gratitude, as did those who brought their gifts to Jesus, rather than to waste means in useless gratification” (The Bible Echo, January 1, 1892).WV 277.6

Federal Hall was too small for the Sabbath morning service, so Ellen White spoke in a larger hall. She was led to comment, “When they understand I am to speak, they have large numbers present” (Manuscript 45, 1891). For the Sunday night meeting, the nearby Fitzroy Town Hall was secured. There she spoke on the plan of salvation and the love of God for fallen humanity, to an audience that sat attentively for an hour and a half.WV 277.7

In her diary she wrote:WV 278.1

I was not well December 26 and December 27 [Sabbath and Sunday]. I had strong symptoms of malaria. I could eat but little through the day and had quite a fever, but the Lord strengthened me when [I was] before the people (Ibid.).WV 278.2

She little realized the ominous nature of the situation, for this was the onset of a prolonged and painful illness that was to affect her ministry in Australia materially.WV 278.3