Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-11-07

10y do JitC o6OO6bhl Va lAls
Lord is to be credited mainly to Ell
der Joseph Bates, who began to advo
cate it in the same year, 1846 Be
fore this time the gift of prophecy
which has never entirely ceased from
exercises in the Christian church
since the days of the apostles, was
graciously manifested by God through
different ones in the Adventist ranks,
Soon after the passing of the time it
rested upon young girl, by name
Ellen Harmon, who since her marriage
known as Mrs. E. G. White, has been
pleased with light from God which
has not only led into more truth
through the study of the bible, but
has again and again guided our
people past the rocks of dis-harmony
and the shoals of false doctrine.
Beginning with but handful of
poverty-stricken adherents in 1s46,
this movement, calling the attention
of the world to the impending judg-
ment and to the claims of Gods law,
has swept over the world, until at the
present time it counts more than
ninety thousand believers in all parts
OF the world; 136 conferences and
mission field, missions in almost all
heathen lands; 500 schools of different
grades, from primary to college; %
publishing houses in many lands,
with special literature in fifty-one
different languages, and over one
thousand special agents distributing
it; "a sanitariums in America, Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australia, and the
island of the seas, besides numberless
auxiliary institutions. such as hydro
pathic treatment rooms, hygienic res
taurants, and philanthropic institu-
tions.
The first foreign mission work un-
dertaken by Seyenth-day Adventists
was in 1874, when Elder J. N. An
dreWs was sent to Switzerland, In
response to call from Sabbath-keepers
there. From that beginning the
work has spread, many times under
severe persecution both private and
governmental, through all the count
ries of Europe, Russia in Asia, India,
China, Persia, Turkey, Egypt, the
Barbary Coast, Central and South
Africa, South America, the islands of
the South Seas, and the most distant
lands, until at the present time the
whole earth is being lightened with
the glory of the message of the
coming of Jesus Yet our facilities
and enterprise, we realize, are but
small, and we expect great access of
power to finish the work. We look,
not to the evangelization Of the
world, but to it's warning and judg-
ment, its final destruction, and the
restoration of the earth by Christ as
the home of the redeemed.
The publishing work began in 1s49,
in the publication of small sheet by
Elder James White, called Present
Truth" Now there are SO regular
periodicals in various languages, be-
sides tons of books and other reading
matter being sent out weekly.
Institutional work began in 1856,
with the establishment Of the Battle
Creek Sanitarium, from which be-
ginning has developed the great chain
Of sanitariuns and other philanthro-
pic Institutions al! over this country
and foreign lands.
Educational work began with the
establishment of the Battle Creek
College in 1874. 1t moved some what
slowly for many years, though there
were six or eight other colleges es-
tablished, until in 1895 there began
the movement for the more thorough
training of our youth, from the child
to the adult, which resulted in a gen.
efal system of complete education,
with schools at the present time, as
has been stated, to the number of
| five hundred. The wisdom of this
movement has been demonstrated by
the great increase in the force Of
laborers for foreign and home fields.
The work in Wisconsin began about
the year 1855, when Elders Cornell
and Loughborough held meetings at
Beloit, Janesville, Madison, and
various other points. There were,
however, before this time several
Seventh-Day Adventists in the state,
who had embraced the truth through
reading matter sent them. Among
these was Elder ]. Fl. Waggoner, who
until his death was an active and
powerful laborer in the cause. The
| Wisconsin conference was organized
in 1871. Statistics give its member
ship at the present time as 3,26S, the
number of churches 98.
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