The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-05-04
PREPARE FOR MEETING
MAKER, SAID SPEAKER
ELDER WELLS IN ADDRESS TO
S. D. A. CONVENTION
Preparedness Not Modern Term; Word
Coined BY One Of Gods Prophets;
Greatest Burden That Rests On the
Hearts Of Today: Many Delegates In
Attendance; Charmed With Mankato
And Its Surroundings


And Its Surroundings
From Saturdays Daily.
Preparedness is not modern
term" said Elder G.. w. Wells OF
the Seventh Day Adventists when
speaking to the delegates assembled
i'm the Sabbath school convention
which concluded it's labors last night.
"The word prepare was perhaps
coined by one of Gods ancient
prophets, in the phrase prepare to
meet thy God, oh, Isreal.' This is
the age of preparedness. The WORD
has well-nigh supplanted the WORD
efficiency. In fact preparedness is
efficiency in advance. l do not advo-
cate that nations should not prepare,
but that the greatest burden that
should rest on our hearts is that
we prepare to meet God.
"This is not time to talk, it is
a time to be still and to pray a
great deal. A great emergency has
arisen. and / am wondering how
MANY are prepared to meet it. We
have never seen such a spirit OF
hatred and animOsity as is witnessed
at the present time, and the call TO
the church is to prepare the indl-
vidual to meet God, which we rec
ognize on the authority OF the
Bible"
-. Misconception On Subject
The speaker called attention to
some popular misconceptions on this
subject, and that many people prom
inent in church work had expressed
opinions on the subject. Reference
was made to the statement of an
eminent evangelist, and one that has
been very successful in winning
souls, that he would not be surprised
to wake up some morning and read
in the papers that message had
been received saying that Christ had
come. "With all due respect to this
mans position, and his great use
fulness," Elder Wells said, that
man is in position to be mistaken
When our Lord comes, we will not
need a telegram to announce it.
Every eye will see Him. The people
who now refuse to prepare, were He
to come the second time as He did
the first, they would refuse to receive
Him.
Attention was directed to some of
the delusions that would be man
ifested in the near future. "What
would you think if man should
1os, hat
was the Christ, and that even had
the power to call down fire out Or
heaven?" he asked. "And yet de-
lusions will be presented that will
deceive, if possible, the very elect.
All the activities of heaven since
the Savior's ascension have been di-
rected toward preparing a place for
His waiting and prepared church"
Strong Representation Present
Delegates were present at the
convention from the entire Southern
Minnesota division; strong repre-
sentation from Dodge Center, ST..
Peter. Kasota, Garden City, Wells,
Austin and Good Thunder being
especially noticed. Many points of
interest in Sabbath school work and
methods were discussed under the
leadership of Miss Mary D. Hopkins.
the state secretary, and Elder G. L..
Taylor, very successful worker
with the young people. In the lat
ter's address, especial attention was
called to necessity for pleasant and
attractive surroundings being pre-
pared for the children's department.
He referred to numerous expe-
riences encountered in his work over
nearly the entire United States.
The visitors expressed themselves
as being charmed with the welcome
and entertainment received in Man
kato, and with it's peculiar homelike-
ness. Many good words were heard
with reference to it's excellent
streets, the prominent and well
planned public buildings, and many
convenences.
Adventists Will Serve Country
Minneapolis April 30.-Rev. Charles
Thompson, president of the North
ern Union conference of the Seventh
Day Adventists, last night declared
that dispatches from Washington
reporting that the Adventists haG
refused to serve the country in the
war were untrue. The dispatch told
of a resolution said to have beer
adopted by the Adventists confer
ence and filed with the assistant
secretary of war.
81 was present in Huntsville, Ala.
when the resolution was adopted
said Mr.. Thompson. "Our resolution
was the same as the one adopted in
the Civil war.
GAS Adventists, we believe it is
wrong to kill. The present bill in
congress permits the war depart.
ment to exempt those whose relig-
ious faith cannot recognize war, an6
we merely filed the resolution tt
take advantage of that exemption.
'We will serve the country, but ir
the resolution we ask that the serv-
ice be such that it will not violate
our conscientious obedience to the
law of God"
Mr. Thompson said the resolution
had been misconstrued.