The Signs for 1884 by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 24, 1884

The Signs for 1884.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

The SIGNS OF THE TIMES has now entered upon its tenth volume. It has gone forth on its mission to tens of thousands of homes, their only source of light upon the subject of present truth.

The work now before us is one of the greatest importance that has ever been committed to fallen man. The paper, we believe, was established in the order and providence of God; his Holy Spirit bearing witness to the position it should fill in the work of God. It has been taken by the missionary worker and sent to all parts of the world, wherever the English tongue is spoken. Through its agency alone, scores have embraced the truth and thousands have had their attention called to the solemn truths it contains.

The present year, in many respects, will be the most important that we have ever experienced in the history of the work. The demand for our publications is increasing yearly, and not a stone should be left unturned to place our reading matter before the thousands who may be interested to read. With the plans that have been previously laid, and the experience of our Tract Societies with this pioneer sheet, we expect a greater work will be performed by them than ever has been in any one year in the past. The present regular issue of the SIGNS is between fifteen and sixteen thousand, and about three-tenths of this entire number are taken by three Conferences. For a time last season, the circulation of the paper ran up to twenty thousand; but this was in the season of our camp-meetings, while many of our Conferences were using it to obtain short-term subscriptions to prepare the way for the meetings.

When the President of the General Conference stated in an article in the Review, a few weeks since, that the SIGNS should have a circulation of fifty thousand the coming year, he stated it none to high. But the questions arise, How can this be accomplished? Are the various societies able to do this? Is there room for it in the great harvest-field, while the Review, the Sentinel, and Youth’s Instructor have a place to fill? We answer emphatically, Yes. There is no conflict in the mission of our various periodicals. Each paper has its specific sphere. No two of our English periodicals are alike. They contain entirely different matter, much of which is well calculated for all classes of readers, yet each has its specific place in connection with the great work of sounding the last notes of warning to a dying world.

Each Tract and Missionary Society should immediately lay plans for the coming year. There should be twenty colporters in the field this year where there was one last. Every camp-meeting should be preceded by this paper, not only advertising the meeting, but calling the attention of the people to the important truths for this time. It will be the object of the conductors of this paper to make it just the paper to precede any general meeting; and to accomplish this each Tract Society should receive large numbers of the paper, which they can direct to the various openings as they may present themselves, and use before each of the general meetings which may be held throughout the country, as camp-meetings, etc. That section of the country in which the meetings are to be held should be canvassed, short-term subscriptions be solicited, and a special invitation be given to attend the meeting. Not an opportunity should be passed by without our doing our utmost to warn the people. Every avenue should be entered, and we should make openings where they do not exist. Short-term subscriptions should be taken and the interest followed up, in every part of the field, by Bible-readings and colporter work. The SIGNS should be placed on board of ships, in public reading-rooms, in boarding-houses, and all public places. We look for a large increase this year in its circulation.

The New England Conference receives weekly fifteen hundred copies, and also two thousand copies of the Sabbath Sentinel. The Sentinel reaches a class of readers who take the paper with other objects in view than simply to learn the truths of the Bible. It is made use of by the Tract Societies to secure a class of names to which the SIGNS may be sent, which otherwise we would not have, and it gives us the addresses of these individuals to whom sample copies of the SIGNS may be sent. Now is the time to move forward; and while this paper goes forward on its mission, the Review should have a place in every home of S. D. Adventists. This is our church paper, and there should be no family, who observe the Sabbath and believe in the solemn truths which relate to this time, to which this periodical should not find its way; and time should be spent to read our periodicals.

May the Lord bless the Tract Societies this present year, and before its close may we see a large increase in subscribers for both the Review and Herald and our pioneer sheet.

S. N. HASKELL.