REPORT FROM IOWA by D. T. Bourdeau

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 11, 1866

REPORT FROM IOWA.

By D. T. Bourdeau

After parting with my brother, I held six meetings in Civil Bend, Mo., in which I gave six discourses on various practical subjects, organized a church of nine members, who seemed to be well united both in spirit and in theory; organized Systematic Benevolence amounting to $83.00 per year; and established a Sabbath School and Bible Class, and a weekly prayer-meeting. At the close of our meetings we all repaired to a stream on Bro. Mallory’s farm, where Bro. and Sr. Jilz, formerly from Pennsylvania, were buried with Christ by baptism. This solemn and refreshing scene closed up our pleasant experience with the brethren and friends in Civil Bend.

From the time of their receiving the Sabbath, the brethren in this place have suffered from various causes.

1. When they embraced the Sabbath some six years ago, they did not hear on all the branches of the message, and were left to study and work their way out as best they could, without the aid of the living preacher.

2. As the result of indifference on the part of some, and of a want of thoroughness in first planting the standard of truth among them, a few were unprepared to keep pace with the message in its onward march, which rather crippled those who wished to move along with the body. But this evil was remedied by organization, in which the standard of truth was exalted, and a call was made for volunteers to rally around it. The standard could not be lowered. For in lowering the standard to suit the tastes of some on certain points, the way would be opened to lower it to meet the tastes of others on other points, and there would be no end to sacrificing the truth. The practical truths of the message would soon be held as unimportant, and there would be a failure in preparing a people for translation.

In organizing, we set forth the following principles: The sanctifying truths of the message are a test to those who understand them, and to those who might have seen them, but have willfully closed their eyes against them. God himself makes them a test. He tries men with them. If they were not a test, then we might as well disregard them as receive and practice them, and it was not important for God to reveal and enforce them. God does not trifle with men, and should not be mocked. When God speaks he means what he says, and life or death depends on the course we pursue in regard to his word. But some may fail to fully understand certain portions of truth, such as those which relate to spiritual gifts, for instance, for a want of opportunity to peruse them, or because they are naturally possessed with a skeptical turn of mind; yet they cherish and manifest a good, humble, and teachable spirit, which, if followed, will lead them into all truth, and lead to love the brethren and to be tender and kind toward them. They hate sin and their evil habits, and are determined by the grace of God to overcome, and even ask their brethren to pray for them. We would patiently teach such, and receive them as the Lord receives us, and try to bear with them and do them good. But those who manifest an independent and rebellious spirit, by saying they will not believe, and will do as they please, and it is nobody’s business, etc., should be dealt with in a different manner. Not that we are to repay them with the same spirit that they manifest to us; but we cannot fellowship their course, or endanger some who might be led astray by their example, by receiving them into the church.

3. The brethren in Missouri have been retarded in their progress by the late rebellion, with which they had no sympathy, but on account of which they were pressed for a time. But thank God the scales are now turned on the right side in Mo. Slavery is abolished in that State. Enterprising emigrants of the anti-slavery sentiment are coming in rapidly from the East; and we consider Mo. as a promising field of labor. If the brethren in that State will continue the good-begun work among them, and lead a consistent life, others will doubtless be added to their numbers. This can be done without Sabbath-keepers from abroad colonizing among them.

We were five days in returning to Sandyville, Iowa, and suffered some from the prairie winds and from weariness; yet we felt the sustaining hand of the Lord, and were free and could rejoice most of the time. On our way from Mo. we held a profitable meeting at Osceola, where we were glad to see that some of the youth were under religious conviction, and were leaning toward the right way. May they fully decide to walk in it.

Last Sabbath we met with the church at Sandyville; spoke with freedom on trials, or suffering with Christ. Had a good social meeting, attended to the ordinances, and established a Bible Class and Sabbath School. We felt for the dear lambs of the flock, and felt the importance of teachers being simple and affectionate, and having the cases of the young at heart. While they adhere to, and teach, theory, they should not overlook its practical bearing. They should aim to benefit, often pointing the children to Jesus, and simplifying the plan of salvation; taking them as it were in the arms of their faith and affections to the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” If this is done, it will be an easy matter to get up a revival among them. But if this is neglected, if parents and teachers fail to do their duty, how can we expect to reach them?

We also felt constrained to leave the following advice with regard to the Bible Class, not because it applied at Sandyville more than elsewhere, but because of its importance: Express your opinions with modesty, without urging them. Lay your opinions at the feet of your brethren and sisters, remembering that the power of conviction is in the truth and Spirit, and not in your driving your ideas into others against their own will. This will never do the work, but will generally produce the same in others, and cause unpleasant feelings, selfishness, rashness, and unkindness, where sweet union, tenderness, and love, should exist, and will defeat the object that should be gained by studying the Scriptures.

D. T. Bourdeau.

Knoxville, Iowa, Nov. 19, 1866.