Time a Precious Talent by E. R. P.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 13, 1908

Time a Precious Talent

By E. R. P.

ONE of the most precious talents God has given to his stewards is the talent of time. One reason why it is so precious just now is because it is fast slipping away. Only a little time is left in which we can work. In view of this fact, and the great work to be done in carrying the gospel to all nations, it is often a wonder to us, as we look over the State and union conference papers, to see how little time some of our agents actually work each week. In many conferences the average time worked a week is less than twenty hours for each agent. How would a man of the world prosper if he wasted his time as some of our canvassers are wasting theirs? and yet those same canvassers, who work from ten to twenty hours a week, wonder at the close of the season why they have failed to earn a scholarship, why the canvassing work is not more profitable, why the Lord has not blessed them with the large sales others have made. The answer can almost invariably be found in the record of time worked.

In view of this sad fact it is refreshing to see such reports as we find published in the Northern Union Reaper of July 28. In Minnesota thirty-one canvassers averaged thirty-three hours each during the week. Eleven of these thirty-one agents worked forty hours or more, and five out of the eleven worked fifty hours or more.

The reports from North and South Dakota are so refreshing to look at that we pass them on:—

Report of the Canvassing Work in North Dakota

(Week ending July 18, 1908)

AGENT	BOOK	HOURS	ORDERS	VALUE
O. Grundset	Great Controversy	35	13	$37.25
J. H. Roth	Great Controversy	61	33	$99.75
F. Christy	Great Controversy	38	24	$69.00
Peter Richert	Great Controversy	48	15	$45.35
V. W. Pallerson	Great Controversy	77	30	$100.25
E. Nelson	Heralds of the Morning	75	17	$34.00
John Lorenz	Daniel and the Revelation	14	8	$26.00
I. C. Schmidt	Daniel and the Revelation	48	14	$44.50
Totals		396	154	$456.10

Report of the Canvassing Work in South Dakota

(Week ending July 18, 1908)

AGENT	BOOK	HOURS	ORDERS	VALUE
Jas. M. Johnston	Great Controversy	49	15	$48.35
Alfreda Mortensen	Great Controversy	28	11	$32.50
Agatha Johnson	Great Controversy	48	14	$43.75
Geneva Anderson	Great Controversy	41	20	$58.00
Clara Kier	Great Controversy	39	19	$66.75
Olive Crum	Great Controversy	35	15	$46.25
C. M. Christy	Great Controversy	44	19	$55.25
C. F. Cole	Great Controversy	60	17	$59.20
W. H. Twining	Great Controversy	39	14	$59.75
Carl Thompson	Great Controversy	31	7	$27.25
F. B. Jewell	Great Controversy	20	8	$33.75
Chris Peterson	Daniel and the Revelation	40	3	$8.25
L. Peterson	Daniel and the Revelation	50	8	$22.00
Fred Bolton	Daniel and the Revelation	57	16	$54.80
Geo. W. Tucker	Daniel and the Revelation	56	12	$37.70
J. H. Eastman	Daniel and the Revelation	47	20	$69.15
Lillian Aalborg	Heralds of the Morning	40	8	$15.50
Bess Porter	Heralds of the Morning	24	9	$16.50
Ethel Barber	Heralds of the Morning	12	8	$14.00
Regina Litwinenke	Heralds of the Morning	78	66	$115.50
Totals		838	309	$884.20

Some of our canvassers who think they are having a hard time working from ten to twenty hours a week will do well to study these reports in detail, and see if they can not discover an answer to their oft-repeated question, “Why do I not succeed better?” Tell us plainly, dear friends, you who are only working one-half or one-third time, would you not like to have your name stand in a list like this among faithful young people who are averaging from forty to fifty hours a week?

You may think it hardly possible for a canvasser to work seventy-five hours in one week. The writer is not prepared to explain just how it was done; for he is not acquainted with the facts; but we have looked up the record, and have found that these reports, with the exception of the last name in the report from South Dakota, are for one week only.

We also publish below a report from Wisconsin. This is the second one which we have published from that State. This one shows an average of thirty-nine hours for each agent. The previous report showed an average of a little over forty-three hours for each agent. We heartily congratulate these canvassers who are doing such faithful work.

Report of the Canvassing Work in Wisconsin

(Week ending July 11, 1908)

AGENT	BOOK	HOURS	ORDERS	VALUE
Edgar Brigham	Home and Health	44	23	$78.05
Fred E. Middlested	Great Controversy	43	20	$61.55
Carl Wilson	Great Controversy	39	17	$51.25
Marie Laursen	Prophecies of Jesus	39	22	$44.50
Louis Scholtz	Great Controversy	42	11	$39.00
O. J. Olsen	Great Controversy	35	13	$37.75
Henry Winn	Great Controversy	40	10	$33.25
Frank Halderson	Daniel and the Revelation	45	9	$28.70
W. P. McCrillis	Coming King and Great Con.	43½	12	$27.00
A. Carlson	Great Controversy	60	8	$24.40
Reuben Wilson	Home and Health	34	5	$18.00
Sina Gjerde	Heralds of the Morning	31	6	$14.75
Lizzie M. Keate	Seer of Patmos	14		$5.65
Totals		509½	156	$458.85

E. R. P.