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The Entering Wedge

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 30, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 64.

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The Entering Wedge

By Edith M. Graham

“THE people are in sad need of the light shining from the pages of our health books and journals. God desires to use these books and journals as mediums through which flashes of light shall arrest the attention of the people, and cause them to heed the warning of the message of the third angel. Our health journals are instrumentalities in the field to do a special work in disseminating the light that the inhabitants of the world must have in this day of God’s preparation. They wield an untold influence in the interests of health and temperance and social purity reform, and will accomplish great good in presenting these subjects in a proper manner and in their true light to the people.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VII, page 136.
At the present time great interest is being taken in the study of diseases and the best methods of preventing them. Almost every day there is something in the daily papers about a commission to find ways of preventing tuberculosis, an investigation of the causes of cancer, the increase of heart disease, the elimination of the unfit, or some similar subject.
Not only are doctors studying these things, but those who do not belong to the medical profession are showing marked interest in topics that bear upon the building up of bodily strength and vigor. Especially is there a growing interest in the temperance question.
We should take advantage of all this, which has doubtless been brought about by the Lord to open doors for the entrance of his truth. The easiest plan is always to work along the lines of the people’s interests. There we have what is termed “a point of contact,” something we have in common, from which we can lead them to knowledge they do not have.
One excellent way to find these interested people is to circulate the magazine Life and Health. Thousands of copies should be sold each month, and through them ways will be found of introducing other points of truth. I fear our people are losing sight of the value of the circulation of this paper in soul-winning work. There are large numbers of persons now in the truth who say that they believe they should never have been sufficiently interested to study the Seventh-day Adventist faith had their attention not been called to our health publications. Without doubt, there are hundreds who wish to learn more about the things that make strong men and women. They will be impressed by the wisdom and harmony of the health principles of which the Lord has given us a knowledge. But how will they ever hear of them unless we be the Lord’s messengers to take the literature to them?
Those who have become the Lord’s messengers to carry this magazine to the people are having just the experiences the Lord says this health work will bring. Here are a few of them:—
“Last year I earned by my sales $1,287.60.I thank and praise the Lord for the health and strength received, and above all, for the great joy and pleasure it is to me to do this work. I should rather sell my papers than eat the finest dinner one could give, for it is my life. For years I have earned over $1,000 a year. In 1913 I paid $123 tithe. I have adopted the plan of giving $5 a month to missions, instead of twenty cents a week, and many times have given $5 to the colored work and the educational work. I buy and give away thousands of tracts. Where I do not sell a paper, I give a tract, so that from two to three hundred people a day get a little of the message. To God be all the praise.”
“I decided to use Life and Health first, to make some friends, and now I have regular customers; and since January I have sold Signs, Watchman, Liberty, etc., and some of our larger books.”
“Life and Health is a good magazine to start with in a strange place. Those who take Life and Health say they should not like to be without it.”
“I am certainly seeing good results in canvassing for Life and Health. A great deal of prejudice has been removed from the minds of many, and I am having continued success in my work, notwithstanding this territory has the name of being a hard place to work.”
“During vacation I sold one thousand copies of Life and Health in ninety hours, working from house to house. I do not believe it best for young ladies to work on the streets.”
“I have good success in selling Life and Health among my neighbors. They inquire for it and say that it gives good instruction.”
“There has not been that interest taken in the circulation of our health journals that there should be. The circulation of these journals must not be neglected, or the people will suffer great loss.”—“The Circulation of Our Health Journals,” page 5.
EDITH M. GRAHAM.