What the Conference Means
By Milton Charles Wilcox
TRUE Christian life is ever manifest in normal growth. It is not the expansion of the balloon, which, in bursting its shell, collapses. It is rather the growth of the tree, deepening its roots, shooting out its branches, strengthening its fiber of limb and trunk, and fitting itself to bear, and bearing greater and better fruitage. This thought has been constantly brought to mind at this conference. It is a conference of growth,—growth in knowledge, larger view of the field,—growth in plans,—great growth in the vast mission fields. As with no other conference, it is a world conference, a world's missionary conference. The spirit of the conference is the outflowing, expanding, life-giving Spirit of God. God is love, and the Spirit of God is the spirit of sacrifice, the spirit of labor, the spirit of giving, the spirit of life. And this is the dominant note of this conference. It is already manifest in some of our State conferences, which are dividing both tithe and laborers with the great fields beyond. Let the good work go on. Do not bind about the law of life and growth, but let it grow and expand and fructify, according to its own divine, well-balanced, living law. The writer has attended most of the General Conferences since 1883, but he remembers none where any such degree of missionary spirit has been manifest as in this conference, which marks a new era in our work. It is a lining-up conference. In every reform work there have always come in principles and views over which there have arisen differences of opinion. This necessarily arises from man's limitations, from previous training, from present environment, from a circumscribed view of the message, and from selfish ambition. Sometimes the development of the message and its fuller inception demand a cross, and the human heart demands an easier way. The truth of God gives no glory to man; but those who seek their own glory are prone to adopt a theory more in harmony with the natural man. Moreover, the great deceiver is doing all in his power to delude, blind, and divide the people of God. But in this conference there is less of doubt, less of uncertainty, and more of a settling down on the great fundamental truths of the last gospel message than we have seen for years. There are doubtless those who are still in doubt, still in uncertainty, but they do not control, nor do they materially hinder, the message. The trumpet call of the last Sabbath of the conference ought to abide with this people, and we believe will so abide. In the forenoon Elder Butler spoke upon unity in the home, in the church, among brethren, and pleaded eloquently that the Spirit of forgiveness and mercy might abound. In the afternoon, with wonderful vigor and clearness, Sister White called the people to the righteousness of Christ Jesus to save from sin and sinning, and to loyalty to the Bible, to a living religious experience manifest in the home, the church, and in our work everywhere. We were told that while our work should be broadened, while no narrow plans should compass it, we were to stand where we could discern that which is wrong and erroneous, and set our face against all false doctrine, all sophistry, all delusion, all false science, and under no circumstances compromise the truth of God as revealed in his Word. And this we believe will mark the future of this work.