Recent Visit to Battle Creek
By Geo. A. Irwin
In planning to distribute the laborers connected with the general office at Washington for the week of prayer, it was arranged for Elder Daniells and myself to spend the last four days of the meeting with the church at Battle Creek, and continue the meetings even beyond that time if the interest should warrant. The receipt at this time of some very important Testimonies addressed to the brethren in Battle Creek and the physicians in the sanitarium, one of which contained the following paragraph, seemed to make our duty plain:— Experienced men are to go to Battle Creek to exert a strong influence to undeceive our people who have been drawn there by misrepresentations. The warning voice of our ministers must be heard in the Tabernacle, giving the trumpet a certain sound, and uplifting the banner on which is inscribed, “The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Directly after our arrival in Battle Creek, we called together the members of the church board—eighteen in all—for counsel as to time of holding meetings, and the best methods to pursue to help the people and get the truth and messages before them in a plain and convincing way. Owing to previous arrangement to divide the church into a number of districts, in which meetings would be held each night during the week of prayer, no public meeting was held in the Tabernacle until Friday night, when all met together to listen to the reading for that day. At its conclusion the leaders of the different districts gave verbal reports of the interest taken in the meetings in their several districts. Sabbath forenoon a large audience assembled in the Tabernacle to listen to the reading which was prepared and read by Elder Daniells. The offering taken at the conclusion amounted to nearly nine hundred dollars. It had been previously announced that at half-past two o’clock on Sabbath afternoon the Testimony addressed to the Battle Creek church, and possibly one or two others, would be read. This announcement brought out a very large congregation, who listened to the reading with close attention and deep interest. The impression made by the reading of the Testimonies made it clear to our minds that we should remain and follow up the interest by holding public meetings, and reading other communications that bore directly upon the situation. After deciding to remain, we announced public meetings each evening in the Tabernacle until Wednesday night. All of these meetings were well attended. One or more communications from Sister White were read at each of these services, and remarks were made, in a general way, explanatory of our denominational policy and form of organization, and how a disregard of these principles had brought about a wrong spirit and condition of things. In addition to the night meetings, day meetings were held in the north vestry, where opportunity was given for honest inquirers to ask questions upon any point concerning which their minds had become confused. These question, or inquiry, meetings were both interesting and profitable, as they brought out the various reports concerning the Testimonies and the constructions and interpretations placed upon them, which were deceiving the people and causing skepticism to spring up in their minds relative to the authenticity and reliability of the Testimonies. A disbelief in, and consequent disregard of, instruction given through the Testimonies has brought not only the judgments of God upon our two principal institutions in Battle Creek, but it has blinded the minds and warped the judgment of many in positions of responsibility, so that they have been walking in sparks of their own kindling, rather than in the light of the Lord. Many of the young people, and many who are past middle life, who have been looking to these as examples, and have been deceived and were being led astray, received great help at these meetings. Scores of persons came to us with joy depicted in their countenances, saying, “We are so glad you came. We believe the Lord sent you just at this time to save us from making entire shipwreck of our faith and Christian experience by inhaling the atmosphere of doubt in which we have been living. We know now where we stand, and what we believe, thank the Lord!” After spending these few days in Battle Creek, mingling with the people, visiting and conversing with them in their homes, and seeing with my own7eyes, and hearing with my own ears, I am sure the warnings that came in the recent Testimonies have come none too soon, nor are they overdrawn or stated in too strong language. If parents could know and feel the atmosphere of unbelief and skepticism to which they subject their children by permitting them to go to Battle Creek in its present condition, I am sure they would keep them away. I would advise parents everywhere to procure at once a copy of the recently published pamphlet of sixty-four pages, entitled, “Special Testimonies to Ministers and Workers,” Series B, No. 6, and read it carefully, then act upon the advice and counsel given. Better far have your children do what they can without education and training, than to receive their training under conditions and influences that destroy their faith and confidence in the third angel’s message and the spirit of prophecy connected with it. I left Battle Creek Thursday morning, December 21, to fill a previous appointment. Brother Daniells remained to follow up the work. Later he was joined by Brother Thompson, and at this writing they are still there. A report of their labors may be looked for later. I now go to attend the Southern Union Conference to be held at Nashville, Tenn., January 4-14.