Western Tour by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 27, 1871

Western Tour.

By James White

We were very sad not to be able to attend the Illinois Camp-meeting. It would have given us great pleasure to meet old friends of that State in annual convocation, had we been in a condition to enjoy such a meeting, and to contribute to its general interest. But Mrs. W. was ill with severe cold, and we were hoarse from too much speaking at the Knoxville Camp-meeting. In this condition we decided to rest one week at Washington, Iowa, and be in better condition to labor at the La Porte Camp-meeting.

June 15, we reached La Porte, and found a much larger meeting than we expected. Beside the large congregation tent, the speakers' stand, and the provision tent, there were fifteen family tents. The ground was fine, and well prepared. The people of the village treated our meeting with great respect. We spoke in the evening of the 15th to a large congregation of very attentive hearers. We were told that the business places of the town were closed at 8 P. M. by consent, and that La Porte was out to hear. We spoke once on the 16th, and became very hoarse. Evidences of failing health led to painful reflections as to what might be the result of struggling through the amount of labor thrown upon us by our people. Certainly, while trying to accomplish so much, dividing our time and strength into so many departments, we can do nothing well, and will be sure in a short time to break down entirely. If we are able to speak to the people, it will be a pleasure to attend the camp-meetings. But in order for this, contributors to our several periodicals should give them especial attention in our absence from the Office.

On sixth-day, near the commencement of the Sabbath, at a special appointment, we spoke freely to our people in reference to these matters, stating that unless relief should immediately come, we should be compelled to leave the work entirely. We spoke of the inefficiency of a very large portion of the church at Battle Creek, which made our labors more difficult and wearying, of the importance of having picked men in the church at the head of the work, and how very difficult it was to induce such as were needed to take up their residence in, or near, Battle Creek. For a time the introduction of these matters had a depressing influence upon the meeting. But Sabbath was a good day. The rain had laid the dust and cooled the atmosphere. Social meetings were good, and our congregations numbered not far from one thousand, who listened to the word spoken with marked attention. About forty came forward for prayers, and the brethren and sisters seemed moved to deeper interest in the work.

On Sunday, the congregation was probably as large as at any of our camp-meetings in the West. And what seemed wonderful in such a vast assembly, all, without a single exception, as far as we were able to judge, conducted themselves in a manner which showed that they had respect for themselves and for the services of the occasion.

La Porte City is a pleasant town on the Burlington, Cedar Falls, and Minnesota Railroad, twelve miles from Waterloo, the seat of Blackhawk County. Around La Porte is a most rich and beautiful farming country. There is much of the New England element in this community. And for real enterprise, inquiring minds, and candor, they are hardly excelled by any community.

On the 19th, twenty-five were immersed by Eld. Butler, in the Cedar river, in the presence of a large and candid congregation. In the evening, Mrs. W. spoke to a very attentive audience on the subject of health reform. And on the morning of the 20th, the brethren took down their tents, and left for their homes, all feeling that they had enjoyed a good meeting.

The editors of the “La Porte City Progress,” who attended our meeting, more or less, being desirous of getting facts relative to our people, our camp-meetings, and other matters, we helped them to the leading items in the following liberal and candid report, which appeared in their issue of June 21, 1871:

THE CAMP-MEETING.

The Seventh-day Adventists have just closed their camp-meeting, held near this village, commencing on the 15th and closing on the 19th. Having held a much larger meeting of this kind, in connection with their annual State Conference in Marion County, June 1 to 5, this meeting was not as large as their usual annual camp-meetings.

These meetings are regarded as very important by them to the building up of their cause, and are annual occasions of a general rally from all parts of the several States where they are held. The present season they hold them in Missouri, twice in Iowa, once in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine.

These meetings call immense crowds, especially on Sunday. It has been estimated that La Porte and vicinity turned out on last Sunday, not far from four thousand people. Such a vast turnout of people on an occasion like this speaks well for the piety and morality of the place.

The grounds are selected with a design to secure ample shade, good water, a central and accessible point for themselves, and for the assembling of the people. Their grounds are prepared and seated with a becoming taste, which gives them an inviting appearance. Their family tents are generally made of duck, and are sufficiently heavy to shelter them in a violent storm.

They also have at their camp-meetings one or more large congregation tents, used to lodge strangers, and in which to hold service in case of rain. The meetings are characterized with earnestness on the part of the speakers, and great freedom in their social services, all the brethren and sisters taking part, and at the same time seem free from that confusion and meaningless noise which have too often been witnessed at meetings of the kind. The managers design to treat all with kindness and true Christian courtesy, which is ever reciprocated by the intelligent and candid. Good order is thus secured and the best of feelings preserved.

Their church organization is simply as follows: They have an annual General Conference which takes the entire oversight of their cause everywhere, composed of delegates from their State Conferences. Their State Conferences are made up of delegates from their churches.

They have no settled pastors. Their preaching elders are all evangelists, laboring from place to place, under the general supervision of a conference committee of three. Each church has local elders, deacons, and other officers usual to other denominations.

The ministry, as well as the cause generally among them, is sustained by a plan which is called by them “Systematic Benevolence.” It is drawn up somewhat like the ancient “tithing” system of the Jews, designed to secure a tenth of the annual increase from all their members. This system does not touch the principal; while it leaves nine-tenths of the increase also untouched, it calls for one-tenth of the increase. Acting upon the plan that all property, like money at interest, is worth ten per cent per annum, a “tithe” would be one per cent annually. Their system then calls for one dollar annually from each and every one hundred dollars held by the members.

The equity of their system is apparent. It draws very lightly upon those in limited circumstances, while the greater drafts are upon those who do not feel them.

This system, however, differs from the legal taxation to support the civil government, in that it is purely benevolent. While all their members are taught the importance of entertaining this system, it is not made a condition of membership. Believing that all gifts to sustain the cause should be free-will offerings, they are not anxious to obtain members whose gifts might be regarded as systematic compulsion. Their members generally enter this arrangement from a choice worthy of the name—“Systematic Benevolence.”

They have at Battle Creek, Mich., a legally organized publishing association, with a capital of $50,000, which publishes a weekly paper entitled THE ADVENT REVIEW; also a semi-monthly sheet, The Youth’s Instructor, and a monthly magazine entitled The Health Reformer. Besides these, they publish and circulate by sales and gratuitously, sixty different theoretical and practical works, varying from a tract of a few pages up to several volumes of 400 pages each. Large editions of these are reprinted on their steam press, and are circulated with great activity. The rapid increase of their publishing work makes it necessary for them to put up a second building this season, at a cost of $10,000.

The grand principle of interpretation with them is simply to accept the Bible as meaning what it says, excepting where the text and the context clearly show that a parable or figure is used. With this rule they regard the declarations of Scripture relative to the second coming of Christ, as meaning just what they say: “If I go away, I will come again.”—JESUS. “The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven.”—PAUL. While they regard the event as near at hand, they hold that the definite time is purposely hidden from man.

With this rule governing them in their relation to truth and duty, they accept the moral code of the ten commandments as it reads, and thus they are led to observe the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath of the Lord. They hold that if that moral code has been revised, and if the fourth precept has been changed, the Scriptures will distinctly teach how and when this was done; and until a revised copy of the original can be shown, they decide it to be the safer part to observe that grand old document just as it reads.

The above, or a large portion of it, was handed us by Eld. White, for which he will please accept our thanks. Eld. White is President of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, and editor of their denominational paper.

We were desirous to publish something of the kind, and had no other way of gaining the desired information.

We have attended many large congregations of people, and never before in our lives did we observe so much good order and becoming behavior on the part of every one. This speaks volumes of praise, both for those who were conducting the exercises on the ground, and the citizens who repaired thither to hear what the strangers among us had to say.

Besides the large tent, the commissary storehouse, and the speakers’ stand, we noticed tents from Washington, State Center, Marshall, Waterloo, three from La Porte City, West Union, Anamosa, Tama City, Waukon, Marion, Lisbon, Tipton, Pilot Grove, all in this State. There were many more items we intended to notice, such in part as the manner of conducting their exercises, the perfect method in doing everything, &c., &c., but our space will not permit it this week.

On the morning of the 20th, as they were about to leave the ground, Eld. White offered the following resolution, which was unanimously passed:

“Resolved. That with pleasure we express sincere thanks to the citizens of La Porte City for the liberal interest they have taken in our camp-meeting, the assistance they have given, and for the candor and respect manifested by the people who have assembled at our encampment.”

In reply to the above resolution, we have this to say in behalf of this community: That no difference of what religious faith our brother may be that comes to sojourn, for a season among us, nor how much we may differ with him in his religious sentiments, if he is a Christian at heart, it’s all we ask to insure kind treatment at our hands.

For two days after the close of the camp-meeting, we found an excellent resting place at the home of Bro. and sister Ings. Here we rested weary brain and limbs, and enjoyed freedom of spirit. We visited several sick people, some of whom seem to have but a slight hold of this, and of the next, life. We felt the deepest sympathy for them; but for want of strength and time could do but little for them. Mrs. W. spoke in the large tent in the village the 21st, on the subject of health. Would that the people would learn how to live so as to enjoy life here; and that they would also lay hold of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, so as to have a strong hold on both worlds.

On the 22d, we left La Porte, for the Wisconsin Camp-meeting. At Waterloo, Bro. and sister Barbee showed us many kindnesses, in helping us on our way, after a godly sort. We reached Freeport, at midnight, and at 7 A. M., took a freight train fifty miles to Clinton, and reached the ground sixth-day, the 23d, at 3 P. M. Mrs. W. is very weary, and stern necessity alone urges our weary pencil to give this imperfect sketch, ready to mail before the Sabbath.

This encampment is truly beautiful. There is a good turnout of our people. Bro. Canright has left to join Bro. Butler in a course of lectures at La Porte. Here we are glad to meet brethren Littlejohn, Matteson, Sanborn, and others. After resting, we hope on the morrow to be able to join in the exercises of the meeting.