p. 17 | Some Experiences in Periodical Work by G. C. HOSKIN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 6, 1913

Some Experiences in Periodical Work

By G. C. HOSKIN

One interested sister, in sending her subscription for the Signs, says: “My husband and I never heard a sermon until last summer, when we attended the camp-meeting at Fort Scott, Kans. We have been keeping the Sabbath five years as a result of reading Adventist literature.”

Another subscriber accompanies his renewal with the following little note: “I was preparing myself for the Presbyterian ministry, but now love the third angel’s message much better. I have been studying the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine for about four years, and I believe they have the most Bible truth. I expect to unite with this denomination.”

An individual who had evidently received a copy of the paper in some way and desired more copies writes as follows: “Find enclosed fifty cents, for which send me your paper Signs of the Times for three months as a trial subscription. Having read some of Mrs. E. G. White’s books and a recent issue of your paper, I have become interested.”

The splendid results of our missionary literature can be seen from this: “Am happy to say that I have seen some good results from the distribution of the Signs and tracts. I mailed copies of the Signs and tracts, followed by a six-month subscription to the Signs, to my former professor, who is now an eminent lawyer and judge, requesting him to pass them on to others. I have just been informed that a series of meetings is wanted at that place.”

This one shows some of the results of our paper when sent to outsiders: “One of our brethren, while down-town one day, got in conversation with a man on some of the live topics of today. This man expressed himself as believing that the world is getting worse, and made remarks which showed that he had been reading some of our literature. After talking with him for some time, this brother asked him where he got such ideas, and he said that he had been reading the Signs of the Times, and that he thought it one of the best papers published. His subscription had expired at the time, but he said he expected to renew soon.”

One of our ministers in Southern California, in telling of an incident that came

to his notice, relates this experience: “One earnest Catholic believer, by the use of one copy of the Signs of the Times containing an article on the second coming of Christ, in his own peculiar way of working and with his thorough understanding of the Catholic mind, persuaded seventeen of his fellow Catholics to take their stand for this great message.”

Here is another extract from a letter that shows the influence of the Signs in pioneer work: “I can highly recommend your paper. I enjoy reading it, and think it a good paper to get before the public. I haven’t quit taking it because I didn’t like it, but since accepting the message, I have bought in the neighborhood of one hundred dollars’ worth of books, all of the cheapest bindings, so you may know that I have several to go through. I appreciate the paper very much, and thank the Lord many times for it. I know it has helped me more than once. When I first accepted this message, doubt sometimes came to my mind, but I could always find something to relieve it in the Signs. I don’t believe that a better paper could get before the public, or into the hands of a new beginner in this last message of mercy.”

One of our field agents sent us the following: “The Signs was one of the prime factors in bringing me into the truth fifteen years ago. An old gentleman living near Shields, N. Dak., a neighbor of my father, when helping father dig some potatoes one day last fall, said, ‘Say, George, some one sends me a paper every little while that is the best thing on religious themes and Bible study that I have ever seen.’ ‘What is the name of the paper?’ said father; ‘would you know the name of the paper if you heard it?’ ‘Yes, I think so.’ ‘Is it the REVIEW AND HERALD?’ ‘No.’ ‘Is it the Signs of the Times?’ ‘Yes, that’s it, that’s it.’ This old man has a married daughter who is just about ready to accept the truth as a result of reading the Signs and other of our publications, and the old gentleman thinks it a dreadful thing; but, the source unknown, he thinks the papers are splendid. The daughter sends the papers. Let the good work go on. Yes, I expect to handle some of the Signs Magazine this year.”

Here is the last one that came to our attention: A sister had been sending the Signs to a family of her relatives, and you can imagine her joy at receiving this letter from her niece: “I liked those little tracts you sent, and how I do love that paper Signs of the Times! There seems to be so much life in it, and it is just the paper I have always wanted. Someway other religious papers seem so cold and distant and I could never get interested, but this dear little paper, I think, could be called the heart paper. It seems to touch a chord that no other religious paper has ever seemed to touch. I was afraid the trouble was with me, and it worried me quite a good deal; but now I see it is the contents of the paper, or rather the tender, loving way in which the contents of the Signs are written, making Christ seem more like an elder brother.”

To close, here is a quotation from a paper written by Mrs. E. G. White, and read at the publishers’ convention of Oct. 3–10, 1906: “Our missionary paper the Signs of the Times is doing its work everywhere, and is opening the way for the truth to be more fully presented. This paper has been made a blessing to very many souls. In the Christian world there are many starving for the bread of life. The Signs of the Times, laden with rich food, is a feast to many who are not of our faith. Our brethren do not all see and realize the importance of this paper; if they did, they would feel a greater personal interest to make it intensely interesting, and then to circulate it everywhere.”

G. C. HOSKIN.

NOTE.—These experiences are from work with the Signs only, but if time would permit, we could give equally interesting and encouraging items from work with other papers and magazines.