p. 86 | AMONG THE SWEDES by J. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 13, 1879

AMONG THE SWEDES.

By J. S.

From letters lately received from old Sweden, we have accounts that the truth is still having effect upon the people. Already we know the names and addresses of about twenty who have begun to keep the Sabbath.

Bro. Decker, from the north part of Sweden, writes Jan. 26, 1879: “Notwithstanding great opposition, the Lord has blessed me, and three have embraced all the precious truth. One was a Baptist. He was summoned to appear before the church. After responding to the call, he was excluded from the church, because he did not believe that man had an immortal soul.” Bro. Decker spends some of his time in preaching the word, and takes a small club of the Swedish Härold.

Feb. 5, 1879, Bro. Olsen writes: “I have written to Bro. Matteson about my going to Christiana. I am not able to go for lack of means. I converse with many who are convinced of the truth on the Sabbath. They say they would willingly keep it,—but how do we know when the seventh day comes?” This brother is preaching the truth, and takes a club of the Swedish paper.

One named Tockzelius writes thus: “When the Härold came to my attention, I began to read, and soon felt interested in it. I am no Seventh-day Adventist; i. e., I cannot at present accept all their views. With the doctrine of the Sabbath and the second coming of Christ I perfectly agree. It rejoices me that my brethren, the Seventh-day Adventists, manifest such zeal in preaching the doctrine of the second coming of Christ. This part of the gospel has been long neglected. All should sound the warning to this sleeping generation. If I read my Bible correctly, I find that it lays great stress on the preaching of the second coming of Christ. Among a great part of the Christians of our time, it is considered unnecessary and extravagant.”

“The preaching now is, that we die and immediately go to Heaven; but where can we find it so written that we go to Heaven when we die? Has death become a redeemer from death? Has Jesus appointed it as another saviour? We cannot believe it. At least, we consider it foreign to the Bible. I understand that the redemption of the saints and the beginning of their glory is inseparably connected with the second coming of Christ. I call you in America my brethren, although I do not belong to your society. May your Härold find great success, and may it always contend for the truth.”

Considerable interest is growing up among the Swedes in the Western States. Peter Norlund writes from McPherson county, Kansas: “I have distributed many copies of the Swedish paper. There is a large colony of Swedes here. I think a part of them would accept the truth if a Seventh-day Adventist preacher could present it to them.”

Calls come from Wyandotte and Clay counties, Kansas, saying, “Can you not send us a Swedish Seventh-day Adventist preacher?” The same cry comes from Iowa and Dakota. Bro. Johnson in Iowa reports interest in Cherokee county. Bro. Kjällberg in Minnesota is having good success in canvassing for the Härold. We hear in many sections that the friends are

taking clubs of the Härold. In Maine there are two enterprising clubs that send the most of their papers to old Sweden. We are glad to hear that the American brethren in some places are interesting themselves in this work. Bro. Whitney reports from Dakota a club of twelve for the Härold and eighteen for the Tidende.

The Macedonian cry is coming up from Norway in the Old World. It reaches far over the broad waters, and echoes back from hill-top to hill-top in the New. All Scandinavians unite in the response. Men of courage and faith are putting their hands to this work. It is the Lord’s. One Scandinavian in Iowa talks faith, and acts it too. He says, “Count me good for $100 on the first of April, and $500 more before the first of January, 1880.” Some Swedes have responded well, and we expect that others are getting ready to do so. Like the man at Bethesda’s pool, they know that the time to get in is when the waters are troubled. Some of our American brethren, feeling that the Lord’s hand is in the work, have not withheld their free-will offerings. To the Lord be all the praise given.

J. S.