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Do You Know Our History?

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 6, 1906

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 83, No. 36.

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Do You Know Our History?

By A. W. Spaulding

At a recent institute, ten questions on our denominational history were given church-school teachers in examination. In their answers not half the teachers reached a grade of fifty per cent. There appeared to be a general, but rather hazy, knowledge of the denomination's age, names and services of workers, character of great movements among us, and important epochs of the work. The state of knowledge revealed is to be regretted not more because the persons themselves have been weak on account of their ignorance of these matters, than because it shows that the children have heretofore largely had to do without what would be of great help in inspiring them to carry on the work so soon to come into their hands. The stories of our pioneer days and of the times of later development ought to be very familiar to every Seventh-day Adventist child.
Of course a list of ten questions, however representative, can not compass our history, and can not be thought of as quite fairly showing the knowledge of those tested: a teacher may know many stories of the message to give to children, when he can not trace the great movements. Yet certainly a confusion of dates and persons, and a haziness as to most important matters, will be a weakness to any story-teller.
Following is the list of questions:—
1. About what year does the history of Seventh-day Adventists begin?
2. What relation has this people to William Miller?
3. How is this message connected with the reformatory movements of the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries?
4. Name three persons to whom principally are due the discovery and teaching of our cardinal truths.
5. Tell the several places where the REVIEW AND HERALD has been published, with approximate dates for the establishment of each.
6. When and through whom did our foreign mission work begin?
7. Tell briefly the development of our health work.
8. Upon what plan was our organization remodeled at the Conference of 1901?
9. Name five of our missionaries now in foreign fields, and tell the location of each.
10. Name five of our representative writers, with the name of at least one of the works of each.
Wrong answers to these embraced the following:—
1. 1832-44.
2. William Miller was the founder of this denomination.
3. The principal relation was the preparation of a people in America to receive the third angel's message. Answers showed an uncertainty as to the doctrines of Luther, and especially of Wesley, and most were content to say the present truth is a continuation of the previous reformations.
4. Luther, Miller, Himes. In this list the name of Joseph Bates was frequently omitted, and names of those of lesser note and more recent connection with the message, besides those mentioned, were included.
5. Portland, Maine; Boston, Mass.; Oakland, Cal., among the three. Many began with Battle Creek, and dates ranged from 1843 to 1888.
6. Christ, Joseph Wolff, James White, etc. This question received more correct answers, however, but the date was seldom given.
7. Began and ended with Battle Creek Sanitarium and health food business.
8. Moving into the country; organizing conferences with officers; increased separation of medical work from evangelistic. Few understood much about this question, and many dealt more with principles than with form of organization.
Questions 9 and 10 were quite well answered, though initials were frequently wrong, and names of persons and titles of books were often incorrectly written.
Now the question is, Would you have done better? There are many Seventh-day Adventists who can discuss the Punic Wars and the Pharaonic conquests who are not well informed as to the progress of God's work in this last time. The books which have been given us dealing with the early days of this message, have not been chance productions; and however simple they may appear to some, they contain truth which is vital to present-day loyalty. Whoever is versed in the struggles and providences of the early days is not likely to be included in modern apostasies. But thousands who trust to the power of the congregation to keep in the truth are carelessly neglecting the knowledge they will need in the coming troubles, yes, and sorely need to-day.
Is it not much more important that we become thoroughly familiar with the rise and progress and ultimate triumph of this message, than that we know volumes of histories, philosophies, and sciences which have little direct bearing upon our work?
The simplicity of this knowledge is what repels many. It does not seem learned to tell the simple stories of such recent times: one might seem to be much like the old grandfather mumbling in the chimney-corner, or the little child delighted with his new story. “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” “Except ye . . . become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Somewhere, somehow, either in the primary school, or the college, or the home, there ought to be conducted for every Seventh-day Adventist a systematic study of the history of this message—in chronology, in philosophy, in simple story, all welded together with the spirit of devotion and consecration. And an observer inclines to think that such a study ought to be carried on in every one of the institutions named.
A. W. SPAULDING.