Personal Responsibility in the Sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.”
By Arthur G. Daniells
One of the main reasons why the plan the Lord has given us for removing the debts of our schools by the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” has not been carried out more fully, is because we as a people have not been made to feel the personal responsibility that rests upon us. When the Lord revealed this plan, and called upon His people to take this means for removing our school debts, there was a call for a definite, forward movement. It meant that all our people in America must sell, on an average, six books per member in order to remove the entire indebtedness of our schools. If every member had fully sensed his personal responsibility to sell six books, and had gone at it earnestly and perseveringly, the entire quota would have been sold inside of two months, and the great burden of debt would have been removed from all our schools. This was not done. Somebody failed to appreciate his personal responsibility. Perhaps you, dear reader, did not realize this as keenly as you should, nor as you may at the present time. Had you sensed this, very likely you would have made a much more earnest and determined effort to carry out this plan than you did. Now that you have been thoroughly aroused, you feel that you must surely do your part in this blessed work. Perhaps you have taken your quota, with a determination that you will sell them. I sincerely pray that every believer in the Third Angel’s Message will in some way be aroused to a sense of his personal responsibility, and will be unable to rest until that responsibility is discharged. But there are some whose responsibilities are much greater than the mere selling of a certain number of books. When they have sold their quota, it devolves upon them to help their brother sell his. This is certainly true of Conference presidents, committeemen, ministers, Bible workers, and church elders and deacons. In a certain sense the responsibility of selling 300,000 copies of “Christ’s Object Lessons” rests upon the General Conference Committee. Not that the members of the committee are to go out and sell this number personally. This they cannot do; but they are so to place this divine plan before Union and State Conference Committees, all the ministers, church officers, and the whole people that every one will be made to sense his personal obligations in this. It is God’s work. The General Conference Committee have accepted the highest responsibilities of the denomination, to see that every feature of the Lord’s work is carried out by those to whom the work pertains. In this sense they are responsible for the sale of 300,000 copies. If the committee fail through unbelief, indifference or incapacity to carry this work through successfully, they fail to accomplish that for which they have been selected by the Lord and His people, and it would only be reasonable for them to step aside, and let the work fall into the hands of men who will see that it is carried through. Passing from the General Conference, the same principle is applicable to Union and State Conferences, ministers, and church officers. Each Union Conference Committee is responsible for the sale of a certain number of books per member for its entire membership. And the same is true of each State Conference Committee. Each committeeman can sell his quota, and perhaps a few more; but they cannot stop there: they must see that the Conference employees, the church officers, and the brethren and sisters do their part of the work. The minister can sell his quota, and many more; but his duty is not done with this: he must help every church officer within the sphere of his influence to realize that he has a work to do for the members of his flock. He must also help every church-member to sense the individual responsibility resting upon him, and must place this matter so clearly and wisely before all that they will be led to do what they see to be duty. To me it seems as clear as can be that when the Conference Committees, the ministers, and other Conference laborers, and the church officers sense the direct personal responsibility resting upon them in this matter, it will be very easy for them to induce the masses of our people to take hold of this work with a will; and when this is done, it will not be long until the 300,000 copies of the book will be sold, and the last debt removed from our schools. Again I state that the reason why this work has not been done before this is because very few have sensed the personal responsibility resting upon them. The Lord now calls upon us to arouse. If there is a Conference president or a member of a Conference Committee, or a Conference laborer, or a church officer who cannot be made to sense his responsibility, he is certainly unworthy of the place he holds, and ought to step out and let some one who can be aroused to the meaning of this call from the Lord take his place. And still further, any man who holds any of these important offices, and who sees his responsibility, but shirks it from indifference or fear, or because the work is unpleasant, is unworthy of the position he occupies, and ought to let another more worthy, and who will do the work, be placed in charge. This is the way we reason about other things. The man who applies for the position of commander of a great ship must not only realize the greatness of the responsibility, and be willing to do all in his power to command the vessel, but he must command it. He must not only manage it on a calm sea, but in the howling storm and raging billows. Nothing short of that will meet the mind of those who risk their lives in his care. Looked at from this broad standpoint, the present campaign in behalf of the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” in some of our States is full of meaning. We all acknowledge that the Lord calls us to do this work, and I rejoice to see so many of the Conference officers responding to this call so cheerfully. They are making earnest efforts to carry this work through. I believe that success will crown their efforts. The ministers, and church officers upon whom they rely for co-operation, will do their duty, if every one being paid by the tithes will persevere in this good work, a great wave of earnestness and activity will be seen, and the task will be speedily accomplished. For this glorious result let all believers in the message earnestly pray. A. G. DANIELLS