Question Corner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 21, 1902

1. Can a man with a family make a living by canvassing?

Certainly he can if God has called him to the work, and if the canvasser has responded, with all that in him is, to the call. The Master says, “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.” This promise is good for all it says, and it is the blessed privilege of every agent to stand upon it. But when an agent accepts this “right” wage which the Lord offers, he should confine his expenses to his net profits, which constitute his wages.

2. Should not canvassers receive a salary so they may be sure of a support for their families?

If a canvasser knows, as he always should, that the Master has called him, he may be sure of support; for it rests upon the promise of God.

When the tithe is needed so much in foreign fields, it is a blessed arrangement that so many workers at home can support themselves. The canvasser deserves as much as any laborer, and God will be true to him, and give what is “right.” Instead of seeking for a salary as a safety valve, provided God should fail us, let us throw ourselves upon his

promises, become better acquainted with him, and surely good will come unto us.

3. Dear Brother Palmer, it is not easy to walk and carry a load of books. How can I get a horse and buggy? R. C. P.

My Dear Boy: There are many tasks that are not easy, but which are very good for us, and help boys to develop into strong men. “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” Do not be in a hurry for a horse. Earn with your own hands the money for him first, and when you have earned the money, think twice before you invest it in a horse. “An horse is a vain thing for safety,” particularly in canvassing. More agents have misfortunes with their horses, than with their walking. If you try to ride too soon, you may have to walk the rest of your life; if you walk for the present, you may be able to ride later on. Don’t be in a hurry to ride. Walk while taking orders for your books, and in the meantime watch for an opportunity to sell a book to some poor man or widow, who may be hardly able to spend money for a book, but who will be pleased to supply a conveyance as payment. A horse and buggy may thus be easily secured for delivery.