TRACT & MISSIONARY WORK IN IOWA & NEB.
By George Ide Butler
The tract and Missionary work is one of the most important connected with the progress of this cause. Nothing can be more evident than the necessity for our people generally to become active laborers in scattering the light of the message through the agency of our publications. It is absolutely necessary that our people should see the importance of this work, and not feel that they can leave it upon the few ministers. Enough has already been seen to show how important this work may become if all our membership would enter into it with the right spirit. As the result of circulating our excellent publications, many have already embraced the truth—persons of intelligence and moral worth. We must encourage the tract and missionary work in every way possible, for by so doing we build up the cause most effectually. Having been elected president of the Tract Society in these States, I feel that a great responsibility is placed upon me; and I feel very desirous of seeing our T. & M. work greatly revived and strengthened this Conference year. Perhaps we cannot expect to accomplish special results during the summer, when all are so busy in their farm work. But we want to improve the fall and winter to the best advantage, in circulating reading matter, and especially in getting subscribers for our periodicals. We want to get all our members interested in this great work. We want to prepare for a better campaign than we have ever made before in this Conference. We have been behind in our T. & M. work in comparison with some other Conferences. We should never rest satisfied in such a condition. We have a good field of labor. The people of these States are a reading people, an intelligent people. They embrace the truth with as little labor as those of other States, and we have no real cause of discouragement. Some have indulged in grumbling and criticising until they have brought leanness to their own souls. Let us all lay aside such feelings, and in place of criticism take upon ourselves the blessed labor of saving souls to the cause of Christ. How much satisfaction we should find in this exchange! What peace it would bring to our hearts! What emotions of joy we should experience in seeing souls gathered into the fold through our efforts. Brethren and sisters, let us try it. The point we want to aim at in our Conference is, to get every Seventh-day Adventist to be a member of the Society; and to get every member to do something to set the light of truth before others. Our plan is now to have a general quarterly meeting for the whole T. & M. Society, probably at the Victor church, sometime between the middle and the last of September, at which we want to make plans for future labor and hold a general consultation. We cannot have the necessary time for this at our camp-meeting, where so many things demand attention. We want all the directors who can come to be present. We also want a large attendance of our membership. I speak of this in season, so that the officers of the Society and many others may prepare beforehand for a general rally. The appointment will be given in due season for the directors to get in appointments of district quarterly meetings. The directors should, as far as practicable, visit the several churches in their districts before the time of this meeting, and see that they have publications, appoint librarians wherever necessary, and get all the members of the church to unite with the Society by paying the admission fee of one dollar. And if some are so poor that they cannot raise even this small sum, we believe God would bless those who are able in paying it for them, that each may be a member and a worker. Sometimes those who are poor in this world's goods can do as much in circulating the truth as the more wealthy. Let us all enter into the work together. In union there is strength. Let the directors examine the list of members in each church, and labor earnestly to get those to become members who have not yet joined the Society. This will give them an interest, and their means will be applied to help forward the work of the Society. Brethren and sisters, it is too late in the day for us to hesitate, and question the utility of the tract and missionary work, or to excuse ourselves from the responsibilities we have assumed. Let us discharge our duties in the fear of God, and learn to love the service of God and the salvation of our fellow-men. Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, July 27, 1876.