The Truth Spreading by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 11, 1877

The Truth Spreading.

By John Norton Loughborough

In whatever direction we look we see tokens of the onward march of the Lord's truth. In different parts of the United States scores and hundreds are embracing the message, and it gladdens our hearts to read how the way opens before the Lord's servants in foreign lands. We should all pray earnestly for our foreign missionaries, and should do what we can to assist them in their mission with our means. At the same time we may do much for those of other nations who are in our own land. Of the four-score and upwards who took their stand with us in the two California camp-meetings just passed, about one-fifth were of foreign birth; among these were Germans, French, Danes, Swedes, and Italians. Notwithstanding these have been born in different climes and trained with divers habits, they are all becoming one under the influence of the truths taught by the Seventh-day Adventists. It is indeed gratifying to observe the readiness with which candid foreigners accept and carry out the truth as its clear evidence comes before their minds. The question is not so much with them how they can escape the force of the truth, but “What is truth that we may obey it?”

We are of good cheer at what we see here in California. Last Sabbath was a good day in Oakland. The quarterly meeting of the church was an interesting occasion. Eight new ones united with us in covenant to obey the Lord, and three were disfellowshiped who had given up keeping the Sabbath several months since. All that is now lacking to rapidly extend the truth on this coast is for every one to lift at his post of duty, and do all in his power to extend the work. If we thus labor the God of Israel will help and his cause spread mightily. May it be so. J. N. L.