Our Great Responsibilities
By Arthur G. Daniells
TREMENDOUS responsibilities have rested upon Seventh-day Adventists from the very beginning of their history. The first believers in the third angel’s message understood from the reading of the message and the scriptures relating to it that the message would have to be preached in all the world. To a few believers, without visible facilities of any kind, and without money or associates to provide the facilities, this was certainly a tremendous responsibility. It rested upon the pioneers with great weight, and they labored untiringly to rightly discharge their duty. Although loyal men and women have labored faithfully, given liberally, and sacrificed continually, and the cause has prospered, the responsibility has never been removed nor lessened. It rests upon this people to-day. And while the resources for doing the work seem more substantial, yet the consummation of the work seems as great, and the responsibility as grave, as ever in our history. It is true that our numbers have increased to nearly one hundred thousand. It is true that we now have printing-houses to produce literature, and schools to educate and train workers. It is true that we have missions permanently established in nearly every country on the globe. But it is also true that these have created conditions that appeal to us to-day with a force that we have never felt before. They have opened doors to us in all lands. They have raised calls for help in all directions. The pioneers learned their responsibilities from the Scriptures. We to-day, while reading the same scriptures, have the responsibilities pressed home upon us by a situation that has been created by the toil and sacrifice of the pioneers and their successors. Every missionary who has gone abroad is overwhelmed with work, and sends an urgent plea for at least one more to come to his assistance. Every mission that is established means either the opening of an adjacent field or the subdivision of the one entered. This means constant addition to our force of workers, and the continual call for larger giving of our means. As an illustration of this, take Japan. Our first effort for that people was to interest some Japanese youth in California in the message. This was followed by persuading those who accepted the truth to go to Healdsburg College. The next step was to send Professor Granger, the principal of the college, to Japan. He soon called for others. Among the converts to the truth in Japan were two Koreans. They returned to their native land, and began to tell their people the wonderful message they found in Japan. Such a great interest was awakened, that they sent a most urgent call to the workers in Japan for help. A laborer was sent to them. Soon a large number accepted the truth. Then the superintendent of the mission was sent for. He went to Korea to see for himself. He writes of the baptism of over seventy believers, and urges the General Conference to immediately send a missionary to take charge of the work in Korea. And so we begin at once to look for laborers, and to call for means for Korea. Can we do otherwise? Now, this is an illustration of the whole trend of this movement. And the further we go on with it, the more visible, pressing, and acute the situation becomes. I do not say it grows more difficult; for it does not. The difficulties are not nearly so great for this people to-day as they were for our pioneers. We have entered into their labors. We have the facilities, in the way of splendid literature, printing establishments, schools, and medical institutions, that our pioneers had to create. We have a host of believers that they raised up. We have the benefits of their long, trying experience. And while the responsibility is equally great and grave, and while the demands of a world-wide work in operation are more pressing and imperative to-day than ever before, the Lord has prepared everything for it. We are well able in the name of the Lord to speedily finish this work in all the world. As soon as this is done, the end will come. The situation that exists to-day in this cause is a trumpet call to this denomination to action. It calls upon us to engage in personal effort of some kind—to sell, loan, and give our papers, tracts, and books to our neighbors; to leave our homes to proclaim the message in all lands; and to give our means to meet the expense required to carry forward to a speedy and glorious consummation this great world-wide work. Who will obey this call? A. G. DANIELLS.