p. 570 | Volume 10 by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 20, 1883

Volume 10.

By Editor

THIS number closes the ninth volume of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Of the paper itself we have little to say; our readers are the judges of what it has been. We have had many assurances that our labors have not been in vain, and that the paper has been appreciated by its thousands of readers. Of course this cannot fail to be gratifying to us, because we greatly desire to see the cause of the truth which we are advocating advance and find favor with the people. The honor of God and the good of man is concerned in the success of the cause of Bible truth. In its prosperity we ever rejoice.

The past year has been one of unusual prosperity with us at this office. The increase of subscribers has been largely in excess of that of any previous year. We have sensibly felt the increased responsibility which is thus placed upon us, as our work is set before so many more people who are being tested by the Third Angel's Message of Rev. 14 : 9-12.

And there is every prospect that this increase will be continued in the future. We must express our heartfelt thanks to God for his prospering hand. This is his work, and to him we give all praise and glory. We shall not cease to pray for strength and wisdom to do all according to his will and pleasure.

While we shall do our utmost in the future, as we have endeavored to do in the past, to make the paper a faithful exponent of the truth of the message—of the doctrine of the Lord's coming, and the sacred obligation of all the commandments of God,—the Board of Directors of the Publishing Association have been carefully considering the advisability of making such changes as cannot fail to give it greater acceptance with its readers. Several matters have forcibly presented themselves before us in deliberating upon this subject.

As the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has from the first refused to do a general advertising business, and is continuously rejecting offers which, if accepted, would bring us large money gains, it has not been considered prudent to largely increase the expense of its publication. It has been the constant effort to serve the highest interests of its readers and of the cause of truth; to publish it purely as a means of moral and religious instruction. It is one of the very few religious papers in the United States which do not advertise as a means of paying expenses.

But we have not been satisfied with some features of our paper in the past. The stitching has not been what we desired, but it was not possible to resort to other means unless we could use a folding and pasting machine. But this we could not do, while it was a 12-page paper, as it had to be printed on two separate sheets. And with the sizes of type we use, which it was decided to retain, we could not afford to print a 16-page paper at the present price of the SIGNS, and of its present size. Therefore it was decided, 1. To procure a machine to fold and paste. 2. To change to 16 pages. 3. To make the pages somewhat smaller than they are at present.

This will be advantageous in every way. True, it will increase the expense of publishing somewhat, as the pages will not be cut down so much as to keep the matter which it will contain down to the present amount. The reading matter will be somewhat increased, and some additional space will be given for notices of our books and other publications. In the past we have not given our publications the advertising which we felt that they demanded. The truth which they contain ought to be presented to the world; it must be placed before the world. If our paper were the only means we have of publishing the doctrine of the Lord's coming, and of advocating the claims of the Sabbath of Jehovah, we should then give it our undivided attention and interest. But our books, pamphlets, tracts, etc., "all speak the same thing," and we have the same interest in their circulation.

We feel confident that the changes contemplated will meet the approval of our patrons. By the use of a folding machine we expect to get the paper in the mail in considerable less time than at present, whereby it will reach its readers earlier than it now does.

Our thanks are not due to a few individuals, or to any class, for the prosperity which has attended our labors on the paper. As instruments in the hands of our Heavenly Father, the Tract and Missionary Societies, the ministers in the tent-meetings and camp-meetings, all the canvassers and colporters, have shown an interest in, and labored for, its success in a manner which has greatly aided and encouraged us, and, we trust, has met the approval of the Lord of the harvest, whose work it is. May God bless their labors in the future as he has in the past, and a reward be reaped by all in the everlasting kingdom.

It will be our endeavor to secure the best assistance possible, both at the Office and in correspondence, to make the paper both interesting and useful. And we ask the prayers of all who love the truth that we may have both strength and wisdom given by Him who said, "Without me ye can do nothing."