p. 72 | A CALL TO DUTY by A. G. Daniells

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 4, 1902

A CALL TO DUTY.

By A. G. Daniells

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: More than a year and a half ago Sister White laid before us a plan which the Lord had given her for removing the great burden of debt that has so long rested upon our educational institutions. The plan was very simple. She gave her book, “Christ’s Object Lessons,” to this enterprise. The brethren and sisters everywhere united in giving the material necessary to make the book, and the printing houses gave the labor required to produce it. And, lastly, our people were to give their time to the sale of the book. It was estimated that the sale of six books per

member, or about three hundred thousand in all, would remove the entire indebtedness of our schools. To everybody this plan seemed simple, feasible, and effective. The price of the book was $1.25. The subject-matter is indeed charming. Times have been prosperous. Money has been plentiful, and the people have been spending it freely. We have a population of over seventy million people to whom to go with the book. Now it does seem as if we ought, under all the circumstances, to be able to sell at least six copies per member during an entire year. The task is not by any means an impossible one. Indeed, it is not a heavy task. It is one that could easily be accomplished with a little zeal and perseverance. This has been demonstrated in every possible way. Our agents who are accustomed to selling books have found that it is an easy-selling book. Our young people who have never before engaged in the sale of our books have met with most encouraging success, and many of our brethren and sisters who are far along in years, and who have never before sold books, have succeeded splendidly in their efforts to sell “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Some of our brethren, from fifty to seventy years of age, have sold from ten to fifty books each. By actual trial, people of all ages and all stations in life, in cities and in the country, under all conditions, have demonstrated that the book can easily be sold; and yet we have disposed of only one sixth of the number required to roll away the great reproach.

Is it not time that a stirring call was sounded from one end of the land to the other, calling upon our people to arise, and take hold of this work with energy, perseverance, and a determination not to cease their efforts until the debts have been lifted from our schools?

A few weeks ago, while in conversation with Sister White, she expressed great sorrow of heart because so little effort has been made by our people to carry out this divine plan for the removal of our debts. She said that the work would have been a blessing to our brethren and sisters; the light contained in the book would have proved a blessing to the people who purchased it; and the means received would have been a great boon in the hands of our brethren who are struggling with the debts of our schools. If all could have seen the burden this dear servant of the Lord carried on account of our neglect, their hearts would have been stirred to earnest action.

We should have begun this work with great earnestness at the very beginning of the winter. Now the season is half gone. But it is not too late to take up the work and dispose of this entire business before spring. Earnest efforts are being made in some of the States to do this. During the month of February, our brethren and sisters in the States of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana are to enter upon a great campaign for the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” It is estimated that our people in these four States should sell, on an average, four copies a member. As there are fifteen thousand Sabbath-keepers, that would mean the sale of sixty thousand books. These States have taken hold of this work with a determination to push it until this result is accomplished.

Dear brethren, let me appeal to you to respond to the Lord’s call to service. Is there a single Seventh-day Adventist in the States mentioned who will not make an effort to do his part in the sale of this book? If every member would take hold of this work, with determination that he would never lay the burden down until he had disposed of four copies, the task would be accomplished in a month. Surely any one who has mind enough to grasp the meaning of the Third Angel’s Message, and courage enough to take his stand to live it out, has the ability to sell to his friends and neighbors one copy of “Christ’s Object Lessons” a week for one month; and this done, the burden of debt is removed. What a glorious result for so small an effort!

One church elder relates an experience like this: As soon as the plan was made known, he felt that it was the Lord’s plan, and that it was his duty to co-operate with God in carrying it out. So he purchased his quota of books, and began selling them. When he came to the Sabbath meeting, he related to the brethren his experiences during the week, and called upon any others who had been selling the book to give their experiences. This brought life and freshness into the meeting. Then the elder exhorted every member of the church to take up this work in God’s appointed way. The next Sabbath all who had endeavored to sell the book were asked to relate their experiences. A good meeting followed. This work was continued in that church until they had disposed of their entire quota. This winter that church is going right on with the work, selling double the number apportioned to them. If all the churches in the country had done this, the great burden of debt on our schools would have been removed last winter, and now we might have been engaged in the sale of the book for the very object pointed out in the Testimonies; namely, to provide a fund for the education of our young men and women whom God is calling into missionary fields, but who have not the money to secure the needed education.

Much more might be said, but space will not permit. We appeal most earnestly to every lover of the Third Angel’s Message to show his love by faithfully responding to God’s call to service in the sale of this book. Dear reader, do not lay this paper down, nor dismiss this question from your mind, until you have resolved most earnestly before God that you will do your duty in this matter. The responsibility rests upon you. You cannot delegate it to another. No one else can discharge it for you. The Lord says that a great blessing will come to every one who engages in the work. Furthermore, a great blessing will come to those who purchase the book; and still further, a great blessing will come to our schools that receive the proceeds of the sales. The Lord has told us that it is the essence of true faith to do the right thing at the right time. The duty of the present hour is to co-operate with God in this divine plan for rolling away the reproach of debt against our schools. Who will now take up this work, and press it until the task is accomplished? I pray the Lord to put it into the hearts of His people to do so.

A. G. DANIELLS.