Found at Last by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 12, 1871

Found at Last.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

FOUND at last! What is it? A divine revelation for Sunday-keeping. Certainly all Sunday-keepers will be intensely interested in this. It is the very thing for which they have been wishing, hoping, and searching, for long, weary years, till many began to despair of finding it, but at last it has come and the question is settled. There is divine authority for first-day observance. This important fact was brought to our knowledge under the following circumstances: The Seventh-day Adventist tent was pitched in the city of Leon, Decatur Co., Iowa, this summer, and for five weeks it was boldly and loudly asserted that there was no divine authority for keeping the first day holy. The ministers of the place were called upon to produce it, but failed. The deacons and church members were applied to in vain. They could afford no relief. Not a man in the county could find the much desired proof. A messenger was sent long, weary miles through heat and dust, to find a teacher, who could bring forth the needed testimony.

At last one was found. He came; and the people listened with eager ears and open mouths; but, alas! they were doomed to disappointment. He told them that there was no Sabbath day at all now. The tent company seemed to be triumphant; the people were despondent. Must they thus give up the cherished sacred day of their fathers?

Just in this their last extremity relief came. It was announced that Eld. P., of the Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church, would preach in the Court house, and take up the subject of the first-day Sabbath. The people went to hear, and we went also. He claimed no Bible authority for Sunday sacredness; said the seventh day was kept for hundreds of years after the apostles' time, till Pope Sylvester changed it to the first day. This was better than no authority, but yet it was not exactly divine authority. So he proceeded to tell us that when God raised up the great prophet Joseph Smith, this question came up for final settlement. The people inquired of the Lord, and, lo! a divine revelation through the prophet Joseph Smith was given in the year 1831, stating that Sunday should be regarded as a holy day. It is true, the revelation was a little late, by several hundred years, from the time it ought to have been given; but better late than never, especially under such a pressing necessity. From this meeting the people at Leon went to their homes to talk and meditate on the newfound divine authority for their holy day.

We think that so important a revelation as this (?) should be made known to the world; and we hereby notify our readers of this important fact. Consider it well and act accordingly, and let no man say hereafter that there is no divine revelation for Sunday-keeping! D. M. CANRIGHT.

Decatur City, Iowa.