The Danish Mission by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 12, 1872

The Danish Mission.

By James White

Not far from eight years since Eld. John Matteson, a Danish Baptist minister of Wisconsin, had his mind called to the Bible Sabbath, and other doctrines connected with the third angel’s message. When he became fully established, and decided to do what he could in teaching the message to the Scandinavian people, he saw the great need of publications in the Danish language.

This people in our country, embracing the Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians, are numerous. They can read, and understand the word preached, in the Danish language. It is said that in the city of Chicago alone, at the time of the great fire, there were 40,000 Scandinavians. The great north-west is full of them, and we are told that they are numerous in the city of San Francisco, Cal. One of the little church of S. D. Adventists in that city is a Swede.

Some six years since Eld. Matteson came to Battle Creek and asked the Trustees of the S. D. A. Publishing Association to print tracts and pamphlets in the Danish language, and hold them for sale, as they did works printed in the English language. But his request was not granted. In justice to ourself, we would here state that at this time we were too feeble to act a part in the work, having had a serious shock of paralysis a few months before. Eld. Matteson, however, was not to be easily discouraged and hindered in the work the Spirit of God was pressing upon him.

There was a score or two of Norwegians and Danes in Wisconsin and Minnesota, who had from the heart received the third message. To these Eld. Matteson appealed to raise a Danish Book Fund. And, notwithstanding these were few, and generally poor, they raised nearly one thousand dollars. Then Eld. Matteson went to our Office of publication, learned to set the

types, wrote and translated, and set the types, until he had small editions of tracts and pamphlets amounting to about one thousand pages. With these he entered the lecturing field again, to suffer hardships and privations in toiling to present the truth before others. God crowned his labors with success.

And right here we wish to speak of what we know of the faithfulness and devotion of those of the Danish people who have embraced the third message. Judging from what we have seen and known of them, they are generally in advance of the American people. We give as an example the fact that those very Danes, who raised a book fund of their own, when their American brethren had refused to publish books in their language, have since donated quite largely to the American book fund, one brother as high as seventy-five dollars.

In justice to the present Board of Trustees of the Publishing Association we wish to say that Eld. Matteson has since been invited to prepare works for publication in the Danish language at the expense of the Association, to be circulated as liberally as our works in the English language. And his suggestions, nearly one year since, to issue a monthly journal in the Danish language were promptly acted upon, resulting in the regular publication of the magazine entitled, The Advent Tidende. Vigilant efforts have been made to redeem the past neglect to give our brethren from the Scandinavian people that help they needed, when they most needed it. And it is in the hearts of the American brethren to assist the Danish Mission, and manifest as deep an interest in the Scandinavian people as they do in the American people. And we are glad to know that our Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish brethren appreciate our efforts to assist them in the work of spreading the truth before their countrymen, and gladly co-operate with us in the great work. We recommend that they take a lively interest in the circulation of the REVIEW AND HERALD, the Health Reformer, and the Youth’s Instructor, among all those of their people who can read the English language, and that all, both American and Scandinavian, do all they can to circulate the Advent Tidende to all who can, and who will with interest, read it.

We are very happy to learn from Eld. Matteson’s report of recent labors in Minnesota, in number sixteen of current volume of REVIEW AND HERALD, that Eld. L. Jorgenson, formerly a Danish Baptist minister, and editor of the Danish Baptist paper, has finally taken his stand with us. From personal acquaintance with this brother, we have taken great interest in his case. We met him on the Minnesota Camp Ground in June of 1871. He came to that meeting thirty miles on horseback with some idea that he might receive help from us. He was in a desponding, doubting state of mind. The evidences of the divine authenticity of the Sacred Writings had grown dim, and with this came a feeling of despair. We loved his frankness, and admired the humble, yet intelligent, view he took of matters. We labored to encourage and help him. And while Eld. Ingraham was also laboring to help this brother, Mrs. White had brought to her mind very forcibly many things the Lord had shown her relative to this brother. She spoke freely to him of many things in his past experience, and present condition in a clear and touching manner, and in a most hopeful way exhorted him to trust in God and in his word. We then all bowed in prayer. We all prayed and wept together.

At the close of that good camp-meeting, we gave Bro. Jorgenson a good set of books from our book fund, shook his friendly hand, and said, Farewell. And, although we have often thought of him during the last eighteen months, we had not heard from him, until we read the joyful news that he had taken his stand for God and his truth. A wide field of usefulness is before our dear brother. We trust he will arm himself with a clear understanding of the truth for this time, with prayer, hope, and courage in the Lord, and enter the whitening harvest.

Bro. Matteson now asks that eight pages shall be added to The Advent Tidende, making the magazine thirty-two pages to each number, instead of twenty-four, which is its present size. The request is reasonable, and will be granted.

The expenses of printing volume one, which will close with the December number, will be $1200. Of this sum not far from $700, has been received on subscription. The next volume of thirty-two pages to each number will cost about $1400. When we commenced the publication of this journal, we did not expect that the expenses would be one half met by regular subscribers. We have been happily disappointed in the enterprise, and propose that the deficiency be made up by donations. And while the friends are about it, we propose that the sum of $1000 be raised to make up the deficiency of both 1872 and 1873. For this object we give twenty dollars. Let all those interested in the Danish Mission donate liberally and promptly. Should more be received than needed, the surplus can be applied to the Book Fund.

JAMES WHITE, Pres. S. D. A. P. A.