Washington Territory by S. Maxson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 17, 1873

Washington Territory.

By S. Maxson

The Review is a weekly visitor at our humble home; and as it is so highly prized by us and our hearts are so often made to rejoice in reading reports from different churches and testimonies from brethren and sisters as to their Christian experience, I thought it might not be amiss for me to give you my Christian experience since living in this far-off, lonely land. With my family, I emigrated to this country in the autumn of ’59—the only family in this Valley that were trying to keep the commandments of God. And being raised a Seventh-day Baptist, and taking the Sabbath Recorder, I requested, through that paper, my brethren to send us a minister, that we might build up a Sabbath-keeping church; but this did not accomplish anything.

After a few years, there was a great revival of religion here. Under the preaching of a United Brethren minister, our children embraced religion, and were zealous in the cause of Christ. I joined them and was elected their class leader, with the understanding that I would keep the Sabbath. After a while, one of their ministers, S. S. Costin, embraced the Sabbath; and sister Morehouse, a worthy Adventist lady, moving here, threw the Review into our hands; and the Sabbath question being agitated somewhat, I found I could not get along in the Brethren church, hence withdrew. Then J. F. Wood, my son-in-law, took his family and went to California, hoping, as he afterward expressed himself, to get where he would hear no more about the Sabbath. After traveling over a good portion of the State, he settled down near Healdsburg, where Elders Bourdeau and Loughborough were preaching, and embraced the Sabbath, and commenced a correspondence with me, advocating the doctrines as held forth by the Adventists. He soon returned to this Valley and went through with a course of lectures, creating quite an excitement among the people.

While these things were going on, the Lord was preparing me to receive Bible truth. I had become an inveterate tobacco-smoker, from the advice of physicians, but becoming disgusted with the practice, I laid my case before the Lord, promising him, if he would assist me to leave off the vile practice, I would for some benevolent object give fifteen dollars a year—the lowest estimate of the cost of my tobacco—and from that day to this, I have never hankered after tobacco. So I entered, myself, into an S. B. plan, without knowing much about the plan as now carried out by S. D. Adventists. After Mr. Wood returned here, wanting tracts to distribute, I gave him eighteen dollars of the Lord’s money to procure them. They came, and fell into the hands of Mr. Rasmussen. Himself and wife embraced the Sabbath; and now one son has experienced religion. A year or two since, a Bro. Bunch moved here with quite a numerous family.

Now I would say that, although we are considerably scattered, we have been holding meetings at three different points, once in four weeks; and have been praying the Lord to send us a preacher. We sent money once to Bro. Cornell, and he returned it; and again, last fall, we received letters from two or three sources that he was coming here. He did not come; and the Lord has been impressing upon our minds the necessity of laboring in his vineyard, and has crowned our labors with the conversion of six young persons; one Mr. Tilton, his wife, two young men, and two young ladies; and after visiting a week or two and consulting with the brethren and sisters, it was thought best to organize a church. Consequently, last Sabbath and first-day, May 17, 18, we had a two-days’ meeting. Eld. Coston preached two feeling sermons on Sabbath, with a conference meeting. The Lord was in our midst, and that to bless. He also preached two sermons on first-day.

After the first sermon, we organized a church of nineteen members. Elected S. S. Coston for our minister; S. Maxson was chosen and ordained for deacon; J. F. Wood, church clerk; also extended to him a cordial invitation to improve upon his gift in lecturing on the Advent faith; J. C. Bunch, treasurer for S. B. Society. Then we retired to the river, and with singing and prayers and tears witnessed the baptism of six young converts. Returned to the house; heard a sermon on the near coming of Christ; after which, a social meeting, in which all the members participated, or nearly so, leaving the meeting with an increased interest. Our church is called the first S. D. Adventist church of Walla Walla. This little company of Christians is a unit in the Adventist faith, keeping the commandments of God and living in the faith of Jesus.

In behalf of my brethren and sisters, I would say that we still pray for, and ask of you an experienced minister in the Advent faith. We shall also ask of the S. D. Adventist Conference, to be admitted as a sister church, with all the privileges of other churches of your faith and order, holding ourselves ready to conform to the rules of the same. Pray for us, that this little church may be as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid; a bright and shining light in the world. God grant that we may be among those whom Christ’s sentence shall establish unblamable in holiness, and who shall go with him to Heaven. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Ps. 19:14.” S. Maxson.

Walla Walla Co., W. T.