To the Church of S. D. Adventists.
By J. B. Frisbie
Dear Brethren: Over twenty years ago I started out to preach the third angel’s message. I left father, mother, and the world, believing with all my heart in the near coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I settled my family in the western part of Battle Creek village. We commenced a small prayer-meeting of about five or six. I had encouragement that by laboring one-half of the time with my hands to support my family, I could lecture the other half of the time, as the friends of the cause at that time were few. As I labored, God gave me some little success, which encouraged me to labor on until the civil war, until the dark and cloudy day in our experience. Then I moved back to Chelsea Mich., where there were no Sabbath-keepers, fell sick and became discouraged, and lost the shield of faith, and sank back in part where I was when the truth first found me. But praise be to God, I never lost my love for him or for my dear brethren, whom I believe prayed much for me. The Lord has answered their prayers, and my mind has been troubled at times, that all was not right. My daily prayer has been, O Lord, lead me into the truth. I have not publicly opposed the church, nor united with any other, and do not think the Lord ever entirely left me. I believe he put it into my heart to attend the Michigan Camp-meeting, and led my brethren to reach out the hand of brotherly love and kindness, and lead me where the Lord could pour out his Spirit in great power upon me, and let me see myself as I was, poor, blind, and weak, without the strength of God. I see again new beauty in the third angel’s message, and in the great unity and harmony of this people above all others. Babylon is certainly fallen, and her light has gone out. The fulfillment of prophecy and the signs of the times put it beyond doubt. The end is near. Dear brethren, I want to come back all right, fitted up anew for the great work before us. I wish to put myself again under the watchcare of the church. If you should see fit to receive me, unworthy as I have been, I want you to put me into the place where I can work to the best advantage for the cause for time to come, that I may redeem the time that has run to waste. I feel too weak to go out to labor alone. If it should be desired that I go out to lecture again, I would like the company of some one to assist in all the labors incident to the raising up of new churches in new places, in the power of the Spirit of God. May the Lord help me to profit by my past experience.