TO MY SWEDISH BRETHREN IN MINNESOTA.
By George I. Butler
My Dear Brethren in Christ: I have for months felt a desire to say a few words to you. I had the privilege of forming the acquaintance of many of you over two years ago when I visited Minnesota, and spoke to you in your meetings and Eld. Lee interpreted my words into Swedish. I enjoyed those meetings very much; for the tender, melting Spirit of the Lord was in our midst, and we felt that we were all one in heart and in faith, whether born in America or in far-distant Sweden. The present truth had united us in the bonds of Christian fellowship and love. Since that time I have thought of you very often. I have rejoiced at every report of your prosperity. I have felt sad when I have known of anything that was causing you injury. Dear friends, I still feel the same interest in the great truths of the Bible that I felt when I was with you. We have seen that the Bible teaches that Christ is soon coming back to our earth to take his people home. We have also learned that a last great warning message is to be given, just before he comes, concerning the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. We are sure this message has been going among the nations of the earth for years. It has already gathered many Americans, Swedes, Danes, Germans, French, and others, into one body. These are trying to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. This good work has been in progress for years, and I trust we all firmly believe it will still go on until the work is closed up gloriously and our blessed Saviour comes. This special work which we call the third angel's message has been in progress in our country nearly thirty years. It started from a very feeble beginning. A few persons commenced to advocate these truths, who were very poor and very humble. They labored very hard to bring this great light to other minds, often depriving themselves of the comforts of life that they might give of their means to help forward this work. God greatly blessed their labors, and the work has prospered, till now they have the privilege of seeing it go among the different nations of the earth. Never was the prospect of its final success so great as now. It is attracting the attention of many minds among the nations of Europe and in all parts of the world. Our printing presses in this country are sending forth the glorious truths of the message by millions of pages, and in various languages, and very soon we shall have an office of publication in the center of Europe itself, spreading the light to all the people of that continent. But this prosperity, though very encouraging, is not the most important evidence of the work being of God. The fulfillment of prophecy, the many evidences in the Bible of our obligation to keep the commandments of God, and the sweet blessing of God when we took our stand to obey his truth, are mighty proofs to us that this is his work. This work is one. It unites the hearts of those who have been born in different lands and trained up in different churches. The one Spirit of God united our hearts when we met together the first time. When you met with your American brethren in camp-meeting the same thing was seen. While the one cause has prospered, all those who have drawn off from it have not prospered. Here is a point upon which I feel anxious to speak to you. None of you have been acquainted with this work as long as I have, so I hope you will permit me to refer to this point, and give you some brotherly counsel. It is possible men may rise up among you and try to turn away your confidence in this great movement which has brought you to see the importance of God's commandments. Beware of every such effort. At different times in the history of this work men have split off, claiming they had some wonderful light, but they very soon gave up much of that which they believed before and became unbelievers in the message itself. Those persons usually commence their work by finding fault with the testimonies and writings of sister White, and with her important labors among this people. When they succeed in breaking down the confidence of people in her labors, then they take some other point, and so they continue until they very often renounce much which they formerly preached themselves, and become the bitterest enemies our people have. Many such, after awhile, give up the Sabbath and the truths they once rejoiced in. I have been long acquainted with the labors and writings of sister White, and I have the utmost confidence that she is a humble and devoted Christian. Her labors in this message have been a very great benefit to it. She has been connected with this message as a laborer from its very commencement, and the Lord has used her greatly for the upbuilding of his cause. Many times she has reproved pride, worldliness, selfishness, and many sins in ministers and people, and this has often resulted in great good to those who have been reproved and to the cause itself. But sometimes proud and selfish persons hate her because their sins are reproved; they find fault and do all they can to break the confidence of the people in her, saying she is led by the devil, is injuring the cause, and many other hard sayings. But those of us of long experience, who have watched the workings of the cause for many years, know better. We feel thankful that sins are reproved among us. The Bible commands God's servants to reprove sin. One great trouble with the popular churches is that they let sins pass unrebuked in their midst. We rejoice that in this cause God has servants who rebuke sins and reprove those who are wrong, and try to have them see their evil course and get right before probation closes. We feel sure that the Lord has specially helped sister White to point out the sins and errors of ministers and others, and great good has resulted. If persons are lost at last it will be because they have not realized their sinfulness, and repented and made thorough work while probation lasts. Reproof often enables people to see their sins in a clearer light, and to repent and reform. I have great confidence in these testimonies of reproof given by sister White, because I have always seen their good effect when persons would receive them, and not get angry against them. I can speak also from personal experience; because I have been reproved by these testimonies myself. I accept such reproof as correct in my own case, and feel thankful to God for it. I feel that it has already been a benefit to me, and I mean that it shall benefit me more and more. My dear Swedish brethren in Minnesota, do not let anything turn your hearts from the present truth. If God's Spirit led you into this truth a few years ago, the same Spirit still desires you to go on in harmony with it; for the work has not changed. We still teach the same doctrine, and have the same Spirit. My faith was never stronger than now that this is God's work. Let us all go hand in hand to the kingdom, trusting in God and keeping his commandments. May God greatly bless you, and lead you, and build you up in his holy truth. Your brother in Christ,
GEO. I. BUTLER.