To the Friends of the North Pacific Conference.
By I. D. Van Horn
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: We feel it a duty to take this public way to refresh your minds upon matters of much importance for the advancement of the cause of truth in this new Conference. Feeling thankful for past blessings so bountifully bestowed by the Giver of all good, we should let our gratitude for them be known to him and the world, by a more ardent love for the truth for our time, and a more earnest zeal to carry it to the perishing world around us. We must keep pace with the closing message of mercy, and employ our talents and means to help push it forward. We would therefore call your attention, first, to the following resolution passed at the time of the organization of this Conference. Resolved, That we feel the need of a new 50-ft. tent in this Conference, and we empower the Conference committee to order one for use next season, and that the funds for the purchase of said tent be raised by an assessment on each one, according to the ratio of their pledges. The committee have ordered this tent to be made in San Francisco, and it will be shipped here in time to be pitched at our camp-meeting the last of June. It will therefore be necessary that the assessment be made out and collected during the second quarter of this year that the means may be forth-coming at the time of our camp-meeting to pay for it. Let all the friends begin now to prepare to meet this expense. Raised in the way specified, it will come light on all. But whatever it may be, let all come forward cheerfully and do their part. The amount will be apportioned to the several T. and M. districts, and the officers of these districts and the T. and M. workers will soon perform the work. It must be done. We must have another tent, and it must be used to gain access to the people that cannot be obtained so well in any other way, or we shall find at last the blood of souls on our garments. Second, we call your attention to our coming camp-meeting. The following resolution was passed at our first Conference meeting last fall. Resolved, That we hold a camp-meeting next season near Portland, Oregon, at such time and place as may be appointed by our Conference committee; and we hereby empower said committee to select a camp-meeting committee. We would here state, that, for several reasons the Conference committee have decided to hold said meeting near Salem, instead of near Portland. We can procure better ground, and get it ready with much less expense. We shall soon publish an appointment for said meeting when we will specify particularly the time and place of the meeting. Now this Conference has decided to have a camp-meeting the coming summer. The brethren and sisters in the Conference must decide to attend it and come with the determination to make it a success, that it may prove a blessing to the cause in this new field. It is our first attempt in this direction. We must make it a success. Let every one begin now to make preparations to come. Last fall at the time of our Conference meeting Brother Loughborough proposed to furnish tents for sale or rent to all who desired to attend the meeting. He still holds himself ready to do so. But it is necessary that he should know immediately about how many will be wanted. Let all who will want a tent on the camp-ground report immediately, on seeing this, to me, at Salem, Oregon. Tents will be for sale or rent. Now let every one begin immediately to prepare to come to our camp-meeting. Make the sacrifice of time and means, and you will be bountifully paid in return by the rich blessing of God. I would ask all the friends of the cause to read again the doings of the N. P. Conference at the time it was organized, as published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Vol. 3, No. 44, of November 15, 1877. There are duties set forth in those resolutions that every one should seek to perform. Let each and every one lay his shoulder under the burdens and lift, and the work will move on steadily and surely in this Conference. May God bless your efforts and may they be crowned with success. May the T. and M. workers keep up good courage, and continue to scatter the seeds of truth, and the Lord will bless the work and bring in the fruit.