Remarks by A. O. Tait, Business Manager of the "Signs of the Times."
By Asa Oscar Tait
What we have known as the Pacific Press building is in ashes, but I thank God that the Pacific Press itself is gathering around this porch, and is still living and is still able to carry forward this work. A great many valuable manuscripts and books have gone up in smoke, but we have ability to make more manuscripts and more books. He who gives us this ability lives and ever will live. He has known of this thing for thousands of years. I do not believe that He did it, but He has permitted it. What we need now is courageous hearts. We need our faith exercised in going forward with this work. We need to be thinking what we can do now to spring into action and carry forward this cause as it should be done. That building, looking at it from one standpoint, was quite a thing, but I would rather see that building lie there in ashes than to see any one of our faithful workers lying in death and we gathered in that building to attend his funeral. Not one of them could be spared. God has a definite thing for every man and woman to do here who is a true Seventh-day Adventist. As Brother Wilcox has suggested, this is not a time for any one to be thinking, what shall I do next? how shall I make a living? "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." I thank God that He has the adding machine that can do its work. So let us stand right by the work and go forward. I believe there is this lesson for me to learn in connection with this disaster. God designs to have a perfect people to carry forward this message—people who have everlastingly forgotten how to find fault with each other and how to tear down each other's work. I believe every one of us should search our hearts, and should learn how to work in harmony and in perfect unison, so that in a very short time we shall see this work away beyond where it would have been if this thing had not occurred.