DEAR BRO. WHITE:—Your letter dated Oct. 11, should have been answered long ago; but circumstances have been unfavorable for me to write before. I have had much sickness and trials in my family this Winter, and my own health has been feeble, and is so yet; but I have all occasion to be thankful to God that our health is restored as it is, that we again can enjoy the blessed privilege to bow down together and praise our Maker and Preserver.
You proposed in your letter to write a Sabbath Tract of 16 pages for me to translate for the benefit of, and circulation among, the Norwegians. It is impressed upon my mind that the present truth must be presented to this people; and if we refuse our service God will call other laborers into this vineyard.
I have had some short conversations in reference to the Sabbath with few individuals of this people, living about two miles from here. I have exhorted them to search the Scriptures with prayer and not take my words for granted that it must be so; but see for themselves. The result is, that three out of four have acknowledged the truth and keep the Sabbath of the Lord; the fourth is convinced too, but he is waiting for his family to decide. They all belonged before to the Methodist church, and were noted for their piety and moral influence in that society. I met with them last Sabbath for the first time after they decided, and it made my heart glad to hear their rejoicing in the Lord, who had opened their eyes to see and their hearts to receive and obey the truth. Dear brother, pray for this people.
They told that their former minister, a Danish missionary, supported by the Methodist society, had requested them to attend a church meeting. This minister anticipating that he should gain a large number of this people, prevailed upon the society to erect an expensive meeting-house at Cambridge, eight miles from here, at a cost of about $5,000 although the whole congregation consists of only a couple dozen families. This disturbance about the Sabbath has caused quite an alarm in the camp. Three families, and what is the worst of all, the most influential among his flock, have deserted him and weakened his ranks considerable. He has planned to reclaim them by stratagem. He proposes to compromise with them and suffer them to remain in the church and "keep their Jewish Sabbath, if they will agree to keep the Christian Sabbath also." I told them at the meeting last Sabbath the force of the third angel's message; they saw the weight thereof and put the armor on.
Now, beloved brother, excuse my digression from the subject, and let us return to the before mentioned Sabbath Tract and what appends thereto. I must inform you that the Norwegian and Swedish languages are so near related, and have such an affinity that we always understand each other perfectly, although each of us speaks his own language. There are, of course, several idioms in each language; but when such occur, we can without difficulty conclude from the connection of the subject. This is the reason that I never took any trouble to study that language or speak it. I think it will answer just as well that I translate the Tract into Swedish, and I know that they will understand it about as well. Their Bible version is very old, and their language has undergone considerable change during the subsequent time. They are of course acquainted with their own old Bible language. The Swedish translation is of a much later date, but differs considerable from the modern language: I suggest therefore to quote the Scriptures from their own Bible and mention the reason in a short preface or note. I believe it would be good that you in concluding the Tract would make a short appeal to their duty, their reason and their feelings founded on the third angel's message. It is necessary that it be printed with German types. The younger generation can read the Latin types, but the older cannot, and it would make the Tract useless for them. About the pecuniary affairs to defray the expenses for the printing, I will inform you that Bro. E. S. Sheffield has collected five dollars and the remainder will come from some quarter. Let us find the wood and the fire and God will provide the sacrifice for the altar.
Dear brother, (I love to repeat this appellation,) I love you as a brother in Christ. May God support you in all your duties. Pray for me and my family. The tears of love we mingled together at our adieu, are not dried up from my cheek yet, they are dropping on this paper still. May God bless you and your family with every blessing he sees you stand in need of, and grant that I and my family may meet you and all his children at the morning of the first resurrection.