Reports from the Field by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Dec 4, 1879

Reports from the Field.

By Editor

Missionary Letters.

The secretary of the Oakland Vigilant Missionary Society has kindly furnished to us some of the letters which were recently read before the Society. The extracts which are here published will be of interest to all missionary workers. The laborers in Oakland have much to encourage them, not only in that which they will find "after many days," but in the fruit which already appears.

A lady in Liverpool, Eng., writes: "I have received your kind and welcome letter, also your Signs of the Times. I like them well and shall receive them gladly, and thank you from my heart for your kindness to me a stranger."

A gentleman from Scotland says: "I have received three copies of the Signs of the Times, and find in them all much excellent reading, and pieces (to be continued) which make me regret the want of a regular succession. If you have any gratuitous issue of books or papers I will be glad both to read and to circulate them."

A gentleman writes from Massachusetts: "I received your kind letter in due time. I take this opportunity to assure you that I appreciate your interest in me, and your favor in sending me the Signs of the Times, with the religious tone and spirit of which I am pleased."

Another gentleman in Mass., says: "Your kind letter came to hand, and in reply I will say, I read with interest the Signs of the Times, and like it as a religious paper. It contains much important truth. Enclosed please find one dollar for the paper for six months."

A lady writing from South Wales, says: "I feel very grateful for your kindness in sending me the papers which I like very much, and I will ever read them with interest."

A gentleman in Mississippi writes: "Yours of Sept. 27 came to hand, and I should have answered sooner, but as many of my Signs and the few tracts I had received were out and not heard from, I decided to postpone the writing until I could give a general idea of the work or effect of the papers kindly furnished me by the courtesy of Mrs. —."

"I will state that the Signs have been read by all the appreciative readers of my circle, and all that have read the arguments for the 'Sabbath of the Lord,' yield to their force, and many with me regret that the laws of our State prevent our adopting your principles. Among the readers here of those numbers of the Signs are many Universalists (and I have placed them in the hands of the leading men), who express themselves as 'almost persuaded' to adopt the principles held forth in the articles on the 'immortality of the soul;' while I, a life-long Baptist, am surprised that I never saw it thus before. The explanation of Christ's answer to the thief on the cross is entirely satisfactory, and throws new light on the Bible, and accords perfectly with the general tenor of the sacred word, and also with our natural instinct, or, in other words, with the 'light that lighteth every man.'"

"Modern Spiritualism certainly shows what kind of spirits infest the world in these latter days, and I think I have learned from the articles to guard against the accidental association with spirits of darkness infesting many whom we meet. Mrs. White's articles are food for the soul, well calculated to inspire every reader to a redoubling of his diligence to serve God and keep his commandments."

"Mrs. — (my wife) is enthusiastic on the Sabbath subject. I am fully satisfied that the literature of the Pacific Press furnished me, and read by my friends, has opened up a door here for a living teacher."