Printed in the Review and Herald, August 15, 1935
It was now fully decided that the office of publication should be moved from Rochester. There remained the question whether it should go to Vermont in the East, or to Michigan in the West. Large-hearted brethren in each of these places had been moved to make offers of financial help, and of assistance in carrying the burdens of responsibility that up to now had been borne largely by one man.
With this situation, sectional rivalry might easily result in a serious break in the unity of the believers. James White and his wife had recently visited Michigan, and were favorably impressed with the advantages of that State, and especially of Battle Creek. But before casting their influence in favor of that place, they wisely decided to visit the brethren in the East, particularly those in Vermont, and give them an opportunity of presenting any reasons that they might have for believing that the cause would be better served from some Eastern place than from Michigan.
Leaving Rochester, they spent the last Sabbath in June at Buck's Bridge, New York. There they united with Brethren Wheeler, Hart, and Philips in a week's tent meetings. With these brethren they also went eastward with the tent, to Perry's Mills, Champlain, and Plattsburg, staying two or three days at each place. They were led to rejoice in the good interest manifested in the message.
Crossing into Vermont, the company reached Wolcott on Friday, July 13, where they pitched the tent ready for a conference with the brethren in the northern part of the State. Shortly before sundown a fierce wind suddenly arose, and soon the canvas tabernacle in which they had expected to hold meetings over the Sabbath was flat on the ground.
The prospect seemed discouraging. There was but little shade to shelter the people from the rays of the midsummer sun. Yet some were able to remember the sweet assurance that "all things work together for good to them that love God," and they resolved not to lose courage. Of the sweet Sabbath blessings enjoyed by the believers in God's out-of-doors cathedral, we have a beautiful picture, as sketched by James White in his report to the Review. From this we quote:
"Sabbath morning at half past seven, enough brethren were on the ground to commence prayer meeting. On reaching the place of meeting about this hour, we heard the solemn voice of prayer from our beloved Brother Ingraham, who has spent some time in a new field in Pennsylvania, but has returned to this State for a few weeks. And as we looked about the beautiful hill where preparations had been made for the saints to worship, and heard the solemn and fervent prayer from our dear brother, we thought of the mountains where Jesus prayed and preached, and as we thus reflected, we could not refrain from weeping aloud.
"The brethren continued to gather to the place till at ten there were near 200 present. On the south side of the hill lay the tent. On the west, north, and east was a ring of carriages where the feeblest took their seats, shaded by umbrellas, nearly surrounding those who occupied the north row of seats.In this position these commandment keepers listened with deepest interest to three discourses, besides spending several hours in conference and prayer meeting.
"The last discourse closed at half past three in the afternoon, when it was suggested that the feeble and tired might leave the ground, while others would remain during the hours of the Sabbath, and be ready to erect the tent. But two or three left, and the meeting rose in interest till near six o'clock. The cool breezes and the clouds intercepting the rays of the sun nearly all day made our situation quite comfortable, while the continual dropping of heavenly manna made the place glorious.
"A portion of that congregation was on the ground with no permanent shelter for ten sweet hours, and while enjoying so long and so sweet a feast could really pity those poor souls who usually sit in cushioned and carpeted pews of these steeple houses, forty-five minutes, and feed on husks.
"Brethren Wheeler, Hart, Ingraham, Stone, Hutchins, Sperry, and many others took part in this meeting. After the tent was erected, there was the same evening a very free and cheering social meeting held in it."--Review and Herald, July 21, 1855.
In order to reach as many of the Vermont brethren as possible, two other tent meetings were held in the State. Visits were made to the homes of Brethren Pierce and Philips at Roxbury, and to Brother Lockwood's at Warren, of whom it is said, "Their sacrifices for the cause and their care for the Lord's servants have not been small."
Regarding their benevolent spirit and willingness to share his burdens and cares, James White wrote as follows:
"It has seemed to us that some of these Vermont friends have loved their neighbor (brother) a little better than themselves. It is certain that in their anxiety to advance the cause they have at least made far greater efforts to help others than others have made to help themselves.
"They are anxious to move the Review office to Vermont, and have the responsibility and burden of conducting it taken off from us, and placed, as it should be, on the shoulders of a number of the old, experienced friends of the cause.
"Unless the friends of the cause in some more central position shall take this responsibility, it will be proper that the friends and supporters of the cause in Vermont should take it.
"We shall no longer bear the burdens we have borne in Rochester; neither shall we move the office east or west. The office is the property of the church. The church must wake up to this matter, and free us from responsibilities that have been forced upon us, and which we have reluctantly taken. We must have freedom and repose, or go into the grave."--Review and Herald, Aug. 7, 1855.
Our brethren East and West gave serious thought to this matter, and vigorous response to his appeals was being made by the Michigan brethren located in Jackson and Battle Creek, as we shall see.
It had been nearly three years since James and Ellen White had visited Portland, Boston, and other places in New England connected with their early experiences in the message. Therefore they seized this opportunity to see some of the tried friends of the cause at Dorchester, near Boston, and other places in Massachusetts, and especially in Topsham and other places in Maine, associated with many hallowed memories of their early experiences.
While at Topsham a vision was given to Mrs. White in which there were renewed cautions for her husband regarding his willingness to undertake "burdens that were too heavy, and which nearly crushed him". There was also an assurance that though these efforts had "told upon his constitution and deprived him of strength," yet "as a result of these extra efforts, more souls will be saved."--"Testimonies," Vol. 111, pp. 9, 10.
Regarding this matter she also said:
"My husband can continue to labor with all his energies, as he has done, and as the result go down into the grave, and his labors be lost to the cause of God; or he can now be released, while he has some strength left, and last longer and his labors be more efficient."--Ibid.
At Palmyra, Elder White had a very precious visit with his aged parents. He found them well established in the fundamental principles of the advent faith, and "also convinced that divine testimony is on the side of the Sabbath."
Regarding his boyhood home and its influences, he bore the following testimony:
"There in the very room where we heard the voice of prayer the first nineteen years of our life, we bowed to pray with parents and child, around that family altar that had stood more than forty years. There as we looked back over the long years of boyhood, when blest with praying parents, and the visits of good, old-fashioned, plain, spiritual preachers--men of God--we could judge of their worth.
"But few children prize such blessings as they should. But some in riper years, after feeling the chills of a cold, prayerless world, when years of care roll on rapidly, can look back and estimate their real value."--Review and Herald, Sept. 4, 1855.
The trip of eleven weeks in the East was ended with the return to Rochester, August 30.
Looking at these experiences in the light of the development of later years, we can see that amid clouds and darkness the hand of Providence was developing plans for a future work far greater and better than men were able to devise.
Confidence and sympathy were needed by the leaders of the great work to be done, and both were freely bestowed. The bitter attacks made upon the Review and its publishers had called for faithful investigation. This led to vindication, and as a result the leaders had the unstinted confidence of their brethren as never before. Furthermore, a fuller knowledge of those hardships which had nearly cost the life of James and Ellen White, gave them the warmest sympathy of their brethren.
The unstinted confidence and sympathy which James White now enjoyed, the liberality of unselfish and self-sacrificing believers, and the cooperation of leading brethren, opened the way for the removal of the publishing interests from the populous East to the then sparsely settled West without objection or protest.
During his Eastern trip Elder White had kept up correspondence with the brethren in Michigan. Therefore he was enabled to insert in the very first number of the Review printed after his return, the following statement:
"We are happy to say that the brethren in Michigan cheerfully take upon themselves the responsibility of the Review office. They will probably move it to that State this fall. Brethren in Vermont are willing and ready to do the same, but regard Michigan to be more the center of the future field of labor, and are willing that the press should be established in that State."--Review and Herald, Sept. 4, 1855.
There being now a general agreement to this plan, definite and practical steps were taken by the brethren in Michigan. As soon as they saw that the way was clear for action, they appointed a meeting to be held at Battle Creek, September 23. At this meeting, with Joseph B. Frisbie as chairman and A. A. Dodge as secretary, the following resolutions were adopted:
"1.That the Advent Review office still remain the property of the church.
"2. That the Advent Review office be moved to Battle Creek, Michigan.
"3. That a financial committee of three be chosen, whose duty it shall be to move the office, and publish the Advent Review.
"4. That D. R. Palmer of Jackson, Henry Lyon and Cyrenius Smith of Battle Creek, be the financial committee.
"5.That the committee call on the church at large to send in their freewill offerings to defray the expenses of moving the Advent, Review office, and to replenish the office with those things necessary in editing and publishing the Advent Review.
"6. That the committee propose through the Advent Review a plan on which the editorial department of the Advent Review shall he conducted, requesting those interested, in the several States, to speak out on the subject by letter to the committee--either to adopt, amend, or reject the plan and suggest another; and that, if necessary, the committee call a meeting of delegates from different parts of the field to choose an editor, or editors, to conduct the Advent Review.
"7. That the doings of this meeting be published in the Advent Review."--Review and Herald, Oct. 2, 1855.
The financial committee vigorously undertook the responsibilities laid upon them.They appointed a "General Conference" to be held in the "House of Prayer" at Battle Creek, for Friday, Sabbath, and first-day, November 16, 17, and 18. They invited the brethren from all parts of the field to assemble "to make choice of those brethren who shall conduct the Review, and to consider other matters of vital interest to the prosperity of the cause."--Review and Herald, Oct. 16, 1855.
In harmony with this appointment a delegation met, representing a large part of the entire field.There were present, besides a number of brethren from Michigan, Brethren Hart of Vermont, Bates of Massachusetts, Belden of Connecticut, and J. H. Waggoner of Wisconsin. Many churches had responded to the invitation to express their views by letter, and these were read during the session. It was found that all were in harmony with proposals heretofore made in the Review, and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted by those present:
"1. That a committee be appointed to investigate the financial condition of the Review office.
"2.That Henry Lyon, David Hewitt, and Wm. M. Smith, of Battle Creek, be that committee.
"3. That this conference sanction the proceedings of the previous conference of September 23d, 1855, and that the committee then chosen hold in trust the press for the benefit for the church.
"4. That Uriah Smith be resident editor of the Advent Review.
"5. That J. N. Andrews of Iowa, James White and J. H. Waggoner of Michigan, R. F. Cottrell of New York, and Stephen Pierce of Vermont, be corresponding editors.
"6. That after the investigation of the affairs of the Review office, the financial committee pay Brother White for materials which he has placed in the office above what was first donated, and call on the church for the amount, that he may be able to meet the debts he has incurred in placing this material in the office.
"7. That Brother White be subject to the advice of the financial or publishing committee, in the management of the publication and sale of books.
"8. That a vote of thanks be tendered to Brother White for his valuable services as an editor, in spreading the light of present truth be moved to that place, three issues of the paper, Numbers 7, 8, and 9, came from Rochester, New York, the last bearing date of October 30, 1855. Number 10 was sent out from Battle Creek, December 4,1855. Thus there was a break of only thirty-five days. During November, all hands were busy moving. On arrival in Battle Creek, they found a new office building erected, and then, consecrating themselves anew to God, they entered upon their work with increased zeal and courage.
"9. That Joseph Bates, J. H. Waggoner, and M. E. Cornell be appointed to address the saints in behalf of the conference, on the gifts of the church.
"Joseph Bates, Chairman.
"Uriah Smith, Secretary."
--Review and Herald, Dec. 4, 1855.
Thus we see that the Lord had not only given His little flock a safe foundation on which to build, but also a good program for the promotion of this work.
After the meeting in Battle Creek on September 23, in which it was recommended that the Review office be moved to that place, three issues of the paper, Numbers 7, 8, and 9, came from Rochester, New York, the last bearing date of October 30, 1855. Number 10 was sent out from Battle Creek, December 4, 1855. Thus there was a break of only thirty-five days. During November, all hands were busy moving. On arrival in Battle Creek, they found a new office building erected, and them, consecrating themselves anew to God, they entered upon their work with increased zeal and courage.