We stated our conviction in language none could misunderstand. Now after twenty-two years “clear-cut historical evidence” must “definitely establish its validity” or “it should be discounted and denied.” The Lord’s providence indicates that from now on the full facts must be open for the entire church to see. We summarize as follows what we said in 1950:
1. Between the 1860s and 1880s the Seventh-day Adventist Church was permeated by a legalistic, self-centered spirit that made the finishing of the gospel commission impossible in that generation. To correct the deficiency “the Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people” in the 1888 message of Christ’s righteousness.
2. This message was far more than a mere re-emphasis of the historic Protestant 16th Century doctrine of “justification by faith” as taught by the Reformers. Our authoritative denominational histories up until 1950 had said that was all it was. The evidence is clear that the 1888 message was in reality the beginning of the Latter Rain and the Loud Cry. We said so in 1950.
3. Ellen G. White said over and over in words that to us proved that this 1888 message was misunderstood and rejected, not by the general laity but by the responsible leadership of the Church. This is why we as a people are still here with our task unfinished so many decades after the “beginning” of the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which was to have finished the gospel work then like fire goes in the stubble. Although “some” among the leadership accepted the 1888 message they are always said by Ellen G. White to be “few” while the rejectors are consistently said to be “many.” And those “some” who accepted or wanted to accept were overborne by the impact of the determined opposition from men in responsible positions.
4. Further, we discovered abundant Spirit of Prophecy testimony declaring that the opposition to the 1888 message was enmity against Christ of the same nature as the enmity the Jews manifested against Him when they crucified Him. If ever a people on earth needed the “final atonement,” we do. Thus “the cleansing of the sanctuary” can never be complete until the 1888 incident of our history is fully understood by the responsible leadership of the Church today and the tragic mistake rectified by this generation. This cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary requires a complementary and parallel work of cleansing the unconscious content of our heart and mind of those hidden, buried, “underground” roots of unbelief and enmity against God (and one another, too).
5. Our greatest need as a Church is spiritual, not numerical or financial. Even should we “baptize” millions more lukewarm, spiritually self-satisfied members, this is not true “progress.” A contrite reconciliation with the Lord Jesus Christ is our need. Only then can true love permeate the Church.
6. The Lord has been with us truly in all our “wanderings” since 1888 just as He was with Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness long ago. The Church, enfeebled and defective as she is, is still the object of His supreme regard. We are not better than our “fathers.” We cannot criticize a past generation for their refusal to accept the Latter Rain. But we can repent now as a generation and as a denomination, so that we shall not repeat their tragic mistake. “The long Detour of wandering which we brought upon ourselves must lead us in the fulness of the time to the Christ whom we spurned at Minneapolis. In self-abhorrence and deep repentance, we shall find Him.” This position requires absolute loyalty both to the Church and to Christ.
7. The self-centered motivation (“let’s finish the work so we can all go home to glory”) is not sufficient to arouse the Church to Christlike service. The real issue is the integrity and honor of God’s throne. “He has staked that honor upon His confidence in the honesty of the Seventh-day Adventist conscience. In a sense, God Himself is now on trial in the course to be pursued by His people. . . . If now [1950] is understood to be the time for the proclamation of the loud cry, it follows that now is the time for the making right of the [1888] wrong. The mistake of [1888] was the rejection of the very power which the church is now committed to a program of seeking for.”
8. Therefore before the Lord can again pour out His Holy Spirit in full measure for finishing the gospel commission in all the world, the General Conference Committee must lead the Church in denominational repentance. Otherwise, there is grave danger in our determination to secure supernatural “power.” In our false assumption that we truly accepted the 1888 message we have thought ourselves “rich and increased with goods, and in need of nothing” when we are really confused by Babylon’s ideas of “righteousness by faith.” These have largely taken the place of the truth the Lord sent us in 1888. Unless we accept our Lord’s call to denominational repentance (“Be zealous therefore, and repent,” Revelation 3:19), there is grave danger of our becoming infatuated with a false Christ and a false and counterfeit “holy spirit” which we can easily mistake for the true.
9. Such a situation is extremely serious. The first step in rectifying the prevailing confusion (1950) should be the publication of an anthology of the long out-of-print writings of the “messengers” whom the Lord sent in 1888.
So said the authors in 1950. A number of their original statements may be found in Appendix C.