Work to Proceed With Great Power.—Our cities are to be worked. To devote our efforts to other worthy enterprises, and leave unworked our cities, in which are large numbers of all nationalities, is not wise. A beginning is now to be made, and means must be raised that the work may go forward. With mighty power the cry is again to be sounded in our large centers of population. ... MTC 47.1
Money is needed for the prosecution of the work in New York, Boston, Portland [Maine], Philadelphia, Buffalo, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, and many other cities. In some of these places the people were mightily stirred by the message given in 1842 to 1844, but of late years little has been done compared to the great work that ought to be in progress. And it seems difficult to make our people feel a special burden for the work in the large cities.—Manuscript 13, 1910 (A Call to the Watchmen [Pamphlet 020], 4; portions in Evangelism, 34). MTC 47.2
Worldwide Warning to Be Given.—Night after night I am unable to sleep, because of this burden resting upon me in behalf of the unwarned cities. Night after night I am praying and trying to devise methods by which we can enter these cities and give the warning message. Why, there is a world to be warned and saved, and we are to go East and West and North and South, and work intelligently for the people all about us. As we undertake this work, we shall see the salvation of God. Encouragement will come.—Manuscript 53, 1909 (Evangelism, 62). MTC 47.3
Local Work Not to Be Neglected.—Let not the fields lying in the shadow of our doors, such as the great cities in our land, be lightly passed over and neglected. ... The work in the home field is a vital problem just now. The present time is the most favorable opportunity that we shall have to work these fields. In a little while the situation will be much more difficult.—Testimonies For The Church 8:31, 32. (1904) MTC 48.1
Work to Continue Until Close of Probation.—How can we find language to express our deep interest, to describe our desire that every soul should awake and go to work in the Master's vineyard? Christ says, “Occupy till I come.” It may be but a few years until our life's history shall close, but we must occupy till then. The fiat will go forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still,” and then there will be no more occasion to labor for souls. Every case will be decided.—The Review and Herald, April 21, 1896. MTC 48.2
Seize Every Available Opportunity to Work.—God requires that we shall give the message of present truth to every city, and not keep the work bound up in a few places. Wherever an opening for the truth can be found, there let men be stationed who are capable of presenting its teachings with a power and conviction that will reach hearts. ... MTC 48.3
Let none set up as the Lord's way the way of human devisings. MTC 48.4
The words were spoken to me with impelling power: Wake up the watchmen to carry the word of warning to every city in America. ... MTC 48.5
Do not hover over the churches to repeat over and over again the same truths to the people, while the cities are left in ignorance and sin, unwarned and unlabored for. Soon the way will be hedged up and these cities will be closed to the gospel message. Wake up the church members, that they may unite in doing a definite and self-denying work.—Manuscript 61, 1909 (Manuscript Releases 10:215, 216). MTC 48.6
Enter When Doors Open.—God asks, Why are not memorials for Me established in the cities? What answer can we return? The neglected work in our cities testifies to the lack of Christlike energy among believers. Let all awake to the need of establishing Christian missions in the cities. Let God's workers enter the doors that He has opened for them. Believers need to arouse and do much more than they are now doing in lines of Christian effort.—The Review and Herald, February 4, 1904. MTC 49.1
Expansion Opportunities Missed.—If during the last twenty years there had been in our large cities aggressive, enthusiastic efforts to proclaim the message of truth, it would have been accepted by thousands who would not only be rejoicing in it, but laboring to impart it to others. ... MTC 49.2
In centers such as Washington*Washington, D.C., location of the General Conference from 1904 to 1989, and the Review and Herald Publishing Association from 1906 to 1982. and Mountain View†Mountain View, California, location of the Pacific Press Publishing Association from 1904 to 1984. and Nashville,・Nashville, Tennessee, location of the Southern Publishing Association from 1901 to 1980. there should not be an effort to add new responsibilities and gather together more families of believers, but rather our brethren in these places should study how they can move out and establish centers of influence in places where is need of work being done.—Letter 41, 1911. MTC 49.3
Doors Open Both to Mission Work and to Opposers of Truth.—Aggressive warfare must be entered upon with a devoted, self-sacrificing spirit that many know nothing about. As opportunities offer, as doors open, and the word of life is brought to the people, opposition to the truth will start into operation. The door that is open to the missionary will also be open to the opposer of truth. But if the truth is presented as it is in Jesus, the hearers are responsible for its rejection.—The Review and Herald, July 2, 1895. MTC 49.4
All Called to Awaken to Needs of the Cities.—As they see the unworked cities, our brethren realize the greatness of the work to be done. Many who in the past ought to have been wide awake, giving heed to the messages sent, have been asleep. Our people are now to awake. If all will do their duty, we shall see the work of the Lord carried forward in earnest. May God help us is my prayer.—Letter 102, 1910. MTC 50.1
One Hundred Workers Needed Where Now There Is One.—The cities are teeming with iniquity, and Satan suggests that it is impossible to do any good within their borders; and so they are sadly neglected. But there are lost pearls there, whose value you cannot realize until you earnestly seek to find them. There might be one hundred workers where there is but one, who might be seeking diligently, prayerfully, and with intense interest, to find the pearls that are buried in the rubbish of these cities.—The Review and Herald, April 21, 1896. MTC 50.2
Ministers to Work Large Cities.—I am instructed to point our ministers to the unworked cities and to urge them by every possible means to open the way for the presentation of the truth. In some of the cities where the message of the second coming of the Lord was first given, we are compelled to take up the work as if it were a new field. How much longer will these barren fields, these unworked cities, be passed by? Without delay the sowing of the seed should begin in many, many places.—Testimonies For The Church 9:123. (1909) MTC 50.3
Students to Engage in Various Forms of Evangelism.—Through the first disciples a divine gift was proffered to Israel; the faithful evangelist today will do a similar work in every city where our missionaries enter. It is a work which to some extent we have tried to do in connection with some of our sanitariums, but a much wider experience in these lines is to be gained. MTC 51.1
Cannot our conference presidents open the way for the students in our schools to engage in this line of labor? Again and again it has been presented to me that “there should be companies organized and educated most thoroughly to work as nurses, as evangelists, as ministers, as canvassers, as gospel students, to perfect a character after the divine similitude.”—Testimonies and Experiences Connected With the Loma Linda Sanitarium and College of Medical Evangelists (Pamphlet 095), 15 (Counsels on Health, 541, 542). (1906) MTC 51.2
Church Leaders to Assist.—To my brethren in positions of responsibility I would say, the needs of the large cities have been kept before you. You have had message after message concerning your duty. And now what will you do that the charge of the Lord may be obeyed?—Manuscript 13, 1910. MTC 51.3
Lateness of Time Requires Prayerful Action Now.—If our leaders realized the time of night, they could not leave our cities unwarned and be willing to do so little to change the present condition of things in the world. God requires that every soul who believes in Christ shall go forth and bear much fruit. ... MTC 51.4
Let there be less sermonizing and more humbling of the soul in prayer for the divine presence among us. Our meetings should be seasons of humble seeking after God. Oh, that we might sense our need of Christ and by living faith claim the promise of His presence!—Letter 172, 1908 (Spalding and Magan Collection, 436). MTC 52.1
Church Leaders Who Neglect the Cities Held Accountable by God.—I am instructed to say to those who have long stood at the head of the work, and who for years have allowed many of our large cities to remain unworked: The Lord will call to account those who have worked out their own plans to do a large work in a few places while they have left undone the work that should have been done in giving the last warning message to the many large cities of our land. There has been with some a spirit of forbidding, a desire to hold back from the work brethren who desired to have a part in it. Some in the blindness of their hearts have been hindering the work, and this has brought unbelief into many hearts. I am now counseled in regard to the need of employing all our energies and all our means for the advancement of the work. We need to use our influence in encouraging others to labor. Let the spirit of sanctified activity be encouraged rather than the spirit that would seek to hinder and forbid, and there will be seen advancement where in the past there has been failure to follow the will of the Lord.—Manuscript 61, 1909 (Manuscript Releases 10:219). MTC 52.2
General Conference Leaders Called to Do City Evangelism.—I have seen that Satan would have been greatly pleased to see Elders [W. W.] Prescott and [A. G.] Daniells undertake the work of a general overhauling of our books that have done a good work in the field for years. But neither of you is called of God to that work. If you were to enter upon such a work, much time would be employed that should be given to the proclamation of the last warning message to an impenitent world. MTC 52.3
The Lord would have been pleased had you and Elder Prescott and your associates taken upon yourselves soon after the last General Conference the burden of giving to the inhabitants of the great cities the last warning message. This is a work that He has been calling us to do these many years.—Letter 70, 1910 (Manuscript Releases 10:364, 365). MTC 53.1
A General Conference President Called to Do City Evangelism.—The Lord Jesus says to the president of the General Conference [A. G. Daniells], “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Warn the cities. Time is precious. Repent, and be converted. Repent, and redeem the time. Let everything be done that can be done to atone for your past neglect. ... MTC 53.2
Elder Daniells, let your heart and mind be wholly consecrated to do the will of God, and labor for a similar work to take place in your family. Take up the long-neglected work in the cities. Plead with God most earnestly to set your mind to running in right channels. The Lord has not laid upon you nor upon anyone else in Washington the work that some have fancied ought to be done.—Letter 70, 1910. MTC 53.3
A Review and Herald Editor Called to Do City Evangelism.—During this [1909 General] Conference I had a message for Brother [W. W.] Prescott. He is a minister. He should not remain here in Washington to do a work that another man can do. He can stand before the people and give the reasons of our faith in an acceptable way. I know this because I have been associated with him in labor. He has a precious gift, and here he is employed in work that other men can do, while there is a dearth of laborers who can warn these large cities. His gift is not to be used longer as it is now, for if he continues to labor here, his health and strength will be used up. But if he will go out into the public ministry, strength will come to him.—Manuscript 53, 1909 (Manuscript Releases 10:360, 361). MTC 53.4
Obligation to Cities Not Met by Giving Mission Offerings.—Unless more is done than has been done for the cities of America, ministers and people will have a heavy account to settle with the One who has appointed to every man his work. ... MTC 54.1
May God forgive our terrible neglect in not doing the work that as yet we have scarcely touched with the tips of our fingers. ... MTC 54.2
After you have given something for foreign fields, do not think your duty done.—Testimonies For The Church 8:35, 36. (1904) MTC 54.3