President’s Address

To the Delegates and Brethren Assembled in General Conference: Greeting.GCB April 3, 1901, page 20.9

Two years more of probationary time are in the past, and we are again brought face to face in another General Conference. The biennial period just closed has been the most eventful in the fulfillment of the sure word of prophecy of any similar period of time in the history of the third angel’s message. This time has been characterized by cruel and bloody wars, involving nearly all the principal powers of the Old World as well as the United States. In these wars many thousands of human lives have been destroyed: two republics have been overthrown; the oldest kingdom in the world has been brought to the verge of dismemberment, and virtually under the dictation and denomination of “The Powers;” millions of dollars have been, and are still being, spent in war equipments, to carry out the ambitious, covetous desires of men and nations to extend their borders, and make themselves a name in the earth.GCB April 3, 1901, page 20.10

During this time the religious world has been no less active. We recall the formation of at least six separate and distinct organizations, having as their avowed ultimate object, the union of all religious bodies and sects into one grand organization upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common. Having arrived at this point, what do we see just ahead? -A general council! A world’s convention! Evangelical alliance, and universal creed! The accomplishment of this object by the religious world will be simultaneous with the complete dominancy of the ten kingdoms, or beast, in the Old World, and the two-horned beast in the New. Thus rapidly and surely the nations of earth are being brought under the control of the two great powers revealed by the seer of Patmos, that were to act so prominent a part in the closing scenes of this world’s history. Instigated by the influences that brought about a universal creed, these powers will unite in making war with the saints, by the enactment and enforcement of laws to dominate conscience, and otherwise oppress the people of God. Very soon no man can buy or sell unless he has the mark of these apostate powers.GCB April 3, 1901, page 20.11

In view of these briefly stated facts, the policy and work of this Conference are clearly discernible. Instead of spending time in the discussion of trivial or minor questions, upon which there may be honest differences of opinion, the time should be devoted largely to prayer, self-examination, and the putting away of differences, that we may be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with power for service. The one great object in all our deliberations, and in the plans proposed for adoption, should be the rapid dissemination of the third angel’s message. ‘Tis for this purpose alone that we have been separated from the world. ‘Tis for this alone that we exist as an organization. ‘Tis for this alone that all our various institutions have been brought into existence, and are being maintained at great cost. ‘Tis for this alone that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with talents, both of means and intellect. This Conference will be a success, or a failure, in Heaven’s sight, not on account of the numbers present, nor by the amount of routine business it transacts in a given time, nor by the number of logical discourses given, nor by the selection of certain individuals to fill the various positions of trust and responsibility within its gift, but by the degree of the true missionary spirit and zeal manifested by its members, and crystallized into acts, when the voice of God is heard, saying, “Whom shall I send? and who will go for us?” by hundreds of voices responding, quickly, “Here am I, send me.”GCB April 3, 1901, page 20.12

While disease, famine, and pestilence, with disasters of various kinds, both by land and sea, have carried away their thousands, we have reason for thanksgiving to God that only a few, comparatively, of our workers have succumbed to the fell destroyer. But of the number deceased, the larger part were experienced laborers, who occupied positions of responsibility at the time of their death. In view of the great need of such laborers, we may for the moment have been tempted to question the goodness and wisdom of our Heavenly Father in permitting them to fall at such a time; but faith comes to the rescue, so that without murmur or complaint we close up the ranks, and press on, saying, Whatsoever God doeth is well done. Brotherly love and Christian sympathy constrain us to speak a few words personally of each, but time and space admonish us that all we can do is to mention the names, that they, being dead, may yet speak to us from their remembered lives of unselfish devotion and consecration to the Master’s cause. They are: Elders G. T. Wilson, William Cottrell, D. A. Robinson, F. W. Brown, Jerome Fargo, W. C. Grainger, J. H. Cook, Harrison Grant, R. J. Lawrence, Mrs. S. M. I. Henry, and Dr. Geo. W. Burleigh.GCB April 3, 1901, page 20.13