R. H. THOMPSON: When I first started out in the canvassing work, I took for a leader “Great Controversy.” I went to Kay County, Oklahoma, and worked hard for two or three days but did not take any orders. Finally I began to take some orders; the secret of my success I will endeavor to bring out further on. While I was in Kay County, I sold $15 worth a day, or an average of $1.50 an hour for the time I put in. For small books I used “Gospel Primer.” “Steps to Christ,” and Bibles. I sold on an average $3 to $5 worth per week of the small books. The aggregate reached $15 per day.GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.8

Later on I received some pages of “Desire of Ages” from Pacific Press, and in studying them over I felt a deep desire to sell that book, but I did not know as I would be able to do so. However, I took a “Desire of Ages” prospectus with me and endeavored to sell that with “Great Controversy,” to see which would sell the best. I was out two and one-half days. In that time I did not take a single order for “Great Controversy.” I most always presented that book first, thinking perhaps I could not sell “Desire of Ages,” but after presenting that I brought forward “Desire of Ages.” During the two and one-half days I took nine orders for “Desire of Ages.” This was my first work with that book. I made up my mind that a large book could be sold just as well as a small book, and it did not matter so much about the price of the book.GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.9

After I attended the institute I was sent to Kingfisher County to sell “Desire of Ages,” and I think that I had the poorest territory in all Oklahoma. We had a very dry spring and the winds blew the wheat out of the ground in different localities. I was really afraid to start in to canvass in that locality. But I got up some courage and worked a week or so, but when I crossed the river to go South, I found that conditions were worse there than in any other part. I made up my mind that I could not sell anything there. I met a Baptist preacher coming back and asked him how the country was. He said the wheat was all blown out, and that I could not sell anything there. As I wanted to go home anyway, I went.GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.10

But after I was at home two or three days the Spirit of the Lord said to me that it was about time I was going about my work. Finally I got up courage and started out for that forlorn region again. I worked two days real hard, but I did not sell a book: I did not even sell a “Gospel Primer.” I did not go at it with the right spirit. I went out trusting in myself and not trusting in the Lord. When I had been there two days I wrote to my wife as follows; “I have canvassed almost two days and have not taken a order. I have not even sold as much as a ‘Gospel Primer.’” Right then new courage seemed to come to me, and I added, “but I am of good courage;” I posted the card and then hurried out to a creek where there was timber. There I sought the Lord. The next place at which I called I took an order. That evening I took four more. While I was in that country I sold $21.25 worth of “Desire of Ages” a day, or $2.13 an hour. In thirty-five days I sold $765 worth of books. Brethren, the secret of selling large books or any other book is having the Lord sell it for you. (Amen.) At one time I had “Steps to Christ” and some other books in my grip. I was walking toward a house, and saw the lady coming toward the door. She put out her hand and fastened the screen. And that meant, please stay out. But I took “Steps to Christ” out of my grip and began to tell her about the good things in it, and how Christ was revealed in it. She looked at the book and then looked at me. By and by she put out her hand and unlatched the door. Throwing it open she said: “Come in.” When seated, I took out the prospectus for “Desire of Ages,” and began to give her a canvass for that book and it was but a very few minutes before I had her order. When she saw me coming up she saw nothing but a man, or peddler as she supposed. ‘It was not long before she saw something else. She saw something she wanted. The Lord blessed me wonderfully, as I said, down there, in selling $25 to $50 worth of “Desire of Ages” in one day. The Lord blessed me only because I loaned myself to him. Just because I was willing to have the Lord work through me. When I did not sell books it was because I was trusting in self.GCB April 18, 1901, page 322.11

There is one point in selling “Desire of Ages” that a great many have to overcome, and that is this: “Well, I have a life of Christ in my house and we do not need any more.” I make a point the first thing in selling the book to state that it is the earthly ministry of Christ and it takes up Christ’s object lessons as he lived here on earth. It brings something new before them and they see something new in that.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.1

“Desire of Ages” has as it were gotten a black eye. A great many of our people are afraid to handle it. If you want to get right near the Lord, take “Desire of Ages” for a month or two. If you do not have the Lord near, it will be because you do not loan yourself to the Lord. I have never gotten so near the Lord as in selling “Desire of Ages.” It is a spiritual book, and it is a book that will bring us closer and nearer the Lord than anything else.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.2

W. S. Cleveland: How did your delivery come out?GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.3

R. H. Thompson: Well, I delivered ninety-nine per cent of my books. Of the “Desire of Ages” I delivered 95 per cent. The largest number of orders I took within a given period was 760, and it was at that time Brother Hall asked me to figure up and let him know how I had sold the book. I figured up for the last thirty-five days and found I had sold 765, and delivered over 95 per cent of them.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.4

A. F. Harrison: Did you call at every house.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.5

R. H. Thompson: I went to every house I found.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.6

Voice: Did you have colored people or white?GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.7

Thompson: In one locality I had about $200 worth of orders from colored people.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.8

The Chair: Now, the next topic is preparation for the work, by Brother O. E. Cummings.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.9

O. E. Cummings: A thorough preparation for this work has been overlooked in the past, but we can not overestimate this. Men of the world recognize this. In industrial and mechanical lines, the mechanic who wishes to succeed in his position masters his business, not only in general, but in every detail of it. He then puts energy, enthusiasm in his work. I once roomed with a brother who was a thorough mechanic. He is a man who can demand $6, $7, and $8 a day at almost any time, as a mechanic. He told me that it took a man who has natural ability, then at least three years’ training in order to be able to do the finest work. You know how many canvassers expect to go out and succeed in a day just as well as persons who have canvassed for years.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.10

We do not give this point due consideration. Canvassers must serve an apprenticeship. We should begin to prepare canvassers for the work the day they are born, that is when they are first born from above. What is the first impulse of the renewed heart? To bring others to Christ? Just then is the time our work of preparation should begin. In my experience in Nebraska I have kept watch of the work our ministers are doing, and when they have brought out a new company I have corresponded with them in regard to that company, and asked them if there were not some in the new companies, who could be induced to take up the canvassing work. I asked one minister if he did not think there was something I could do there. He said they are just beginners, and can not do anything in the canvassing line for awhile. This is where some fail to educate the people to be workers for Christ.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.11

J. B. Blosser: Have you not found that those who took hold of the canvassing work at that time are the most likely to succeed; better perhaps than those who have long been in the truth?GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.12

O. E. Cummings: Every time. I have had just that experience. There are States that have a rule forbidding one to canvass without first attending a canvassers’ institute. This I believe to be a mistake. A person comes to a camp-meeting which follows the institute. He feels impressed to take up the canvassing work. He is told he had better wait until the next institute. How many will come to that institute? None. Take them up right there. That is where the State agent’s work comes in. Take them out and aid them. Some of our very best experiences are obtained right in field work.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.13

We try to appreciate the value of thorough preparation in Nebraska. So a year ago last January it was arranged that we should give our canvassers a thorough preparation and that we would bring them to College View, there we might obtain the best training possible. We secured the services of a Bible instructor and had a three months’ course. In fact it was the winter term in Union College. The pupils had the privilege of attending one or two college classes. We had the hearty co-operation of all the various laborers in that Conference. All worked together harmoniously. If you consult the present CONFERENCE BULLETIN you will find in the report for District Four, that the canvassing work has more than doubled in that State the last few years. I think this is due to the fact that we have given our canvassers a thorough preparation. The increase has been more than $15,000, and yet the western part of the State has had very poor crops.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.14

W. S. Cleveland: Who stood the expense of the institute? The canvassers or others.GCB April 18, 1901, page 323.15

O. E. Cummings: The canvassers bore a portion of the expense and the Conference a portion also. The Review andGCB April 18, 1901, page 323.16

Herald provided free instruction to the canvassers, and the Conference co-operated with the canvassers to help them through that occasion. Some had to have more help than others. We saw that no one was turned away from that school who wanted to come. The Conference lost nothing from what it helped the canvassers.GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.1

F. E. Painter: By the term “thorough preparation” do you mean canvassers’ institutes?GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.2

O. E. Cummings: One thing which comes into thorough preparation is consecration. I wish you would all turn to Acts 10:38. There are three points in Acts 10:38, how God anointed Jesus Christ with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. Brethren we must have that preparation if we succeed in the work. We must be anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. “Educate, educate, educate young men and women to sell the books which the Lord by his Holy Spirit has stirred his servants to write.” I believe we ought to have an institute a little longer than to learn the printed canvass. We had an institute at Union College without touching the printed canvass. Some of the best canvassers that ever went out, went from that institute. They could give a good description of the book. Canvassers should not be trained with a special form of words. I will give you one experience. I visited a canvasser who took up the sale of “Heralds of the Morning.” He was not making a success of his work. I had him sit right down and read the first chapter carefully. He said he saw more in it than ever before. Then I had him read it again. He read it with this in mind, that the first chapter is the key to the book. I like to have every canvasser take up every chapter and know what each chapter contains, and be able to give a synopsis of that chapter and in that way of the entire book. I like to see this rather than to have them get together and learn the printed canvass.GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.3

E. P. Boggs: How long would you think it necessary to hold an institute in order to train canvassers to go out with “Desire of Ages.”GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.4

O. E. Cummings: We had a few workers from Iowa this winter on that book, at our institute at Union College. Before they left they could give a synopsis of seventy-three chapters. That is they could give the leading thought and thus they could call up the details. It took about eight weeks.GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.5

W. S. Cleveland: In what way did you have them study the book? Did they read it through?GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.6

O. E. Cummings: Of course they read it through. We did not have time in class to read and study it all. We brought out the leading thoughts in class. We reviewed and reviewed and reviewed. In the first part of the book it tells every worker to take an hour a day and sit down and meditate—sit down and meditate on the closing scenes of Christ’s life.GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.7

Workers should go out with a burden of souls upon them. That is what we need.GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.8

The meeting adjourned. Benediction by Brother Kirkendall.GCB April 18, 1901, page 324.9

E. P. BOGGS, Chairman.
H. H. HALL, Secretary.

SERMON

ARGENTINA