Authors and Publishing Leaders

The genius of the advent hope and movement creates a holy propaganda urge that almost compels its leaders to write and print. Their own thinking and longing is responsible for this, and their passionate desire to share with others the glorious truths discovered naturally shows them the value of publishing in printed form what they consider the most precious and important thing on earth.FSG 348.1

Though the forte of James White was not writing, he was fond of it, and for a long series of years wrote several small books, pamphlets, and tracts while he stood as the responsible editor of the Review. Indeed, practically all our strong veterans wrote articles or pamphlets, mostly on doctrinal truths. Some were more logical than literary, yet what they produced was good.FSG 348.2

The first minister we sent overseas, J. N. Andrews, was an author of note, a master of pure and forceful English. Over in Switzerland, before he knew any French, he wrote articles in English on the leading tenets of our faith especially on the immortality question, and sent them to many leading religious journals in England, Holland, and other lands. Years later we found these articles in prominent theological magazines, where they created much study, especially in Holland. J. G. Matteson, our well-known pioneer in Northern Europe, was founder and editor of five different papers, a hymn writer, and the author of many pamphlets and four large books besides a series of sermon books called Biblical Sermons. The voluminous writings of Mrs. White are so well known they need no mention, and the same is true of Uriah Smith, whose popular style and godly spirit have seldom, if ever, been equaled by others among us.FSG 348.3

Later came an entire army of learned and godly men, strong leaders in writing and publishing-editors like Uriah Smith, W. A. Spicer, and F. M. Wilcox in America, with Erik Arnesen, A. Vollmer, overseas, and many, many others whose work in building the advent cause has been important beyond words. Our publishing department and houses have recruited and trained a whole army of capable leaders. We think of that prince of business managers, C. H. Jones, who led and inspired the Pacific Press for some fifty years, and other men like F. L. Mead, E. R. Palmer, H. H. Hall, and N. Z. Town. These men always told us “that reports of progress were health tonics.” The story of our publishing work is a record of wise planning, superb courage, and enthusiasm. Indeed, no activity among us has produced pathfinders and pioneers of more outstanding efficiency, godliness, and creative thinking than has our literature ministry.FSG 349.1