THE RECENT GENERAL CONFERENCE by Geo. L. Butler

The Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · December 11, 1879

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 54, No. 24

THE RECENT GENERAL CONFERENCE.

By Geo. L. Butler

It was my privilege to attend the later meetings of this Conference after my return from Texas, and to me it was a season of much interest. It was a great pleasure to meet with our leading brethren from different parts of the field, those of them at least who are in this country, and very encouraging to see Bro. and Sr. White so full of courage and able to labor so much in this glorious cause.

The weeks spent there were as busy as any in my life. Indeed, it seemed to me I never saw so much business pressing in before. The cause is expanding in all directions over our world. Until the present year I had had little to do with matters at Battle Creek and the General Conference for several years. Perhaps, therefore, I am as well able as any one to compare the present with four or five years ago.

Being called again by our people to take a part in these general interests, I can realize a great difference. Then, we were talking about establishing missions; now, we have them in operation, and from these the truth is being circulated, more or less, to the most remote parts of the earth.

This cause presents a healthy, progressive growth, not of the hot-house order, but a steady onward progress, successfully meeting and coping with such difficulties as few enterprises in this world have ever had to contend against. Never a backward step, but onward to certain victory. This is a good deal to say in this world of changes. But thirty years of continual progress have verified the assertion. Taking all the surrounding circumstances into consideration, it never could have been truly said if God was not in it. The last few weeks have clearly shown that we have no lack of work on our hands. Never was there more to do. Every true Seventh-day Adventist should gird up his loins for the last great contest with the powers of darkness.

I leave our General Conference full of courage and hope. I never before felt such determination to labor in the cause. The special reason of my feeling so is, that I never saw such manifest tokens of God's guiding hand in this work as I have recently seen. I never felt so thankful before that God had placed among us the testimonies of his Holy Spirit, to correct wrongs and point out the dangers which environ us. There can be no cause of discouragement when we see the guiding hand of God in the work. This precious gift, which so many despise, is to me a source of consolation, courage, hope, and rejoicing. How thankful I am that God has a care for us. Let us all hope in God, and go forward.

GEO. L. BUTLER.