Last Day Tokens

WILLIAM MILLER’S WORK PRIOR TO 1840

Elder Himes, in a letter dated at McConnelsville, Ohio, speaks of his first joining Elder Miller in his work in the year 1840, and says that up to that time “Brother Miller stood almost alone, but his labors had been incessant and effectual in awakening professors of religion to the true hope of God’s people, and the necessary preparation for the advent of the Lord; as also the awakening of all classes of the unconverted to a sense of their lost condition, and the duty of immediate repentance and conversion to God, as a preparation to meet the Bridegroom in peace at His coming.” LDT 152.2

To show the increasing interest in the work from that time to the close of the prophetic period in 1844, more than three hundred ministers joined Brother Miller in his work in the northern portion of the United States. In like proportion did the interest increase in other countries. In Great Britain, seven hundred ministers of the Church of England enlisted in giving the message for that time. LDT 153.1

The fall of the Ottoman Empire on the very day predicted, demonstrating so clearly that the “year-day” theory was true, aroused intense interest everywhere to hear the advent message. To meet the growing interest to hear on this subject, some of the largest church buildings were occupied; but these being too small in the summer season to accommodate the vast crowds that assembled, tents were employed, capable of seating thousands. E. C. Williams, a tent-and sail-maker, of Rochester, N. Y., embraced the doctrine, and furnished, gratis, a large tent, which was used in such cities as Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, etc. Thus the message was brought to the attention of many thousands. LDT 153.2

When, in the year 1855, Mr. Williams was making a tent for the Seventh-day Adventists of the state of New York, he said to the writer: “This reminds me of the work of Brethren Miller and Himes. I had a circular tent one hundred and twenty feet in diameter, and I said to them, ‘I will erect this tent, and seat it, and care for it; now come on, and preach the message.’ And so they came. The tent being too small to seat the people who came to hear, we put in a forty-foot splice, using two center poles. I made a nice bunting banner for them, with a motto, reading, ‘Thy kingdom come,’ which was placed above the tent between the two center poles.” LDT 153.3

PICTURE

With this mammoth tent, the message was proclaimed in many of the large cities in the United States until the fall of 1844. LDT 154.1