The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

VI. William Farnsworth-First Washingtonian to Declare Acceptance

WILLIAM FARNSWORTH (1807-1888), of the Christian-Adventist church in Washington, New Hampshire, on that memorable Sunday in the late autumn of 1844, announced his decision to observe the seventh day as the Sabbath. He was born within a few miles of Washington, lived there all his life, and was converted at an early age. When the advent message was preached by William Miller and his associates he readily embraced it, as did a majority of the Christian church members there in Washington. It was here that William, on that memorable Sunday morning-after the Disappointment, but before the close of 1844-made known, in the midst of the service, his decision henceforth to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath. He was soon followed by his younger brother, Cyrus, his wife and father, and others, totalling about fifteen or eighteen, who withdrew from the little Christian church, since the majority retained it as the Christian chapel until about 1862. PFF4 953.1