General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1

SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LAST SESSION OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE ASSOCIATION

L. T. NICOLA

THE last session of the General Conference Association, held at Battle Creek, Oct. 15-28, 1896, will long be remembered as one in which the blessing of God was especially manifested. While the members of the Association were anxious to do thorough work, carefully investigating every question that came up for consideration, there was, when the time came to take action on the several matters discussed, a unanimity of sentiment such as has rarely been seen at any previous meeting of the Board. GCB July 1, 1896, page 705.2

It would not be possible, in the space at our disposal, to give a full account of all the business transacted by the Association; but knowing, as we do, the deep interest our brethren everywhere take in these semiannual meetings, we will try to present briefly, for their benefit, some of the most important measures adopted. GCB July 1, 1896, page 705.3

At the opening meeting, the President, Elder O. A. Olsen, gave a brief address, of which the following is an abstract:— GCB July 1, 1896, page 705.4

“I feel that the present meeting of the General Conference Association, is one of the most important that has ever been convened. There will be questions to consider that will affect in various ways the work with which we are connected, and we shall need to seek the Lord continually, every moment and every day. Since our meeting last spring I have received a number of communications from Sister White, bearing upon the various phases of our work, our relation to it, and also the trend our work is taking, and the policy that is coming into it. These communications have been a great blessing to me, as they have helped me to understand many things that I have not understood or appreciated before. While I am exceedingly sorry and grieve over the fact that I have erred in the past in many things, I am more thankful than I can express in words, that the Lord condescends to teach, instruct, guide, and direct us. I accept heartily and cheerfully every reproof and every correction, and I feel very much encouraged over the fact that, in the midst of perplexities and difficulties that are arising in various ways, the Lord condescends to instruct us, and while we are walking amid great perplexities, I have never had more confidence in the interposition of God than at the present time. GCB July 1, 1896, page 705.5

“I took occasion early in September, to write a letter to all the members of the Association, and hope all received it. I referred to some things, and stated some of my convictions on some points, not for the purpose, as I then wrote, of dictating to any one, but to bring these things to your attention, that you might think of them, and have an opportunity to ponder over them, so that when we came to our meeting, you might be the better prepared to act understandingly. I also sent copies of some communications that had come from the pen of Sister White, which relate to various matters in connection with our work. I thought it well that you should have these, so that you might have an understanding in regard to them. I am aware that I might have reserved all of them to read to you at this time; but coming suddenly and probably unexpectedly, you would not be as well prepared to deal with them, and to see what there was in them, as if you had had them to read, to reflect upon, and to pray over, and thus have the matters more settled in your minds. I thought this a duty that I owed you as members of the Association. I wish to say at the very beginning, that there never was a time when we needed more than now to quit ourselves like men, men of good sense, practical men in every way, and not to go from one extreme to another or jump from one conclusion to another, but to see and comprehend the counsel of God and follow it. GCB July 1, 1896, page 705.6

“I do not know that I shall be able to express myself as clearly as I desire, but it is evident that, for many years, a wrong policy has been slowly coming into our work. It is not like the gourd that grew up in a night, but it is something that has been coming in little by little, and in such a way that we have not perceived it, nor appreciated it, and have not seen what dangers there were in this policy. Now I would say for ourselves, and for the brethren who are not present, that I believe every one of us has acted to the best of his knowledge; but while this is so, it is plain that we have been going wrong. GCB July 1, 1896, page 706.1