General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1
THE PROGRESS OF THE MEETINGS
W. W. Prescott
THOUSANDS of hearts are turned toward the place where the servants of Christ are now assembled in sacred convocation. Thousands of prayers are ascending to God for his blessing to rest upon the devotions, instructions, and councils that fill up the daily program. And as the BULLETIN goes out to these interested ones, it desires to bear to them a faithful impression, not only of what is being said and done, but of what is being felt as well. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.7
This it will be difficult to do unless paper and reader both partake of the same spirit that characterizes the meetings. Through the grace of God this is to a degree at least quite possible. It will be easy to discern from a perusal of our pages the character of the teaching that is being imparted; and we would gladly catch the spirit of this teaching and convey it to all our readers. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.8
The instruction given daily and in each meeting is of the most timely nature. Our whereabouts in the history of this world, and the relation we should sustain toward it, are being made very clear. The grace of God in Christ, and the infinite bonds of love and sympathy that unite us to him are being set forth; our relation to each other, and our duties to ourselves are topics that daily come before us. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.9
All these things are having their effect upon those who listen, and there is coming into our meetings a deeper spirit of consecration to god; a confidence in the truth and work for our times; a love for the brethren and for mankind beyond what we have felt before. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.10
These impressions do not manifest themselves in any marked demonstrations, but it is rather a yielding of heart under the warming influence of rays of divine light and truth. As frost yields to the sun, as darkness flees before the light, so the gracious influence of sacred truth melts and softens the heart. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.11
At this stage of the meetings there are grounds for hope and confidence that this meeting will accomplish its purposes; that prayers in its behalf will be answered; and that it will bear fruit of great and lasting good to the cause we love. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.12
THE SYMMETRY OF THE TRUTH
No one who listens to the discourses and lessons day by day can fail to notice the earnestness which each speaker puts into his work. Each one appears to be impressed that his own theme is worthy of an entire institute by itself, and we agree it is. The fact is that there is no more intensity put into these subjects than by right pertains to them, nor as much, for it is not possible for us to grasp their full significance. But it requires all of them and other lines of equally intense importance to constitute the system that we denominate present truth. In this combined form each line of truth retains its full force of strength and intensity. What a power there is vested in present truth. How it should thrill our beings as with the energies of a score of divine impulses. He who is impelled by one or two only, is likely to have a better appreciation of the real power of the ones he is moved by. But where is the man that feels the solemn and thrilling power of all these things? What a motive for human action and devotion! GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.13
A THOUGHT came to me the other day while reading Genesis 1. In verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, we have the ten commandments of the natural world. God said, “Let there be.” “He commanded and it stood fast.” Nature is an expression of God’s thoughts and character. Each of those precepts spoke into existence an object which originated in the divine mind. Nature is perfect in those ten precepts, and they comprehend the natural code as does the decalogue embrace all moral law. — W. W. Prescott. GCB February 13, 1895, page 113.14