The Spirit of Prophecy in the Advent Movement

Chapter 14—Removals of Our Headquarters

From East: to West (1855)

From West to East (1903)

In 1855 the general and publishing headquarters of the advent cause was set up in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the vigorously developing Middle West. SPIAM 96.1

Our church paper, and the infant publishing work, constituted a part of the headquarters of the cause from the beginning. James White, our early leader, and his associates, were responsible for directing the movements of the small group of evangelists and for bringing out the paper and the tracts and pamphlets. The general administration and the publishing development went on together. SPIAM 96.2

It will be recalled how insistent was the counsel by the Spirit of prophecy, in 1848, that there should not be delay in starting a paper to carry the message to the people. When older heads had decided they were as yet unable to bring out a paper, the word had come from the youthful agent of the gift: “You must begin to print.” SPIAM 96.3

They began, in faith. In 1851, two years after the first paper, The Present Truth, had been brought out, Captain Joseph Bates joyfully reported the increase of believers in northern New England. The starting of the printing work, strengthening the hands of the traveling preachers, was bringing glad fruitage. The hardy, energetic seaman-evangelist wrote: SPIAM 96.4

“Within two years the true Sabbathkeepers have increased fourfold in Vermont and New Hampshire. Within one year we believe they have more than doubled their number, and they are daily increasing as the paper and the messengers go forth. In these two States alone, conferences have been held within a few months, where one year ago not one believer in the message could be found. We speak of this to the praise of God and His rising cause, and to strengthen His dear children to press together; and also to encourage all honest advent believers to examine the third angel’s message for themselves. God forbid that we should boast of our position, only to the honor and praise of His name; but we ask all sincere seekers after truth to show, if they can, another company on this earth that are coming up in accordance with the declaration of God’s inspired prophets, as this company now is.”—The Review and Herald, August 5, 1851. SPIAM 96.5

The pilgrim life of the early headquarters is registered in the list of places from which the paper was issued. First, in Middletown, Connecticut (1849-50); then from Paris, Maine (1850-51), with the name Advent Review and Sabbath Herald: after this, from Saratoga Springs, New York (in early 1852). SPIAM 97.1

In this year, 1852, came the first real headquarters establishment, in Rochester, New York (April 1852). From that place, James White rallied the believers to the purchase of the hand press and tiny outfit that enabled the pioneers to say the cause had a publishing house of its own. Joseph Bates, ever the joyful cheerleader in every step forward that he heard of, wrote to Elder White: SPIAM 97.2

“We hope you will be successful in your efforts to establish this part of the work to your mind, so that there shall be one printing establishment in all the land of which it may be said, They rest the Sabbath day according to the commandment.”—The Review and Herald, May 6, 1852. SPIAM 97.3

In the same paper, James White sounded the note of courage over the establishment, at last, of a publishing center. He wrote as editor: SPIAM 97.4

“In the summer of 1849 we issued the first number of the little sheet entitled, The Present Truth. We commenced the work under circumstances the most unfavorable, being destitute of means, and the very few friends of the Sabbath being generally very poor. But soon after sending out the first number, sufficient means came in.... Since that time the cause has advanced far beyond the expectations of its warmest friends.”—Ibid. SPIAM 97.5

“After sending out the first number,” he wrote, “sufficient means came in.” Recall that message of the Spirit of prophecy, in 1848, that told James White: “You must begin to print.... As the people read, they will send you means.” Already the fulfillment of that early message was being seen. The pioneers rejoiced over the progress made, as they set up that first hand press in Rochester. SPIAM 97.6

Yet their view of the work to be done fell far short of the view that the Spirit of prophecy had all along been describing. In the first vision of the publishing work, that called to the printing of the first little paper, the youthful Mrs. White had said: “From this small beginning [of the printing work] it was shown to me to be like streams of light that went clear round the world.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 125. SPIAM 98.1

The little hand press of 1852 could not by any means fit that picture of a world-wide publishing work. But as today our printing presses are running in all the continents and in the islands of the sea, we rejoice in the faith of the pioneers who looked for a great work to be done with the small outfit they were then able to secure. They dedicated that first press to God, for the printing of the great message of Revelation 14. When the removal came to the West, the first press went along, soon to be used only as a proof press, while the first steam press took its place. Rejoicing over the steam press, James White wrote in 1858: SPIAM 98.2

“The steam press works finely, and very fast. We can print more in one day than with the hand press in two weeks. Then the work was very heavy, now it is light. We must keep the press running, and let the silent messengers go everywhere.” “The time has come to scatter our publications and extend our labors.”—The Review and Herald, August 12, 1858. SPIAM 99.1

Faithful pioneers! How their faith leaped forward at every step, limited as was their view of the great world field! Thirty years later, when Washington Morse, one of the pioneer believers of Vermont, came to Battle Creek, Michigan, and saw those lined-up printing presses in the Review office throwing down the pages as fast as falling leaves in the autumn wind, he wrote of the first old hand press that he found, still doing its humble duty there as a proof press: SPIAM 99.2

“As I stood looking upon that noble old press, many long-forgotten memories of the past were revived. I remember the words of Elder White when it was decided to purchase it. Said he, ‘I think this press will last us through, until our work is done.’ ...We believed that that printing outfit [of Rochester] would be sufficient to carry on the printing business to the end of time.”—The Review and Herald, October 23, 1888. SPIAM 99.3

Those builders of the early days, men of invincible faith in the advent message, could not see the greatness of the world work beyond. But from those first days the Spirit of prophecy was telling it, even as Scripture prophecy was telling it,—the message going “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” And in time, as the movement grew, the people of the movement caught a new view of the truly world-wide work to which they were called. SPIAM 99.4