Manuscripts and Memories of Minneapolis

O. A. Olsen to E. G. White, Mar. 21, 1893

O. A. Olsen to:
Battle Creek, Mich., March 21, 1893.
Dear Sister Whiter:-

May the Lord’s special blessing be with you and strengthen you physically, for the work before you, and give you a large portion of his Holy Spirit. MMM 244.1

Our Australian mail reached us last evening. We always look forward to it with special interest, both because we are interested to hear how the work is progressing in that part of the world, and also to receive the instruction that you are Bending us from time to time. The Lord is indeed very good. We are all so thankful to hear that you are so much improved in health as you are. But I can perceive by what you say, that you are still susceptibly crippled by the effects of rheumatism and other troubles. May it please the Lord to fully restore your health and strength is our earnest prayer. But we are so thankful that you are able to be around and attend the meetings and labor for the people. I never felt to appreciate the blessedness of the Lord’s instruction as I have of late. God is indeed exceedingly good, and his ways are precious. I am glad to report that we enjoy a degree of health and strength beyond my highest expectation. Mrs. Olsen has been unusually poorly this winter. She has been at the Sanitarium since before the beginning of the General Conference. Of late there seems to be improvement in her condition. She has not been entirely confined to her bed, but her nervous prostration has been great. We are very thankful to note her improved condition at the present time. Our boys are usually well. MMM 244.2

Well, our General Conference is now in the past. I never came up to a meeting nor a time with more anxiety that that with which I approached the late General Conference. I knew that very much was at stake in everyway. I was also fully aware that God was fully able and willing to do great things for his people. That which concerned me the most was that we might individually and collectively place ourselves in such an attitude that we could receive all that God had for us. That we would be in a place where we could be instructed as he desired to instruct us. Well, the institute and the Conference from first to last was a most remarkable season. I never before attended a meeting anywhere like it. The Lord’s presence seemed to be realized in a very large measure. And at different times the power of God rested down upon the people in a very marked manner. Everything passed off with remarkable harmony and unity. Still, there was great freedom in discussion on every question that came up; indeed, I think I never attended a Conference where there seemed to be such perfect freedom, no human restraint, yet I never saw any meeting where every speaker seemed to have such regard for the feelings and sentiments of others. This was a very interesting feature of the occasion. On leaving, the brethren all felt greatly encouraged, and never have delegates left any of our Conferences with the same feeling and spirit with which they left the one just past. It was a time of much work and much care, and the many perplexing questions that came up demanded the most careful consideration possible. And while circumstances seemed to lay more upon me than I have ever had before, I can say to the praise of the Lord, I never had as much of his help as during the Conference and Committee meetings just past. I enjoyed a larger degree of clearness of mind than ever on any occasion in the past. And my health and strength has wonderfully stood the pressure. I do praise the Lord from an humble heart, for his is the praise and the glory, I have written much to Bro. W. C. and as I know that you will hear that, I will not repeat any of those things. I thought several times during our conference how I wished that you could have been here as I know it would give your heart joy to know how your testimonies were received, and the effect it had on the hearts of individuals. It was not possible for me to attend all of the morning meetings. But during the Institute and Conference proper I made it a point to read from the matter that you have been sending me the past year, and I can express to you the joy and thankfulness of heart for these messages from the Lord, for they seemed to come in just at the proper time, and to meet the demand that was then manifest. And they could not have been more appropriate if you should have been there and known all about the surroundings, and just got up there to speak on the occasion. And never did I witness our ministers respond so heartily as they did to this instruction and reproof of the Lord. In a number of your articles, you referred freely to Minneapolis and the spirit manifested there. Yes, we went over Minneapolis again, and many confessed the wrong part they had acted and the feelings they had indulged, both those who were present at that meeting and those who were net. The Inmost thorough confession was that of J, H, Morrison, The Lord has greatly blessed him, and I cannot express fey own gratitude to God for the frank and noble stand he took. MMM 244.3

[Selection ends here.] MMM 245.1