Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 25 (1910 - 1915)

Ms 23, 1913

Remarks/A Visit of the Bookmen of Pacific Press to the Home of Mrs. E. G. White

St. Helena, California

January 23, 1913

Previously unpublished.

A visit of the bookmen of Pacific Press Publishing Association territory to the home of Mrs. E. G. White, near St. Helena, California, Thursday afternoon, January 23, 1913. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 1

Very early on the morning of January 23, 1913, a party of seventy, most of whom were general bookmen and conference tract society secretaries from Pacific Press territory, together with a few conference presidents and others, boarded a Southern Pacific train at Mountain View for St. Helena via San Francisco. As the train was pulling out from the station, two forms were discerned hurrying through the gray dawn; and these, after the train had been stopped, proved to be two worthy conference presidents. Crossing San Francisco, the party, now seventh-two strong, took the seven o’clock steamer for a two-hour ride up the bay to Vallejo, opposite the Mare Island navy yard, where a special electric car awaited them. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 2

Arriving in St. Helena at half-past ten, the party was quickly transferred to autos and carriages and taken direct to Pacific Union College, eight miles up Howell Mountain, where they were served dinner in the students’ dining hall and afterward shown about the buildings and grounds. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 3

In the afternoon they were brought to Elmshaven, the home of Mrs. E. G. White. First, spending a few minutes in looking about the premises, they assembled at four o’clock in the sitting room and dining room where they were greeted by Sister White and by members of her family. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 4

A manuscript [Lt 3, 1913] prepared for the occasion, and addressed “To the Bookmen,” and which was afterward supplied in printed form to all, was read by Sister White. Sister White said further: 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 5

“I do not know that it would be well to say any more at present along this line. We shall see that you have a copy of the manuscript I have just read. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 6

“We all want all the help we can get. God has given for our salvation His only begotten Son. In the Scriptures we have a record of His sacrifice in our behalf. In view of all He has done for us, let us not shrink from trials. Let us not draw back when the field seems hard. God has commissioned His holy angels to minister to us, and He will not send us out destitute of help and strength and courage. He will give you help, my brethren; He will give you joy and peace; He will preserve you in difficult places. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 7

“I feel an intense anxiety that here, in this place where God has wrought to establish us, we may be prepared to do the very work that we should do; and we shall be, if we lay hold of the strength there is in Jesus. He is our strong tower, our living hope. Oh, how He suffered! what agonies He endured! Behold Him on Calvary’s height, His hands nailed to the cruel cross—and all this in order that sinners might be redeemed from the power of the enemy! 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 8

“But I must not keep you any longer. Let us take hold together. Let us not give up to discouragement, but let us rather talk faith, hope, courage, pressing our way through the darkness; and as we come into the place where God can impress our minds, we shall have increasing light, increasing strength, increasing hope, increasing courage.” 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 9

H. H. Hall: Those who are assembled here this afternoon, Sister White, have been in attendance at the bookmen’s convention which we have been holding in Mountain View for the past ten days in the interests of the very lines of missionary service concerning which you have been reading to us. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 10

Mrs. E. G. White: You may depend upon it that I keep in touch with what you are doing. My prayers are ascending day and night. I lie awake wrestling with God, that He shall let His Holy Spirit rest upon us; and I believe He does. Yes, I am confident that He is blessing us. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 11

H. H. Hall: His Spirit has certainly been with us. There has been a unity of purpose and a strength to our progress, day by day, that has been a source of cheer and that will enable us to labor together with God more faithfully than ever before. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 12

Mrs. E. G. White: Yes; we are to be growing, growing, ever growing in God and in a knowledge of His truth. Then if we follow on to know the Lord, we shall know His going forth is prepared as the morning. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 13

H. H. Hall: You will be glad that our bookmen ask for Great Controversy and Patriarchs and Prophets, each in three new languages, for their work in Canadian territory and in certain portions of the United States where there are many foreign-speaking people. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 14

Mrs. E. G. White: I have been awakened night after night, and scenes have been presented before me of what may be—of what God would be pleased to do for us. He has all power. As we go forward in faith, following His leadings, we shall be greatly blessed and strengthened. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 15

H. H. Hall: While assembled in Mountain View, the members of our convention voted to assure you, Sister White, of their appreciation of the gift of these books that you have arranged for us to receive today. We thank you very, very much for these. We will see that they are carefully studied, and we believe they will be a help to us in our work. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 16

Mrs. E. G. White: I am glad to hear you say these words; for it is the Lord whom I am trying to serve. Although you do not now see and hear as much of me as you have seen and heard in former years, yet often I am praying while others are sleeping. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 17

H. H. Hall: We are endeavoring to extend your influence by the circulation of your good books, Sister White. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 18

Mrs. E. G. White: Yes; and this does me much good. It seems as if I could sacrifice anything, if only you can continue to press forward the work so that it will result in the salvation of the souls who are still in darkness, unable to see or to understand. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 19

Good evening, brethren. I may meet many of you later. (At this point, Sister White retired to her workroom, where she afterward personally greeted many who were shown through that portion of the building.) 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 20

W. C. White: Mother and her family and all her workers are very pleased to welcome you here today. We feel that it is one of the greatest privileges we have ever enjoyed to have you come and visit us. We thank you for coming; and while you are with us, we wish to present before you in a very brief way some of the lines of work that we have in progress. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 21

(Various workers were introduced, and several manuscripts of books in progress were shown and commented on. One manuscript, composed of matter having a direct bearing on our educational work, had just been completed and was to be taken to Pacific Press for publication the following Sunday. Another on Old Testament history requires considerably more work. Still another, an abbreviated form of Patriarchs and Prophets, is nearly ready. A manuscript on “organization” will soon be available. Manuscripts dealing with the early development of the work in Europe and in Australasia, and a manuscript bearing on the earlier work of Advent believers in North America, were shown in incomplete form; also material that may in future take shape as a story of early experiences in the southern states of America.) 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 22

W. C. White: We want as many of you as would enjoy doing so, when our assembly breaks up, to pass right through the front hall and up the stairway to Mother’s workroom where she does the most of her writing. From this room you can find your way without difficulty down the back stairway to the rooms below. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 23

We want you to visit our office and see the treasures of our library and our manuscript vault. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 24

Beneath the broad-spreading live oak, between the house and the office, you will find my wife and my daughters Ella and Gracie dispensing grape juice. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 25

We want you to call at the front porch where you will find the souvenir books ready for you. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 26

We want you also to visit our prune shed. There you will find little packages of fruit; and if you have any spare room in your grip, you can fill it with these parcels; or, if you prefer, you can leave your name, and we will place the fruit in your hands before your departure on the morrow. Brother James will be at the fruit shed to receive you and to learn your wishes. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 27

In a corner of the prune shed is a printing office where you will find the White brothers engaged in their work. They will be glad to have you call in and see what they are doing. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 28

A word with reference to the house. This house was built by Mr. Robert H. Pratt, an assistant manager of the Southern Pacific Railway. As the years passed by, and the children made homes of their own in the city, the parents were persuaded to leave this place; and so the property was thrown upon the market. It has proved to be the refuge that was promised Mother on the boat as we were journeying from Australia to America. There was considerable confusion on the boat, and the Angel of the Lord appeared to her in the night season and said, “I have a refuge for you.” When we came here to St. Helena, we found this house all ready for us, and we have ever since regarded its purchase as a special providence. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 29

And now we turn over to you the keys of Elmshaven, and we trust that you will feel at home and that this visit to us will not be your last. 25LtMs, Ms 23, 1913, par. 30