The Cities of Northern Europe

Come Up to the Help of the Lord—In my last vision I was shown the importance of the work in Northern Europe. The people are awakening to the truth. The Lord has given Elder Matteson a testimony to reach hearts. But the work is just entered upon. With judicious, self-sacrificing labor, many souls will be brought to the knowledge of the truth. There should be several unselfish, God-fearing workers in this missionary field, who will labor for souls as they that must give account in the day of judgment.

I have been shown that not all is being done by our Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish brethren that they might and should do for their own countrymen. As soon as they embrace the truth, they ought to feel the fire of missionary zeal kindled in their hearts for their brethren in the darkness of error. Many are looking for help from their American brethren while they do not do their duty and feel the burden God requires them to feel for those of their own nation. They may do very much more than they are now doing if they will. These brethren must overcome selfishness and arouse to a sense of their responsibilities to God and their fellow countrymen, or they will lose the precious reward they might secure by putting their talents of means into the treasury of God, and by wisely directed personal effort, thus being instrumental in the salvation of many souls.

Young men should be educated to become missionaries to their own nation, to teach the truth to those in darkness. Publications should be printed in Europe. But at the present time [Note: Written in 1879.] there is altogether too much ease and too little zeal among the Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians who believe the truth in this country to sustain such a continual drain upon their funds. And for this reason I urge upon them the necessity of coming up into working order, feeling even a greater interest for their own people than their American brethren have shown. God requires that these brethren should come up to the help of the Lord without delay.—The Advent Review Supplement, February 6, 1879.

Habits and Customs Vary, but Human Nature Is the Same—You must go to work here just as we did in America; have your tract societies and other facilities, and although it may seem at times that the publications in some places do not accomplish much, you must go right on. We had just such experiences in America. But we kept to the point in sending out these publications to different classes, and it was some time before we could make any advancement.

I have been shown that there must be a different mold put upon the work here in these kingdoms, and there must be a power from the God of heaven to inspire you to work in a different way; and while Brethren Matteson and Olsen will help you in the work here, I wish to throw this out to you now so that you can begin to think in a different strain. Why, you can do tenfold more than you think you can; but unbelief stands right here to say you cannot do anything in this line, or that, but you can, brethren.

Habits and customs are different here from what they are in America, but human nature is the same here as there, and the brethren who have taken hold of the truth in the heart are willing to work if they are only educated up to the point to know how to work. Why, brethren, I have not slept night after night more than three hours, thinking of the work in Europe, and it seems to me that I can hardly contain myself in the body when I realize these things.

I have seen what God is willing to do for you, but it is just according to your faith what God will do for you. Therefore we want to arouse your faith, and to get your ideas broadened, and may the Lord roll the burden of the work upon every one of you who believe the truth.—Manuscript 6, 1886.

Broad Plans for Copenhagen—If in this rich and beautiful city [Copenhagen] there is no suitable room where the truth can be presented to the people, we remember that there was no room in the inn at Bethlehem for the mother of Jesus, and that the Saviour of the world was born in a stable....

I am far from being convinced that these small and obscure halls were the best places that could be secured, or that in this great city of three hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants, the message should be given in a basement room that will accommodate but two hundred, and this but half seated, so that a large part of the congregation have to stand. When God sends our brethren help, they should make earnest effort, even at some expense, to bring the light before the people. This message is to be given to the world; but unless our brethren have broad ideas and plans, they will not see much accomplished.

While we should labor earnestly for the poorer classes, we are not to confine our efforts to them, nor should our plans be so laid that we shall have only this class of hearers. Men of ability are needed. The more intellectual ability is brought into the work, so long as the talent is consecrated to God and sanctified by His Spirit, the more perfect the work will be, and the higher it will stand before the world. The people generally will refuse the message of warning; yet efforts must be made to bring the truth before those of position and education as well as the poor and illiterate.—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 183, 184 (1886).

Sweden’s Hall Problem—In Orebro, as well as in Copenhagen, I am convinced that we might have had a good hearing if our brethren had secured a suitable hall to accommodate the people. But they did not expect much, and therefore did not receive much. We cannot expect people to come out to hear unpopular truth when the meetings are advertised to be held in a basement, or in a small hall that will seat only a hundred persons. The character and importance of our work are judged by the efforts made to bring it before the public. When these efforts are so limited, the impression is given that the message we present is not worthy of notice. Thus by their lack of faith our laborers sometimes make the work very hard for themselves.—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 200 (1886).

Northern Europe’s Harvest Evident—I was shown that many in Northern Europe had embraced the truth through reading. Their souls were hungering for light and knowledge when some tracts or papers came into their hands, and they were represented to me as reading. The wants of their souls were met; the Spirit of God softened and impressed their hearts; tears were in their eyes, and sobs came from burdened hearts. They knelt with the leaflets in their hands, and with earnest prayer besought the Lord to lead them and help them to receive the light as it was from Him. Some surrendered themselves to God. Uncertainty was gone; and as they accepted the truth upon the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, they felt that they were indeed standing upon the Rock of Ages. Many persons scattered all through Northern Europe were presented to me as being ready to accept the light of truth.—The Advent Review Supplement, February 6, 1879.