Foreword
Since the beginning of Adventist publishing work in 1849, bil-
lions of copies of our books and magazines have been distributed.
For the most part these publications have been placed in the homes
of judgment-bound men and women by literature evangelists and
missionary-minded lay persons.
At this writing nearly twenty thousand colporteurs are in service
throughout the world, but this number is far from adequate to meet the
need. God calls for message-filled books, magazines, and tracts to be
scattered everywhere like the leaves of autumn. As church members
unite with literature evangelists in spreading the good news, the task
will be accomplished.
Ellen White declared:
“The publications sent forth from our printing houses are to prepare
a people to meet God. Throughout the world they are to do the same
work that was done by John the Baptist for the Jewish nation. By
startling messages of warning, God’s prophet awakened men from
worldly dreaming. Through him God called backsliding Israel to
repentance. By his presentation of truth he exposed popular delusions.
In contrast with the false theories of his time, truth in his teaching
stood forth as an eternal certainty. “Repent ye: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand,” was John’s message.
Matthew 3:2
. This same
message, through the publications from our printing houses, is to be
given to the world today....
“In a large degree through our publishing is to be accomplished
the work of that other angel [of
Revelation 18
] who comes down
from heaven with great power and who lightens the earth with his
glory.”—
Testimonies for the Church 7:139, 140
.
In the year in which these admonitions were given (1902), a pocket-
sized book of seventy-three pages, Manual for Canvassers, provided
literature evangelists with Ellen White’s counsels concerning book
distribution. It was made up of materials drawn together, under the
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