Background Of Volume One
xi
years that if heeded would have saved him from making shipwreck of
his faith
.
Those were the years when steps were being taken in organization.
Against this move were the fears of some who had passed through the
experiences of the second angel’s message, that church organization
was a mark of “Babylon.” The issues of organization as they were met
and discussed among the brethren are manifest in many of the commu-
nications given to the church through Mrs. White. And when in 1860
the publishing work was organized, and when, after much discussion
and some questionings, the name Seventh-day Adventist was adopted,
the move and the name itself were shown to be in harmony with the
divine will
.
Immediately following the final steps in church order marked by
the organization of the General Conference in May, 1863, came the
memorable vision in Otsego in June, when Mrs. White was given
a view of the principles of what was termed “health reform,” with a
revelation of the relation between obedience to the laws of health and
the attainment of character necessary to fit the members of the church
for translation. Closely associated with this was a reform in dress
.
[8]
Two years later, counsel was given that “we should have a health home
of our own,” which led to the establishment of the Health Reform
Institute, to which and regarding which much counsel was given. As
the light was followed, this institution grew until it was one of the best
of its kind in the world. During the period covered in this volume, the
governing principles which led to its success were clearly laid down.
The problems of the civil war were also met in this period as Seventh-
day Adventists faced the necessity of defining their relationship to
civil government in time of war
.
The importance of the home in the building of Christian character,
and the responsibility of parents, were stressed, and many solemn
messages, imparted especially for the youth, were also given emphasis
in these pages
.
Besides the specific issues that were closely tied into the move-
ments of the time, there was much counsel and admonition of a general
nature on church discipline and preparation for translation. This was
an important period in the development of the remnant church, and the
Testimony counsels exerted a large molding influence
.