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The Publishing Ministry
to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.
Redeem at once the institution that is in so great peril.
Let all who realize the nearness of the Lord’s coming act their
faith. When we see one of God’s instrumentalities languishing, let
those who have heart and soul in the work manifest their interest.
Let those in responsible positions set a right example. Every noble
Christian instinct should lead them to plan and work with far greater
earnestness for the relief of the Lord’s institution that they would for
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the saving of their own property. Let all try to do something. Look
over your affairs, and see what you can do to cooperate with God in
this work....
Men to whom God has entrusted capabilities and talents of means
will be impressed by Him to take on the burden of responsibility, and
help our Scandinavian brethren [in this case the Norwegian Publishing
House].
The cause of God in Europe is not to become a stone of stumbling
or a rock of offense to unbelievers. The institutions there are not to be
closed or given into the hands of worldlings. Let the Lord’s servants
in Europe make every effort in their power to recover what has been
lost, and the Lord will work with them. And I call upon our people
in America to cooperate with their brethren in Europe. If all will act
their part in His great plan, God’s purpose will be accomplished. The
difficulty will soon be in the past, no more to harass the cause of
God.—
Testimonies for the Church 6:459-461
.
Sustaining a Smaller Publishing House—[
The following appeal,
written November 20, 1900, relates to the financial embarrassment
of our publishing work in Christiania, Norway. In 1899 word was
received by the foreign mission board that the publishing house at
Christiania had become involved in debt and was unable to meet
its obligations, and that the institution was in danger of falling into
the hands of its creditors. To relieve this embarrassment, financial
assistance would be required to the amount of $50,000. This the board
could not furnish, and though our brethren in Norway continued to
hold possession of the publishing house for more than a year after this,
little was done for their relief. It seemed that the building must finally
be given over to the creditors or be sold to raise funds for meeting the
debt. Thus the institution built up by years of labor and sacrifice would
be lost to the Lord’s work. To prevent this great calamity the Lord