Participants:
Series Code: LIN
Program Code: LIN000013A
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00:19 Washington, New Hampshire
00:21 had been a bedrock of Sabbatarianism 00:23 in the late 1840s with Cyrus and William Farnsworth, 00:28 Frederick Wheeler, 00:29 and TM Preble all living nearby. 00:31 By the 1860s, though, spiritual decline had set in. 00:36 DM Canright and JN Andrews had worked in the area 00:40 with limited success, 00:42 and by 1867, the church had closed. 00:46 Frederick Wheeler had now moved to New York State. 00:49 There was a spirit of judgmentalism, bitterness, 00:52 and a general backsliding 00:54 that had set in amongst the members. 01:02 In 1867, 01:03 Ellen and James White came to the area 01:06 to conduct a revival series 01:08 and stayed in the home of Cyrus Farnsworth. 01:11 Over the course of several days, 01:13 they held nine meetings 01:15 but were met with little success. 01:17 It was difficult work. 01:19 Some of the success stories, though, 01:21 were the reconversion of Worcester Ball. 01:23 He had become a bitter antagonist 01:25 of Ellen White and was a prickly character 01:28 prone to critical comments. 01:30 But as Ellen faithfully and tenderly appealed to him, 01:33 he returned to the fold. 01:40 Another person in the community who was a pillar 01:43 was William Farnsworth, 01:45 but he had recently gone back to chewing tobacco 01:48 unbeknownst to anyone. 01:50 His friends and family had no idea 01:52 about this recent change, 01:54 but his son Eugene did know. 01:57 He had seen his father spitting in the snow 01:59 when they were out in the woods and covering it with his foot, 02:03 but he did not tell anyone and kept this to himself. 02:11 Eugene was a teenager, 02:13 and a visit about a year or so earlier 02:16 by JN Andrews had encouraged him 02:18 to question his purpose in life. 02:21 He was, however, unconvinced 02:23 of the prophetic gift of Ellen White, 02:26 but now that she was in town, 02:27 he had the perfect opportunity to test this out. 02:31 If Ellen White was truly a prophet, 02:33 then she would know 02:34 about his father's tobacco habit 02:36 which no one else except himself knew about. 02:44 As she was speaking personally to those present, 02:47 some words of rebuke, some encouragement, 02:50 she turned and looked at William Farnsworth 02:52 and gave a pointed testimony 02:54 about his use of both pork and tobacco 02:57 whilst appearing to be 02:58 a faithful defender of the faith. 03:01 She said he was a great hindrance 03:03 to the work in New Hampshire, 03:04 and he publicly repented of his sin 03:07 and turned his life around. 03:09 At those meetings, 03:11 18 young people 03:12 would give their lives to Jesus. 03:14 Nine of which would go on to be full-time workers 03:17 for the church, 03:18 one of which was Eugene Farnsworth, 03:20 making those meetings in Christmas 1867 03:24 a significant turning point in this area 03:27 and the lives of those present. 03:34 This story also illustrates the powerful impact 03:38 of the prophetic gift and while it was often used 03:41 for broad and far-reaching messages, 03:44 it was also personal in nature, 03:46 speaking to people's individual needs and issues. 03:50 William Farnsworth, 03:51 with his secret and private sin, 03:53 was a stumbling block to the progress of the work 03:56 in the town and a hindrance 03:58 to at least one of the young men 04:00 dedicating his life fully to God. 04:03 Maybe you are struggling with a secret or a private sin 04:06 that no one else knows about. 04:08 Surrender it to God, dedicate your life to Him, 04:11 and allow His power to rule in your life. 04:42 In the 1850s, Rochester, New York 04:44 was a relatively new town with lots of new industries 04:48 and people moving in. 04:50 The early Advent believers would settle here 04:52 for a few years in a sort of youth commune. 04:56 A house was procured for the rent of $175 a year 05:00 on what is now 491 Mount Hope Avenue. 05:04 The Whites would live here for 3.5 years, 05:07 from the spring of 1852 to the autumn of 1855. 05:12 The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 05:14 which had begun in Paris Hill, Maine 05:16 before moving to Saratoga Springs, New York, 05:19 would now spend a few years here 05:21 in Rochester, New York. 05:29 It was here in Rochester, New York 05:32 that the Adventists would purchase 05:34 their first printing press, 05:35 an original Washington hand press. 05:38 For the first time the Review and Herald 05:41 would be printed on an Adventist-owned press, 05:43 operated by Sabbath-keeping Adventist workers. 05:47 It would continue here until October 30, 1855 05:52 when it would move to Battle Creek, Michigan. 05:54 The years here in Rochester, though, 05:56 were filled with sacrifice and dedication. 06:04 The house would have stood right here 06:07 near this spot on Mount Hope Avenue, 06:09 and it was furnished with 2 old bedsteads 06:12 for 25 cents, 6 chairs for a dollar, 06:16 and 4 more chairs with no seating for 62 cents. 06:20 They could not afford potatoes, 06:22 so they ate turnips instead, butter was expensive, 06:25 and so they used fruit sauce, 06:27 and beans were a regular part of their diet. 06:30 The workers, mainly in their teens and 20s, 06:34 worked for little more than their room, 06:36 their food, and their clothing. 06:38 And about 12 of them at any one time 06:41 would live in the White's home along with the printing press. 06:45 Working long hours into the evening, 06:48 often till midnight and sometimes 06:50 all through the night, 06:52 they cheerfully set about their task 06:54 of spreading the message via publications. 07:04 Uriah Smith, who turned down a lucrative job offer 07:08 to come and work for his room and board, 07:10 had been living here a few weeks 07:12 when he commented that he had no objection 07:14 to eating beans 365 times in succession, 07:19 yet when it came time to making them 07:20 a regular part of his diet, he should protest. 07:24 Other individuals such as George Amadon, 07:26 Warren Bachelor, Annie Smith, JN Loughborough, JN Andrews, 07:32 Nathaniel White, and Annie White 07:34 all passed by here in the mid 1850s. 07:37 Many would die early deaths. 07:46 Here the workers labored faithfully 07:48 without all the tools 07:49 that would have made their work easier. 07:51 When the first books were printed, 07:53 they used a shoemaker's awl to perforate the backs. 07:57 The sisters then used a needle and thread 07:59 to stitch the books together, 08:01 and then a straight edge and penknife 08:03 were used the trim and cut the edges. 08:06 There was no folding machine, 08:08 and this had to be done by hand as well. 08:11 The covers were then pasted on 08:13 before they were wrapped and packed and sent out. 08:24 Today for many of us we live a life of plenty, 08:27 far removed 08:28 from these early humble beginnings. 08:30 The work that began in sacrifice 08:32 will end also in sacrifice, 08:34 and whilst the exact nature of that sacrifice 08:37 may look different today, 08:39 the general principles of dedication to duty 08:42 and commitment to the cause remain. 08:44 Today we have perhaps more resources 08:46 than at any other time in history 08:49 and access to information and technology 08:51 that we did not have in years gone by 08:54 that make the spread of the gospel much easier. 08:57 Let us not act lethargically, 08:59 but may the energy and enthusiasm 09:01 of these past pioneers motivate and inspire us today. 09:46 Her brother is far better known, 09:48 his books widely circulated, 09:51 and although fewer people know her name, Annie Smith 09:54 made a significant contribution in the early days of Adventism. 09:59 She was a gifted writer, poet, and editor, 10:03 and 10 of her hymns appeared in the 1941 edition 10:07 of the "Church Hymnal" and 4 in the current edition today. 10:11 She was born into a family with three other brothers 10:15 here in West Wilton 10:16 in this house today named the Smith Tavern. 10:20 It would also be the home 10:21 that she would unfortunately die in 10:23 at the age of 27. 10:33 Annie gave her life to Jesus 10:35 at the tender age of 10 10:37 in anticipation of His soon return. 10:40 Yet when the Great Disappointment happened, 10:42 she, along with her brother Uriah, 10:44 gave up hope in His soon return 10:46 and they both went back to their studies. 10:48 Annie was intellectually gifted, 10:51 and received a place 10:52 at the Charlestown Female Seminary 10:54 here in Boston where she spent several years. 10:58 Her mother Rebeckah was still a believer, 11:01 and one day Joseph Bates came to town 11:03 and mentioned that he would be in her area. 11:07 Her mother wrote to Annie, 11:09 asking her if she would attend the meetings. 11:11 She wasn't really interested, 11:13 but out of a sense of duty and obligation, 11:16 she agreed to go. 11:18 After she went to the meetings, at the end of it, 11:21 Joseph Bates asked her 11:22 if she wanted to have Bible studies, 11:24 which she agreed to. 11:26 At the end of three years study, 11:29 she accepted the Advent message again, 11:31 the Sabbath, and all its teachings. 11:42 At the time, Annie had a lucrative job offer 11:45 to work as a teacher for $1000 a year, 11:49 an extraordinary amount at the time, 11:52 though she had not accepted it. 11:54 Another opportunity arose to work at the newly-relocated 11:58 Review and Herald office in Rochester, New York. 12:01 As she weighed up the two offers, 12:03 with financial gain in the one job 12:05 versus little more than room and board in the other, 12:09 she chose the latter. 12:20 Here in Rochester, 12:21 she worked diligently and soon proved herself 12:24 as a capable hand in the office. 12:26 She worked as a copy editor 12:28 but also at times she was the acting editor. 12:31 With James White away often, 12:33 she would sometimes fill in for him, 12:35 remarkable considering her young age, 12:38 and would ensure that the magazine 12:40 could now have a regular publishing schedule. 12:43 Previously, with James White's busy speaking itinerary, 12:47 the magazine wasn't always so regular and consistent 12:50 in its distribution, but now with Annie there, 12:53 things changed for the better. 13:03 Annie had been working at the Review just over a year 13:07 when James White's brother and sister 13:09 Nathaniel and Anna arrived, 13:11 both suffering from tuberculosis. 13:14 Maybe due to the close proximity 13:16 that they were living in, 13:18 Annie contracted the disease 13:19 and went home to live with her mother 13:22 in November of 1854. 13:25 All the treatments that she tried didn't work. 13:28 Ellen White sent $75 of her own money to help, 13:32 but nothing seemed to work. 13:34 Annie finished this book of poems here 13:37 entitled "Home Here and Home in Heaven" 13:41 10 days before she died. 13:43 The last poem she wrote reads, 13:45 "Oh! Shed not a tear over the spot where I sleep, 13:49 for the living and not the dead ye may weep. 13:52 Why mourn for the weary who sweetly repose, 13:56 free in the grave from life's burdens and woes." 14:00 Annie lived a life of sacrifice, 14:02 dedication, and commitment. 14:05 She gave up a prosperous career to work for the church 14:09 in return for very little financial gain. 14:12 It was the sacrifice of mainly young people like this 14:16 in the early days of our church 14:18 that caused it to grow so remarkably, 14:21 and it will be a similar sacrifice 14:23 by God's people at the end of time 14:26 that will bring this work to a close. 14:31 When I was growing up, if you wanted to study history 14:33 or do research on a particular topic, 14:35 there was really only one option that we had, 14:38 and that was to read a book. 14:40 And I never really used to like reading that much. 14:42 So we decided to create a resource 14:44 that will translate this written information 14:46 into the language of today. 14:50 My name is Adam Ramdin. 14:51 And my name is Clive Coutet. 14:52 And we are the co-founders of Lineage Journey. 14:55 Back in 2016, I was reading "The Great Controversy" 14:58 and I was really struggling to find 14:59 any relevant video resources 15:01 that I could use to aid me in my study. 15:03 So I decided to approach Adam about the possibility 15:05 of making some videos on the Reformation. 15:08 So we started filming in the end of 2016. 15:11 And in 2017, 15:12 we released 48 videos 15:14 that covered the period of the early church 15:17 all the way through to the end of the Reformation. 15:20 Then in 2018 and 2019, 15:22 we released another 52 episodes on church history. 15:26 These have now been viewed all over the world 15:28 in over 100 countries 15:30 covering about 50 different languages, 15:32 and we have over 3 million views online. 15:35 These videos have been used as a resource 15:38 in both secular and Christian schools 15:40 as well as several church denominations across the globe, 15:43 using Bible studies, study groups, 15:46 as well as play to the general congregation. 15:48 They also make a great online evangelistic tool 15:51 where people are able to share them 15:52 and we've seen them go into countries 15:54 that we our self can't go, 15:55 countries that are Muslim, 15:57 countries where the Christian message 15:58 cannot go. 15:59 One of the challenges we have, though, 16:01 is that amongst our team of almost 10 people, 16:03 we are all volunteers on this project 16:05 sacrificing our time, 16:07 our effort and energy in order to make 16:08 these resources together. 16:10 Just to put things into perspective, 16:12 each Lineage episode as well as the filming 16:15 takes an additional 16:16 two to three days in post production. 16:18 That is a lot of time and sacrifice 16:20 that this team has made 16:21 in putting 100 episodes together. 16:23 So we need to raise the funds 16:25 to cover the cost of the filming 16:26 as well as the continued production costs 16:29 that come after that. 16:31 So for as little as $1 a month, 16:33 you can help us to expand this ministry 16:35 to create new resources 16:36 to reach more people across the world. 16:39 Thank you for visiting this page 16:40 and taking the time to watch this video. 16:43 We really appreciate that. 16:44 Thank you for your support of the ministry so far, 16:47 and we ask that you would prayerfully consider 16:49 being a partner with us on this Patreon page. 16:52 May God bless you and we ask 16:54 that you continue to keep this ministry 16:56 and our future plans in prayer. 17:16 West Wilton, New Hampshire, here in this house, 17:20 a giant of the faith was born. 17:22 His name is Uriah Smith. 17:24 At a young age, 17:26 he developed an infection in his left leg 17:28 and unfortunately at the age of 12, 17:30 he had to have it amputated just above the knee. 17:34 This took place 17:35 just up the road on the kitchen table. 17:37 It lasted 20 minutes and no anesthesia was used. 17:42 Like his sister, 17:43 he was gifted with a brilliant mind 17:45 and attended Phillips Academy in Exeter, 17:48 one of the foremost schools of his day. 17:51 When his father died suddenly, 17:53 it caused him to think about his own spiritual life 17:56 and study thoroughly the Adventist message 17:59 after having lost his zeal 18:01 after the disappointment of 1844. 18:10 He went to hear James and Ellen speak 18:13 in Washington, New Hampshire for the first time 18:15 and was impressed by the explanation given 18:18 for the Great Disappointment. 18:20 He went home and studied his Bible 18:22 for three months before making a commitment 18:24 to renew his faith and rejoin the believers. 18:28 Soon after, he turned down a lucrative job offer 18:32 and moved here to Rochester, New York 18:34 to work for the newly relocated Review and Herald offices. 18:38 He was 21 years old at the time, 18:41 and would go on to work for the Review and Herald 18:43 for 50 more years. 18:45 At the age of 23 when it moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, 18:49 he became the resident editor. 18:57 The importance of the printed word 18:59 at this time of history cannot be overstated. 19:03 The churches that were scattered 19:04 around the country would only hear 19:06 from the travelling itinerant speakers 19:09 what was happening elsewhere every several weeks. 19:12 Uriah Smith, as the resident editor-in-chief 19:15 of the Review and Herald, 19:16 was like the pastor of the whole church, 19:18 as people would read his editorials 19:20 and find out the news 19:22 of what was happening elsewhere, 19:23 such as who had died. 19:25 The Adventist Review was like the glue 19:28 that kept the early church together. 19:35 However, he was more than an editor and preacher. 19:39 Uriah Smith had 8 patents during his life, 19:42 one of which was a school desk that earned him $3,000. 19:46 He also patented a significantly 19:48 improved version of the prosthetic leg. 19:52 He was also a prolific writer, 19:54 completing 18 books during his lifetime, 19:57 the most famous and well-read being 19:59 "Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation." 20:07 In 1903, 20:09 tragedy would strike the Review and Herald 20:12 as it was burned down. 20:14 The insurance only covered a fraction, 20:16 and instead of rebuilding here in Battle Creek, 20:19 the decision was made to relocate to Washington, DC. 20:23 Uriah Smith, writing shortly after this tragedy, said, 20:27 "In the shadow of great calamity, 20:30 we are of good courage." 20:32 The Review and Herald under Uriah Smith's leadership 20:35 had gone from a small Washington hand press 20:37 to having hundreds of employees 20:39 using the best equipment and printing in six languages. 20:50 On the March 6, 1903, 20:53 he was walking to work here in Battle Creek 20:56 when he suddenly collapsed. 20:57 He was rushed to be seen by a doctor, 20:59 but unfortunately he died a few hours later 21:02 from a large stroke. 21:04 A special issue of the Review and Herald 21:07 was published with his picture on the front 21:09 as well as a poem by his late sister Annie 21:12 that she had written years previously about himself. 21:21 He was also a hymn writer and his most famous hymn 21:25 rings with words that echo to our time today. 21:28 "O brother, be faithful! 21:30 Soon Jesus will come, 21:31 for whom we have waited so long. 21:34 O, soon shall we enter our glorious home, 21:37 and join in the conqueror's song. 21:40 O brother, be faithful! 21:41 For why should we prove unfaithful to Him 21:44 who has shown such deep, 21:46 such unbounded and infinite love, 21:49 who died to redeem us His own." 22:30 There is one book 22:31 that almost cost Ellen White her life, 22:33 and that book today is entitled "The Great Controversy". 22:37 The origins of this book come to this rural area here, 22:41 just outside the town of Bowling Green 22:44 in the state of Ohio. 22:46 Ellen and James White had been traveling across the state 22:49 visiting various families, 22:50 and they were in this area 22:52 for the funeral of a young child. 22:54 The funeral took place on March 14, 1858 22:58 in the Lovett's Grove schoolhouse, 23:00 which would have been located just across the road from here. 23:03 During the funeral sermon, 23:06 Ellen White received a vision that lasted two hours. 23:10 Receiving a vision during the funeral 23:12 of a grieving young family is not the ideal timing, 23:16 but the truth that this vision would share 23:18 would be vitally important to us today. 23:28 The following day James and Ellen 23:30 were traveling home by train 23:31 and she relayed to him what she had seen 23:34 and they discussed plans for writing out the vision. 23:37 It was decided that when they reached home 23:39 this would be her first work. 23:42 Yet on that train, 23:43 there was what one author has described as an unseen, 23:47 unpaying passenger who was determined 23:50 that the world should never know 23:51 the truth about himself 23:53 that it should not get published 23:54 and see the light of day. 23:56 Arriving in Jackson, Michigan, 23:59 they went to the home of Dan Palmer 24:01 and as Ellen White was conversing 24:03 With sister Palmer, she suffered a cold, 24:05 strange sensation 24:07 pass over her right side and heart. 24:16 Those present earnestly prayed for her, 24:19 and with a partially restored strength, 24:21 she was able to continue her journey 24:23 here to Battle Creek. 24:25 Arriving back here in this house, 24:27 she began to write, but it wasn't easy. 24:30 Initially she only had enough strength 24:32 to write barely one page 24:34 and then she had to rest for three days afterwards. 24:37 But as she continued to write and her strength increased, 24:41 she was able to progress and finish the book. 24:44 In June of that year she received some light 24:48 as to what happened in Dan Palmer's home, 24:51 and she wrote, 24:52 "I was shown in vision that in the attack at Jackson, 24:55 Satan had intended to take my life, 24:58 in order to hinder the work that I was about to write. 25:02 But angels of God were sent to my rescue." 25:05 The unseen, 25:07 unpaying passenger on that train 25:10 did not want the world to know 25:12 that he had been an angel in heaven, 25:14 that he had fallen into sin, 25:15 and that he was the cause of the misery in this world. 25:25 The first published account of this vision 25:28 would be this book, right here, 25:30 the 1858 edition of "Spiritual Gifts, Volume 1." 25:34 This would later be enlarged into the "Spirit of Prophecy," 25:38 volumes One to Four, 25:39 and then eventually to what we have today, 25:41 a five-part series entitled the "Conflict of the Ages," 25:46 of which the book "Great Controversy" 25:48 is the last in the series. 25:50 The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan 25:53 would be a major theme in the writings of Ellen White, 25:56 and also the motif 25:58 by which Seventh-day Adventists would understand 26:00 as key to unlocking Scripture. 26:07 This book, 26:09 the one that almost cost Ellen White her life, 26:11 has changed lives all around the world 26:14 and is the one that we should seek to share 26:17 as much as possible. 26:18 Ellen White herself said, 26:20 "'The Great Controversy' 26:21 should be very widely circulated. 26:24 It contains the story of the past, 26:26 the present, and the future. 26:28 In its outline of the closing scenes 26:31 of this Earth's history, 26:32 it bears a powerful testimony in behalf of the truth. 26:36 I am more anxious to see a wide circulation 26:40 for this book than for any others 26:42 that I have written, 26:43 for in 'The Great Controversy,' 26:45 the closing scenes of this world's history 26:48 are given more distinctly than in any of my other books." 26:52 If you have never read the book "The Great Controversy", 26:55 then I would invite you to do so, and if you have, 26:58 then pray and ask God for wisdom 27:00 on who to share copy with. |
Revised 2020-04-23