Chapter 76—The Cause in the East The fanaticism which raged in years past has left its desolating effects in the East. I saw that God tested His people upon time in 1844, but that no time which has since been set has borne the special marks of His hand. He has not tested His people upon any particular time since 1844. We have been, and still are, in the patient waiting time. Considerable excitement was created by the 1854 time, and many have settled it that that movement was in the order of God because it was quite extensive and some were apparently converted by it. But such conclusions are not necessary. There was much preached in connection with the time in 1854 that was reasonable and right. Some who were honest took truth and error together, and sacrificed much of what they possessed to carry out the error, and after their disappointment they gave up both truth and error, and are now where it is very difficult for the truth to reach them. Some who endured the disappointment have seen the evidences of present truth, and have embraced the third angel’s message, and are striving to carry it out in their lives. But where there is one who has been benefited by believing the 1854 time, there are ten who have been injured by it; and many of these are placed where they will not be convinced of the truth, though it be presented before them ever so clearly. {1T 409.1}

Den fanatisme som har raset i de sidste år har efterladt sin ødelæggende virkning i øststaterne. Jeg så at Gud prøvede sit folk omkring tiden i 1844, men der har ikke været nogen tidligere periode der har båret hans særlige mærker. Han har ikke prøvet sit folk i nogen nærmere enkelthed siden 1844. Vi har været og er stadig i en udholdende ventetid. Betydelig uro blev skabt omkring 1854 og mange har vedtaget at den bevægelse var af Guds orden fordi den var så omfattende og nogle blev tilsyneladende forvandlet af den. Men sådanne konklusioner er ikke nødvendige. Der blev forkyndt meget omkring 1854-tiden som var fornuftigt og rigtigt. Nogle som var ærlige tog vildfarelse som sandhed og ofrede meget af det de havde for at føre vildfarelsen ud og efter deres skuffelse opgav de både sandhed og vildfarelse og er nu derhenne, hvor det er meget svært at nå dem. Nogle som udholdt den skuffelse har set den nærværende sandheds beviser, har antaget den tredje engels budskab og stræber på at gennemføre det i deres liv. Men hvor der er én som har fået nytte af troen i 1854-tiden, er der ti som er blevet skadet af den; og mange af dem er på det punkt, hvor de ikke vil blive overbevist om sandheden, selv om den blev fremstillet så klart for dem.