Last week in Bangkok, there was a 4 Division wide Literature Evangelist Convention. My friend thot i would like to go, and she was right, this would be a good opportunity to see some friends i’ve made, and to promote the 1858 Great Controversy book. I get unofficial approval from a delegate, so am off and away on Thursday afternoon to the site - the Ambassador Hotel. The bus takes about 1 hour to travel the 6 or 7kms, and while in the bus, i can only think of my friend in Georgia. He used to be the Mission President there, and now his wife is needing surgery. I can’t get it out of my mind, so even tho it is my birthday, i take out one of the 5 remaining crisp 10,000yen notes, and for the first time ever in my life, send money by Western Union. It was quite painless actually.
But it makes it later than i had planned to get to the hotel. I walk up on a pedestrian overpass near Nana station, and see the roundish building with a big “A” on top, just like on the internet site, so make the best beeline i can for it. Who should i see but the man i needed to send the receipt for my ASI booth this coming August! What a coincidence! How did God have THAT all planned out? I go into the convention hall in a brilliant mood, having helped a friend, and being helped in solving a small problem 
I meet two people from the Thai church i know, and then talk to a couple of Filipino men. One of them says he remembers me from when i gave a promotion of the 1858gc book in Cayagan de Oro over 18 months earlier! I sit down and listen to the stories coming from Australia about how literature helped lead someone to Christ. They are inspiring. Then many different groups march up on the stage, with the Filipino group being by far the largest. Just one conference of them is larger than any other group, and they have 3 conferences. I get lots of different information, but it looks like that of the around 700 delegates, around 500 are from the Philippines.
The story part was interesting, and the marching up is a bit interesting, but 30 minutes of that is enough, and besides, i want to mingle, so i head for the Southeast Asia Union Mission group. Sure enough! 2 faces i recognize. Nice to see you again here. Then i see a young Australian-looking man in the back. I sidle up to him, and tell him i liked his story given earlier. He said i must be mistaken, because he didn’t give a story. I apologize, wishing that i could have seen the stage closer, so as not to make such a mistake. Oh well. I show him the 1858gc book, and he assures me they have all the SOP books in Australia. I don’t remember exactly how the conversation went, but not well. I mentioned that this was the first edition of the Great Controversy, and he said something about some group spreading this book in Australia, he thot it was “Harvest Books”. I told him that it was probably “Harvest Time Books” from Tennessee, but that they only print the 1884 and 1888 versions. This seemed to make the conversation go really sour, and he said something like “we have everything we need”. I said “Thank you sir”, and walked around 20m away, and talked to a man i had met at the Thai church for a few minutes about 3abn etc.
Then, while standing there, wondering when there would be a break so i could meet the Japanese delegates, the Australian Publishing Director comes up to me, and asks me to step outside. I go with him. I don’t remember the exact conversation, but it was something like this:
“Are you a delegate to this convention?”
“No, i’m just a layman”
“How many of those books have you sold here?”
“None”
“What are you doing here with those books?”
“I’m showing them to people, hoping they will get interested in them”
“Who printed these?”
“I did”
“Who gave you permission to come here?”
“I heard that there was a LE convention here, and i have a book i believe is from God. Do you believe the words are from God?
“Yes i do. But do you know that Ellen White was approached by two men who wanted to reprint this book, and just when she was about to sign the paper, she saw an angel standing overhead shaking his head back and forth?”
“No sir, i haven’t read that”
“I knew you haven’t. You see, you are doing more harm than good. You should leave the publishing work to the established publishing houses”
“I’ve been travelling around spreading this in many countries, and that’s why i’m in Thailand now, and praise God, it’s being translated into Thai now ”
“I’ve seen people like you before. A woman came from America and talked to me, telling me i should print a book. When i did not, she wrote on the internet that i do not believe in the Spirit of Prophecy. Now is that what a Christian should do?”
“I’m just trying to spread God’s words far and wide. I have read a story about an angel standing when Ellen White was getting ready to sign something, but i don’t think it regarded this book. This book has God’s words.”
————remembered following part of conversation, and added on May 4
“You aren’t spreading this to the world, are you?”
“This book is for Seventh-day Adventists first, other church members second, and the world also.”
“Ellen White herself revised this book, and that book is the one we should be spreading. You do believe the book we are printing is from God too, don’t you?”
“God’s prophets do not contradict themselves.”
————
“I’m asking you to leave this hotel, and don’t stand outside trying to brainwash delegates when they come out either! Do you promise me you’ll do that?!”
“I promise to leave this hotel as you request”
“Do you also promise to not stand outside either?”
“……..”
“Do you want me to get the General Conference Director of Publishing to come out and talk with you?”
“I will leave this hotel”
And so i shakily walked out, breathed a prayer, and went to the bus stop, not brainwashing anyone to my knowledge.
Mr. XXXX, i do wish we can work together in unity one day, because that is the prayer of Jesus Christ. You, yourself, agreed that the words in this book are from God. If so, and i DO believe so with all my heart, then why should we cover them up? Will God be glorified by that? Or should we be doing all in our power to spread God’s words?
Acts 4:23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
NOTE: Story is about one day in Bangkok, May 3, 2007
This Sabbath, while reading “The Publishing Ministry”, i came across the incident that this Australian Publishing Director (not sure of his position) told me about. Yes, i had read this before, and just as i thot, this incident has nothing to do with stopping the printing of the 1858 Great Controversy book. It is under the added heading “Refusal to Embarrass Publishing Houses”, and comes from letter #106 — 1908:
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On making inquiries regarding the publication of Early Writings, I learn that our offices at Mountain View and at Washington have just brought out and have in stock a large edition of this book, and that they are selling a paper-covered edition for thirty-five cents. Under such circumstances, therefore, it would seem unjust to them were we to endeavor to place on the market a smaller-sized book to be sold at a low price….
Now, Elder Haskell, I want you to understand that I appreciate your interest in the scattering of the trth through a wide sale of Early Writings.* I thank the Lord that I know you will not misunderstand me. I thank you for your kindly interest in my behalf. But I will closely watch and pray earnestly that the Lord will remove from me this pressure of debt without my taking a course that might seem unfair to the publishing houses. I know that your offer comes from the sincerity of your soul, and may the Lord bless you for your desire to help me, but I dare not venture to risk the consequences of the step you propose.
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This makes it quite clear that Ellen White was under a load of debt. S.N. Haskell was trying to help her, and found an outside publishing house that would print Early Writings in a smaller size at a lower price than our SDA publishing houses. The SDA publishing houses at Pacific Press and Review and Herald had just come out with a new edition of this same book, and had large quantities still in stock.
Now for the part referenced to by the “*”:
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S.N. Haskell encouraged Ellen White to have Early Writings published by a non-SDA publishing concern in order to secure a broad circulation. A contract was drawn up and a delegation brought it to her to sign. As she picked up the pen to sign, she paused and looked up, then said she couldn’t sign. After the men left, W. C. White remonstrated with her because she was fully aware of the terms, but Sister White told him that when she looked up as she was about to sign, she saw an angel standing behind the men shaking his head, “No.”
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This asterisk “*” explanation could perhaps explain the situation better if it mentioned that S.N. Haskell was wanting to help reduce Ellen White’s debt burden. That seems to be his motivating factor. Whatever his motives were, the salient points of this incident are clear:
1. In 1908 Elder Haskell found a non-SDA publishing house to print Early Writings.
2. Ellen White appreciated his interest in spreading this book.
3. The SDA publishing houses had just printed many copies of this book.
4. Elder Haskell’s plan was not fair to the SDA publishing houses.
5. The angel was not in favor of Elder Haskell’s plan.
If my work to spread the first edition of the Great Controversy (1858) is not fair to any SDA publishing house, i will be glad to immediately stop. As far as i know, only one (Review and Herald) is reprinting this book, and that only as a hard-cover edition, fascimile style, and usually bound with another book. I have never heard that anyone there has felt that my printing this book has hurt them financially. Also, this book is in the public domain now, and if even a non-SDA wishes to print it, they are free to do so.
Rather than being an incident to show that i should stop printing this book, it is another spur to action, and i receive more courage to continue this work, and spread this truth-filled book as far and wide as possible to prepare a people to meet their soon-coming Saviour - Jesus Christ.