URIAH SMITH - Adventist CIRCLEcircle.adventist.org/download/AH/AH310UriahSmith.pdf · URIAH SMITH Perennial Editor of the Review May 2,1832 - March 6,1903 Few Seventh-day Adventists

. \ URIAH SMITH

URIAFI SMITH Birth: 1832 West Wilton, New Hampshire Death: 1903 Family: Father - Samuel Smith

Mother - Rebekah Spalding Smith S i s t e r - Annie R . Smith Brothers - Samuel, John Spouse, - Harriet Stevens Smith

Accomplishments : Poet , a r t i s t , hymn wri ter , ed i t or o f T h e R e v i e w a n d H e r a l d , invent or , author

What cho ices would you make about your l i f e i f you were 14 y e a r s o ld and your l e g has j u s t b e e n a m p u t a t e d ? I f you were 19 and a c o l l e g e i n v i t e d you t o t e a c h w i t h f r e e room and board p l u s a n e x c e l l e n t s a l a r y ; b e s i d e s t h a t some of your a r t work was j u s t pub l i shed , what would you do? Ur iah Smith faced t h o s e problems.

U r i a h was Annie S m i t h ' s y o u n g e s t b r o t h e r . Both s i b l i n g s shared i n t e r e s t s i n a r t , w r i t i n g and read ing . When he was 1 3 y e a r s old Ur i ah ' s l e g was a m p u t a t e d a b o v e t h e k n e e b e c a u s e i t was b a d l y i n f e c t e d . Can you i m a g i n e t h e p a i n h e had t o e n d u r e d u r i n g t h e 2 0 m i n u t e o p e r a t i o n a n d b a n d a g i n g . It i s s a i d t h a t h i s mother held bo th h i s hands th rough t h e o r d e a l . When h i s l e g hea led he was f i t t e d wi th a cumbersome wooden one. It was s o uncomfortable that U r i a h ' s c r e a t i v e mind s e t t o work t o f a s h i o n a b e t t e r one t h a t was l i g h t e r i n weight and h a d . movable j o i n t s . He s u c c e e d e d i n c r e a t i n g a workable des ign . He pa t en ted t h e d e s i g n i n 18631 A l s o , i n 1875 he p a t e n t e d a f o l d i n g school desk s e a t . See t h e diagrams.

- - ATLANTIC UNION CONFERENCE

It i s a n i n t e r e s t i n g f a c t t h a t Uriah Smi th ' s woodcut i l l u s t r a t i o n s were p r i n t e d i n t h e Review a n d H e r a l d when h e was n o t y e t a c o m m ~ c h r i s t i a n . He was 19 yea r s old and was p lanning t o s t u d y a t Harvard. It was some s i x months a f t e r h i s work was p r i n t e d t h a t he began a t t e n d i n g r e l i g i o u s meet ings . Before t h e y e a r , 1852, was t h r o u g h he had committed h i s l i f e t o God. During t h e s p r i n g t h e fo l lowine v e a r a lone ooem w a s n r i n t ~ r l i n t h e

U r i a h j o i n e d h i s s i s t e r Annie i n Roches te r , N . Y . and began working i n pub l i sh ing . It was t h e b e g i n n i n g of 50 y e a r s work f o r t h e Review and Hera ld .

H i s camouflage h o r s e l e s s c a r r i a g e was q u i t e amazing.

E l l e n 6 . White Estate. I n The F o o t r e o r O f The Pioneers. Y e s h l n g t o n , D . C . : E l l e n White, 1485.

1966.

S r a u f f r r . 3 . P a u l . "Urieh Smirh: Wood Fngraver." ~ d ~ e n t i ~ t H-. Summer 1916. p p . l i - 2 1 .

Neufeld, D o n F r e d . S e v e n t h - d a v A d v e n t l a c E n c v c l a o e d l a . Yash inxton , D.C.: R e v ~ e v ano Herald P u b l i r h l n e A s s o e ~ e r ~ o n .

ATLANTIC UNION CONFERENCE

URIAH SMITH Perennial Editor of the Review

May 2,1832 - March 6,1903

Few Seventh-day Adventists have known their Bibles better than Uriah Smith. He was a quiet, reserved man who impressed people by his learning and appearance. A man of noble coun- tenance, he commanded respect.

In December, 1852, he accepted the light of the message taught by the Sabbath-keeping Ad- ventists. The following year he associated with the publishing interests of the "little flock" of believers in Rochester. For about a half century he was the editor or on the editorial staff of the church paper, the Review arzd Herald. Uriah Smith was the first Secretary of the General Conference, accepting this post at the organization of the General Conference in the spring of the year 1863.

He is best known for his book, Tlie Proplzecies of Daltiel alzd the Revelation, which has circu- lated by the thousands of copies. He was the first Bible teacher at Battle Creek College.

TJriah Smith was born in a fine-looking house in the little town of West Wilton, New dampshire. He was as solid in his character as any New Englander, true "grit of the granite state!' The birthplace of Uriah Smith and his sister Annie still stands in this tiny New England town. It is now called the Eagle House and may be visited by interested tourists.

A short time before his death, the main building of the Review and Herald burned down. This was a grave tragedy. The heart and soul of Uriah Smith was bound up with this institution. His whole life had been dedicated to its development.

Elder Smith was often seen walking down the streets of Battle Creek with his cane, limping along on his artificial limb, for he had suffered an amputation as a teen-age boy. His inventive genius led him to create an artificial limb which he used during much of his lifetime. He was versatile and intelligent, as were most of the pioneers. The early workers were people of stat- ure-high caliber. God chose the best that He could find to do the most important work given to men and women in these last days.

See: Footpn~ifs of the Piorzeers, pp. 123-129; Pioneer Siories Retold, pp. 178-181.

A Story About Urialt Smith

When Uriah was just twelve years old a local infection brought on by an illness required the amputation of his left leg above the knee. His courageous struggle with pain and shock built into his frame of clay those steel girders that made him the solid man he was.

Think what it meant to lose a leg in those days. There were no white-robed surgeons and nur- ses to minister to the patient, no merciful anesthetic, and no competent hospital care. A noted surgeon of nearby Keene, Dr. Amos Twitchell, cut off the leg and hound it in twenty minutes. Uriah's mother held his hands. Then she and his loving sister took care of him.

This injury of his early years brought confinement to Elder Smith in later life. He was not able to'get out and move around like the other ministers. He just couldn't. So what did he do? Set- tle down to discouragement? No. His injury was a blessing to him for it brought out his inven- tive genius. For a while he used the clt~msy artificial limb that they provided for him, with a solid foot, but he didn't like it, so he set to work and invented a pliable foot, got a patent for it, and with the money he received from its sale, he bought his first house in Battle Creek.

W. A. Spicer gives us his impression of Uriah Smith:

"As a boy I always passed Elder Smith's editorial room in the old Battle Creek Review and Herald office with somewhat of awe: for there was a notice on thedoor in dark purple-colored ink and in large letters:

"'Editor's Room.

Busy? Yes, always.

If you have any business,

Attend to your business,

And let us attend to our business."'

--Piatleer Days ofthe Advent Movenletit, pages 245,246.

Yes, Smith was a man who was on the march. He was busy with the Lord's business and he wanted others to be about theirs, but he was a graceful and a tender-hearted man. If you don't think so, read the last chapter of his book, Tlie Propl~ecies ofDartie1 arid the Revelation. It will thrill you. It is so full of heart longings for the new earth, our eternal home.

URIAtl SMITH 1835 - 1903

Just five dollars a week, as the editor-in-chief, so Uriah Smith began.

Writer, inventor, preacher, teacher; he was a talented man1

For fifty years at the Review, with little help and dollars few.

No sacrifice is too great. Send the gospel, at any ratel Messages from God to heed,

Always, Jesus Christ must lead. -Lynne E. Buhler

Hi young people! I am so glad you are learning about the early

church and my friends who were so instrumental in establishing the

Advent message. I have been asked to share with you a little about

myself. Well students, for fifty years I was lucky enough to be of

service for the Lord in the Seventh-day Adventist Church as an

editor and author. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I need to

start at the beginning. I began my life in a little town of West

Wilton, New Hampshire in 1832. You can still visit the fine-

looking house in which I was born. In 1843 I became interested in

the Advent Movement which was spreading like wildfire around my

home town. Two years later at the age of 13, had my left leg

amputated above the knee, because of an infection. I invented for

myself and others who had lost a leg, a more practical and less

painful artificial limb which I used during much of my lifetime.

That artificial limb was just one of my many inventions throughout

by lifetime.

In 1857 I married Harriet Newall Stevens. She was as lovely as my

older sister Annie, who was quite a song writer. After becoming a

Sabbath keeping Adventist I went to work at the Review and Herald

office with Annie. I so enjoyed those years working in Rochester,

New York, with my sister. I remember my first contribution to the

Seventh-day Adventist literature work. It was a 35,000 word poem

entitled "The Warning Voice of Time and Prophecy". How many of you

students would like to write a poem that long? It was so long that

it had to be published as a serial in the Review and Herald back in

1853. I loved being a worker in the publishing office. In fact,

I maintained an almost unbroken connection with the institution of

the Review and Herald until the time of my death.

In 1855 the Review and Herald moved to Battle Creek, Michigan.

That same year at the age of twenty-three I became editor. I did

not enter upon that position for ease, comfort, or worldly profit;

for I had seen, by my connection with the Review, that none of

those pleasures were to be found there. In fact I published a

disclaimer quite the same in the first issue printed as the new

editor. The primitive equipment in use back then could have

dampened a my spirit. In helping prepare the first tracts I would

use my straight-edge and my pocketknife to trim the edges. I want

you to know students, "we blistered our hands in the operation, and

often the tracts in form were not half so true and square as the

doctrines we taught."

In the early years severe financial problems faced me as the new,

young editor. However, I managed the Review through those rough

times to where the paper flourished and grew. In those days I was

the editor, proofreader, business manager, and bookkeeper. Because

of all that responsibility I found my physical resources taxed to

the limit. As a result, in 1869 I took some time off to

recuperate. My friend J. N. Andrews became editor of the paper in

my absence. Then the next year James White was elected editor and

I became associate. But 12 months later I became editor once

again. James and I didn't always agree on the way to handle

certain problems in the office. One time in 1873 following a

disagreement with James over administrative policies I was relieved

of my position. After six months I was reinstated to my former

office, and James and my friendship was re-established and

maintained from then on.

I mentioned earlier of my love of inventing. Other then my

flexible knee and ankle joints I invented a school desk with an

improved folding seat. Because of the patent on my desk I received

$3000. Maybe that doesn't sound like a lot of money to you young

people today, but with that $3000 I was able to build a new house.

In 1876 I was treasurer of the General Conference for a year. In

1890 I devoted more time to writing and traveled extensively,

speaking frequently at camp meetings. A year later I again

returned as editor of the Review. By the way, students, for a

time, I was an instructor of Bible at Battle Creek College.

Some people say that I was one of the most fluent writers the

denomination has ever had. I am probably best remembered for my

book generally known by the short title Daniel and the Revelation.

Some of the other books I wrote were: Both Sides on the Sabbath

and the Law, The Visions of Mrs. E. G. White, and The Sanctuarv and

the 2300 Davs, along with many others.

During my life I urged the separation of Church and State,

advocated noncornbatancy, and vigorously opposed slavery. I did not

approve of Seventh-day Adventist's seeking political office and

campaigned tirelessly against Sunday laws.

I have been told that I was a handsome man of charming manners and

more powerful in pen than in speech.

The last words I ever wrote were directed to the General Conference

on 1903. It summarizes my life long purpose; "1 am with you in the

endeavor to send forth in this generation this gospel of the

kingdom, for a witness to all nations. And when this is completed,

it will be the signal for the coronation of our coming King."

Adapted from:

The Seventh-dav Adventist Commentarv, Vol. 10

D i r e c t i o n :

Help Ur iah Smith and t h e Review make i t s move from Rochestor, New York

t o B a t t l e Creek, Plichigan. Help d i r e c t Ur iah on h i s t rek .

Di rec t i on : Help Ur iah Smith and the Review make t h e move from Rochestor, New York

t o B a t t l e Creek, Ilichgan. Help d i r e c t Ur iah on h i s t r e k .