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“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world… They have been given a work of the most solemn import--the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention.

The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is to be our work. The world is to be warned, and God's people are to be true to the trust committed to them.” (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol 9, p 19.)

“The Great Controversy… I am more anxious to see a wide circulation for this book than for any others I have written; for in The Great Controversy, the last message of warning to the world is given more distinctly than in any of my other books.” (Ellen White, Colporteur Ministry, p 127.)

“The results of the circulation of this book [The Great Controversy] are not to be judged by what now appears. By reading it, some souls will be aroused, and will have courage to unite themselves at once with those who keep the commandments of God. But a much larger number who read it will not take their position until they see the very events taking place that are foretold in it. The fulfillment of some of the predictions will inspire faith that others also will come to pass, and when the earth is lightened with the glory of the Lord, in the closing work, many souls will take their position on the commandments of God as the result of this agency. ” (Colporteur Ministry, pp 128-129.)

The great errors that will deceive the world in the last days – the sanctity of Sunday and the immortality of the soul – are better explained in The Great Controversy (GC), than in other books (Satan appearing as Christ is also thoroughly revealed here). May the people not be deceived in the last days and “Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God” (GC, p. 640) because we did not distribute the GC far and wide enough!

This is the third testimony I have written about my experiences in “spreading” The Great Controversy (GC) in Sweden, after I began systematically “spreading” this book in my native land in 2008. Having recognised that Sweden has altered a great deal after telling you of my experiences in my two first testimonies covering 2008 to 2012 – as well as myself, through the grace of God, having gained new experiences since then – I am here giving a third testimony, which goes from 2012 to 2016.

Despite the fact that Sweden, when I began this work in 2008, was heavily de-Christianised, and this process clearly continuing thereafter, there are still people (in 2016), who hunger and thirst for the truth everywhere in Sweden. They appear to be few in number, but anywhere I travel in this country I meet them – since God sends them in my way. It is important to continually be praying for God to send these individuals in your path, and to bless this whole work. Otherwise, you will risk launching out in your own power, especially after enjoying some success. However, what a privilege it is to carry a controversial message to the public in liberty! Our freedoms may be taken away from us sooner, than we expect. “We have no time to lose. The end is near. The passage from place to place to spread the truth will soon be hedged with dangers on the right hand and on the left. Everything will be placed to obstruct the way of the Lord's messengers, so that they will not be able to do that which it is possible for them to do now… We have warnings now which we may give, a work now which we may do; but soon it will be more difficult than we can imagine.” (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol 6, p 22.)

Rapidly approaching the conditions prevailing in the days of Noah and existing in Sodom and Gommorah – which indicates the nearness of Jesus's return (Luke 17:26-30) – we will be obliged to wait, before encountering the right type of person, when doing missionary work among the people. Personally, I take my bicycle along when engaged in this work (when going by car), partly because people nowadays are in a great hurry. Thus, you will reach many more individuals by bike, irrespective if you are doing missionary work in a “big city” or in the countryside. Using two bicycle bags (one on either side of your vehicle) allows you to bring many more materials, than if you are simply walking about. Of course, I do not only carry The Great Controversy (GC), but also a thirty-page condensation of The Desire of Ages, a condensation of the GC in 46 pages (America Superpower of Prophecy), as well as a flyer (4 A4 pages) giving the three angels' messages. Like I told you in an earlier testimony, I offer the people a free copy of my “favourite book” (as I put it), when I contact them. If this makes them interested, I ask whether I may borrow 30 seconds of their time to give them a short description of the GC by mentioning those chapters I know will catch their attention the most, i.e. “Why Were Sin and Suffering Permitted?”, “The Impending Conflict” and “God's Final Warning”. Moreover, I briefly touch on the chapters about Martin Luther and Olaus Petri (the Swedish Reformer), so that they will realise that the GC is a truly Christian book.

Not many aged over 30 have accepted the book – although there are a few really interested ones above 30. However, it has been very gratifying to meet so many positive secondary school pupils, as well as students of an age for normally attending university. It should be mentioned, that since 2010, when I began handing out the GC at secondary schools and universities in Sweden (as I write this, it is April 2016), the general interest at Swedish secondary schools has, unfortunately, diminished. Luckily, there are still some secondary schools in this country, where interest remains at the level of six years back. One such example is the biggest secondary school in Linköping, where I not that long ago handed out approximately 30 copies of the GC in 4-5 hours. The most positive aspect for me, though, is that interest at universities remains as high as in about 2010. Let us assume I had never put in any missionary efforts at these institutions, and then somebody would have told that universities are the best mission field in Sweden. I would hardly have believed it. I would have assumed pride ruled the place, the students there being very much aware they are society's intellectual elite and are about to embrace top positions in our land. But what a huge surprise it has been to me to visit most of Sweden's universities and to find, there, much greater interest in the GC, than in almost all other places in Sweden! Moreover, reading a book of 600+ pages is, for natural reasons, easier for them, than for many others in today's society, where most things are to be “served” quickly.

Even if you have been out bicycling for quite some while, before you meet someone genuinly interested in the truth, you rejoice the more, when you do meet that person. This is what happened to me in Kalmar. It was approaching six in the evening and I was preparing to end that day's missionary endeavours. A few minutes earlier I had offered the GC to a woman in her twenties, but she did not seem at all interested. Shortly after that I entered a grocery store to buy food for the evening. Having finished my shopping and leaving the store, I found, to my great surprise, the same woman standing waiting for me in front of the door. She went up close to me, looked at me and said words to this effect: “I could imagine living a different life, than the one I am living now.” Thus she wanted me to give her information on this different, spiritual life. The Holy Spirit hade been working on her heart since our first encounter. What a challenge it was to provide her with information concerning this different, spiritual life! If you ask God to send interested parties in your way in the place you are working, He will do so.

I was standing outside the biggest secondary school in Karlstad offering the pupils there the GC. So many pupils wished to have the book I remained there, until the head master went out askin what I was doing. I presented the contents of the book for him. He listened in a friendly manner. As I was finished doing the presentation, he asked me: “Could I, too, have a copy, please?” Evidently, he was interested.

I was wandering about at the Triangeln shopping mall in downtown Malmö offering the GC. A gentleman, who proved to be a refugee from Iran, listened to my presentation. He received the book with great joy. He told me he had grown up as a Seventh-day Adventist and used to accompany his parents to an Adventist church i Iran, until he was twelve years old. Then, in 1979, occurred the revolution in Iran, and he had to flee the country. He ended up in Malmö. 36 years later I met him at the Triangeln and he briefly told me the story of his life. During those 36 years he had often wondered, what SDAs really believe. When he fled from Iran, he did not quite know this. It was a joy to see him shine, as he explained to me, that he intended to read the GC carefully, to find out.

In Helsingborg I met a man, who was studying the Book of Revelation. Imagine his happiness at receiving a book outlining it for him! In Helsingborg I met another man, who was reading the New Testament. He thankfully accepted the GC from me, in order to better understand both the Reformation and the symbols in the Revelation.

In Piteå I met a person, who was studying a foundational (alpha) course about Christianity arranged by the Swedish Lutheran Church. With thankfulness, he realised it was through the direction of God that he had thus received the GC from me. In Örebro I encountered another person studying this course. He was happy to learn more about the Christian faith.

In the Sollentuna (Stockholm) market place I met a person studying theology in Umeå, who accepted the GC with thanks.

In the centre of Linköping God sent a teacher of theology in my path, who with interest accepted the GC, after being told, what the volume was about.

Sometimes it also happens, that some other individual than the recipient of the GC studies it. A few years ago I gave the book to a secondary school pupil in Borås. About a year later I encountered him again, asking him what he thougth about the book. He replied, that he had not read this book himself, but had lent it to his uncle, who was now going through it (apparently, he had more time to read it right then).

This type of “chain reaction” I have experienced on more, than one occassion. At the Stockholm University a student thankfully accepted the GC from me. After a while, she returned to me, bringing with her a fellow student. She, too, wished to have a copy of the book.

A similar experience I had at the Chalmers Tekniska Högskola in Göteborg. After one student willingly had accepted the book at the chemical faculty there, another student ran after me, as I was heading off, asking for a copy.

In Lidköping I offered the GC to a woman, who herself was uninterested, but promised she would give the book to her son, who was studying about religions in Jönköping.

In Uddevalla I offered this book to a teen, who also was not interested, but who said they were going to hand the volum to one of their parents, who was a priest.

In an earlier testimony I have mentioned that God also has blessed with the weather during my evangelising, despite forecasts of rain. I can repeat this testimony now, one instance happening quite recently in Mariestad, where rain and showers had been forecast for the day in question. During the day, when I was labouring in Mariestad, rain was no problem, but just when I was finished and got into my car afterwards, it started pouring down – and continued doing so.

The University of Umeå is so large, you can evangelise in its corridors without being spotted, that is, if you are a bit discreet. However, you must, of course, always pray for God's protection and guidance, so that no teacher discovers you and orders you out. In that case, continuing evangelising at that university is not feasible. I went in search of the faculty of theology at the University of Umeå. There, I offered the GC to a person telling me he was especially studying about the Reformation. After I had summarised the contents of this book, he very happily accepted it. He exclaimed: “This is exactly what I wanted.”

When evangelising in Stockholm, I frequently visit Uppsala, because I have noticed there is a decided spiritual interest at the historical and (naturally enough) the theological faculties at the University there. Both faculties are situated next to one another and over the years I have, through the grace of God, presented many copies of the GC at both the faculties. As you will be aware, a fairly large portion of this volume is about sacred history and, thus, it is no big surprise that the students at the faculty of history are more inclined to study the book, than normally is the case at certain other faculties. This has become plain to me at other Swedish universities also. Now, when I go to Stockholm – as well as to Uppsala – I travel by train, not bringing my bicycle. This has caused me dilemmas at the Faculty of Theology in Uppsala. This is situated in a way making it hard to stand outside the main entrance, without arousing so much attention as to probably be called upon to leave, were I to be positioned there for, say, an hour. Many of the students cycle to university and I have been unable to reach all, when they have left for home after classes (their bicycles are parked right outside the main entrance). I prayed to God for help to solve the problem. At once came this answer: “Position yourself at the entrance to the luncheon restaurant, then you will reach those you have hitherto been unable to reach.” The faculties of history and theology share a luncheon restaurant and by offering students the GC outside of the door of the canteen during lunch break, I was able to hand out circa 20 copies of the GC in a little over an hour to interested parties.

In Lund, the theological and historical faculties are also closely together. Recently (in March 2016), I evangelised there for 4 to 5 hours, and God sent 30 persons in my path, who accepted the GC. Broshures and flyers I brought were handed out in similar numbers. This, of course, is also true of other places. When distributing the GC is easy, distributing broshures and flyers with the corresponding contents is also easy (the opposite is true, too).

As far as the Theological Faculty at the University of Uppsala is concerned, I presented the book to, among others, a teacher there, and he inquired what denomination I came from. I answered his question, and then he asked, whether this book told anything about the origins of Seventh-day Adventism. When he found out this was the case, he said he intended to study this matter with interest, and I was able to tell he was serious.

When spreading the GC, you sometimes need to hear a testimony from someone, who indeed has read this volume. That service was provided me by a person hailing from Camerun (in Africa). She was a student at the University of Kalmar and had got the book from her sister in Camerun, who was a Seventh-day Adventist. “It is very good indeed,” said she (who was not a Seventh-day Adventist) to me.

When I go by train to Stockholm – some 400 kilometres {248 English miles. Translator's note} from Kinna, where I live – I sometimes grab the opportunity on the return journey of evangelising in bigger places along the line between Stockholm and Kinna. I will leave early in the morning from Stockholm and depart at the train station at the place I wish to visit and evangelise, and take the train back to Kinna in the evening, after putting in a day's labour in that place. I have done this in, among other places, Linköping. Four or five years ago I had a special experience there one winter's day. Two months previously, I had ordered tickets both to Stockholm and (for my trip home) to Linköping, and trusted God would ensure good weather for me. In Stockholm, there is a vast underground railway system and, hence, I do not have to depend as much on the weather there, as in other places in Sweden. However, there is no underground railroad in Linköping, wherefore I became puzzled, as I stepped off on the platform at the Linköping Railway Station and discovered it was minus 12 degrees centigrade there {plus 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Translator's note}, and a very cold wind was blowing (which added to the chill factor). It was simply impossible to do evangelism during the day in Linköping, as I had planned. What to do? God knew, of course, the solution. It was a Friday, and the students from the University of Linköping “poured into” the railway station at lunch time and later in the day, to travel to their places of residence. God sent some 30 persons in my way at the railway station in Linköping, who were interested in the GC and accepted it during that Friday there. It was then I realised they had a major university in Linköping and that I should evangelism there later on (which I have done on a couple of occasions, finding a definite interest in the truth there).

Is it possible to hand out the GC outside a place of worship following services in a church, where they celebrate Sunday? My experiences indicate this is difficult, but it may be possible, if you are careful. Should it work, you will reach many interested people in a short while. If you are standing right outside the place of worship, visitors will surely feel provoked. However, my experience tells me, that if you are discreet and approach a suitable person some distance from the building of worship, it can work well. Then you may go on as discreetly to some other individual (by constantly moving about, you make yourself less likely to be spotted). This is the way I did it outside the Smyrnakyrkan in Göteborg – Göteborg's major Pentecostal church – after a Sunday service and thus distributed 15-20 copies of the GC in one hour. If you, then, are evangelising outside a place of worship, you need to be as discreet as possible, which is difficult, if there are more than one missionary present. Regarding my experience outside the Smyrnakyrkan (above), I can relate the following. Over the years, I have regularly evangelised in Göteborg, since I live only about 60 kilometres away {37.28 English miles. Translator's note}. Once, though, I remembered I had never evangelised there on a Sunday before. Sunday normally is the worst day for evangelising in town, since there are fewer people about (schools are shut and few people are at work). Anyway, I decided to test it in Göteborg. It did not take me long doing evangelising with the GC in Göteborg that Sunday to learn, that it was harder going, than during the rest of the week. I managed to hand out so few copies of the GC I decided instead of spreading this book I would place broshures and flyers on benches, etc. I considered it would be right to go to the Järntorget square, where more people gather, than is the custom elsewhere in Göteborg (moreover, I was going to distribute on my way there anyhow). But unbeknownst to me, God had not just planned the area to cover, but also the timing for me. Heading to the Järntorget, I passed the Smyrnakyrkan – at the exact moment, when Sunday services there were over. Going there, at any point in time, had not at all entered into my mind, but God had planned it that way. Once there, I immediately understood it was God's will to distribute the GC by the Smyrnakyrkan and – as indicated above – there God let me meet 15-20 persons, who eagerly accepted the GC following services.

Jesus's command to His disciples to evangelise “in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8) we should follow in our own country. Even if you live in a Swedish town, it does not automatically mean that your field of mission only comprises this one town, despite there being enough people in that place to evangelise. Perhaps God will send us away from “Jerusalem” to evangelise in “Judæa” and later in “Samaria…”. There may, after all, be areas far away from us, that have not been touched with the three angels' messages in a very long time, and, hence, there may be people there with a special hunger for the truth. I had this experience in Norrland1 two or three years ago. There, I visited places far away from any SDA church and despite de-Christianising moving on a pace in Norrland, I discovered a spiritual hunger in most places there. Indeed, this hunger was greater, than you would expect. My first missionary trip to Norrland I conducted in my automobile about three years ago. One year later, though, I went there by train, sending in advance a package of the GC to every locality I was visiting. I sent the packages to the hostels, where I would spend the night (having obtained their permission). This was because I brought broshures and flyers together with the personal belongings I needed. Bringing books, also, on the train would simply have been too cumbersome.

Concerning my first missionary trip to Norrland (in my car) I will just tell of two experiences “in between” the missionary projects proper, which show the protection and guidance from God in small matters as well as in large ones (see Matthew 6:25-33). I began my missionary project in Sollefteå, and had brought so many materials that my car was full. I overnighted at a hostel in Sollefteå, and having left Sollefteå behind me on the main road along the Baltic coast perhaps two hours earlier, I started wondering if I had remembered my shaver, which I had used the previous night. After all, a missionary needs to look presentable! I searched my personal belongings, where I used to put my shaver, and discovered it was not there. I thought I had forgotten it at the hostel in Sollefteå. Was I now going to lose valuable time in finding a shop, where I could find a suitable shaver, which, in addition, would cost me at least 500 unecessary crowns {U.S.$62.69 on May 3rd, 2016. Translator's note}? I prayed to God for assistance. At once I got my answer. With my inner eye I saw my shaver at the top in a box almost filled with missionary materials. In my hurry, I had put the shaver at the top of a box, which was nearly full of broshures. This had happened the night before after shaving, something which had slipped my mind.

My other experience was more dramatic. At the end of my mission project to Norrland I was evangelising in Söderhamn and had arranged for a room at a hostel situated a bit outside of the town, at a camp site. It was in October, on a Friday evening, and after paying the janitor for my room before the Sabbath, I was looking forward to resting during the sacred hours following an exhausting mission project. When the janitor had left, I was (as far as I was able to tell) all alone at the camp site. I had been granted permission to put my bicycle right outside the door to my room, to protect the bicycle from thieves, who might be “prowling around” outside the hostel. In spite of my isolation I felt a wonderful peace in the company of God, while I enjoyed actually resting physically and in His Word during the opening hours of the Sabbath. The quietness was complete. But suddenly something unexpected occured. The entrance door could only be opened with the help of a code, and two persons had accessed the code. Now they were inside the hostel, despite not being guests there. I heard a threatening and aggressive knock on my door. I opened the door and in front of me stood two junkies high on drugs. They had gathered I was there, because my bicycle was standing outside of my room. I could easily tell the difference between these two high junkies and two intoxicated alcoholics (without now going into detail over the difference). Junkies often require fast bucks, to maintain their addiction and I realised that they maybe were going to rob me or even kill me, to get at my money. No other human being was in hearing or sight, save these two. I realised my life was at stake. Junkies that are high do not, as we know, necessarily control their actions. They were aware there was a TV set inside the hostel and had planned to watch TV during the night in the belief they were all alone at the hostel. After opening my door and beholding the junkies standing in front of me, they seemed to be looking me carefully over. Whether they did this out of curiosity or to make a guess as to whether I had enough cash on me to be “worth” robbing, I do not know. However, the living God, who made those hungry lions calm and harmless, when Daniel was in the lions' den, shielded me from being attacked by them (supposing they really wished to rob me). After chatting for a while, they went their way and sat in front of the TV set all Sabbath evening without molesting me. I should hasten to add, that they argued vehemently among themselves. I could, of course, have left the hostel for a few hours during the period of darkness, but the peace which God let me enjoy at the start of the Sabbath, before the junkies banged on my door, remained within me even after they entered the hostel, and I trusted in His protection. It certainly was unpleasant, but all the same I was never afraid. Following this episod I thought of the Waldensians, who evangelised during the Dark Ages och faced threats to their lives constantly during their labours. I had, after all, been able to spread the gospel in Norrland for a couple of weeks in liberty and been faced with a threat to my life just for a few hours on the Friday evening. We will soon be robbed of the freedom we now enjoy, making it as dangerous to go about with our controversial message, as it was for the Waldensians in the Dark Ages.

Traveling around in Sweden during the years that have passed since 2008 spreading the GC and other materials (see above), has been a marvellous experience. For about five months in the period from March to October I have had regular employment, and during the rest of the year God has given me opportunities and the strength (these past nine years) to evangelise in 94 towns and cities all over Sweden. Thanks to the grace of God, I have since 2008 shared 9,300 copies of the GC to interested people. Although also distributing broschures and flyers giving our message, I chiefly attempt to distribute the GC. We have been taught to “Launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4-7), in order to have the largest possible catch of people in the gospel net. Seeing God sending interested people in my path, and influencing their hearts through His Spirit, has been a great joy.

Finally, I only wish to mention the fact, that if you are to evangelise at Swedish universities, you really need to bring along English copies of the GC, for there are a number of overseas students enrolled there.
----- 1 Norrland: Sweden is made up of three major geographical sections, called Götaland, in the far South, Svealand, further up North, and Norrland (= Northland), making up the rest of the country (over 50% of the land mass).

Each of these geographical sections consists of provinces, such as Jämtland and Härjedalen in Southern Norrland. These provinces, in turn, harbour smaller areas with called communes or councils. In these communes there are places of various sizes, where we liv. One such commune is Östersund's Kommun in the heartland of Jämtland, which is also the heartland of Sweden. Translator's note.