The Distribution of the Great Controversy in 2023 (Ellen White)

“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, Testimoniesfor 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.)

”He (God) is holding back His judgments, waiting for the message of warning to be sounded to all.” (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 97.)

”The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith.” (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church,Vol. 5, p. 463.)

”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 must look our work fairly in the face and advance as fast as possible in aggressive warfare.” (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 22.)

Since I began systematically distributing “The Great Controversy” by Ellen White around Sweden about 15 years ago, I have discovered an interesting development. From the start in 2008 until the pandemic in 2020, there was almost a constant decline – although the decline was not that great from one year to another. Almost from the beginning, I discovered that interest in the book varied greatly among Swedes. Those who are from middle age and up are significantly less interested than those who are in their 20s (and just below). But I found a clear difference between the sexes. Young men in their 20s are clearly more interested than young women in this age group.

Until the pandemic, there was a gradual decline in interest in The Great Controversy – as de-Christianization gradually increased in Sweden during this 15-year period. What made me equally interested in spreading the book throughout this period was the relatively high interest among young men in their 20s and younger. But after the pandemic, something has happened. In 2023 - just as before - I have travelled around Sweden offering The Great Controversy and found that interest (by and large) is greater than ever during these 15 years. That is partly why I am writing this testimony.

What could be the reason why interest in the gospel - and also in The Great Controversy - is greater in Sweden than in many years? De-Christianization has both gone terribly far and is constantly increasing. I can only think of one sensible explanation: During the last two years, the concern in the world about war in particular, but also more difficult economic conditions, has obviously caused more Swedes to become open to and interested in the gospel. And we should of course take advantage of this, since we know (see quote above) that conditions in Sweden can quickly become very difficult when it comes to reaching out with the three angels' messages.

The main reason I am sending out this testimony is that I want to share my experience with the presentation of The Great Controversy. Perhaps you have also noticed that too many of those who have received The Great Controversy have not read it to the end, even though they have had the book for years. Too many have stopped reading the book when they have reached the Middle Ages. It is not surprising in itself that many of those who have received The Great Controversy have not read the entire book of about 600 pages since (in perhaps the most de-Christianized country in the world) they may not have read any Christian book in their entire lives. Probably a good many do not read other books at all. Therefore, I do not give the book to anyone without emphasizing how important it is to read the entire book and that those who receive the book more or less promise to read it to the end.

When I offer people The Great Controversy, I ask them if they want my favourite book for free. Since they can get the book without having to pay anything for it, of course more people stop and wonder what kind of book it is than if they had to pay for it. I will say something like this: “The book is a summary of the history of Christianity from the days of the apostles, through the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the French Revolution, up to the last prophecies of the Bible at the end of time.” I notice that such a presentation arouses the interest of many. Many are interested in history and the ideas of the French Revolution about liberty, equality, and fraternity.If they are interested in the Bible’s message, they also want to know what the Bible says about the future. But it is no surprise that since many people want a nice book for free without being interested in the content, it is important to ask those who are offered The Great Controversy if they are interested in the Bible’s message (or similar). It has been found that many who were enthusiastic when they heard the presentation say something like this: “Maybe you should give the book to someone else.” So my experience is that it is often only when you ask them a relevant question that you really notice whether they are interested in the gospel or not.

If those who have heard the brief presentation above and have responded that they are interested in the Bible’s message, I give them further information about the book’s contents. I explain that the first half provides a historical background to the last half of the book—which deals with our own time. Having distributed The Great Controversy in this way for about 15 years, I have gained valuable experience in what interests people most in this book. I have found that the chapters The Impending Conflict, The Final Warning, What Happens When We Die? (The First Great Deception and Spiritualism), and The Origin of Evil are the chapters of The Great Controversy that interest people most. That is why I talk to them about these chapters. When I distribute the book to interested people, I tell them that the whole book is important — and that they should therefore read the book in its entirety — but that the last half is most important because it deals with our own time. Hopefully, they will not stop reading the book when they get to the Middle Ages, but read the book to the end.

When I travel around Sweden and distribute The Great Controversy, I take a bicycle with me as often as possible. The pace in society is fast and in order to reach as many people as possible, it is important to have a means of transportation that allows you to reach people who are moving quickly in a different direction than where you are.

It is of course important that before sharing, we ask God to send the right people our way and to work mightily with His Spirit in their hearts. It is also important to ask for help in expressing ourselves properly, since each meeting is unique.

In Torsby in Värmland I handed out a flyer with the three angels' messages about a year ago and then received an order for The Great Controversy (which could be ordered on the back of the flyer) from a person who had received the flyer in his mailbox. The person, who is a Pentecostal, was so moved by the content of the book that he ordered 3 copies of the book to give to three Pentecostal pastors he knew, because he wanted to give them information about the Reformation.

Here are testimonies from my distribution of The Great Controversy (DSS for short in Swedish, or Den Stora Striden) in 2023.

In Partille I met a woman who had received DSS from me six months earlier and who had found the book very interesting. She had now given the book to her father, who was reading it.

A woman in Kungsbacka received DSS with interest and - when she had read it - was going to give it to her brother who is (as she put it) a "giant of a Christian".

A parent gratefully accepted DSS in Partille as a gift for his daughter who would soon be confirmed.

These four testimonies show how the spread of DSS can be like ripples on water and we never know where it all may end up. Here are more testimonies from my distribution in 2023.

A person in Göteborg/Gothenburg bought a Bible to learn more about God and four days later he received DSS from me. We both saw God's leading in this.

Another person who received DSS in Göteborg had a few minutes earlier wished that he could gain more knowledge about Christianity and its history.

At Malmö University, I met a student teacher who received DSS with the words: “You are a messenger from heaven.”

I met a person outside the university in Borås who had received DSS from me earlier and said: “It’s really interesting.”

In Gävle I walked on foot carrying a heavy bag full of DSS (it was slow going). Suddenly, high school students “poured out” from the main entrance of the largest high school in the city. They went to a cafeteria (at lunchtime) a few blocks away. Only when I had distributed 15-20 copies of DSS to interested high school students just outside the entrance for no more than an hour was I “chased away” by teachers (I was standing on a public street immediately outside the entrance, but the teachers felt I was disturbing the students).

In Uppsala, I have distributed DSS at the history and theology faculties at the university a number of times and it has always gone very well. So also this year. I have found that at the history faculty the interest in DSS is clearly greater than at the other faculties (the exception is of course the theology faculty).

Finally, I would like to mention an incident that shows how God can use our mistakes for good. I was doing missionary work in Dalarna/Dalecarlia this summer for 12 days. I can mention that I enjoyed good weather the entire time I was carrying out this work there. During these 12 days, it only rained one day – on the Sabbath when I rested from missionary work. When I left Smedjebacken in Dalarna (where I spent the night) early in the morning after finishing missionary work in Dalarna, I took the road towards Örebro, because I had decided to do missionary work there that day (Örebro is on the road between Smedjebacken and Kinna, where I live). After driving my car for about 30 minutes, I discovered that I had forgotten to bring my bike. This made me sad, because I lost precious time that I had planned to use for missionary work in Örebro. Since I had to go back, I lost 60 minutes by this mistake.But to my great surprise, I discovered that I met the right people at exactly the right time in Örebro as a result of arriving there an hour later than I had planned. So God reminded me that I had forgotten to bring my bike at exactly the right moment on the road so that I would meet the very people He sent my way in Örebro and to whom He wanted to give DSS.