What if the toughest fields yield the sweetest fruit? That’s the story of the West Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church. Its early days trace back to determined literature evangelists. They ventured into Utah in 1889.
The West Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church’s roots lie in challenging beginnings. Utah was considered “perhaps the hardest field for labor in the United States”. This was according to a report at the General Conference session in 1891.
Imagine the difficulties those early Adventists faced. Other denominations struggled. One observation noted that Congregationalists spent over $250,000. They accomplished hardly anything. Methodists had similar experiences. Reaching people through preaching or teaching proved nearly impossible.
Yet, defying expectations, the first Adventist church organized in Salt Lake City. This happened the following year with 20 members. The challenges were so great that the General Conference directly supervised the work in Utah starting in 1894. The first camp meeting in Utah occurred in 1896.
In 1902, the Pacific Union Conference suggested organizing the Utah Conference. It would include 143 regular members and some isolated ones. There were two ordained ministers. Churches existed in Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, and Logan.
Even Ellen White, a key figure in Seventh-day Adventist history, visited Salt Lake City. In 1883, her train stopped in Ogden. She toured Salt Lake City, including the Mormon Tabernacle. She also saw the new temple under construction. White commented that she saw nothing very attractive in the city. She had no desire to make it her home.
However, White stopped again briefly in Salt Lake City in 1905. She noted that the Salt Lake City church had built a good meeting-house after a hard struggle. Adventists ran a vegetarian cafe and health food store. They sought counsel on how to conduct their work in Utah.
During another stop in 1909, White preached about daily Christian living. She spoke about educating children. Her message encouraged believers to advance Christ’s cause with faith. She urged humble dependence upon God.
Utah was still considered a mission field in 1901. It had three churches. These churches had 161 members. There was also an unorganized company of ten. Fifteen isolated Sabbath-keepers were also present. This made 186 in all. This represented a gain of seventy-one over two years. The workforce consisted of two ordained ministers. One licentiate and two missionary licentiates were also present. They raised $2,338.10 in tithe to support their work.
The West Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church is part of a larger story. It shows how faith can flourish even in seemingly barren ground. It is a testament to the perseverance of those early believers. They laid the foundation for a thriving community of faith.