My path recently has crossed those of several Seventh-day Adventists.  Comparing the doctrines of the SDA and LDS Churches has been interesting.  For example:

Premortal Life.  One SDA man brought the subject up himself, and was delighted to find that I believed in life before birth.  I expressed surprise that he believed in that doctrine because I had thought that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was unique in believing that we lived as spirits before we were born into mortality.  He assured me that his church believed that, too.

I then discussed this doctrine with an SDA religion teacher who conversely assured me that his church does not believe in life before birth.  The next two men with whom I visited were baffled by my pronouncement that we lived before we were born.  They had never heard of such a thing.

To the first two men I gave a Book of Mormon and the following list of scriptures:

Job 38:3-7                     Lord’s question

Proverbs 8:22-31           Lord’s answer

Acts 17:28-29               We are the offspring of God

Romans 8:16-17            We are the children of God

Hebrews 12:9                God is the Father of our spirits

Jeremiah 1:5                  He was ordained a prophet before he was born

Ecclesiastes 12:7           At death our spirits return to where they were before

John 9:1-2                     Disciples wondered if we could sin before we were born

Revelation 12:7-9           Some of our brethren were cast out of the world of spirits for rebellion

2 Nephi 2:17-27            Adam fell that man might be

Life After Death.  Seventh-day Adventists place great emphasis upon Ecclesiastes 9:5 and 9:10.  The Preacher (Solomon) says in those verses that the dead “know not any thing,” and that there is no knowledge “in the grave.”  SDA belief is that the soul goes to sleep at death, and does not awaken until the resurrection.

There is danger in basing a belief on a single verse of scripture.  One man’s writings need to be backed up by others’.  I would be especially hesitant to give weight to Solomon’s writings over those of the prophets and apostles.

Solomon’s discourse in Ecclesiastes is a rather negative look at life.  The theme of his book is that everything “under the sun” (mortality) is fleeting and temporary (vanity).  This point of view is the context in which his statements must be understood.  The Bible Dictionary says that “These should not be construed as theological pronouncements on the condition of the soul after death; rather they are observations by the Preacher about how things appear to men on the earth ‘under the sun.’”

The idea that souls enter a prolonged sleep at death contradicts other scriptures.  Jesus Himself said to the thief on the cross, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:43).

Peter, the chief Apostle, said that upon death Jesus “went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”  (1 Peter 3:19-20).

He went on to say, “For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”  (1 Peter 4:6).

Jesus gave the parable of Lazarus and the rich man wherein they and Father Abraham were still alive and were being quoted after death.  If the dead are actually all in a deep and prolonged sleep, this story would have been deceptive, and Jesus would not have uttered it.

The Sabbath.  I asked one SDA man why he had joined the SDA Church.  He replied, “That’s an interesting question,” and quoted a scripture stating that we must observe and keep the Sabbath.  This verse about the Sabbath had impressed him, so he joined the SDA Church.

I fully agree that we must observe and keep the Sabbath.  The difference between that man and me is the day on which we observe the Sabbath.  He does it on Saturday, and I do it on Sunday.  He observes the Sabbath on Saturday because that is the day on which the Sabbath was observed under the Law of Moses.  The Law of Moses was in effect during Jesus’ lifetime, so Saturday was Jesus’ Sabbath.

Jesus’ atonement, death, and resurrection were the culmination of the Law of Moses.  The Law of Moses stood fulfilled, and had an end.  A new system and a higher law went into effect with the accomplishment of the Atonement and the resurrection.

Jesus was crucified on Friday.  On Saturday His body laid in the tomb.  On Sunday, very early, Jesus resurrected.  (Luke 24:1, John 20:1).  Later that day He appeared to the Apostles and others as they were gathered together in Jerusalem.  (Luke 24:33-36).

John 20:19 states, “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

John 20:26 states, “And after eight days again (meaning the following Sunday) his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”

Thus was established a new order, and a new pattern for the Church to meet together.  Sunday thereafter came to be known as “the Lord’s Day.”  (Rev. 1:10).

Jesus was with the disciples for forty days following the resurrection.  The disciples were meeting together on the Lord’s Day.  Jesus was meeting with them.  Surely if that had been an improper practice, He would have corrected them.

The pattern of meeting on Sunday continued into the time of Paul.  Acts 20:7 states, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…”

The bottom line is that since Jesus’ resurrection, Sunday has been the approved Sabbath.  However, if Seventh-day Adventists wish to worship on Saturday, the important thing is that they are worshiping.  I don’t think that the day makes a great deal of difference.

My wife’s grandfather was a train engineer, and was required to work each Sunday.  Monday was his day off.  On Monday he cleaned up, dressed up, read his scriptures, and observed his Sabbath.  I have no doubt but what the Lord was pleased, and that He accepted James Hunt’s devotions.

Muslims worship on Fridays.  I think that I have understood that because of that practice, some Latter-day Saints in Muslim countries also hold their worship services on Fridays.

A common practice among Christian churches is that many seem to have favorite doctrines that are emphasized.  Seventh-day Adventists have based their religion on the Sabbath day.  Baptists emphasize baptism.  Christian Scientists emphasize faith healing.  Pentecostals emphasize speaking in tongues.

In effect, these churches are pinging on a single key or two on the keyboard.  The restored Church of Jesus Christ has the full keyboard available, and freely uses every key.  The result is beautiful harmony as opposed to the monotonous and perhaps irritating pinging of several keys.