Hearts of Faith

How We Became Seventh-day Adventists

Expectation, exultation, bewilderment, and despair—these were the emotions amid which the Seventh-day Adventist Church was conceived. Hearts of Faith recounts the story of the transition from the weeping that followed the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844, to the hopeful emergence of the infant Seventh-day Adventist Church 19 years later.

Though the story of the SDA Church’s history has often been told, this critical span has been largely ignored, as if the church was an inescapable outcome of the Great Disappointment. This book argues, however, that the 19-year interval was both crucial and did not have a predetermined outcome. The choices the pioneers made shaped the denomination they would go on to establish and its impact on the world for generations.

Hearts of Faith briefly reviews the Millerite Adventist movement, explores the history of Sabbatarian Adventists, and pores over the vital development of a common identity among those who still held on to the blessed hope of Christ’s soon return.

Get to know the roots of this prophetic community of faith and develop a renewed awe for how God has harnessed the passion of His people to accomplish His work, near and far.

David J. B. Trim earned a BA in history from Newbold College and a PhD in history from King’s College in London. Trim was on the faculty of Newbold College for a decade and held the Walter C. Utt Chair in History at Pacific Union College. A prolific author, Trim has edited or coedited ten books, and his other publications include more than 150 articles and chapters in scholarly journals, popular magazines, and books. He has served as director of the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research since 2010.