“We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand...The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth...The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous...Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children...Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God's word, they would find a solution of the problems that perplex them.” {9T 13.3}