March, 1844, he began to keep the true Sabbath, in Washington,
N.H."--_Review and Herald (Washington, D.C.), Oct. 4, 1906._

They were but a little band, those believers in New Hampshire, but the
time of the prophecy had come, and with the coming of the hour there was
the nucleus of the movement forming, believers in the near coming of the
Lord, preaching the message of the prophecy, "The hour of His judgment
is come," and keeping "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

From that small beginning has grown the movement that Seventh-day
Adventists stand for, spreading through all the world today.

It was in the year following 1844 that Joseph Bates, of Massachusetts, a
retired sea captain, and a preacher of the advent hope, began to keep
the Sabbath. Captain Bates wrote and published, and soon others,
following his example, embraced the Bible Sabbath.

As the Scripture teaching concerning the sanctuary was studied, light
came flooding in. It was seen that the great prophetic period of Daniel
8, which ended in 1844, marked the opening of Christ's ministry in the
most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, the work of the judgment hour
in heaven; and there, plainly revealed in Revelation 14, was a special
gospel message to be carried to all the world while the judgment hour
still continued.

The little company that began to keep the commandments of God as
Adventist believers in 1844, did not understand that they were beginning
the definite movement foretold by the prophecy. They only determined to
turn from traditions that had made void God's law, and to obey the law
of the Most High, whose servants they were.