Adult Sabbath School Lessons

In 1903, William Covert wrote, "At times the Sabbath-school lesson opens into a boundless ocean of thought which can only be touched upon in the short time allotted for Sabbath-school recitation." As the official Sabbath School website points out, the first regular Sabbath School began meeting in 1853 in Rochester, New York. That's ten years prior to Sabbath-keeping Adventists organizing themselves into the Seventh-day Adventist Church!

The chart below lists the known Sabbath School topics covered each quarter from 1886 to 2023. Whenever possible, the title of the quarterly leads to a PDF of that quarterly. (The quarterlies from 2005-2023 can be found on the Adult Bible Study Guide website.) The notes at the bottom of the page give more information about the lessons or the topics they contain. If a contributor is deceased, their name is usually linked to that person's obituary. To know which page to go to, hover over the link before clicking it. Later quarterlies have biographies of the principal contributor inside the quarterly itself.

Notes:

i. That obituary refers to a notice in the May 7, 1889 Advent Review and Sabbath Herald. Go back.

1. A lesson called The Life of Christ was published in this quarter for the International Sabbath-School Association. Go back to list.

2. Two lessons, Prophecy and Sin and Righteousness, were published in this quarter for the International Sabbath-School Association. Go back to list.

3. The lesson recommends reading Marvin Herrick Brown's book, Christ Our Advocate: His Ministry in the True Tabernacle. Go back to list.

4. The lesson states that "[n]o attempt has been made in this series of lessons to treat the subject exhaustively," as doing so "would be an impossibility in so small a compass" (2). It recommends reading Alonzo T. Jones' Civil Government and Religion in order to obtain a broader understanding of the subject, one which was very much a present-day issue in 1890s. For more documents written on religious liberty in the 1890s, go here. For information about religious liberty work being done today, visit the site of the General Conference Department of Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL). PARL's primary focus is "promoting and protecting religious freedom for all people" throughout the world. The North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA) is a "member-driven organization" that focuses on religious liberty issues specifically in the United States of America, "dedicated to free choice in matters of faith, religion, and conscience." Go back to list.

ii. Other notices and obituaries regarding Prescott can be found here, here, here and here. Go back.

5. The lesson recommends Christ's Object Lessons (written by Ellen G. White) as a companion to itself. Go back to list.

iii. Other notices regarding Plummer can be found here and here. Go back.

6. L. Flora Plummer, the secretary of the General Conference Sabbath School Department (see the the bottom of second column), promoted these lessons in The Workers' Bulletin (p159) and advocated branch Sabbath Schools. As of 2013, Ms. Plummer is the only woman to head the Sabbath School Department. Go back to list.

7. The issues of the Signs of the Times that would correspond with these lessons are the ones from July through September. (The ones that ASTR has are 28.28, 28.30, 28.32, 28.33, and 28.39.) Go back to list.

iv. Other notices and obituaries regarding Wilcox can be found here, here, and here. Go back.

8. The lessons recommend Daniel and the Revelation: The Response of History to the Voice of Prophecy as a companion to itself. Here's an edition of the same book from 1907. Go back to list.

v. Other notices about Haskell can be found here and here. Go back.

vi. Other notices about Owen can be found here and here. Go back.

vii. Other notices about Robinson can be found here and here. Go back.

9. "[T]he very best help obtainable" in studying this lesson is White's The Desire of Ages. Go back to list.

viii. Other notices about Kern can be found here and here. Go back.

ix. Other articles about Spicer can be found here, here, here, and here. Go back.

10. "The only logical help" in studying these lessons is White's Acts of the Apostles. Go back to list.

x. Another mention of her death can be found here. Go back to list.

xi. Another mention of Wakeham's death can be found here. Go back to list.

xii. This contributor is likely Christian Martin Sorenson, whose obituaries can be found here and here.

xiii. Other notices about Beddoe can be found here and here. Go back to list.

xiv. Another notice about Price can be found here. Go back to list.

11. The book referred to on the second page, The Science of Food and Cookery, is a recommended source on "vitamines." Go back to the list.

12. Reprinted from the same author's 1913-1914 lessons. Go back to list.

13. Reprinted from the same author's 1920 lessons. Go back to list.

14. Revised from the same author's 1914 lessons. Go back to list.

15. Revised from Wilcox's 1928 quarterly. Go back to list.

16. Likely the set of lessons that Desmond T. Doss was studying on Sabbath, May 5, 1945 (see page 12), before going on the mission where he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Go back to list.

17. Revised from 1929 quarterly. Go back to list.

18. Revised from 1924 lesson. Go back to list.

19. Adapted by Sabbath School Department. Go back to list.

20. An enlarged edition began being offered in this year. Go back to list.

21. Reprinted from 1920 lesson. Go back to list.

22. Reprint of 1949 lesson. Go back to list.

23. Reprint of 1954 lesson. Go back to list.

24. Rewritten by Leslie Hardinge. Go back to list.

25. Teachers' editions began to be offered between 1970's 2nd and 3rd quarters. Go back to list.

26. Rewritten by R. F. Cottrell. Go back to list.

27. Rewritten by R. C. Barger. Go back to list.

28. Rewritten by W. R. Lesher. Go back to list.

29. A major format change took place in 1973. Go back to list.

30. Large-print editons started in 1974. Go back to list.

31. Rewritten by W. R. Lesher. Go back to list.

32. The Daybreak series of lessons starts with this first quarter of 1975. Go back to list.

33. The popular language edition for overseas use edition begins. Go back to list.

34. The Covenant series begins; the size of the standard edition is changed to match the teacher's edition. Go back to list.

35. Between the second and third quarters, they began using perfect binding for the teacher's edition. Go back to list.

36. The easy reading edition for the North American Division begins in 1984. Go back to list.

37. Between the third and fourth quarters, the popular language edition for overseas use ends, and the easy English edition takes its place. Go back to list.

38. A major format change takes place, and the book-by-book curriculum begins to be followed. Go back to list.

39. Reprinted from 1980. Go back to list.

40. Reprinted from 1979. Go back to list.

41. M & M Theme begins. Go back to list.

42. Reprinted from 1991. Go back to list.

43. The Adult Bible Study Guide staff created this quarterly from the 1982 quarterly by Gerhard F. Hasel. Go back to list.

44. The Adult Bible Study Guide staff created this quarterly from the 1984 quarterly by James Londis & Geoffrey Garne. Go back to list.

45. Based on previously published material by Arnold V. Wallenkampf. Go back to list.

46. Reprinted from 1985. Go back to list.

47. The previous quarterly is likely the one from 1982, "God's Great Gift - The Everlasting Covenant", or the one from 2003.

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