The Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially organized in 1863, and it developed a passion for worldwide mission that was grounded in a strong sense of prophetic identity. While Adventism shared many fundamental beliefs with other denominations, its proclamation focused on its distinctive biblical teachings, which it came to describe as “pillar” doctrines. Assuming that people were already familiar with the person of Jesus and what He essentially stood for, we neglected to position our Lord and Savior at the center of all our “pillar” doctrines.

When the truth is reduced to a series of intellectual facts and behavioral requirements—something is missing. Truth isn’t just a bunch of abstract factual information to memorize, quote, and argue about. Truth is a Person, and His name is Jesus.

This book is a deliberate attempt to rediscover the beauty of our “pillars” and a number of our core beliefs as we give Jesus His rightful place at the center of it all.
—Dr. Gilbert Cangy, world youth director at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.