Morris Venden

Morris L. Venden
Born	April 5, 1932 Portland, Oregon
Died	February 10, 2013 (aged 80) College Place, Washington
Education	Pacific Union College
Spouse(s)	Marilyn Venden
Children	Lee Venden, Lynn Venden, and LuAnn Venden
Parent(s)	Melvin and Ivy Ruth Venden
Church	Seventh-day Adventist
Offices held	Pastor Lecturer Author

Morris L. Venden (April 5, 1932 – February 10, 2013) was a well-known Seventh-day Adventist preacher, teacher, and author, who also was known as a member of the Voice of Prophecy team as an associate speaker.

Biography

Venden was born to Melvin Venden and Ivy Ruth Venden.^[1] He graduated from Fresno Adventist Academy in 1949, and received a degree from Pacific Union College, as well as several honorary degrees. He died on February 10, 2013, in College Place, Washington succumbing to FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia), a rare form of dementia.^[2]

He pastored several large churches such as the La Sierra University Church and Pacific Union College Church on the campus of Pacific Union College in California, and Union College Church in Nebraska. Later he pastored the Azure Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church near Loma Linda, California, from which he retired in August, 1998.^[3]

Venden then joined the Voice of Prophecy team as an associate speaker. As well as appearing on Voice of Prophecy radio broadcasts, he was also a highly sought after speaker both nationally and internationally.

One source described him as a "master" of the art of preaching amongst Adventists.^[4] Tapes of his sermons have been distributed widely.^[3]

Venden was married to Marilyn, and together they ministered mostly to students and young professionals.^[3] His son Lee is also a pastor.^[5]

Venden was a strong advocate of both justification and sanctification by faith alone. He also was a strong supporter of the Pillars of Seventh-day Adventism including the investigative judgment. He is famous for his parables and dry humor. As a young minister he was deeply influenced by H. M. S. Richards, Jr., the founder of the Voice of Prophecy radio program.

Publications

Venden published more than 30 books.^[3] Many discuss the meaning of theology for the personal life.^[6]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• 1978, Salvation By Faith & Your Will. Southern Publishing. ISBN 0-8127-0190-9

Table of Contents 

1. A Modern Parable

2. What Man Can Do

3. The Freedom of Love

4. Being Good by Not Being Bad

5. Where the Battle Isn't

6. Jesus--Controlled by God

7. How to Handle Temptations

8. "One Thing is Needful"

• 1979, From Exodus To Advent

Table of Contents 

1. The Long Route Home

2. Deliverance at Midnight

3. From Egypt to Sinai

4. Melted Manna

5. Law and Gospel at Sinai

6. When God Answered Prayer Against His Will

7. We are Still Here

8. Sleeping in the Wilderness

9. Striking the rock, with Moses

10. You don't Have to Know the Reason

11. So Near and Yet So Far

12. The Mighty Shaking

13. Crossing the Jordan

14. Jericho to Ai

15. The Song of Moses and the Lamb

• 1980, Faith that works, (Daily Devotional), Review and Herald
• 1982, Good News and Bad News about the Judgment, Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-0484-X

Table of Contents 

1. Don't Read This Book if . . .

2. The Bad news of the Gospel

3. The Bad News About Obedience

4. The Good News About the Judgment

5. The Bad News about the Wedding

6. Good News for Legalists

7. Good News for Pharisees

8. The Good News about the Shaking

9. The Good News about the Atonement

• 1982, How to Make Christianity Real

Table of Contents 

1. The Most Important Question Ever Asked

2. The Good Fight of Faith

3. How to find Christ

4. Sorry Enough to Quit!

5. A Spiritual Prescription

6. The Patience of God

7. Working Out Your Own Salvation

8. I give up What?

9. Doing Worse When We Try

10. How to handle Temptation

• 1982, The Pillars, Pacific Press

Table of Contents 

1. The Landmarks Defined

2. The Pillars of the Faith

3. The Investigative Judgment Pillar

4. The Three Angels' Messages Pillar

5. The Law of God Pillar

6. The Faith of Jesus Pillar

7. The Sabbath Pillar

8. The Life in Christ Pillar

9. Is Sola Scripura Scriptural?

10. Building Under Construction

• 1982, The Return of Elijah, Pacific Press

Table of Contents 

1. The Elijah People

2. Elijah the First

3. Elijah the Second

4. Elijah the Third

5. So What's New Since 1844?

6. Do-it-Yourself Religion

7. No Rest for the Wicked

8. Getting God off the Hook

9. Living Without Sinning

10. Overcoming Known Sin

• 1983, Obedience of Faith, Review and Herald.

Table of Contents 

Obedience can come by Faith Alone ...

1. Because the Bible Says So

2. Because of the Nature of Mankind

3. Because of the Nature of Surrender

4. Because of God's Control

5. Because of the Sabbath Rest

6. Because of the Nature of Repentance

7. Because Obedience is the Fruit of Faith

8. Because of the Example of Jesus

• 1983, To Know God: A 5-Day Plan. Review and Herald. ISBN 0-8280-0220-7
• 1984, Common Ground, Review and Herald.

Table of Contents 

1. The Greatest Question Ever Asked

2. A Place Called Heaven

3. When Jesus Comes Again

4. Jesus, The Man who is God

5. Sinful by Birth

6. Christ Died for our Sins

7. The Greatest Trade Ever

8. God's Enemy, the Devil

9. A Lizard can grow a New Tail, but a Tail Can't Grow a New Lizard

• 1984, Uncommon Ground, Review and Herald.

Table of Contents 

1. Those Three Angels

2. The Beast and His Image and Mark

3. The Hour of God's Judgment

4. Wearing Work Clothes to a Wedding

5. Law and Grace

6. Jesus Revealed in Ten Commandments

7. The Faith of Jesus

8. Faith in the Crisis

9. A Day to Remember - I

10. A Day to Remember - II

11. Real Christians Never Die

12. Life in Christ

• 1984, Higher Ground, Review and Herald.

Table of Contents 

1. When Jesus Comes Again

2. Baptized Into Christ

3. Communion With Jesus

4. World's Greatest Robbery

5. Jesus Revealed by Your appearance

6. The Battle for Your Mind

7. Black, White, or Gray

8. Spiritual Gifts From God

9. Choose Ye this Day

• 1984, What Jesus Said About ...., Pacific Press

Table of Contents 

1. Introduction

2. What Jesus Said About Justification

3. What Jesus Said About The Faith Relationship

4. What Jesus Said About Himself

5. What Jesus Said About Sanctification

6. What Jesus Said About Perfection

7. What Jesus Said About the Investigative Judgment

8. What Jesus Said About Prophets

9. What Jesus Said About Devil Possession

10. What Jesus Said About the Mismanagement of Church Funds

11. What Jesus Said About the Atonement

• 1986, How Jesus Treated People, Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-0621-4
• 1986, Parables of the Kingdom, Pacific Press

Table of Contents 

1. Introduction

2. The Sower, The Seed, and the Soil

3. The Tares

4. Jesus, the Good Samaritan

5. Of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

6. The Prodigal Sons

7. The Heavenly Pay Scale

8. The Race for the Kingdom

9. My Kingdom is Not of this World

10. You Can't be Forgiven Unless you Forgive

11. The Least of These My Bretheren

12. A fool and His Money

• 1986, Your Friend, the Holy Spirit, Pacific Press

Table of Contents 

1. Your Friend, the Holy Spirit

2. The Work of the Holy Spirit

3. The Holy Spirit and Conviction

4. The Holy Spirit and Conversion

5. The Holy Spirit and Cleansing

6. The Crisis of Surrender

7. The Holy Spirit and the Commission for Service

8. How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

9. The Search for the Spectacular

10. The Gift of Tongues

11. The Fourth Angel's Message

• 1987, How to Know God's Will in Your Life. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-0719-9

Table of Contents 

God's Will in Your Life

Step 1: God's Will and Your Will

Step 2: God's Will and Your Feelings

Step 3: God's Will and His Word

Step 4: God's Will and His Providence

Step 5: God's Will and Your Friends

Step 6: God's Will and Your Prayer

Step 7: God's Will and Your Decision

Step 8: God's Will and the Swinging Doors

• 1987, 95 Theses on Righteousness by Faith. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-1954-5
• 1988, Here I Come, Ready Or Not. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-0733-4

Table of Contents 

1. The Coming Crisis

2. How to Be Ready

3. Why the Delay?

4. The Loud Cry of the Third Angel

5. It's Going to Rain!

6. Preparation for the Latter Rain

7. The 144,000

8. The Times of Trouble

9. Without an Intercessor

• 1991, Hard to Be Lost, Pacific Press

Table of Contents 

1. Hope for the Backslider

2. Hard to be Lost

3. Bad News and Good News

4. The Church that makes God Sick

5. From Lukewarm to Hot

6. God has No Grandchildren

7. Preventive Religion

8. More Preventive Religion

9. Fishing on the Right Side of the Boat

10. Jesus Only

11. Without Jesus It's Rubbish

• 1992, Love God and Do as You Please. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-1089-0

Table of Contents 

1. True or False Obedience

2. Loving the Law

3. Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

4. Black, White or Gray, Part 1

5. Black, White or Gray, Part 2

6. Situation Ethics

7. Sleeping in Class

• 1993, God Says, But I Think. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-1137-4

Table of Contents 

1. God Says, But I Think

2. People-Centered People

3. Protesting the Protestants

4. Jesus and the Prophets

5. Wonderful Counselor

6. Spiritual Schizophrenia

7. The Woman at the Well - Part 1

8. The Woman at the Well - Part 2

9. The Grasshopper Complex

• 1994, Modern Parables. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-1196-X
• 1995, The Last Trolley Out. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-936785-92-6

Table of Contents 

1. Faith in the Crisis

2. How to be Ready

3. Why the Delay

4. An End time Overview

5. Revival and Reformation

6. Satans Delusions

7. The 144,000

8. Sealed for Eternity

9. The Loud Cry

10. The Latter Rain

11. Latter Rain Preparation

12. The Mark of the Beast

13. The Times of Trouble

14. The Seven Last Plagues

15. Jacob's Trouble

16. Without an Intercessor

17. God's People Delivered

18. When Adam Meets Adam

19. Asking Questions

20. The Trolley

• 1996, Never Without an Intercessor, Pacific Press, Update of Good News and Bad News about the Judgment

Table of Contents 

1. Don't Read this Book if ...

2. The Bad News of the Gospel

3. The Trouble with Grace

4. The Bad News about Obedience

5. The Good News about the Judgment

6. The Preadvent Judgment is Biblical

7. Never Without an Intercessor

8. Living Without Sinning

9. Overcoming Known Sin

10. The Bad News about the Wedding

11. Revelation 3:5 for Sinners

12. Good News for Legalists

13. Good News for Pharisees

14. The Good News about the Atonement

• 1999, Faith That Works. Review and Herald. ISBN 0-8280-1435-3
• 2005, Why Didn't They Tell Me?: Sharing Jesus Isn't Something We Do, It's Who We Are. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-2080-2
• More About Jesus Seminar, vol. 1., vol. 2., and vol. 3., DVD with his son Lee Venden.
• It's Who You Know. Pacific Press. ISBN 0-904748-46-4

See also

• Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Seventh-day Adventist theology
• Seventh-day Adventist eschatology
• History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• 28 fundamental beliefs
• Questions on Doctrine
• Teachings of Ellen White
• Inspiration of Ellen White
• Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Investigative judgment
• The Pillars of Adventism
• Second Advent
• Baptism by Immersion
• Conditional Immortality
• Historicism
• Three Angels' Messages
• End times
• Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism
• Ellen G. White
• Adventist
• Seventh-day Adventist Church Pioneers
• Seventh-day Adventist worship

References

1. Venden's mother Ivy wrote Along the Sawdust Trail. ISBN 0-8163-1725-9 (publisher's page)
2. "Former PUC Church Pastor, Adventist Leader, Morris Venden Passes Away". Pacific Union College. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
3. Review and Herald Products
4. Malcolm Bull and Keith Lockhart. Seeking a Sanctuary, p229
5. Pacific Union Recorder
6. Historical Dictionary of Seventh-day Adventists by Gary Land, p349

• See also Martin Weber. Who's Got the Truth: Making Sense out of Five Different Adventist Gospels. Columbia, Maryland: Calvary Connections, 1994. Venden is one of the five thinkers evaluated in the book.

External links

• Articles by Venden as catalogued in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)