In 1922, in San Francisco, the separated brethren made one more attempt to reunite with the Seventh Day Adventist Church. May 11 – 31 of that year the leadership of the Adventist Church was having its full General Conference session.

The Reformers sent several petitions for a hearing but received no answer. The last petition was sent on May 22, 1922. But even this last and final appeal remained unanswered. Therefore, two brethren–O. Welp and H. Spanknöbel–were chosen to go to San Francisco to try to get an unscheduled hearing. While anxiously waiting for an answer to this last appeal, the Reform Movement delegates met Elder Daniells in the Civic Auditorium, where they approached him personally and asked if a hearing before the delegates would be granted them. His answer was:
“We could never permit these questions to come up before the whole delegation of the General Conference; that would cause the greatest disturbance we ever had.”

Rather than having the European apostasy exposed to the whole delegation, the military issue and the schism of 1914 was not put on the agenda. This was the last official attempt at reconciliation. When the Reform Movement delegates saw that the General Conference leaders would not consider the questions that had divided and separated the people of God, there was no other course to take but to appeal to the people in their respective churches. A leaflet dealing with the apostasy in Europe was printed and distributed to the attendees and delegates leaving the General Conference auditorium. Here is a portion from this document:

“JESUS WEEPS OVER HIS PEOPLE
Matthew 23:37
Dear Brother or Sister, ask yourself
the question–WHY?
A TERIBLE APOSTASY

The leadership of the Seventh-day Adventists have forsaken the principles of the third angel’s message,

a. Because our people in Europe were forced to take up arms.
b. Because the Seventh-day Adventist leaders have taken the position of granting liberty of conscience concerning the bearing of arms.
c. Because the indefinite position taken by the leaders influenced our brethren to violate the Sabbath.
d. Because the leaders have used the holy monies that were given to support the gospel to support the war and led others to do the same.
e. Because the members who protested against the above apostasy were disfellowshiped by the leaders.
f. Because these members who protested against the apostasy were persecuted by the leaders of the conference.
g. Because the leaders in Europe who brought about this terrible apostasy, were supported by the General Conference.
h. Because the testimonies, especially concerning health reform, are disregarded both in teaching and practice.
i. Because our schools are not free from textbooks, as well as instructors, which undermine the development of character.
j. Because our medical institutions have apostatized from the heaven-sent principles for treating the sick and have adopted principles which, according to the law and the testimony, are a curse.
k. Because the General Conference brethren refused to consider various appeals concerning this apostasy and would give no hearing to the deleglates who represented the Seventh-day Adventists who were disfellowshiped and have reorganized for a decided reformation.”

After the council held in Friedensau, Germany, and the refusal by the General Conference to grant a hearing in San Francisco, there arose many Adventists who were fully convinced that the Seventh Day Adventist Church had taken the wrong position in regard to the military service. Therefore, the honest in heart joined with the separated and faithful people of God. As the Reform Movement increased in membership and influence, the leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist Church met in Gland, Switzerland, on January 2, 1923, to counsel about the war question and to find some means to counteract the rapid growth of the Reform Movement. Since no way could be found to correct the blunders that had created this movement in the first place, the Adventist leaders laid plans for the success of their mission. At the Gland council, a decision was made to grant each member LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE in regard to military service and bearing of arms. The following resolution was passed on January 2, 1923.

“The executive committee of the European Division of the denomination of Seventh-day Adventists, assembled in conference at Gland, Switzerland, having carefully counseled concerning Sabbathkeeping, military service, bearing of arms in time of peace and during periods of war, unanimously declare themselves in harmony with the general teaching of their brethren of that denomination throughout the world, as folows:

“…We grant to each of our church members absolute liberty to serve his country, at all times and in all places, in accord with the dictates of his personal conscientious conviction. “54

Once again, as in the Friedensau session, the Adventist leadership introduced the the teaching of liberty of conscience. To grant liberty to transgress God’s law in every country and at any time, claiming it is not sin, is certainly a characteristic of worldly confusion. What does Sister White write about man’s liberty?

“Men are not at liberty to make a standard of law for themselves, to avoid God’s law and please their own inclinations. They must come to God’s great moral standard of righteousness.”55

“Were men free to depart from the Lord’s requirements and to set up a standard of duty for themselves, there would be a variety of standards to suit different minds and the government would be taken out of the Lord’s hands. The will of man would be made supreme, and the high and holy will of God–His purpose of love toward His creatures–would be dishonored, disrespected.”56