Jerry D. Thomas, a member of the Gem State Academy Church in Caldwell, Idaho, has authored a contemporary adaptation of The Desire of Ages, published this spring by Pacific Press as “Messiah.”
In his adaptation, Thomas has transformed Ellen White’s turn of the century writing style into modern prose for modern readers.
“I was immensely blessed by the opportunity to spend so many hours with The Desire of Ages,” Thomas says. “That book is a gift from God, and it is my privilege to bring this simplified version to readers today. ‘Messiah’ was written for students, young adults, new members, or anyone who finds the language of the original to be intimidating or hard to understand.”
Thomas worked closely with the Ellen G. White Estate in developing “Messiah.” “They were very supportive of the project and carefully went over the words to be certain that Ellen White’s message was not being distorted,” he says. “‘Messiah’ is certainly not intended to be a replacement for The Desire of Ages. I hope it leads people to read more of Ellen White’s beautiful book on the life of Jesus.”
Thomas served as a pastor and an academy religion teacher, before joining Pacific Press as a book editor 10 years ago. He serves the Idaho Conference on the Operating Board of Gem State Adventist Academy and has served on the Idaho Conference and North Pacific Union Conference K 12 boards.
He has authored more than 20 books, including the popular “Detective Zack,” “Great Stories for Kids,” and “Shoebox Kids Bible Stories” series. His books have been translated into five languages and are sold around the world. •
