The Bible
The Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration to specially chosen individuals who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. Through them, God has committed to humanity the knowledge necessary for salvation.

The Godhead
The Godhead is comprised of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although God is One, the Bible speaks of three divine, co-eternal Persons which we call the Trinity. God the eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. The eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, through whom the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged. The Holy Spirit draws and convicts men and women, extends spiritual gifts to the church.

Creation
God is Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture the authentic account of His creative activity. In six days the Lord made “the heaven and the earth” and all living things upon the earth, and rested on the seventh day of that first week. The first man and woman were made in the image of God as the crowning work of Creation and given responsibility over the world.

The Sabbath
The seventh-day of the week is observed as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of communion with God and one another. It is joyfully observed as a holy time from Friday evening to Saturday evening, from sunset to sunset, as a celebration of God’s creative and redemptive acts.

Christ Our Hope
In Christ's life of perfect obedience to God's will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life.

The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, the great principles of God's law, are exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes concerning human conduct and relationships.

Prophecy
Bible prophecies reveal God's plan for the future, provide meaning for today, and hope for those who have chosen to serve God.

Baptism
Baptism by immersion is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and acceptance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Life After Death
The grave is a place of unconsciousness, described in the Bible as sleep. When Jesus comes again, there will be a great resurrection of those who have died.

Christ's Second Advent
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church and the grand climax of the gospel. The Saviour's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. The time of that event has not been revealed, so we are urged to be spiritually ready at all times.

The New Earth
On the new earth, God will provide a glorious home for the redeemed with a perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy, and learning. God will dwell with His people, and suffering and death will not exist. All things, animate and inanimate, will declare that God is love, and He will reign forever.

Health
Because Scripture describes our bodies as the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures, and in many cases, by following a vegetarian diet. Because alcoholic beverages and tobacco are harmful to our bodies, Adventists abstain from such substances as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and complete health.

Global Community
Volunteers and church employees serve people at home and in the world's communities through neighborhood centers, on-site disaster areas, and short-term humanitarian and teaching projects around the globe. Church members support organizations like the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA), which provides basic needs such as water, food, clothing, and medical care to the world's people and communities in need. The Church has a variety of programs to assist people of any faith who have a desire to overcome smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction. It provides family life and community service workshops as well as youth camps.

Education
Adventist educational philosophy focuses on the holistic development of the student: mental, physical, social, and spiritual. The more than 45,500 teachers in Adventist schools form part of the world's largest Protestant church-related educational network. One of its institutions, Loma Linda University, in Loma Linda, California, continues to be on the cutting edge of medical technology with its proton accelerator and children's treatment center and its promotion of a healthful individual lifestyle. Andrews University, in Berrien Springs, Michigan, serves much of the world church with graduate seminary programs.

Communication
Seventh-day Adventists communicate hope by focusing on the quality of life that is complete in Christ. Communication serves to connect the worldwide family of believers through a variety of media and print methods. The Church facilitates communication on-line through the Adventists On-line forum on the CompuServe Information Service, which offers a rich database for computer users. The Church also prepares evangelistic programming and news for radio through Adventist World Radio (AWR), and, for television, with programs like It is Written and Breath of Life, as well as programming for a worldwide satellite broadcast system. The Church's official news agency is the Adventist News Network (ANN), based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Heritage
The name "Seventh-day Adventist" highlights two of the distinguishing characteristics of the denomination. "Seventh-day" refers to the day of the week, Saturday, on which Adventists worship God as instructed throughout the Bible. "Adventist" refers to the hope Seventh-day Adventists have in Jesus' soon return to this earth.