Marvin Moore, Editor of Signs of the Times, Passes to His Rest

Story by Alicia Adams

Marvin Leroy Moore, editor of Signs of the Times, died in the morning of September 27, 2021, at his home in Caldwell, Idaho, with his wife, Lois, by his side. He was 84 years of age.

Marvin Moore was born, March 14, 1937, to Fred and Blanche Moore, who were missionaries in Lima, Peru. His sister, Evelyn, was born a year and a half later. His family eventually moved to Argentina and later to Cuba. His mother home-schooled him through sixth grade.

Marvin graduated from Forest Lake Academy. While there, he won first prize playing the piano piece “Malaguena” in a talent show. He attended Southwestern Junior College and later graduated from Union College in 1959 with a degree in theology and the desire to be a college Bible teacher.

From there Marvin attended the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, which at that time was located at Washington Missionary College. He interned with the Southern California Conference in Pomona, California.

The Mojave, California, church was his first pastorate; Westminster, California, his second. From there he went to teach Bible classes at Mt. Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Montana. He then decided to return to school and obtained a master's degree in church history from Andrews University. During this time, he read a book about writing and realized this was an area of interest to him.

After graduating from Andrews University, Marvin took a job as a pastor with the Texas Conference. His first marriage ended soon after. For several years, Marvin provided for his children by painting residential and commercial properties. It was during this time that he began writing stories and articles for Adventist magazines. He also took over editing and publishing the first community newspaper in Keene, Texas—The Penny Gazette. Whenever he would hear a siren, Marvin would jump in the car, kids and all, and take off toward the scene to collect hot news for the paper.

To hone his writing skills, Marvin attended the University of Texas at Dallas, earning a master’s degree in creative writing. Around 1974, he began working as a freelance writer and published his first book, Trial by Fire, a compilation of stories about bravery. Shortly thereafter, he met and married the love of his life, Lois Wilson, on December 20, 1976. They both had a passion for serving God and others.

While continuing to write, Marvin returned to pastoring for the Texas Conference, serving the Alvarado and Waco churches. In 1985 he was offered his dream job at Pacific Press where he served for a total of 36 years, first as book editor and for the last 27 years as editor of Signs of the Times magazine.

In addition to his career as an editor, Marvin was a prolific author and speaker, writing nearly forty books and hundreds of articles. Many of his books and articles were translated into numerous languages for international distribution. He traveled the world to share his faith in God and his passion for the Christian gospel. He was a longtime member of the Caldwell Seventh-day Adventist Church and served on the board, taught Bible lessons, gave Bible studies, and supported the ministry of the church in various ways.

Marvin’s dedicated service was greatly appreciated by the world church and was an inspiration to many.

“Marvin was a stalwart defender of God’s biblical truth and as a scholar had a special gift in prodding people’s thinking towards eternal truth,” declared Elder Ted N. C. Wilson, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. “We thank God for working through Marvin in this capacity as editor of Signs of the Times for 27 years! Many people will be in heaven because of their contact with Signs of the Times and Marvin’s work.”

Evangelist and author Mark Finley recalled, “I first met Marvin over thirty years ago and was deeply impressed with his clear grasp of end-time events centered in Christ. His approach to prophecy was solidly Adventist and extremely practical. The Seventh-day Adventist church will miss the clarity of his voice through the written page in Signs of the Times.”

“Marvin’s commitment to God and His church and expressed through his writing, preaching, and editing have made an eternal difference in many lives,” says Dale Galusha, president of Pacific Press Publishing Association. “He will be greatly missed as a friend, co-worker, and editor.”

Marvin is preceded in death by his parents Fred and Blanche. He is survived by his wife Lois with whom he spent forty-four happy years. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Charles Griffin, his daughter Sheri Moore, his son Barry Moore, daughter-in-law Lisa Joss-Moore, and his granddaughter Mia Moore.

A celebration of his life will be held on the lawn of Pacific Press at 5 p.m. MT on Sabbath, October 2, 2021 (1350 N. Kings Road, Nampa, Idaho).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pacific Press Publishing Association for Signs World Evangelism which sends Signs of the Times and Pocket Signs (small spiritual pamphlets) to those who cannot afford to subscribe.