It may be too late for your report. However, I do not have anything ready-made about the Seventh-Day Adventists. I do know that during the last few years they have worked hard to shed the image of being a cult. Let me give you a few of their characteristics.
- They go back to a movement led by American William Miller (1782-1849). Miller predicted that the Second Coming of Christ would occur on October 22, 1844. When it did not happen, the movement was widely ridiculed and lost many members. Some of the faithful followers, however, claimed to have discovered flaws in his calculations and started splinter groups. One of these groups was the Seventh Day Adventists.
- The Seventh Day Adventists still spend much time teaching prophecy and looking for the soon return of Christ. They often hold prophecy conferences that hide the fact that the conference is run by them.
- They highly exalt the visions of Ellen G. White (1827-1915). She claimed to have many revelations and the Adventists accept her words as the spirit of prophecy. She wrote numerous books that sold millions of copies. She served as the leader of the Seventh Day Adventists for many years.
- The Adventists require the keeping of the Sabbath--that is, Saturday. They teach that the failure of Christian churches to keep the Sabbath has delayed the Second Coming. They also teach (though you do not hear this as much now) that the worship of Christians on Sunday is the mark of the beast.
- They are trying to bring the soon return of Christ by preaching the gospel throughout the whole earth as per Matthew 24:14.
- They attempt to keep the dietary laws of the Old Testament, put extreme emphasis on health, and abstain from tobacco, tea, and coffee.
- They claim to believe in salvation by grace alone. However, their emphasis on the keeping of the law puts that into question in my mind. I will have to study that more.
