The church emphasizes diet and health, including adhering to Jewish dietary law, advocating vegetarianism, and its holistic view of human nature—i.e., that the body, soul, and spirit form one inseparable entity.

[12] The church holds the belief that "God created the universe, and in a recent six-day creation made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day."

[17][18] Hiram Edson and other Millerites came to believe that Miller's calculations were correct, but that his interpretation of Daniel 8:14 was flawed as he assumed Christ would come to cleanse the world.

[18] Over the next few decades this understanding of a sanctuary in heaven developed into the doctrine of the investigative judgment, an eschatological process that commenced in 1844, in which every person would be judged to verify their eligibility for salvation and God's justice will be confirmed before the universe.

Bates was introduced to the Sabbath doctrine through a tract written by Millerite preacher Thomas M. Preble, who in turn had been influenced by Rachel Oakes Preston, a young Seventh Day Baptist.

[21] For about 20 years, the Adventist movement consisted of a small, loosely knit group of people who came from many churches and whose primary means of connection and interaction was through James White's periodical The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.

[24][25] In the 1870s, the denomination turned to evangelism through missionary work and revivals, tripling its membership to 16,000 by 1880 and establishing a presence beyond North America during the late 19th century.

[29][30][31][32] According to Adventist scholars, the teachings and writings of White ultimately proved influential in shifting the church from largely semi-Arian[33] roots towards Trinitarianism.

[46] The major weekly worship service occurs on Saturday, typically commencing with Sabbath School which is a structured time of small-group bible study at church.

[49] Since the Seventh-day Adventist Church began in the 1860s, it has advocated its members to eat a vegetarian diet,[50] particularly the consumption of kosher foods described in Leviticus 11,[51][52] meaning abstinence from pork, rabbit, shellfish, and other animals proscribed as "unclean".

The research concludes that Adventists live longer because they do not smoke or drink alcohol, have a day of rest every week, and maintain a healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet that is rich in nuts and beans.

[62] Dan Buettner named Loma Linda, California a "Blue Zone" of longevity, and attributes that to the large concentration of Seventh-day Adventists and their health practices.

[70] Adventists hold that marriage is a divine institution established by God during the events of the Book of Genesis prior to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden.

These attitudes are reflected in one of the church's fundamental beliefs: For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives.

While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit.

[5][85] Conservative Adventists avoid certain recreational activities which are considered to be a negative spiritual influence, including dancing, rock music and secular theatre.

The objectives of the Adventurer Curriculum are: to develop a Christ-like character; to experience the joy and satisfaction of doing things well; to express their love for Jesus in a natural way; to learn good sportsmanship and strengthen their ability to get along with others; to discover their God-given abilities and to learn how to use them to benefit self and serve others; to discover God's world; to improve their understanding of what makes families strong; to develop parental support for the training of children.

Pathfinders exposes young people to such activities as camping, community service, personal mentorship, and skills-based education, and trains them for leadership in the church.

Yearly "Camporees" are held in individual Conferences, where Pathfinders from the region gather and participate in events similar to Boy Scouts' Jamborees.

[98] In July 8, 2015, leaders who represented the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted at their General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas, against the ordination of women becoming pastors.

Released data showed the membership growing by 2.5% in North America, a rapid clip for that part of the world, where many Christian denominations are declining.

[104] In 2017, the church had members in almost every country and territory in the world, except for Brunei, Comoros, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Iran, Jersey, Maldives, Monaco, Somalia and Tokelau.

[14] Adventist mission workers seek to preach the gospel, promote health through hospitals and clinics, run development projects to improve living standards, and provide relief in times of calamity.

The church embraces an official commitment to the protection and care of the environment[114] as well as taking action to avoid the dangers of climate change:[115] "Seventh-day Adventism advocates a simple, wholesome lifestyle, where people do not step on the treadmill of unbridled over-consumption, accumulation of goods, and production of waste.

A reformation of lifestyle is called for, based on respect for nature, restraint in the use of the world's resources, reevaluation of one's needs, and reaffirmation of the dignity of created life.

Traditional Adventist evangelistic efforts consisted of street missions and the distribution of tracts such as The Present Truth, which was published by James White as early as 1849.

Since then, Adventists have been on the forefront of media evangelism; It Is Written,[118] founded by George Vandeman, was the first religious program to air on color television in March 1965 and the first major Christian ministry to utilize satellite uplink technology.

However, Samples also claimed that "Traditional Adventism" appeared "to be moving further away from a number of positions taken in QOD", and at least at Glacier View seemed to have "gained the support of many administrators and leaders".

[142][143][144] An independent lawyer specializing in plagiarism, Vincent L. Ramik, was engaged to undertake a study of Ellen G. White's writings during the early 1980s and concluded that they were "conclusively unplagiaristic [sic]".

[145] When the plagiarism charge ignited a significant debate during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Adventist General Conference commissioned a major study by Dr. Fred Veltman.