The Great Commission became his Ambition

Posted on August 16, 2025 
Filed under History, People

“While his name has faded from our collective memory, Adoniram Judson Jr. (1788–1850) was one of the most famous men of his century.

In the eyes of the world, Judson seemed destined for greatness. He excelled at nearly everything he did, advancing in Latin, rhetoric, and mathematics so quickly that he entered the College of Rhode Island (later Brown University) at the age of sixteen. During his senior year of college, Judson launched his own school while still managing to graduate as valedictorian.

He revered the great men of history, but his ‘burning ambition’ (as he put it) was to surpass them. One day, Judson believed, his name would shine.

He was right. But when it did, it wasn’t his story he told. …“

– At Desiring God, Ryan Griffith reminds us of Adoniram Judson, pioneer missionary to Burma.

Image adapted from The Life of Adoniram Judson, Volume 3, 1883, by Edward Judson.