"No one in history has preached to more people in live audiences than Billy Graham. In late 1949, Graham launched the first of his major crusades in Los Angeles, which lasted a total of eight weeks (other notables included a twelve-week crusade in London in 1954, and a 16-week one in New York City in 1957). However, it was the Los Angeles crusade which made Billy Graham a well-known figure, due in large part to media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Graham had been preaching against Communism in some of his sermons, and Hearst liked what he heard. He communicated two famous words to his editors: “Puff Graham.” Suddenly, publications like TIME, Newsweek, A.P., Quick, and LIFE all featured Billy Graham, and he was launched into national prominence. Graham himself wrote in his autobiography that that crusade “forever changed the face of my ministry and my life.” The Los Angeles crusade was dubbed the “Canvas Cathedral” due to the temporary tents that were set up to accommodate the crowds. Its three-week run was extended to eight weeks, finally ending on November 20, 1949.
In the midst of this remarkable stretch, Billy Graham preached Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” In retrospect, it was a fascinating set of circumstances: the man who would become the most famous preacher of the 20th century preaching America's most famous sermon to a new audience many generations later."
