FACTS AND COMMENTS About the
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
Seventh-day Adventists Are Often Asked:
“Do You Believe Mrs. Ellen G. White Had the Prophetic Gift?”
Yes, Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. Ellen G. White had the prophetic gift. They believe that God revealed Himself to her in visions and dreams, and that through her He sent divinely-inspired messages to His church. Here are four of their numerous, well-supported reasons:
1.	God’s Word declares that spiritual gifts, including prophecy, will be present in the church throughout the New Testament period. (See 1 Cor. 12:1-11, 27-31; Eph. 4:7, 8, 11-15.)
2.	The Holy Scriptures state specifically that God’s last-day, remnant, commandment-keeping church will possess the gift of the Spirit of prophecy. (See Rev. 12:17; 19:10.)
3.	Mrs. White’s life and work provide overwhelming evidence of her divine calling.
Printed in l!SA and issued by F.llen G. White Estate, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. 12501 Old Columbia Pike. Silver Spring, Maryland 20904.
Mrs. E. G. White (1827-1915) Messenger of the Lord, writer, counselor, and friend of youth.
(a)	She revealed secrets that God only could bring to light.
(b)	Predictions made by her regarding future events came to pass as foretold.
(c)	In her voluminous writings she set forth principles and scientific facts that were unknown to most people in her day but today are widely accepted as proven facts.
4.	Because her life bore the fruit of a prophet (see Matt. 7:15-20). Constantly she labored to relieve suffering, to inspire courage, and to save the lost. Her whole life was devoted to the service of her Master. As a result of her earnest labors, tens of thousands of souls around the world have found Christ. Though she now rests from her labors, her works do follow her. Yes, the fruit of her godly example testifies that she had the gift of prophecy.
Action of 1990 General Conference Session in Indianapolis
Ever since 1867, resolutions of gratitude to God for the rich spiritual gifts that He has bestowed on His church have been voted at General Conference sessions. . . . We are grateful to God not only for giving us the Holy Scriptures but also for giving us the last-day manifestations of the gift of prophecy in the life and work of Ellen G. White. Her inspired writings have been invaluable to the church throughout the world in countless ways.. . .
In the past. General Conferences in session have voted recommendations that urged wider translation, distribution, and use of the writings of Ellen G. White. We, the delegates to the fifty-fifth General Conference session, wish to affirm and give added emphasis to these recommendations. But, more important, we reaffirm our acceptance of this counsel from God and commit ourselves to live by the principles contained in it. We pray that God will pour out His Holy Spirit in latter-rain power on the church, thus hastening the glorious day of our Lord's return.—Adventist Review, July 26, 1990.
Best-Known and Best-Loved
Mrs. Ellen G. White, who died July 16, 1915, was the best-known Seventh-day Adventist in the world. This distinction resulted partly from the fact that she traveled widely in the United States and Canada and spent more than ten years in Western Europe and Australia. She authored many volumes in areas of Christian life and responsibility. Some of these books have been translated into the world’s leading languages—Steps to Christ in more than 142. She was a co-founder of numerous sanitariums, colleges, and publishing houses. She was the Lord’s messenger, and this distinctive role awakened many inquiries wherever she went.
But Mrs. White was not only known because of her public work but because of her loving nature. Boys and girls who were guests in her home were attracted by her warm Christian spirit and her friendly smile. When Mrs. H. E. Rogers, wife of a former General Conference statistician, was a child, she lived for a time in Mrs. White’s home. “I loved her,” she said, “and called her ’Mother.’ She took such an interest in our childhood games. At night she would tell us Bible stories and pray with us, then off to bed we would go. Once a week she would let us have a pillow fight. She was warm and human.”
At a meeting of the 1909 General Conference session in Takoma Park, Maryland, Mrs. White was the speaker at the eleven o’clock hour. When twelve o’clock came, her son, W. C. White, tapped her on the shoulder. “Mother,” he said, “it is time to close.” Whereupon Mrs. White spoke up and explained, “My son tells me that it is time to close.” And she was about to sit down, but a woman on the front row of seats stood up and cried out, “Quench not the Holy Spirit of God!” In spite of this urging to continue speaking, Mrs. White took her place in the chair on the rostrum. She knew that there was an afternoon meeting and that there was important business to be done. The fact that she was God’s messenger did not lead her to presume upon established order and plans. She was always thoughtful and considerate.
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Her neighbors near her Elmshaven home in northern California spoke affectionately of her frequent visits to nearby homes with baskets of food and articles of clothing for those in need. They described her as the little old white-haired woman who visited people in her horse-drawn carriage and talked to them so lovingly about Jesus.
It was these warm elements of Christian character that were the foundation of her greatness, and explain the universality of her influence. She was best-known because she was best-loved.
—D. A. Delafield Life Member, White Estate Board of Trustees
Lay a Firm Foundation
God has made provision for His remnant people to endure the greatest struggle ever faced by His church. With the Word of God as the anchor of the soul and the last-day prophetic gift to give comfort and strength, each Seventh-day Adventist is asked by God to stand firm for truth amid the storm that is about to be unleashed in the closing events of the great controversy.
The gift of prophecy has been given to this church by God to help prepare His people for what is about to come. I appeal to each member to take advantage of the time of peace we are now enjoying to dig deep into the Word of God and the writings of Ellen White. Immerse yourselves in these inspired writings, commit passages to memory from both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Lay a firm foundation under your feet.
Soon all that can be shaken will be shaken. Only those who know what they believe as a result of intense, personal study will remain. I pray that you will be one of the remnant.
—Robert S. Folkenberg, President General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
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Spiritual Truth and Beauty
Next to the Bible the inspired writings of Ellen G. White are the world’s greatest source of spiritual truth and beauty. Their messages are profound, their lessons are relevant, their language is exalted, and the effects are lasting. I have no doubt but that the Spirit of Prophecy is indeed a special gift to the church and is a crucial factor in our rich history and future success.—Calvin B. Rock, General Vice-president of the General Conference.
We Believe in the Spirit of Prophecy!
Testimonies of Young People
Although I grew up as an Adventist and have been familiar with Ellen White’s writings all my life, it wasn’t until I experienced personal conversion and began my own Bible study that the Spirit of Prophecy became precious to me.
The writings enhance my spiritual life by clarifying the truth and beauty of the Bible-the foundation of my belief.—Jodi McKellip Pharo, young adult, Secretary at ADRA International.
I have learned through the years, from my parents and in Seventh-day Adventist schools, of God’s unconditional love for each of us. I never doubted that this was the truth, but I needed to experience His love for myself. The Spirit of Prophecy helped me to form my own perception of God. The writings of Ellen White brought to life the reality of God to me. With the Spirit of Prophecy as a tool, I have been able to develop a personal relationship with God.—Walter L. Pearson, III, Sophomore, Columbia Union College.
One of the characteristics I admire most about Ellen White is the courage she had to stand up for right. So many times we are afraid to step out alone in defense of what we believe. Ellen White never stopped to ask “What will people think?” And I take courage from people who will stand for what they believe regardless of the consequences.—Jeff Scoggins, young adult, Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Youth Leader Expresses His Faith
Looking back over my life, it is without question that God has been leading me all the way. As far back as I can remember, the Spirit of Prophecy played a major role in my life. I thank God for this because it has been a real blessing to me in my personal life as well as in my life as a church leader. Books were scarce in our home in those days. Maybe we had one or possibly two copies of Spirit of Prophecy books. The night before I left home to enter the U.S. Military, someone gave me my very own copy of Steps to Christ as a going away gift. I received it with mixed emotions. That book became such a vital part of my everyday life that on any given day, whatever the conditions, I was either reading it on break, or it was on my person. It was God’s messages to me through the Spirit of Prophecy that enabled me to make some very serious decisions for Christ that have brought me thus far. I encourage young and old to make an earnest study of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy daily. It will not be a waste of time. One thing that I can testify about the Spirit of Prophecy is that I have never seen it make a good person bad .. . only better; but I have seen it make a bad person good. Truly the Spirit of Prophecy is the Spirit of God speaking to His people from the printed page.—Richard Barron, Associate Director, GC Youth Ministry.
My Personal Memories of Sister White
by Mrs. Alma E. McKibbin
Veteran Church School Teacher and Author
I heard her speak at the Healdsburg, California, camp meeting in 1891, just before she sailed for Australia. It was a Sunday afternoon. Her subject was temperance. The great tent was crowded. Healdsburg was a wine-growing area with many large wineries. The town itself had eleven saloons. As Mrs. White was speaking, she looked out over the hills covered with vineyards and said, “Oh, beautiful, beautiful Healdsburg, how I love you! But,” she paused, “But the curse
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of God is upon you! You have taken the beautiful fruit that God gave to cheer the heart of man and have made it a poison that destroys both body and soul.” I shall never forget the calm that fell over the people.
Within a few years the phylloxera (a disease of the vineyard) got into all the vineyards in Sonoma County and destroyed them. I said to a friend of mine, “Do you remember what Mrs. White said in that temperance sermon she preached at the camp meeting?” “Why, yes,” she said, “I hadn’t thought of it before. She said, ‘The curse of God is upon you.’” And I said, “And it is!”
Mrs. White would often come to Pacific Union College and speak to the students. 1 will mention only her last visit there. I think it was in the fall of 1913. She died in 1915. As nearly as I can remember, this is the substance of what she said, “Dear young people, I am so glad that God has permitted me once more to speak to you. I was young like you when God called me to His work. I put my armor on, and I have never taken it off. Young people, put your hand to the plow and never turn back.” Then she paused a moment, “My work is almost done, my strength is not what it was once, but so long as I live I shall never take my armor off.”
On the 13th of February, 1915, she fell at the door of her room and suffered a broken hip. She lived five months. She worked even while she was sick. She said, “I do not want to leave an unfinished work.” Her last words were, “I know in whom I have believed.”
A Bible Teacher Shares a Few Thoughts About
ANCIENT AND MODERN PROPHETS
1.	Some prophets in Biblical times conveyed their inspired messages only orally, not in written form.
2.	The inspired writings of some prophets, such as Nathan and Gad, were not included in the sacred canon, known today as the Bible.
“Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer.” —1 Chron. 29:29; see also 2 Chron. 9:29.
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3.	Prophets were called by God not only to convey new messages but to confirm or clarify the meaning of various scriptures.
“And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest. . . saying, Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.
“So Hilkiah the priest . . . went unto Huldah the prophetess, and communed with her. And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel . . . , Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read.”—2 Kings 22:12-16.
4.	Prophets were present in the church in the days of the apostles.
“We entered into the house of Philip. . . . And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”—Acts 21:8-11.
5.	The Bible declares that the prophetic gift will appear in the last days when the Holy Spirit is poured out.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”—Joel 2:28-32.
6.	In the book of Revelation, the apostle John states that God’s last-day church will possess “the testimony of Jesus Christ,” which he defines as “the spirit of prophecy.”
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”—Rev. 12:17. “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”—Rev. 19:10.
7.	Seventh-day Adventists have applied the Biblical tests of a true prophet to the life and work of Ellen G. White, and believe that she met every test successfully.
a.	The predictions of a true prophet come to pass. “When the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.”—Jer. 28:9.
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b.	The messages of true prophets agree with the Holy Scriptures. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”—Isa. 8:20. “The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His [God’s] will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. vii.
c.	True prophets exalt and glorify Christ. “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:1, 2). From Ellen White’s pen we read: “The crucified Messiah is the central point of all Christianity.”— Counsels to Teachers, pp. 23, 24. “We are believers in Christ, ... in His divinity and in His pre-existence.”—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 58. Christ is God. (See The Desire of Ages, pp. 19, 3, 24, 111, 207, 296.) We are saved by Christ. (See The Desire of Ages, pp. 175, 806.)
d.	Prophets may be judged by the results of their work. “By their fruits ye shall know them.“—Matt. 7:20. A. G. Daniells, for two decades president of the General Conference, who worked with Mrs. White for 25 years and for 20 years after her death had opportunity for reflection upon her life, wrote:
“It is my deep conviction that Mrs. White’s life far transcends the life of anyone I have ever known or with whom I have been associated. She was uniformly pleasant, cheerful, and courageous. She was never careless, flippant, or in any way cheap in conversation or manner of life. She was the personification of serious earnestness regarding the things of the kingdom. I never once heard her boast of the gracious gift God had bestowed upon her, or of the marvelous results of her endeavors.”—The Abiding Gift of Prophecy, p. 368.
Has her life exemplified the Saviour? Have people been helped by these writings? Are her writings and her life Christ-centered? The answers to these questions can easily be found by anyone who looks at the life of Ellen White and studies her writings with an open heart.— Jack Blanco, Chairman, Department of Religion, Southern College, Collegedale, Tennessee.
The General Conference office building in Silver Spring, Maryland. Completed in 1989, the building houses all of the General Conference departments and entities.
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The Spirit of Prophecy and
The World Church
by Kenneth H. Wood Chairman, White Estate Board of Trustees
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is global in message, mission, and organization. It is established in approximately 190 of the world’s currently recognized 215 countries. Orally and through its publications it proclaims the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6) in more than 750 languages and dialects. And, in spite of national, racial, and cultural diversities, it maintains the kind of unity envisioned by Christ when He prayed, “that they all may be one” (John 17:21).
How can the unique, international nature of the church be explained?
The basic answer, of course, is found in the gospel commission given by Christ Himself: “Go ye . . . and teach all nations, . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19, 20). In obedience to this command, Seventh-day Adventists throughout the decades have pressed forward, seeking to reach the entire world with the gospel message.
But it was not always so. At first, church members had a limited understanding of what Christ meant when He told His followers to go “teach all nations.” But through the ministry of Ellen G. White God enlarged their understanding. Over and over the inspired voice was heard: “To us also the commission is given” (Evangelism, p. 15); “the weighty obligation of warning a world of its coming doom is upon us. . . . The church, devotedly consecrated to the work, is to carry the message to the world. ... A world, perishing in sin, is to be enlightened” (Ibid., p. 16); “Our books . . . are to be translated into every language, for to all the world the gospel is to be preached” (Testimonies vol. 9, p. 34).
Although the total world membership of the church was less than 30,000 at the time, under inspiration Ellen White declared in 1885: “More than one thousand will soon be converted in one day, most of whom will trace their first convictions to the reading of our publications.” (Evangelism p. 693). Today, due in large part to Ellen White’s urging to evangelize the world, church membership is more than eight million, and baptisms during a recent quarter totaled not merely one thousand in a day but more than two thousand!
Ellen White was an internationalist in the best sense of the word. Although bom an American, she was not a chauvinist. She spent eleven years of her 70-year ministry in lands outside North America, nine of those years in Australia. Wherever she ministered she sought to lower national and cultural barriers; she held up unity in Christ as the most important goal to be achieved. During her two-year ministry in Europe she “tried to present the danger of building up separate interests between different nationalities.”—Historical Sketches, p. 173.
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Ellen White’s spiritual messages always rose above national boundaries and racial differences, and spoke to the universal need of the human heart. All parts of the world church benefited from the broad principles set forth in her teachings. People who had fallen into sin gained new courage to live the life of victory. The timid and fearful were inspired to undertake projects that people considered impossible. Educational and medical institutions were raised up in response to her appeals and well-thought-out plans.
Today, even though many decades have passed since her death in 1915, through her writings Ellen White continues to win men and women for Christ and to influence the church. Through the publications bearing her name, people the world over have been drawn closer to Christ; they have been led to study the Holy Scriptures; and they have been inspired to dedicate their lives to helping others prepare for the Second Advent.
More than ever Ellen White today belongs to the world church. Not only are her writings being translated and published in book form on almost every continent, through computer technology her writings are available on CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory). And in twelve locations at institutions of higher learning throughout the world—in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, England, India, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States—Ellen G. White-SDA research centers have been established. At these centers students research the approximately 50,000 pages of Ellen White’s letters and manuscripts, as well as about 3,500 handwritten documents and 60 diaries.
Through these writings Ellen White’s voice can still be heard, saying, “Fill the world with the message of His truth, and keep pressing on into the regions beyond.”—Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 30.
Every year tens of thousands of individuals of all races are baptized and join the Adventist family on their march to the kingdom of God.
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The Personal Ellen White
Our knowledge of Ellen White is usually associated with her as a writer and a speaker. It is true that these activities were a major part of her work. But her ministry in this church was certainly not limited to these public roles. To know Ellen White as a person is important as well. Did she have the same hopes and desires and needs that we all have? What was she like as a wife, mother, neighbor, and a steward of means? Fortunately, we have a rich record of this personal life.
Married to James White when he was 26 and she nearly 19, her life record is one of complete dedication to the work that God gave her as His prophetic messenger. James and Ellen White gave of themselves tirelessly from the beginning.
It was a happy marriage even though subject to the unavoidable tensions involved in public life. James once spoke of it this way:
“We were married August 30, 1846, and from that hour to the present she has been my crown of rejoicing.”—Life Sketches of James and Ellen White, p. 125.
Ellen White, in an interview, once said about her husband, “No better man ever trod shoe leather.”
Four sons were bom to them. One died as a three-month-old infant. Henry, their oldest, died of pneumonia at the age of 16. Because of demands upon their time, the Whites often had to leave their children with others. She once wrote about it:
“Although the cares that came upon us in connection with the publishing work, and other branches of the cause involved much perplexity, the greatest sacrifice which I was called upon to make in connection with the work was to leave my children frequently to the care of others.”—Life Sketches, p. 165.
Many of her letters to her sons have been preserved. She often used these letters to encourage them in their Christian experience. One brief excerpt seems to sum up her wishes for them. Writing to 12-year-old Henry, she said, “Do right because you love to.” In the same letter she said, “Preserve these letters I write to you, and read them often; and if you should be left without a mother’s care, they will be a help to you.”
Four years later he died; he had saved the letter, as requested.
James and Ellen White gave not only of themselves but of their money for the advancement of the church. Writing in 1888, she said:
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“I do not begrudge a cent that I have put into the cause, and I have kept on until my husband and myself have about $30,000 invested in the cause of God. We did this a little at a time and the Lord saw that He could trust us with His means, and that	we would	not	bestow
it on	ourselves. He kept pouring it in and	we kept letting	it out.”—Ms	3, 1888.
But their “giving” went far beyond money. Her home was open to orphan children from age three into the teen years. It was also open to the sick. While in Australia she especially enjoyed going to auctions, where she purchased furniture and other items to share with those in need. She also provided clothing and food to neighbors. Once, when a dentist refused to take a fee for work on her teeth, she had a load of wood delivered to his door the next day.
Ellen White lost her husband in death half-way through her ministry to the church. But she continued with her son W. C. (Willie) as an important helper.
In her later years, while living at Elmshaven, a new, young housekeeper joined her. Ellen White, sensing her fears at joining the family of one who had been given the prophetic gift, spoke to her:
“Sister Nelson, you have come into	my home. You	are to be a member of	my	family.
You	may see some things in me that you do not approve	of. You may	see things	in	my son
Willie you do not approve of. I may make mistakes, and my son Willie may make mistakes. I may be lost at last, and my son Willie may be lost. But the dear Lord has a remnant people that will be saved and go through to the Kingdom, and it remains with each of us as individuals whether or not we will be one of that number.”—Messenger to the Remnant, p. 127.
There was no personal pride in her life. To the end she knew that her salvation depended totally on the merits of Jesus Christ. Isn’t that true for all of us? What an example she was! May we all be faithful so that we may also be among the remnant that is to be saved at last.
—Paul A. Gordon, Director Ellen G. White Estate
Ellen G. White and Church Life
In the Seventh-day Adventist treasure chest of spiritual blessings, the Spirit of Prophecy stands out next to the Bible as our most priceless treasure. It has contributed much to a happy, growing church life.
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Back in old Battle Creek, Michigan, late in 1855, a diminutive pamphlet appeared, titled “Testimony for the Church.” It was only sixteen pages in size, but this spiritual gem published under this title was the very first of hundreds of inspired testimonies to church leaders and believers. Five thousand pages appeared in the half century following, which are now included in the nine volumes of the Testimonies for the Church.
By the side of the Testimonies stand the five Conflict of the Ages books. These vivid volumes depict the great controversy between Christ and Satan that rages over the soul of every man and woman, young or old. Visions given to Mrs. White back in 1848, 1858, and subsequent years, brought astounding revelations of the intensity of this battle and the assurance of triumph.
In November, 1848, the Lord called for the publication of a little paper, small at first, which was to become like streams of light going clear around the world. Present Truth was bom in response to this call. Today Seventh-day Adventist publishing houses are operating in many lands, each year issuing literature in hundreds of languages valued at millions of dollars.
The visions given to Ellen White drew the attention of the church to the importance of adopting right principles in healthful living. On Christmas Day, 1865, a call came for the establishment of a medical institution to which the sick might come to regain their health and learn how to live. A worldwide chain of sanitariums and hospitals now operated by Seventh-day Adventists testifies to the strength of this counsel, which first took tangible shape in the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
In 1874, in response to the call for institutions for the training of youth, we built our first college in Michigan. And further light came from God urging the denomination to send representatives of the third angel’s message across the seas to herald the good news of Christ’s coming. J. N. Andrews was dispatched that year to begin work in Switzerland.
The Spirit of Prophecy has protected the church against the intrusions of fanatics, and of those who would bring in misleading teachings. The erring have been rebuked, the meek and lowly comforted; but the crowning contribution of the gift of prophecy to church life has been its consistent call to come up higher—higher—higher still on the ladder of Christian grace and virtue. This is the brightest evidence of its heavenly origin.—Arthur L. White (1907-1991), Grandson of Ellen G. White
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“To Be a Real Seventh-day Adventist”
The Spirit of Prophecy writings have always meant a great deal to me. As a young child I heard my mother tell how she was Mrs. White’s chambergirl as a student nurse at the old Melrose Sanitarium in Massachusetts. This was Ellen White’s last visit East. This, coupled with the fact that when James Edson White built the Moming Star boat and sailed it down the Mississippi River, docking at Vicksburg, where some of my family heard the message and accepted it, has made the writings of the prophet come alive in my life. Thanks to these influences I have always accepted the counsels of God’s servant as messages from Heaven. I enjoy Ellen White stories and anecdotes greatly.
The description of her preaching, and especially her marvelous voice control, was related to me by my father, who heard her as a boy just after the turn of the century in Kansas. And now after all these years of ministry, I find myself still turning to the “writings” for instruction, inspiration, and helpful insights on current issues and problems, and I have never been disappointed. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to that “little woman”—the weakest of the weak, who allowed God to use her as His messenger to the remnant church. To be a real Seventh-day Adventist is to keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy.
—C. E. Bradford Retired President of the North American Division
A Message to You From Mrs. White
(A personally autographed message placed by Ellen G. White in gift copies of her books.)
We are homeward bound. A little longer, and the strife will be over. May we who stand in the heat of the conflict, ever keep before us a vision of things unseen—of that time when the world will be bathed in the light of heaven, when the years will move on in gladness, when over the scene the morning stars will sing together and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, “There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death.” “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” let us “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
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Life and Times of Ellen G. White
Born Ellen Gould Harmon, Gorham, Maine, November 26, 1827. • Parents, Robert and Eunice Harmon, members of Methodist Episcopal Church, later became Seventh-day Adventists. • Eight children; Ellen and twin sister, Elizabeth, born last. • Contemporary of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Susan B. Anthony, Frances E. Williard, and Clara Barton, famous American women. • Lived during the presidencies of Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt. Died during presidency of Woodrow Wilson. • Converted at a Methodist camp meeting in March, 1840. • Baptized in Casco Bay, Portland, Maine, by a Methodist minister. Dropped from Methodist church with other members of the Harmon family, Portland, Maine, 1843, because of Adventist views. • Married James White, August 30, 1846. • Four children—all boys. Henry, Edson, William, and John Herbert. • First vision, December, 1844. tEarly Writings, pp. 13-20.) • Last known vision concerned welfare of the youth, March 3, 1915. • Estimated two thousand visions and prophetic dreams that came to her in the night season. • Became a Sabbathkeeper in the early fall of 1846, soon after her marriage. • Great publishing expansion predicted in vision of November, 1848, in Dorchester, Mass. • First issue of Present Truth, July, 1849, Middletown, Conn. • Important health reform vision at home of A. H. Hilliard, Otsego, Michigan, June 6, 1863. • James White died August 6,1881. Mrs. White was a widow for 34 years. • Labored in Europe two years, from summer of 1885 to fall of 1887. • Pioneered work in Australia from 1891 to 1900. Eleven years spent in foreign service point up the international character of her ministry. • Wrote 2,000 articles for the Review, 2,000 messages in the Signs, 500 for other publications. Her literary work was handwritten, 100,000 pages in all. • February 13, 1915, fell at home in St. Helena, California, and broke left hip. Died July 16, 1915. Funeral, July 24, 1915, Battle Creek. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery by the side of her husband and other relatives. • “She being dead, yet speaketh.”
There are 124 Ellen G. White books in current publication. Steps to Christ has been published in more than 142 languages. It is believed that she is the most translated woman author in the world and the most translated American writer of either sex.
The Published Writings of Ellen G. White on Compact Disc is available from the Ellen G. White Estate. Contains all the published writings of E. G. White. Also includes the six-volume Biography, by Arthur L. White, and Ellen G. White in Europe, by D. A. Delafield, as well as the King James Bible.
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