Ellen G. White—The Human-Interest Story

"I shall go forward as Providence and my brethren may open the way before me. In the name and strength of my Redeemer, I shall do what I can. I shall warn, and counsel, and reprove, and encourage, as the Spirit of God dictates, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 232.

Thus wrote Ellen White in the year 3876. Although a large part of her work was public in its character, there was much which must be done in personal interviews, working with individuals who were seeking guidance, or were in trouble or in danger of pursuing a wrong course. This personal work was very taxing and called for much wisdom, tact, and divine aid. From almost beginning days Mrs. White's counsel was eagerly sought.

Of the three communications from her pen which appeared in 1847 in James White's ini­tial publication, A Word to the Little Flock, the first is a letter of counsel. In this communi­cation Mrs. White acknowledges Mr. Curtis' invitation to write to him, and then takes up certain doctrinal views which he has set forth; "I have been much interested," she states, "in your writings in the Dawn and Extra; and fully agree with you on some points, but on others we widely differ."—A Word to the "Lit­tle Flock," p. II.

With her visions as the basis for her com­ments, she then proceeds to take up one point after another and to specify which of his posi­tions are correct and which are incorrect. On the two resurrections, she agrees. She agrees also on the new heavens and the new earth. But she differs on salvation for those who worship at the saints' feet after the one thousand years. She was shown that they would be lost. She differs with him on the time "when Michael shall stand up." She believes the sanctuary cleansed is the New Jerusalem temple. She rec­ommends the "Day-Star" Extra containing the Crosier article on the cleansing of the sanctu­ary as presenting the true light on that subject.

From the time of this letter, written before she was twenty years of age, through her long, busy life, because of her unique position men and women came to her for counsel. Now let us turn to a certain committee meeting held on the campground in Australia in 3895. The work­ers were called together to study problems which had arisen in a new field of labor. Mrs. White was present and gave counsel. Note from her words the basis of this counsel:

"This morning I attended a meeting where a select few were called together to consider some questions that were presented to them by a letter soliciting con­sideration and advice on these subjects. Of some of these subjects I could speak because at sundry times and in divers places many things have been presented tome. . . .

"As my brethren read the selections from letters I knew what to say to them; for this matter has been presented to me again and again. . . I have not felt at liberty to write out the matter until now. . . . The light that the Lord has given me at different times..."—The Southern Work, p. 97. (Italics mine.)

At such times Mrs. White's words were posi­tive. When she spoke it was with conviction. Of this she wrote in 191i :

"The question is asked, How does Sister White know in regard to the matters of which she speaks so decidedly, as if she had authority to say these things?

"I speak thus because they flash upon my mind, when in perplexity, like lightning out of a dark cloud in the fury of a storm. Some scenes presented before me years ago have not been retained in my memory, but when the instruction then given is needed, some­times even when I am standing before the people, the remembrance comes sharp and clear, like a flash of lightning, bringing to mind distinctly that particular instruction. At such times I cannot refrain from say­ing the things that flash into my mind, not because I have had a new vision, but because that which was presented to me perhaps years in the past, has been recalled to my mind forcibly."—Writing and Sending Out of the Testimonies to the Church, P. 24.

But frequently advice was sought of Mrs. White on matters regarding which she had no light. At such times she purposely refrained from giving counsel. Thus to one man who wrote to her regarding his future work, she penned this message:

"I am not at liberty to write to our brethren con­cerning your future work, for the Lord has not given me this to do. I have received no instruction regard­ing the place where you should locate, or what should be your future course....

"At the present time my mind is greatly burdened in regard to several letters that I must write. Ivies--sages have been given me for certain of our brethren, and these messages must be borne whether those to whom they are sent will hear or will not hear. But concerning your future labors, the Lord has given me-no instruction.

"I dare not even take the responsibility of advising-you in this matter. But I would say to you, my brother, You have a counsellor in the Lord Jesus. Counsel also with your brethren; they can advise you.

From time to time Mrs. White was pressed by individuals who came personally to see her and seek her counsel. Although at times she had no definite message for the one seeking light, she could, nevertheless, lay down certain general principles. Thus it was when a certain man called to see her in 1891. Here is her ref­erence to this interview:

"Brother — was introduced. He is an intelligent man, and, I should judge, one who could do a good work if sanctified by the Spirit of God. I spent an hour in conversation with this brother who was very anxious to know whether it was his duty to preach. I could not tell him this. I laid down general princi­ples, and pointed him to Jesus."—MS. 20, 1891.

Another interesting picture is found just a few years later, while Mrs. White was still in Australia. The president of the General Con­ference, G. A. Irwin, was visiting that field and had several interviews with her. She writes of this:

"He has with him a little note-book in which he has noted down perplexing questions which he brings be­fore me, and if I have any light upon these points, I write it out for the benefit of our people, not only in America, but in this country."—Letter 96, 1899.

But Mrs. White did not encourage the people to come to her for counsel. She pointed them to Jesus:

"Frequently I receive letters from individuals, tell­ing me of their troubles and perplexities, and asking me to inquire of God as to what is their duty. To those for whom the Lord has given me no light, I have often replied : I have not been appointed by God to do such a work as you ask me to do. The Lord Jesus has invited you to bring your troubles to One who un­derstands every circumstance of your life. . . .

"I shall not dishonor my Lord by encouraging peo­ple to come to me for counsel, when they have a standing invitation to go to the One who is able to carry them and all their burdens."—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 487.

Of course, there were many times when it was necessary for her to take the initiative in giving counsel. Then she was impelled to speak. She often refers to this. Here are two such allusions:

"The Spirit of God rests upon me with power, and I cannot but speak the words given me. I dare not withhold one word of the testimony."—MS. 22, 1890.

"God has given me a testimony to bear to His peo­ple that He has given to no other one and I must bear this testimony which is like fire shut up in my bones." —Uncopied Letter 36, 1878.

It was no light task to stand as one to give counsel which often cut across the fond plans or determined efforts of individuals or commit­tees, and at times for those who were esteemed associates in the work. She expressed this in 1894 in these words:

"The work is not always easy to perform. I have to take positions not in harmony with men whom I be­lieve to be God's workmen, and I see that I must do this in the future as in the past. It hurts me more than I can tell. The dearest hope that I can have may not be realized, yet if God will show me the right way, I will walk in it."—Letter 64, 1894.

These messages of counsel were not to be ac­cepted or rejected at will. They were not just a personal opinion, but the counsel was based upon, or called into being by, light from heaven. Thus she wrote to one who had failed to heed the message given, but whose usefulness would have been tenfold greater had he heeded the light:

"Do you suppose I would have given you such ad­vice if I had had no light upon the matter? Be assured no such counsel would have been given you without good reason."—Letter 1, 1883.

We may ask then: Did Mrs. White have no opinions of her own? Were all her utterances inspired? Mrs. White, as an individual, held personal opinions and used her reasoning pow­ers. She conversed freely with those about her upon any topic of interest. While undoubtedly the revelations and her long experience often had a bearing upon her train of thought and even her ordinary conversations, yet neither those with her nor she herself took the position that everything she said or thought had its origin in divine sources. If you were in her home, you would no doubt converse with her about general world conditions, or regarding the orchard and garden, the members of her family, the progress of the work of God; and no one would consider such conversation as of particular significance. Discussing this in 1909 she said:

"There are times when common things must be stated, common thoughts must occupy the mind, com­mon letters must be written and information given that has passed from one to another of the workers. Such words, such information, are not given under the special inspiration of the Spirit of God. Questions are asked at times that are not upon religious subjects at all, and these questions must be answered. We con­verse about houses and lands, trades to be made, and locations for our institutions, their advantages and disadvantages."—MS. 107, 1909.

It is not strange then that at times Mrs. White would be pressed for an opinion in or­dinary matters or even in the plans for the car­rying forward of the work of God, even though she had no direct light from God on the ques­tion. Nor is it strange that at times, in the ab­sence of direct light, she might, upon urging, express her opinion in such matters, basing such an opinion upon good sense and experi­ence. It is of interest to note that in one such case when her advice was not what it should have been, God sent a message to check the un­wise action that would have resulted upon her assent to plans laid by the brethren. It was so also in the case of Nathan and David. (See Chron. 17 :1-15.)

When God Reversed the Counsel

In the year 1902 the newly established pub­lishing house in Nashville, Tennessee, was sus­taining steady heavy losses. A. G. Daniells, president of the General Conference, was deeply concerned, and in an interview with Mrs. White sought her assent to plans to discontinue the publishing work there because of these losses, which the brethren did not know how to check. Elder Daniells tells the story:

"She agreed that it must be put upon a basis where there would be no such losses, and said, 'If it cannot be, it had better be closed.' Not being able to give us a sure remedy, she assented to our proposal to discon­tinue the printing, to turn the building into a deposi­tory, and to purchase the literature from other pub­lishing houses. This seeming agreement with our plans brought great relief and satisfaction to many who had been struggling with the baffling problem.

"Brother Crisler wrote out a part of the interview, and, with this in my pocket, I departed with a light heart. On arrival at Battle Creek, I lost no time in telling the other members of the Committee of our in­terview, with the assurance that Mrs. White was with us in our plans to close up the Nashville office in a very short time.

"A few days later, a letter was received from Mrs. White, stating that she had spoken according to her own judgment in agreement with the presentation we had made to her. But she was now instructed by the Lord to tell us that she had been wrong in giving this counsel, and that the printing house in the South should not be closed. Plans must be laid to prevent further indebtedness, but we were to move forward in faith."—Abiding Gift of Prophecy, p. 326.

Now let us give Mrs. White's account of the reversal of counsel as she writes to Elder Daniells ; "During the night following our in­terview in my house and out on the lawn under the trees, Oct. 19, 3902, in regard to the work in the Southern field, the Lord instructed me that I had taken a wrong position."—Letter 208, 1902. (Italics mine.)

Such an experience, rather then lessening our confidence in Ellen G. White as a coun­selor, should strengthen our faith, for we see so clearly the hand of God overruling in His work so that a mistake should not be made.

Recognizing, however, that Ellen G. White did have her own personal opinions, some might fear that these were intermingled with the counsel she sent out in personal testimonies or set forth in her writings. Perhaps we should let her speak of this also. First we present a statement written in 1909: "I receive letters asking for advice on many strange subjects, and I advise according to the light that has been given me."—MS. 107, 1909. From this let us turn to a statement regarding her early ex­perience on this point as given in her answer in 1874 to certain false charges.

"With my brethren and sisters, after the time passed in forty-four I did believe no more sinners would be converted. But I never had a vision that no more sinners would be converted. And am clear and free to state no one has ever heard me say or has read from my pen statements which will justify them in the charges they have made against me upon this point." —Letter 2, 1874, quoted in Testimony of Jesus, p. 109.

She was very careful in interviews, and espe­cially in her articles and books, to refrain from setting forth as counsel and instruction that which did not have its basis in revelation. Thus she testified of her articles and letters :

"I do not write one article in the paper expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision—the precious rays of light shining from the throne.

"You might say that this communication was only a letter. Yes, it was a letter, but prompted by the Spirit of God, to bring before your minds things that had been shown me. In these letters which I write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me."—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 67.

The same care was exercised in giving ad­vice in personal interviews. In 1869 she wrote to a sister who had sought counsel on a certain point:

"Yesterday . . . I could not readily answer your question. . . . I cannot give counsel in the dark. I must know that my counsel is correct in the light. Great advantage is taken of my words; therefore I must move very cautiously. After careful reflection, seeking to call up things which have been shown me in your case, I am prepared to write to you."—Ibid., vol. 2, p. 565.

Her distress is not to be wondered at when her counsel was laid aside unheeded. To a cer­tain one she wrote :

"I have much to say to you ; for I love your soul. But will it do you any real good? Will it simply be received as Sister White's opinion? The position that has been taken by some of the erring brethren makes my words simply the expression of an opinion, and this view has been advocated and has had a leavening influence in our ranks."—Letter 22, 1889.

At other times she could write of the hearty reception of the counsel given. Note this cheer­ing word: "At times matters come up for de­cision, when all are not of the same mind. Then I read to them the writings given, and they accept them, and become one in their deci­sions."—Letter 118, 1898.

Questioners Directed to Her Writings

As our denominational work advanced and our church membership grew, there was a steady increase in the numbers of those who sought counsel either by interview or by letter. In her later years, when questions were laid before her, Mrs. White often stated that she had written on that subject, and she would re­quest her literary assistants to turn to her books, to her articles in the papers, or to her manuscripts for the answers to the questions presented. In many cases letters of inquiry were answered by one of the secretaries, stating that the matter had been placed before Sister White, and she had directed that such and such an an­swer should be given. Of course, the letter was the production of, and bore the signature of, the secretary writing the letter. At other times she asked her secretaries to tell the inquirer that she had not received light on the question pre­sented.

Near the close of her life, when asked about the future, she often directed attention to the cabinets holding her books, periodical articles, and manuscripts, stating, "Here are my writ­ings; when I am gone they will testify for me." (Reported by W. C. White, July 9, 1922.)

At one time reference was made to the many letters of inquiry, and the relation of her pub­lished works to the answers of questions:

"We receive many letters from our brethren and sisters, asking for advice on a great variety of sub­jects. If they would study the published Testimonies for themselves, they would find the enlightenment they need. Let us urge our people to study these books and circulate them. Let their teachings strengthen our faith.