THE January 2, 1972, issue of the national weekly tabloid newspaper, National Enquirer, came out with a feature article about Ellen G. White as a prophet of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Headlined "The Amazing Story of Ellen G. White," it listed many of her medical predictions and their scientific confirmation. Calling her "one of the most remarkable and astounding women that America has ever produced," it stated in one of the closing paragraphs that "one of the most stunning of Ellen White's pronouncements — definitely bordering on true prophecy in the Biblical sense— had nothing to do with health, but with her tremendous religious and moral sense," pointing to the prediction she had made in regard to God's judgment that was to befall San Francisco and Oak land and had its fulfillment in 1906.
Since the story appeared, many Seventh-day Adventists have called me suggesting that for the church, history has been made. Yet to me, the fact that the story appeared before the 15 million readers of the Enquirer is only a step on the road to bringing Ellen White before the public. Bringing her to the world seems to be in line with what was once said by W. P. Bradley, of the General Conference:
"Ellen G. White belongs not just to America, or to Australia where she spent nine years, but to the world. . . . Her spiritual messages rose above national boundaries and racial differences and spoke to the universal need of the human heart." Believing that this "human heart" is not something reserved for Seventh-day Adventists, I embarked on a one-man crusade to take Ellen White out of the narrow confines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and bring her message to the attention of the millions outside the church—millions who are searching for true spiritual guidance in an age when supernaturalism, superstition, and witchcraft have returned with the power once manifest in the Middle Ages.
A Changed Attitude
Reared in Europe until my seventeenth year, and among people who usually regard Ellen White merely as a woman with a deep spiritual insight, I was never greatly impressed with her until I em barked on a study of psychic phenomena as a matter of professional concern. As a journalist with far-reaching interests I had in my years as a foreign correspondent covered many an assignment considered weird and unusual, and with the increasing interest in psychic phenomena many magazine assignments dealt with just that.
Yet it was not until I wrote Jeane Dixon—My Life and Prophecies and You Are Psychic that I realized that the age-old struggle between good and evil has reached one of the last decisive stages.
Whenever I lecture on the subject of psychic phenomena, whether this be at a Seventh-day Adventist college or else where, the question is always raised as to why I really believe in Ellen White as a true prophetess. And somehow— this may seem rather strange—this question seems to come up more often with Seventh-day Adventist audiences. Usu ally it is no problem to convince non- SDA's that supernatural phenomena are here to stay. In fact, current statistics indicate that roughly 40 million Americans believe in supernatural guidance, and use astrology, mediums, and palmistry to guide them through life. They're literally grabbing for straws, desperately trying to find answers for the perplexing problems of the day. Within the church, however, things are not always that easy. This is usually due to ignorance. How often new converts are brought close to baptism and then told, "Oh, yes, and we also have a prophet." It is not that we as Seventh-day Adventists are ashamed of it, but somehow we just seem reticent about being identified as "a church with a prophet." But, I ask, is there some thing wrong with telling those with whom we converse right from the start that we do believe in continuous prophetic guidance? That our message is not only based on prophecy but was also established with the aid of a prophet? What is wrong with having the "outsiders" read books in which Mrs. White says, "I saw . . ." or "The Lord showed me . . ." et cetera? As a church we are to have the commandments of Jesus and the spirit of prophecy. Then why concentrate only on the first part, leaving the spirit of prophecy as manifested through Ellen White far, far in the back ground?
A New Approach for a New Age
Together with my growing conviction that something be done to bring our message into balance, came the feeling that perhaps new methods should be used to help bring the eternal struggle to a close. Ever since its beginnings in 1844 the Seventh-day Adventist Church has actively promoted the gospel, always finding new converts for Christ. Unfortunately, however, a sort of quiet complacency has set in. Too many seem convinced that where the missionaries cannot go, the medical men can; where the medical men cannot penetrate, the Voice of Prophecy will.
Mrs. White strongly advocates that different methods will have to be used in reaching different groups of people. Today we must awaken to the fact that we as a church with a prophet have a distinct advantage toward the implementation of our mission. We have the answers for the searchers of today. God, in His wisdom, has given us this unique approach with which to reach the millions of believers in supernatural phenomena. It is my growing conviction that we can and should use Ellen White as a spearhead in this psychic age. The time, I feel, is past when we can be complacent about preaching a sermon against spiritualism and then sit tight and wait. I agree, we should take away the believers' faith in spiritualistic phenomena, but let us go one step further and give them the true work of Christ as manifest in Ellen White.
A Suggested Method
How to go about it, you wonder? It was through my research on psychic phenomena, and especially the work on Ellen White, Prophet of Destiny that I discovered what I believe to be the answer.
Every psychic—and don't believe the ones who deny it—desperately attempts to prove his prophetic ability by quoting Bible texts, attempting to compare him self favorably to the Biblical prophets. True, they seldom try to follow Bible principles, but they are all willing, even though often reluctantly, to open it up, just to prove the validity of their "gifts." Use this guide. Ask the psychics, ask their followers, to prove their gift by the Bible, the oldest of all prophetic guidebooks. When they do it, either literally or figuratively, you are at liberty to keep using the Bible they opened. Compare their life, work, and messages to the stringent tests of the Bible. (See Ellen G. White and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, by D. A. Delafield.) This approach gives you the initiative. The next step is almost as easy. Once you have disproved their claim to Biblical approval and accuracy, try introducing the health-reform points as predicted by Ellen G. White as far as one hundred years in advance of scientific confirmation. (See Medical Science and the Spirit of Prophecy, Ellen G. White Estate.) This book is an eye opener without equal, for it enables you to meet the psychic believer on his home ground, not with a psychic message but with a prophetic one. Once you prove Ellen White's remarkable accuracy you are assured of his attention. From this point, it is only a short step to a study of her religious insight and her confirmation of basic Bible principles. We can thus very easily take advantage of the psychic interest created by Satan and turn it to God's advantage.
Ellen G. White, Prophet of Destiny
With this as background I embarked on the writing of Ellen G. White, Prophet of Destiny, for Keats Publishing Inc., a publishing firm in Connecticut. With millions interested in manifestations of supernormal powers, I felt the market was ripe for a book about a true prophet. The publisher was enthusiastic; the church was more careful, and under standably so. Yet, after six long months of deliberation, agreement was reached with the Ellen G. White Estate. Under this arrangement the Estate agreed to put their accumulated knowledge about Ellen White at my disposal, and agreed to read the manuscript for accuracy of quotation and interpretation. This, it was understood, would be done without their influencing the basic outline of the book in any way or assuming any responsibility in its authorship or publication. It was my proposition and my venture.
The cooperation has been tremendous in every way. With publication date of the book set for approximately mid- April, 1972, the book is intended to reach the public with the message of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In as much as it is primarily intended for a non-SDA audience, it deals heavily with comparisons of psychics and prophets, leaving no doubt as to the true position of Ellen White. Other sections of the book focus on the second coming of Christ, Sunday laws, and the sacredness of the Sabbath, Ellen White's medical predictions and their scientific confirmation, the satanic plan for world conquest, et cetera, all liberally enriched with quotations from Ellen White. A point of added interest is that the Pacific Press has contracted for the right to sell the book to the Seventh-day Adventist market. This means that the book will be sold throughout our Book and Bible Houses and will be available at this summer's camp meetings.
Where From Here
Is it not time for Ellen White to be given a more prominent place in the evangelistic thrust of the church? We do not regard Joseph Smith as a true prophet, yet the impact he has had on the Mormon Church is tremendous. Placing him in the foreground has greatly benefited them. The same holds true for Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy. Her leadership in Christian Science has never been hidden. Her name alone is responsible for the conversion of thousands to their church. And we—of all churches— have Ellen G. White, a messenger sent of God. What are we going to do with her? There is no doubt that Ellen White, through her inspired writings, is spear heading the war against the agents of Satan. Are we perhaps guilty of obstructing instead of promoting the work of God by allowing ourselves to look upon her writings only as reference works?
