Ellen G. White
1827-1915
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Ellen G. White was a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church along
with her husband James and close friend Joseph Bates. Mrs. White is also
known as a messenger from God. She was born Ellen Gould Harmon in Gorham,
Maine, November 26, 1827, to Robert and Eunice Harmon. She and her twin
sister Elizabeth were the youngest of eight children. When Ellen was in
her
early teens she and her family accepted the Bible interpretations of the
Baptist farmer-turned-preacher, William Miller. Along with Miller and
50,000
other Ad-ventists, she suffered bitter disappointment when Christ did not
return on October 22, 1844, the date marking the end of the 2300-day
prophecy of Daniel 8.
In December 1844 God gave young Ellen the first of an estimated 2,000
visions and dreams. In August 1846 she married James White, a 25-year-old
Adventist minister who shared her conviction that God had called her to do
the work of a prophet. Soon after their marriage the Whites began to keep
the seventh-day Sabbath according to the fourth commandment.
The mother of four boys, Mrs. White suffered the pain of losing two of her
sons. Herbert died as an infant a few weeks old, and Henry died at 16. Her
other two sons, Edson and William, both became Adventist ministers.
Ellen White was a prolific writer, with a total literary output of 100,000
pages. Her first book was published in 1851. She wrote a steady stream of
articles, books, and pamphlets until her death in 1915. Of her scores of
books, some are devotional in nature, while others are selections from the
many personal letters of counsel she wrote over the years. Still others
are
historical and trace the ongoing struggle between Christ and Satan for
control of individuals and nations. She also published books on education,
health, and other topics of special significance to the church. Since her
death about 50 compilations have been produced, in large part from
previously unpublished writings. She also authored several thousand
articles
which were published in the Review and Herald, Signs of the Times, and
other
Seventh-day Adventist periodicals.
Initially shy and reluctant, Ellen White eventually became a very popular
public speaker, not only in the United States, but in Europe and Australia
as well. She was much in demand in Adventist meetings and also before
non-Adventist audiences, where she was a much-sought-after temperance
lecturer. In 1876 she addressed her largest audience-estimated at
20,000-at
Groveland, Massachusetts, for more than an hour without a microphone.
In her vision of June 6, 1863, Mrs. White was given instruction on such
health-related matters as the use of drugs, tobacco, tea, coffee, flesh
foods, and the im****tance of exercise, sun****ne, fresh air, and
self-control
in diet. Her health counsels, based on such visions, have resulted in
Adventists' living approximately seven years longer than the average
person
in the United States.
Ellen White read widely. She found that this helped her in her own writing
as she presented the truths revealed to her in vision. Also, the Holy
Spirit
impressed her at times to draw literary gems from the works of others into
her own articles and books. She did not claim infallibility nor did she
hold
that her writings were equal to Scripture, yet she firmly believed that
her
visions were of divine origin and that her articles and books were
produced
under the guidance of the Spirit of God. Basically an evangelist, her
primary concern in life was the salvation of souls.
Ellen White was a generous, practical Christian. For years she kept bolts
of
cloth on hand so that if she saw a woman who needed a new dress, she could
provide assistance. In Battle Creek she attended auctions and bought items
of used furniture, which she stored; then if someone's home burned or some
other calamity befell a family, she was prepared to help. In the days
before
the church started its retirement plan, if she heard of an older minister
in
financial straits, she sent a little money to help him meet his emergency
needs.
For 70 years, until her death on July 16, 1915, Ellen White faithfully
delivered the messages God gave her for His people. She never was elected
to
an office in the church, yet her advice was constantly sought by
denominational leaders. Her formal education ended at age nine, yet her
messages set in motion the forces that produced the present worldwide
Adventist education system, from day-care centers to universities. Though
she herself had no medical training, the fruitage of her ministry can be
seen in the network of Adventist hospitals, clinics, and medical
facilities
that circle the earth. And though she was not formally ordained as a
gospel
minister, she has made an almost unparalleled spiritual impact on the
lives
of millions, from one end of the earth to the other.
Ellen G. White's books continue to this day to help people find their
Savior, accept His pardon for their sins, share this blessing with others,
and live expectantly for Jesus' promised soon return.
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