While a group of believers were united in family prayer on a Sabbath
morning, Ellen White gave that ringing shout of "Glory! Glory! Glory!" (to
which audiences through the years had become accustomed), and her husband
James arose, informing the audience that his wife was in vision.24
Frequently she had a vision in a church service. The Parkville, Michigan,
vision, on January 12, 1861, which depicted some of the facts and terrors
of
the coming Civil War, was received in church after she finished her
powerful
exhortation and had sat down. The vision lasted for approximately twenty
minutes. After she began breathing again, she spoke briefly about what had
been revealed to her, especially certain items that related directly to
that
intensely interested audience.
Ellen White's last public vision, for which we have detailed information,
occurred in Battle Creek on January 3, 1875. J. N. Loughborough, however,
(who personally witnessed "about fifty" visions) attested that her last
public vision was at the 1884 Oregon camp meeting.25
Night visions, or dreams, occurred in various ways, such as "at the
beginning of the Sabbath I fell asleep, and some things were clearly
presented before me."26 Hundreds of letters contained the phrase, "in the
night season," wherein she heard or saw a message that had to be
communicated to some particular person or group, such as a church, camp
meeting, or official meeting. At times that phrase may have been absent
but
the occasion was obvious: "I cannot sleep. I was awakened at one o'clock.
I
was hearing a message borne to you."27
Night visions or dreams became more customary even as open visions became
less frequent.
Recognizing that questions would arise concerning the private nature of
"dreams" and their authenticity as revelations, Ellen White wrote: "The
multitude of dreams [ordinary dreams] arise from the common things of
life,
with which the Spirit of God has nothing to do. There are also false
dreams,
as well as false visions, which are inspired by the spirit of Satan. But
dreams from the Lord are classed in the Word of God with visions, and are
as
truly the fruits of the Spirit of prophecy as visions. Such dreams, taking
into the account the persons who have them, and the circumstances under
which they are given, contain their own proofs of their genuineness."28
Messages Received in Different Ways
[Top of Document]
Variety best describes the manner in which Mrs. White received visions and
dreams, and the way she conveyed the messages to others was as varied as
the
manner in which she received the visions.
Ellen White was involved in her visions and dreams in at least nine
ways.29
The visions referred to in this book can be classified under these nine
categories:
1. At times, she was seemingly present and participating in the events of
the vision.30
2. Some visions were panoramic, with sweeping views of the past, present,
and future.31
3. An angel (or some other heavenly person, such as "my Guide," etc.)
would
observe the event with her and provide an interpretation.32
4. Occasionally she saw buildings yet to be constructed and was given
instruction as to her role in instructing those who were to work in that
future building.33
5. Her Guide either explained symbolic representations or their meaning
was
self-evident.34
6. Often she "visited" various institutions, committee meetings, families
in
their homes, and persons who thought they were observed by "no one."35
7. Sometimes, she was given contrasting developments: one would be the
consequences of not following inspired instruction, the other, the results
of following her counsel.36
8. Frequently, she had specific information for the benefit of her
husband,
for themselves as parents, and for fellow leaders of the church and its
institutions.37
9. Often, she was shown sweeping principles that would integrate some
advanced opinions of her day with additional insights on such subjects as
health, education, and temperance.38
Messages Were Diverse and Broad
[Top of Document]
Ellen White received messages for individuals and groups that covered a
broad array of subjects. Men and women received admonition, encouragement,
and reproof regarding their personal lives and their Christian influence.
Individuals and groups received insights, caution, and direction in
general
ideas, including education, health, administrative policy, evangelistic
and
publishing principles, and church finance.39
Manner of Delivering Messages Varied
[Top of Document]
The manner of giving the information received in vision was varied and
never
predictable. At times, Ellen White was instructed to "go public" with
private testimonies. How could this be?
She saw people and events in vision that others could not see in their
true
light. When these people resisted counsel, ignoring the privately sent
reproof, she saw her duty to the whole church. She was told by her
heavenly
Guide that the church must not continue to languish because of those who
refused correction: "I was taken off in vision [December 23, 1860], and
was
shown the wrongs of individuals which have affected the cause. I dare not
withhold the testimony from the church to spare the feelings of
individuals."40
What happened after she went public in print, often identifying her
co-workers with their initials? In the Review and Herald for the next few
months, most of those who were identified in her testimonies acknowledged
the truth of these testimonies and confessed their errors. Ten years
later,
when these testimonies were reprinted, she substituted blanks for the
initials. References to personalities were removed, but the principles
remained.
On other occasions, she reproved men and women openly, in public meetings.
For example, in her diary describing a Sabbath meeting in 1868 at Tuscola,
Michigan, she noted that she had spoken one hour, reproving individual
wrongs: "Some felt exceedingly bad because I brought out these cases
before
others. I was sorry to see this spirit."41 In a letter to Edson, her son,
she explained that these public testimonies focused on "the sin of hasty
speaking, jesting, joking, and laughing"-all very public manifestations.
But one couple was seriously offended. The wife, with her husband, came
crying: "You have killed me, you have killed me clean off." In her letter
to
Edson, Ellen White continued: "I found their greatest difficulty was that
the testimony was given before others and that if I had sent it to them
alone, it would have been received all right. Pride was hurt, pride was
wounded terribly. We talked awhile, and they both cooled down wonderfully
and said they felt differently."42
Visions were often directed to specific events that would convince
non-Adventists that Ellen White was a genuine messenger of the Lord. In
1850
the Whites were in Oswego, New York, doing their usual work of writing and
preaching. The county treasurer, who was also the local Methodist lay
preacher, had developed a lively interest among the town people. Two young
people, Hiram Patch and his fiancee, had attended both the Methodist
meetings and the Adventist meetings and were undecided as to which group
they should join. The couple witnessed Ellen White in vision, after which
they asked, "What do you think of Brother M [county treasurer]?" Mrs.
White
answered (as Mr. Patch recalled), after noting Hosea 5:6, 7: "I was told
[in
vision] to say to you that in this case the statement of the text will be
literally fulfilled. Wait a month, and you will know for yourself the
character of the persons who are engaged in this revival, and who profess
to
have such a great burden for sinners."43
Shortly after this conversation, the county treasurer broke a blood vessel
and remained at home in a "feeble condition." The sheriff and a deputy,
after taking over the county finances, found a deficit of $1,000. When
confronted at his home, the treasurer pleaded ignorance. But the deputy
brought into the house the missing $1,000 in a bag that the treasurer's
wife
had tried to hide in a snowbank.
The treasurer's evangelistic meetings terminated, and the two young people
made their choice to join the Adventists-they had witnessed clear evidence
of the genuineness and helpfulness of Ellen White's visions.44
A vision (or a dream) often turned a group from hasty decisions to the
right
course of action to be seen better as time went by. In the summer of 1881
James and Ellen White were tired. She was ill. However, she had a "deep
impression" that they should leave the Michigan camp meeting and go to the
Iowa camp meeting, which was to open in two days. When they arrived in Des
Moines, she said to a minister, "Well, we are here at the Lord's bidding,
for what special purpose we do not know, but we shall doubtless know as
the
meeting progresses."
The Whites did much of the preaching. On Sunday evening, after Mrs. White
had retired, the constituency was conducting a business meeting on the
subject of voting, especially in regard to temperance and prohibition.
After
a short time the message came that the group wanted her counsel. G. B.
Starr
recalled later that Ellen White related a dream that described the Iowa
circumstance and that the heavenly spokesman had said: "God designs to
help
the people in a great movement on this subject. He also designed that you,
as a people, should be the head and not the tail in the movement; but now
the position you have taken will place you at the tail."
In the meeting, Mrs. White was asked whether the Iowa Adventists should
vote
for prohibition. Her answer was swift: "Yes, to a man everywhere and
perhaps
I shall shock some of you if I say, If necessary, vote on the Sabbath day
for prohibition if you cannot at any other time."
Writing later, Starr emphasized: "I can testify that the effect of the
relation of that dream was electrical upon the whole conference. A
convincing power attended it, and I saw for the first time the unifying
power of the gift of prophecy in the church."45
Sometimes delivering a testimony was unusually dramatic. In June 1876, at
Vergennes, Michigan, two incidents happened that greatly increased
confidence in Ellen White's visions. The first concerned Mrs. Alcott, a
woman who had professed great holiness and now was ingratiating herself
among the new believers. Mrs. White had a vision earlier in Tyrone,
Michigan, regarding this woman's real spiritual state and wrote out some
of
the details. Two ministers, M. E. Cornell and J. N. Loughborough, knew of
the written details and said, "Now we will watch, and see how the case
comes
out."46
Finally arriving at Vergennes, with Loughborough and Cornell present, Mrs.
White said to her husband in front of the house where they were to stay,
that they must find the church where "that woman lives whom I saw in the
Tyrone vision." She also noted that the couple who were entertaining them
knew this woman. The wife had no confidence in Mrs. Alcott but her husband
"thinks she is all right." (No conversation had yet taken place between
this
couple and the Whites.)
Soon a carriage drove up and Ellen White said that none in that load had
any
confidence in "that woman's pretensions." When the next carriage drove up,
she said that load was divided. The third load were "all under the woman's
influence." Then she said: "This must be the church where that woman
lives;
for I have seen all these persons in connection with that affair."
On Sabbath, while James White was preaching, an old man, a young man, and
a
woman came in, the woman remaining near the door. When James finished his
sermon, Ellen White rose to say a few words about the care ministers must
take in their work. She said that God did not call a woman to travel with
any man other than her husband. To make her point, she referred to "that
woman who just sat down near the door. . . . God has showed me that she
and
this young man have violated the seventh commandment." Loughborough
commented: "All in that barn knew that Sister White had never personally
seen these individuals until they came into that barn. Her picking out of
the persons and her delineation of the case had weight in favor of her
vision."
What was Mrs. Alcott's response? Loughborough wrote: "She slowly arose to
her feet, put on a sanctimonious look, and said, 'God-knows-my-heart.'
That
was all she said, and sat down. Here was just what the Lord showed (May
28)
that the woman would say. On June 11 she did just as it was said she would
do, and said the identical words predicted she would say when reproved,
and
no more."
What about the young man? A few weeks later, before he returned to Canada,
he was asked regarding Ellen White's vision, and he replied, "That vision
was too true."47
Perhaps even more dramatic, and even more of a misfortune if Ellen White's
visions were not accurate, happened at the Wisconsin camp meeting in the
early 1870s. The speaker had already begun when the Whites arrived. Ellen
and James paused as she said something to James, not heard by those who
watched. But those closest heard James say, "All right!" Down the center
aisle they went but Ellen White did not sit down. She looked up at the
preacher, pointed her finger at him and said, "Brother, I have heard your
voice in vision, and when I entered this tent this morning, I recognized
that voice, and the Lord told me when I heard that voice, to look straight
up and deliver the message that He gave me for you and I will have to do
it."
The preacher stopped. Ellen White continued: "Brother, I know a woman in
Pennsylvania with two little children. That woman calls you husband and
those children call you father and they are hunting everywhere for you and
they can't find you. They don't know where you are. Right over there is
another woman with six children hanging to her skirts and she calls you
husband and they call you father. Brother, you have no business in that
desk."
The preacher made one lunge for the tent flap and vanished. His brother,
who
was sitting in the audience, sprang to his feet, telling the stunned
audience, "Brethren, the worst of it is, it is all true."48
Many were the life experiences of most every kind that Ellen White
addressed, always counseling, reproving, encouraging, whatever the need.
In
every instance, recipients and observers alike noted that no one could
possibly have known the facts of the situation unless the Spirit of God
had
prompted His human messenger.49
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