A Call to Stand Apart

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Chapter 17—Authority Of Scripture

A Young Adult’s Encounter with Ellen White ... on the Authority of Scripture

To put it simply, one of the main reasons I believe in Ellen White is that she never puts her writings above the Bible. Think about it: There are churches and denominations today whose teachings and beliefs depend on their founder or prophet, not on the Bible. That’s not the way it is in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Ellen White always made it clear that she was the lesser light leading to the greater light of God’s Word. I can see in her writings that she was only seeking to bring people to God and did not want to lift herself up above the Bible or call attention to herself. AC 104.1

Jesus says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32, KJV. This is what I see Ellen White doing. She lifts up Jesus and His Word. I believe God sent Ellen White as a prophet to our church. Right now, as you well know, not everyone my age believes in the message of Ellen White to modern-day Christians. I would even venture to guess that the majority of young adults don’t read or believe. AC 104.2

I’ve been there. I questioned why the writings of this woman from 100 years ago even fit into our lives today. The reason I can say so definitely that Ellen White has value as a modern-day prophet is that I see her (1) lifting up Jesus, and (2) upholding the Bible as the Word of God and the final authority for Christians. The true testimony is that by reading her books people fall in love with Jesus, and that leads them to reading more in the Word of God. AC 104.3

I know that is true, because it happened to me. AC 105.1

Jo, age 21 AC 105.2