Understanding Ellen White

Provide practical advice for relationships

With the traditional constraints on relationships stripped away by a post-modern culture, our interpersonal relationships have become, if anything, more complex. Love relationships, work relationships, and even our relationship with God can often be confusing and we may need a listening ear. Ellen White wrote many letters of counsel to people, giving practical advice. People quickly came to value her advice in these areas and wrote asking questions ranging from the profound to the ridiculous. ³⁴ Ellen White, however, did not want to give all the answers and micromanage relationships. She wanted to wean people from depending on her counsels for quick, mistake-free decisions they faced in their personal lives. Rather, she wanted to encourage individuals to become secure in their relationship with God and be able to recognize His will as He spoke to them individually through Scripture. ³⁵ She provided case studies in which she encouraged readers to find and prayerfully apply the principles involved in the relationships. ³⁶ These principles are still relevant to relationships in the twenty-first century. UEGW 248.4