Understanding Ellen White

The writing process

Ellen White experienced prophetic visions and dreams, revealing past, present, and future events and developments. She was convinced that these messages came from God and thus had divine authority. ² she exalted the Word of God and pointed readers to it as the authority in their personal Christian life. She wanted people to understand the principles of the Bible and apply them to their lives in a modern setting. She felt the responsibility to rebuke sin and emphasize obedience to the Bible. Yet she also wanted to provide comfort by leading people “to Jesus, to God’s love, and to the plan of salvation as the only hope for a lost world,” and thus “prepare a people for the final days of earth’s history.” ³ UEGW 119.2

To illustrate the writing process it will be helpful to look at three distinct aspects: the spiritual experience, the use of sources, and the employment of literary assistants. There were times when she felt overwhelmed and unable to describe and express the “subjects in the living power” presented to her in visions and dreams. ⁴ While the Holy Spirit frequently revived the revealed scenes and subjects during the writing process, it was left to her to describe them in her own language as best as she could. ⁵ At times she struggled to find the right words to express her thoughts and, in response to prayer, God brought them “clearly and distinctly” to her mind. ⁶ The room was filled with a “holy, sacred presence” as she was waiting to see how the Holy Spirit would guide her thinking. Her mind and understanding were directed to “matters of intense interest and importance” with a “line of action . . . laid out” before her. Sometimes her attention was moved from the subject she was writing about to other matters, which “were imprinted upon” her “mind.” ⁷ UEGW 119.3

Ellen White also used other sources to describe and illustrate the scenes and messages given to her in visions and dreams. Being keenly aware of her literary and grammatical shortcomings, she borrowed words, phrases, and expressions from the works of other writers, using them as a literary resource. ⁸ Sometimes these works also helped her to locate the time and place of certain scenes that she had seen in vision. ⁹ Ellen White read widely, which is demonstrated by the wealth of materials found in her personal and office library. UEGW 120.1

A second group of source material was the bulk of letters, manuscripts, sermons, articles, and books she had written previously, especially after the use of typewriters were introduced in her office in the early 1880s. She often reused these materials both published and unpublished in different formats for articles and books. ¹⁰ Thus it is possible to retrace numerous statements found in her books to her previous writings, allowing the verification of her own authorship of these statements. UEGW 120.2

Feeling her own grammatical and literary deficiencies, she also employed a number of literary assistants (as did Jeremiah, Paul, and Peter). ¹¹ The tasks performed by these assistants may be divided into four categories: recording oral material in shorthand (stenography); simple copying by hand or typewriter (copying); correcting spelling and grammar as well as eliminating unnecessary repetitions and improving sentence structure (copyediting); and compiling materials for the writing of books (major editorial compilations). ¹² However, not every assistant was involved to the same extent in the production of Ellen White’s writings. Thus her literary assistants may be divided into two groups: copyists and trusted compilers. Copyists performed the tasks belonging to the first three categories, whereas trusted compilers were also allowed to perform the fourth task, namely taking sentences, paragraphs, or a section on the same topic and idea from one manuscript and integrating it into another manuscript. The introduction of new thoughts of their own or changing ideas was strictly prohibited, which illustrates Ellen White’s understanding of inspiration working on the thoughts and ideas rather than on the exact words. ¹³ UEGW 120.3

During the early years, James White was Ellen White’s principal literary helper. After his death, Ellen White’s son, W. C. White, became her principal helper and literary assistant. Many other assistants worked for Ellen White over the years. Among those who helped her were Mary Kelsey-White (W. C. White’s first wife), Lucinda Abbey-Hall, Adelia Patten-Van Horn, Anna Driscol-Loughborough, Addie Howe-Cogshall, Annie Hale-Royce, Emma Sturgess-Prescott, Mary Clough-Watson, Mrs. J. I. Ings, Mrs. B. L. Whitney, Eliza Burnham, Fannie Bolton, Marian Davis, C. C. Crisler, Minnie Hawkins-Crisler, Maggie Hare, Sarah Peck, and D. E. Robinson. UEGW 120.4

Fannie Bolton became Ellen White’s most controversial assistant. She was an extremely gifted writer who worked intermittently from 1888 to 1896. However, she was not satisfied with merely copying Ellen White’s documents but instead desired to do her own original work. Bolton repeatedly acted out of harmony with Ellen White’s clear guidelines against adding her own words or thoughts. Additionally, Bolton demanded recognition of her talents as a copyist and editor. In 1894, Ellen White was forced to terminate Bolton’s employment. ¹⁴ UEGW 121.1

After she apologized and fellow workers spoke in support of her, Ellen White consented to give Bolton a new chance. However, by 1895, she again made unwarranted claims that led to a second dismissal. ¹⁵ Prompted by a vision in March 1896, Ellen White made a final attempt to help Bolton; she received her into her home and gave her material to copy. Feeling unable to do the required work, Bolton soon left for England. ¹⁶ Among her most significant false claims was that she wrote Steps to Christ, an allegation that has been frequently repeated by some of Ellen White’s critics over the years. ¹⁷ Yet comparing passages from Steps to Christ with materials from White’s pen, published prior to 1888—when Bolton was first hired by Ellen White—clearly shows Ellen White’s own authorship for at least those passages, thus negating Bolton’s claim to have authored the book in toto. ¹⁸ Bolton also reportedly asserted that she had written some of the testimonies to people and that Marian Davis had written most of The Desire of Ages.¹⁹ Davis responded to this wild assertion as follows: UEGW 121.2

I cannot think that anyone who has been connected with Sr. White’s work could make such a statement as this. I cannot think that anyone who is acquainted with Sr. White’s manner of writing could possibly believe it For more than twenty years I have been connected with Sister White’s work. During this time I have never been asked either to write out a testimony from oral instruction, or to fill out the points in matter already written From my own knowledge of the work, as well as from the statements of Sister White herself, I have the strongest possible ground for disbelieving that such a thing was done. ²⁰ UEGW 121.3

For a few years Bolton continued to go through a cycle of falsifications and confessions, which was eventually concluded with a confession of her wrong attitude and approach in 1901. ²¹ UEGW 121.4

Marian Davis’s involvement in the preparation of the book The Desire of Ages (1898) may nevertheless serve as an example of the work that only experienced workers were authorized to do. Davis’s good memory and organized mind allowed her to remember where to find items that Ellen White had already written on specific topics. Thus Davis gathered letters, manuscripts, sermons, articles, and books that contained statements on many topics and on various aspects of Christ’s life, pasting them into blank books. She made suggestions as to how to arrange and outline the material in the most reasonable manner based on a harmony of the Gospels. It should be noted that Davis did not introduce her own thoughts and words but exclusively used materials Ellen White had already written. Afterwards, Ellen White read these compiled materials or listened to them being read to her, which revived her memory of prophetic scenes. She then rewrote many passages—rearranging, omitting, and adding material—to have a smooth-flowing text. It was her goal to uplift Christ, His personality, His character, and His loveliness. She then reviewed the final manuscript before publication. ²² UEGW 121.5