A Word to the “Little Flock”

The First E. G. White Book

In August, 1851, her first book, A Sketch of the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, was published at Saratoga Springs, New York. Among the articles which comprise this work of sixty-four pages are the last two just referred to, which appeared in A Word to the “Little Flock” - the first E. G. White vision and the letter to Elder Bates. See Early Writings, 13-20; 32-35. AWLF 25.6

Introducing her first vision as presented in this book, Mrs. White stated, “Here I will give the view which was first published in 1846. In this view I saw only a very few of the events of the future. More recent views have been more full. I shall therefore leave out a portion and prevent repetition.” - A Sketch of the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White, 9. AWLF 25.7

Thus, in the first edition of the first E. G. White book, purporting to be only a “sketch,” Mrs. White informed her readers that she was not including all of that which had appeared in earlier published accounts of these visions. A fuller presentation of scenes regarding which but very brief reference has been made in her first visions was given in later chapters of the book, and was set forth by her as the reason for these omissions. We offer two illustrations of this. AWLF 26.1

Near the center of page 16 of A Word to the “Little Flock” is found a statement describing the temple in heaven and that which was viewed by Mrs. White in this temple. This statement is one which was omitted when she prepared the matter for her first book, for it is a close repetition in many respects of the description given on page 18, now found on pages 32 and 33 of Early Writings. AWLF 26.2

On page 19 of A Word to the “Little Flock” appears a short paragraph dealing with the “mark of the beast.” This paragraph also was omitted by Mrs. White, but we find an entire chapter devoted to this subject in Early Writings, 64-67. AWLF 26.3

The scripture references which appear in the E. G. White communications in A Word to the “Little Flock” were inserted by James White. With these are six references to Second Esdras of the Apocrypha. James White assumed the full responsibility for the insertion of all these references, as has been noted by his statement appearing at the bottom of page 13, and they constitute no part of Mrs. White’s account. AWLF 26.4

It will also be observed that in the center of page 19, in connection with the statement regarding the beast and the image beast, the number “666” is found inserted in marks of parenthesis as are the letters referring to the scripture references. The fact that this number appears in parenthesis indicates clearly that it was not a part of the vision, but was inserted by Joseph Bates, the first publisher, as were the scripture references by James White, and reflects the view held by him at that time. AWLF 26.5

In addition to Mrs. White’s brief 1851 statement, referred to above, as to why omissions were made when her first book was published, she, in 1883, wrote at length dealing with most of these omitted portions. Her explanation follows. AWLF 26.6