Ellen G. White — Messenger to the Remnant

Misleading Use of the Testimonies

There is grave danger that an individual, having reached some cherished conclusion and desiring support of his theory, will take a sentence here and a paragraph there, from the Testimonies, and place them in such a setting as to give a meaning entirely different from the original when its context is candidly considered. The possibilities of such a wrong use of the writings was recognized by Mrs. White in a letter written June 28, 1906. In it she states: EGWMR 86.2

“Those who are not walking in the light of the message, may gather up statements from my writings that happen to please them, and that agree with their human judgment, and, by separating these statements from their connection, and placing them beside human reasonings, make it appear that my writings uphold that which they condemn.”—Letter 208, 1906. EGWMR 86.3

Such misrepresentation is manifestly unfair, both to the reader of such a compilation and to the author of the writings. The dangers along this line were pointed out by Mrs. White as the reasons why she could not grant free use of her writings to those who wished to make compilations: EGWMR 86.4

“Many from among our own people are writing to me, asking with earnest determination the privilege of using my writings to give force to certain subjects which they wish to present to the people in such a way as to leave a deep impression upon them. It is true that there is a reason why some of these matters should be presented; but I would not venture to give my approval in using the testimonies in this way, or to sanction the placing of matter which is good in itself in the way which they propose. EGWMR 86.5

“The persons who make these propositions, for aught I know, may be able to conduct the enterprise of which they write in a wise manner; but nevertheless I dare not give the least license for using my writings in the manner which they propose. In taking account of such an enterprise, there are many things that must come into consideration; for in using the testimonies to bolster up some subject which may impress the mind of the author, the extracts may give a different impression than that which they would were they read in their original connection.”—The Writing and Sending Out of the Testimonies for the Church, 26. EGWMR 86.6

Since Mrs. White’s decease, the trustees have been appealed to by a number of persons for permission to use the Testimonies in compilations which they felt urged to publish. In many cases they were not able to grant such permission because of the dangers of an unfair use of the writings. EGWMR 86.7

As the work progressed—that of presenting in published volumes that which had been revealed to her—Mrs. White and her publishers availed themselves of the protection offered to authors through the copyright laws, and all the later books were registered in the Copyright Office of the United States and in some foreign lands. This, in a great degree, has served as a check against the misuse of the published writings. EGWMR 86.8