Ellen G. White — Messenger to the Remnant

In the Early Morning

Mrs. White often did her work in the early hours of the morning, retiring early in the evening, and resting some during the day. We will let her tell us of this. She wrote to one of our pioneer workers in the year 1906: EGWMR 109.11

“The evening after the Sabbath I retired, and rested well without ache or pain until half past ten. I was unable to sleep. I had received instruction, and I seldom lie in bed after such instruction comes. There was a company assembled in ——, and instruction was given by One in our midst that I was to repeat and repeat with pen and voice. I left my bed, and wrote for five hours as fast as my pen could trace the lines. Then I rested on the bed for an hour, and slept part of the time. EGWMR 109.12

“I placed the matter in the hands of my copyist, and on Monday morning it was waiting for me, placed inside my office door on Sunday evening. There were four articles ready for me to read over and make any corrections needed. The matter is now prepared, and some of it will go in the mail today. EGWMR 109.13

“This is the line of work that I am carrying on. I do most of my writing while the other members of the family are asleep. I build my fire, and then write uninterruptedly, sometimes for hours. I write while others are asleep. Who then has told Sister White? A messenger that is appointed.”—Letter 28, 1906. EGWMR 109.14

Other glimpses of this early morning work are seen in the following, written from Australia: EGWMR 109.15

“I sit here on my bed, this cold July morning trying to write to you. I have woolen mitts on my hands, leaving my fingers free to write. I place my lamp on one side at my left hand, rather than behind me, and then the light shines on my paper in just the right way.... It is a little past two o’clock. I continue to be an early riser and I write every day.”—Letter 105, 1900. EGWMR 109.16

“I am obliged to continue my writing, and I praise the Lord for the strength that He gives me. I am carrying so heavy a burden that often I can not sleep past twelve or one o’clock. When my mind is so pressed, I can find relief only in prayer and writing. My workers tell me that since my return from the East [a period of two months], I have written about six hundred pages of type-written matter.”—Letter 54, 1902. EGWMR 110.1

“I have much to write. For several nights scenes have been opening before me. Yesterday morning, with one eye bandaged, I sat writing page after page hours before the other members of my family were awake.”—Letter 372, 1906. EGWMR 110.2