Messenger of the Lord

Educational Leaders Learned to Listen to Ellen White

When one reviews the first fifty years after Ellen White published her first testimony on “Proper Education,” ⁴⁷ in 1872, several common characteristics appear: (1) the closer a school followed inspired instruction, the more efficient and productive its program became; (2) the administrators who broke new ground in educational reform believed strongly in the inspiration of Ellen White; (3) when administrators and faculty taught these principles, by precept and example, the student body responded positively. MOL 360.5

Whenever school staffs were ambivalent regarding educational reform, students would catch the ambiguity and express their frustration in some unconstructive way. The troublesome experiences of Battle Creek College would stand forever as an object lesson of the negative consequences of unsureness in responding to inspired counsel. ⁴⁸ MOL 360.6