What Ellen White has Meant to Me

Chapter 22—A Fountain That Never Runs Dry

I believe that both Ellen G. White and the apostle Paul were true prophets who wrote under the influence of the Spirit of God. My reason for believing in the inspiration of the one is identical with my reason for believing in the inspiration of the other. In both cases the Holy Spirit addresses me through their writings and persuades me of their divine origin. WEWMM 165.1

Protestants have long recognized that it is the eternal witness of the Holy Spirit that authenticates the Scriptures to us as the work of God. John Calvin wrote: WEWMM 165.2

“Scripture, carrying its own evidence along with it, deigns not to submit to proofs and arguments, but owes the full conviction with which we ought to receive it to the testimony of the Spirit.” ¹ WEWMM 165.3

In similar vein, the Gallican Confession adopted by French Protestants in 1559 declares concerning the sixty-six books of the Bible: WEWMM 165.4

“We know these books to be canonical, and the sure rule of our faith, not so much by the common accord and consent of the Church, as by the testimony and inward illumination of the Holy Spirit, which enables us to distinguish them from other ecclesiastical books upon which, however useful, we can not found any article of faith.” ² WEWMM 165.5

I find this principle to be as valid in the twentieth century as it was in the sixteenth. The Holy Spirit still bears witness to His own work, whether it be to messages spoken through ancient prophets or to counsels given by a modern prophetess. In fact, the writings of Ellen White bear many resemblances to those of the Bible prophets. WEWMM 165.6

One of the marks of the inspiration of the Bible is that though read a thousand times the deep well of living water is never exhausted. There is always some new discovery of truth, always a new supply of grace that results from its study. The same is true of the writings of Mrs. White. Her books are like a fountain that never runs dry. I have read The Desire of Ages through over and over again in connection with my college class in The Life and Teachings of Jesus. Every year my soul is thrilled anew with the profound spiritual insights in that priceless work. The chapters “Calvary” and “It Is Finished” are incomparable. If I could have only two books in my library for the rest of my life, I would choose the Bible and The Desire of Ages. WEWMM 166.1

Another characteristic of the Bible prophets is their unwavering confidence in God through all the vicissitudes of life. The writings of the modern prophetess reveal the same unfailing trust. When the morning headlines almost overwhelm me, I find courage and confidence in her words: WEWMM 166.2

“Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best.” ³ WEWMM 166.3

When I wonder how God’s work will ever be finished in view of political conditions in some lands, she reminds me that Christ “made full provision for the prosecution of the work, and took upon Himself the responsibility for its success.” ⁴ WEWMM 166.4

When disappointments perplex and confound me, I find comfort in the assurance that: WEWMM 166.5

“God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him.” ⁵ WEWMM 166.6

Mrs. White resembles the Bible prophets in that she magnifies Christ and draws me to Him. She points out my failings and my weaknesses, and invariably drives me to my knees. She always makes me dissatisfied with myself, yet she never discourages me. There is always hope. The exalted themes of which she writes, like those in the Bible, stagger my imagination. WEWMM 166.7

She challenges me to be as true to duty as the needle to the pole, to die rather than commit one wrong act, to live every day as if it were to be my last. ⁶ As I read the Spirit of Prophecy books, I often find that I want to memorize every line on every page. Great truths are so simply stated. For example: “It is moral worth that God values. Love and purity are the attributes He prizes most.” ⁷ Another classic: “The everlasting portals will open wide to the trembling touch of a little child.” ⁸ WEWMM 167.1

A conspicuous feature of Mrs. White’s writing is her undeviating exaltation of the Bible. She does not “explain it away” but is always a faithful interpreter. I freely admit that she has helped me to maintain my faith in the Word of God. When studying in a non-Adventist university some years ago, I frequently had long confrontations with one of my professors on the subject of evolution. He maintained that the first eleven chapters of Genesis were not a dependable historical narrative and insisted that I must surrender my views in favor of his. I felt the pressure constantly, as the issue was renewed so often in his class. If it had not been for the writings of Ellen White I might have accepted his plausible arguments and gone his way. But Mrs. White’s undeniably literal description of Creation and the Flood, as given in Patriarchs and Prophets, satisfied me completely as to the truthfulness of the Mosaic record. WEWMM 167.2

Aside from the spiritual quality of her writings, there are other evidences of Ellen White’s inspiration that carry great weight with me. Some of these are: WEWMM 167.3

1. Her leadership in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Every year, as I lecture to my classes on her role in Seventh-day Adventist history, I am impressed anew with the conviction that Mrs. White’s wisdom bore the imprint of the supernatural. It was her counsel that led to the establishment of our three great American publishing houses; she was the one who insisted that we should have our own educational system; almost singlehandedly she persuaded the brethren to purchase Loma Linda and open a medical school there; it was she who preserved the church from falling hopelessly into a web of legalism at the General Conference of 1888; Avondale College in Australia is a monument to her inspired counsels; our emphasis on healthful living is due almost entirely to instruction from her pen. More often than not, these and other similar accomplishments met their fulfillment in spite of opposition from many of our most influential leaders. In all of this I see the hand of God working through His prophet. WEWMM 167.4

2. The miraculous timing of her messages in frequent moments of crisis. She did not know that the advocates of pantheism would present themselves, uninvited, at the Autumn Council of 1903. Yet it was her message, sent from California, which arrived just in time to meet the emergency. ⁹ When she, with the help of a friend, purchased the Paradise Valley Sanitarium, she did not know that someone in New York had already put a letter in the mail agreeing to buy the property at a higher price. Her action saved the institution for us. ¹⁰ WEWMM 168.1

In 1894 she wrote from Australia to A. T. Jones in Michigan, correcting him for statements made in a sermon in the Battle Creek church. Her letter arrived the day after he gave his discourse. Jones, marveling that Mrs. White could have known the content of his message several weeks before he knew it himself, corrected his errors on the following Sabbath. ¹¹ Illustrations of this nature, which might be greatly multiplied, underscore the fact that Ellen White was directed by the divine Mind. WEWMM 168.2

3. The present validation of scientific statements made a century ago. How did this mother and homemaker know, in 1864, that tobacco was a malignant poison, “all the more dangerous because its effects upon the system are so slow”? ¹²It took the rest of the world another hundred years to find that out. Her comments on prenatal influence, electrical currents in the brain, cancerous germs, et cetera, are chronicled elsewhere. ¹³ Is it not significant that her book The Ministry of Healing is still up to date, while other medical books published in 1905 are now only curiosity pieces? WEWMM 168.3

4. The fulfillment of her predictions. Her declaration that she had seen “an immense ball of fire fall among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction” ¹⁴ is truly astonishing. This was written in 1909, years before the first aerial bomb was dropped, and decades before atomic weapons were developed. In 1903 she described “the impending destruction of thousands of cities.” ¹⁵ In 1913 world leaders, political and religious, were declaring the opposite to be true, that the world was then entering an age of settled peace and good will. They were wrong. She was right. How did this wrinkled grandmother know what world leaders did not know? I can only conclude that God must have told Sister White. Numerous other striking illustrations could be cited. WEWMM 168.4

Convincing as these last four evidences are, they are subordinate in my mind to the overriding evidence of Ellen White’s inspiration, which is found in the deeply spiritual character of her writings. Her many literary productions carry their own credentials. I thank God for every article and every book authored by this modern prophet. No literature, apart from the Bible, so perfectly satisfies the needs of my soul. WEWMM 169.1

Fort Worth, Texas
June 1972