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Ellen White: Woman of Vision

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Back To Colorado

It was 7:30 Wednesday evening, June 25, 1873, when James and Ellen White, Willie, and Lucinda Hall reached Denver. They were cordially received at the Walling home. Thursday and Friday they made preparation for the summer in the Rocky Mountains. To ensure comfortable beds, they arranged to have two hair mattresses made, and bought pillows. Mr. Walling came from the mountains Sabbath afternoon and found the visiting party in the city park enjoying the Sabbath rest. After the Sabbath they started out for Golden City, in the mountains (Manuscript 8, 1873). Late Sunday afternoon they were at Walling's Mills and getting settled in the cottage that was to be their home for the summer. WV 170.2

Following much the same program and enjoying the same activities as they had on their previous sojourn here, including a camping trip, James regained his strength. The several months spent in Colorado had given him an opportunity to stand back and survey the cause as a whole. As he did so he wrote several articles for the Review proposing daring and broad steps for advance. WV 170.3

He had escaped the constant day-to-day pressures of Battle Creek, but his own ambition to see the work of God advance filled his mind with pressures and ideas for broadening the work. In a series of articles for the Review, he proposed the following: WV 170.4

A branch office for publishing on the Pacific Coast WV 170.5

A health institute on the Pacific Coast WV 170.6

He called for the responsible men in Battle Creek to move ahead quickly with the development of the school there and for enlarging the health institute to accommodate 300 guests. He pointed out that there was a need for two new power presses in the Review office and more capital with which to operate. Then he made a bold proposal: WV 170.7

The General Conference should expend, before the close of 1874, the sum of $20,000 in the preparation, translation, and publication of works in the German, French, Danish, and Swedish languages. And the General Conference must extend its missions to Europe, to the Pacific, and, in fact, in all directions, as far as the calls can be supplied (An Earnest Appeal, p. 29). WV 170.8

Rested and strengthened after their four months in Colorado, the Whites looked forward happily to continuing their journey to California. There were several days of anguish trying to decide whether to attend the session or go directly to California, taking Lucinda Hall and the two Walling children with them. They decided for California. WV 170.9

This decision having been made, that evening, Thursday, November 6, they took the train in Denver for Cheyenne, Wyoming, presumably to catch the train the next day for San Francisco. But that night, feeling impressed that they should follow another course, James went to the front of the coach to meditate and pray. Of the experience he wrote: WV 171.1

We felt a power turning our mind around, against our determined purpose, toward the General Conference to be holden in a few days in Battle Creek. WV 171.2

In our mind we debated the probabilities of another shock of paralysis which would doubtless prove fatal, and decided that we would not count our life too dear to risk all in doing the will of God. And with this consecration, we became very happy before our train reached Cheyenne. WV 171.3

It was then midnight, and after a few hours’ sleep at the depot hotel, we laid the matter before Mrs. White, who for the first time seemed willing to risk another journey to the scene of our toils, trials, sicknesses, and sufferings. And in a few hours we were repacked, Sister Hall on her way to San Francisco to make ready for us at Santa Rosa in about ten days, as we supposed, and we ticketed and checked for Chicago. At Battle Creek we were greeted heartily, not only by our denominational friends, but by businessmen and leading citizens (Ibid., December 30, 1873). WV 171.4

When the twelfth annual session of the General Conference opened on Friday morning, November 14, at 9:00, James and Ellen White were there. They stayed throughout, not continuing their journey to California until December 18. WV 171.5