Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years: 1905-1915 (vol. 6)

The Basis for Final Decisions

This experience, and her communications about it, points up an interesting facet of her work. With a judgment enriched by the many visions God gave to her, she was influential in the making of important decisions, but never were the visions to take the place of study, initiative, faith, or hard work on the part of all concerned. The visions were not given to take the place of careful investigation and decision making. Nor were her opinions, in the absence of special light, to be taken as authoritative. 6BIO 180.5

In the case of Loma Linda three years earlier, she recognized the buildings when she reached the grounds, and she was very positive that the church should buy that particular property. But even then she left the final decisions with the committees and constituencies. In principle the Buena Vista property had most of the qualifications she had repeatedly set forth as desirable for a college. But that this was the precise place that should be secured she was not prepared to say, and could only declare that it “corresponds to a place that had been shown me” (Ibid.). 6BIO 180.6