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

Chapter 20—Writing, Publishing, and Speaking

Shortly after the long trip east that closed with her return to her Elmshaven home on September 9, 1909, Ellen White received from the Review and Herald Publishing Association the first copy of Testimonies for the Church, volume 9. From time to time over a four-year period some work had been done on its preparation. 6BIO 262.1

On February 1, 1905, she had written to Dr. Kress, “Just now we are very busy. We are finishing up Ministry of Healing, which is now in the printers’ hands, and are making an effort to prepare matter for Testimony IX.”—Letter 73, 1905. 6BIO 262.2

A few weeks later she wrote that she hoped the volume would soon be in circulation, and in the weeks that followed she was reading matter that was to go into “the next Testimony” (Letter 89, 1905). In October W. C. White expressed the hope that the book would come out in “three or four months” (29 WCW, p. 40). One of the secretaries, Maggie Hare, was collecting material for the opening section (Ibid., 402). 6BIO 262.3

In March, 1906, W. C. White was looking forward to a meeting with Elders Daniells and Irwin regarding the contents of the Testimony volume (30 WCW, p. 22), and reported that “much of the copy has been prepared, but none of it has been sent to the printer” (Ibid., 98). 6BIO 262.4

But as certain crisis matters pressed in, work on the Testimony volume was laid aside. Two years went by, and then in September and October, 1908, members of Ellen White's staff were back at the Testimony volume again. She wrote, “We have faithful workers in our office staff, and all of them are appreciated.... Clarence Crisler has a special work to do in the preparation of the Testimonies.”—Letter 310, 1908. 6BIO 262.5

But it was not until the General Conference session in Washington in 1909, at which Ellen White delivered several messages she wanted the whole church to have and the needs of the great cities pressed hard upon her, that the time seemed ripe for closing up the work on the Testimony volume. Both Clarence Crisler and Minnie Hawkins had been with her during the session, and as plans had been laid for the Review and Herald to publish the book, Clarence and Minnie were left in Washington to see the book through the press. This kept them in Washington through June, July, and much of August—time spent by Ellen White in the long trip home. They kept in almost daily contact with her through W. C. White as he and his mother traveled north and then west. As Crisler turned over finished copy to the publishers, carbon copies and then galley proofs were hastened to the traveling Whites. 6BIO 263.1

On August 4, W. C. White wrote to Crisler, “Mother has read and approves of all the proofs thus far received. You can push forward the closing up of the work as fast as you like.” 6BIO 263.2

Crisler was able to send the last of the galley proofs to Ellen White on August 9. These were for the section titled “The Religious Liberty Work.” 6BIO 263.3

At the Review and Herald top priority was given to publishing the volume, and with members of Ellen White's staff close at hand to assist when needed, the work moved quickly through the plant. The book was in the field less than four months after the close of the General Conference session. 6BIO 263.4