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

Depth of Ellen White Participation in Book Preparation

It was with satisfaction that Ellen White's staff noted her ability to engage actively in the preparation of book manuscripts at this late period in her life. Shortly after The Acts of the Apostles came from the press, W. C. White wrote of this to Elder L. R. Conradi, who headed the work of the church in Europe: 6BIO 342.3

We are truly thankful that we have been enabled to gather together the principal parts of what Mother has written regarding the life and labors of the apostles.... 6BIO 342.4

You may be interested to know how we labored together in the preparation of the manuscript for the printer, and what part Mother has been able to take in the work. 6BIO 342.5

At the beginning Mother took a very lively interest in planning about the new book. She instructed us to search through her manuscripts and her published articles in the Review, Signs, and other periodicals, and to gather together what she had written on the work and teachings of the apostles. The preliminary work took about five months of reading and research; then followed the work of selecting those articles and portions of articles and manuscripts which most clearly represented what she desired to say to all the people, both Adventists and members of other churches.... 6BIO 342.6

The burden of this work fell upon Brother C. C. Crisler, Mrs. Maggie Hare-Bree, and Miss Minnie Hawkins. 6BIO 342.7

Day by day manuscripts were submitted to Mother for reading. To these she gave her first attention early in the morning when she was rested and her mind was fresh and she marked the manuscripts freely, interlining and adding words, phrases, and sentences to make the statements more clear and forceful, and these were passed back for a second copying. 6BIO 342.8

As the work progressed, Mother would frequently give us instruction regarding points of importance and which she knew she had written and which she wished us to take special pains to search for in her writings. Sometimes this instruction was given to those who brought her the manuscripts in her room, and oftentimes after reading a few chapters or early in the forenoon after some important feature had been impressed upon her mind in night visions, she would come over to the office and talk the matter over with Brother Crisler. 6BIO 343.1

One day when she was talking with him and me together, she said, “This book will be read by heathen in America and in other lands. Take pains to search out that which I have written regarding the work and teachings of St. Paul that will appeal to the heathen.” 6BIO 343.2

At another time she said, “This book will be read by the Jews. Take pains to use what I have written that will appeal to the Jews, and also that will appeal to our people as encouragement to work for the Jews.” 6BIO 343.3

And thus from time to time, she called our attention to the objects and aims that must be remembered in gathering from her writings that which would be most useful.—December 8, 1911. 6BIO 343.4