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

A Quiet, Uninterrupted Visit with His Mother

On Sabbath, June 15, W. C. White found his mother rested. Instead of attending church, he spent much of the morning and part of the afternoon with her, telling of the progress of the work, particularly at Loma Linda. During this conversation, White wrote down some things she said. Some of these disclosed rare insights: 6BIO 366.1

“The Loma Linda institution, if conducted according to the will of God, will become the most important in its work of all our institutions throughout the world.” 6BIO 366.2

“Now is the time when we must do all that we can to see that every stone in the foundation of the Loma Linda enterprise is laid right.”—WCW to AGD, June 16, 1912. 6BIO 366.3

In the Sabbath-afternoon visit they discussed her often-expressed intention to visit Portland, Maine, once more. William pointed out to her that the trip would probably cost $500 and the injury that would come to the literary work in progress at Elmshaven would be more serious than a loss of $2,000. 6BIO 366.4

He also enumerated some of the enterprises that they had in mind to take hold of as soon as the manuscript for the Old Testament history was completed. It exceeded somewhat her conjecture expressed earlier of the possibility of getting out “one more book.” 6BIO 366.5

He mentioned to her some of the books that were being called for—among them, a revision of Christian Education. This should not be confused with the book Education, published in 1903; rather, it was a 250-page volume drawn from E. G. White manuscripts and issued ten years earlier. Gospel Workers, published in 1892, was to be revised and enlarged. W. C. White then mentioned a “compilation of [the] Testimonies for translation into foreign languages, Experience and Views revised [Life Sketches of Ellen G. White], Story of the Health Reform Movement, Story of Labors in Europe, Story of Labors in Australia, Bible Sanctification revised, et cetera, et cetera” (Ibid.). It was quite an array of work looming before them. 6BIO 366.6

Ellen White's response surprised and greatly pleased her son. She said that for a couple of weeks she had felt no burden to go to Portland in the coming summer. She declared: 6BIO 366.7

“I am not able to make such a journey in my present state of health.... I feel that my time and strength must be devoted to my books. They will speak to large congregations over and over again after my voice is silent. 6BIO 367.1

“Remaining here, I can attend nearby meetings, and if we consent to break our work for anything, it will be in time of necessity to help the work at Loma Linda.”— (Ibid.) 6BIO 367.2

She had already made one trip south that year to attend three important gatherings in southern California held in close proximity: a union-wide ministerial institute, March 12 to 20; the session of the Pacific Union Conference, March 21 to 26; and the Loma Linda constituency meetings, March 27 to April 1. The latter had been followed by several days of board meetings. 6BIO 367.3