Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862 (vol. 1)

The Conference at Vergennes, Vermont

The next meeting, the third in Vermont, was called on short notice and held at the home of Elon Everts. “Brother Everts,” wrote Ellen White, “is a blessed brother, but has been in the ‘age to come’ all over and he said he could not give it up.”—Letter 8, 1851. And she added: 1BIO 222.7

He held such a strong mixture of views that if followed out would lead to spiritualism of the worst kind, such as spiritual wifery. 1BIO 223.1

On Sabbath evening she had a vision in which she was shown that “the accursed thing must be put out of the camp” or the church would suffer. She wrote: 1BIO 223.2

After I had the vision and told it, Brother Everts began to confess and break down before God. He gave up his “age to come” and felt the necessity of keeping the minds of all on the third angel's message. 1BIO 223.3

I had as solemn a view at that time as I ever had in my life. The next day we went to Henry Allen's, and God gave me a cutting message for him and I dared not daub with untempered mortar. Never did I have such a cutting message for anyone before. He did not break down. We withdrew all fellowship from him until he should give up his spiritual union views and get right. We left the brethren and sisters there in a much better state than we found them.—Ibid. 1BIO 223.4

Back in Saratoga Springs by mid-November, they found everyone well. The work had gone on in their absence with only one issue of the Review missed. As James picked up his work at the Review “office” he declared: 1BIO 223.5

We never felt so good courage to toil on in this cause as now. God blesses every effort His children make to advance this cause, and certainly we should be encouraged. We witnessed tenfold more good accomplished on this tour than we anticipated. It is God's marvelous work, and He shall have all the praise.—The Review and Herald, November 25, 1851. 1BIO 223.6

Soon the back pages of the Review and Herald were carrying notices of conferences through late December and into January, and James and Ellen White would attend some of those in northern and western New York. 1BIO 223.7