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

With the Believers in Jackson, Michigan

On Wednesday after the weekend meetings at Tyrone, James and Ellen White hastened on to Jackson where meetings were scheduled to be held beginning Friday afternoon, June 3, 1853, through Sunday. Shortly before, trouble had arisen in the church. The wife of Dan Palmer had had a series of irritating experiences with an unconverted neighbor. Off guard, she had spoken harshly to her, calling her a “witch.” The daughter of one of the church members had overheard, and charged her with the use of a crude word that sounded much like the one she employed. Though pressed by the officers of the church, Mrs. Palmer denied the charge and refused to disclose the word she did use. Two of the brethren insisted that she was guilty and should confess. When James and Ellen White arrived, they found cross accusations and dissension in the church. The entire Jackson church was present for the June 3 meeting. 1BIO 276.1

As Ellen White was praying at the opening of the meeting, she was taken off in vision and certain features of the situation were revealed to her. Coming out of vision, she had a message for Mrs. Palmer, reproving her for the wrong spirit she had manifested toward her unbelieving neighbor. She stated that more had been shown to her, but it was not clear in her mind. 1BIO 276.2

The two accusing brethren, Case and Russell, were pleased. They arose and expressed unbounded confidence in the visions as a genuine manifestation of the Spirit of God. Turning to Mrs. Palmer, in a harsh and stern manner they urged her to confess. She remained silent. 1BIO 276.3

The next day, Sabbath, Ellen White was given another vision. In this she was shown that Mrs. Palmer did not use the word with which she was charged; she was also shown the unchristian character of Case and Russell and the very wrong course they had pursued. Mrs. Palmer made a full confession, disclosing that she had called the irritating neighbor a “witch” and sought forgiveness for her wrong feelings and attitudes. 1BIO 276.4

Case and Russell bitterly complained of the reproof given them. Demonstrating the just character of the words of reproof, they were ready to give up everything. Friday they had been in full support of the visions, and could not doubt. Now on Sabbath, with their own sins pointed out, they turned against the visions. With a few others they started the first dissident movement among the Sabbathkeeping Adventists, known as the Messenger party. Months later they started a journal called the Messenger of Truth. 1BIO 276.5

The young minister J. N. Loughborough, who had been laboring in Ohio and parts of Michigan, had caught up with the Whites Thursday afternoon, June 2, just before the Jackson meeting. He found that that morning Ellen White had been writing out a part of the vision given to her in Tyrone, which related to several companies of Sabbathkeepers in the State. She asked Loughborough to take her pencil copy and make a careful copy with pen and ink. This he did and was interested and surprised at some of its disclosures. 1BIO 277.1