Ellen G. White: The Lonely Years: 1876-1891 (vol. 3)

Attending to Literary Work

There was hardly a wasted hour in Ellen White's life. She learned early that serving as an effectual channel of communication for the Lord called for a total dedication. Often she had weeks and months of diligent work before her, just to convey to individuals the messages the Lord gave her for them. There was also a backlog of articles to be written for the Review and the Signs, and book preparation. While she was at home she spent almost every moment available in writing, except when she was ill—and this biographical account has minimized reference to such. She wrote on trains and in boats, while traveling by carriage, and sometimes during camp meetings, at a table in front of the pulpit. To introduce in chapter after chapter of this biography the references to her writing would be redundant; the work was, however, always with her. 3BIO 150.1

For instance, in 1879 the Review carried eight E. G. White articles, and the Signs, fifty-five. The eight in the Review represented new material. In the Signs some were new materials entirely; a few were reprints of Review or earlier Signs articles. But the majority constituted the early part of the great controversy story, as given in Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, published in 1870. When the articles appeared in the Signs, such expressions as “I saw,” et cetera, were left out. She often enlarged the story through new writing. This formed the basis for the later Patriarchs and Prophets. 3BIO 150.2

This program continued through 1880, with sixty-six articles of about the same mix. There was also the writing for the last part of the 192-page Testimony 28, and Testimony 29, of the same size. In 1880 her 19 Review articles, many of them drawn from the newly published Testimonies, were given front-page status. 3BIO 150.3

While still in Texas in mid-January, 1879, with Marian Davis at hand to assist, she began work on Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4, work that would continue off and on for the next four years (JW to WCW, January 17, 1879). Early in 1880 she expressed the desire to take the little book Appeal to Youth, which was out of print, and enlarge it to include other letters written to Edson and William. She wrote to Edson in California on January 29, 1880, asking him to return by express mail all her letters to him, explaining: 3BIO 150.4

I can then make selections from them which will be for the interest of the book.... I want letters, all letters, as soon as you can conveniently send them. I shall put nothing in the book but that which you would have no objections to.—Letter 56, 1880. 3BIO 150.5