Ellen G. White: The Progressive Years: 1862-1876 (vol. 2)

An Encouraging James White Dream

In his next report to the Review James White related a dream that he had at Wright. Four years earlier, while at Monterey, just before a special outreach for the youth (see Ellen G. White: The Early Years, chapter 32), he had dreamed of catching many small, plump fish. In the weeks that followed, many young persons were converted, first at Monterey, then at Wright, Greenville, Orleans, and finally at Battle Creek. He recounted that “for twenty-four years, we have probably dreamed of catching fish a hundred times, just before an ingathering of souls. The size of the persons, and their moral worth, is generally represented by the size and value of the fish.”—Ibid., February 5, 1867. Of the dream at Wright, he wrote: 2BIO 165.1

Mrs. White and self were fishing, and with much effort caught large fish. But four of the fish caused us much trouble. They were restless, and would get out of the boat into the water, when we would with difficulty pull them into the boat again. This was repeated several times, and we caught no more large fish. We saw no small fish, as they were kept away by the large ones. But when the large ones were all caught out of the way, the water was immediately alive with small fish, plump and beautiful, which we readily caught. I awoke, and behold, it was a dream.—Ibid. 2BIO 165.2

Before leaving Wright, they witnessed the literal fulfillment of this dream. During the six weeks they were there, Ellen spoke twenty-five times, and James, twelve. As James was recovering from his long illness, she found that she must carry the heavy part of the burden, but she was careful to see that her husband led out. As they labored especially for the members of the church, Ellen found that her husband was a great help. 2BIO 165.3

His long experience in this kind of work, as he had labored with me in the past, had qualified him for it. And now that he entered upon it again he seemed to manifest all that clearness of thought, good judgment, and faithfulness in dealing with the erring, of former days. In fact, no other two of our ministers could have rendered me the assistance that he did.—Testimonies for the Church, 1:571. 2BIO 165.4

Just at this point a wealthy church member from the State of New York who had spent a few days in Battle Creek came up to Wright. He was full of criticisms he had picked up in Battle Creek, especially from those who had considered that Ellen White was moving unwisely when she took her husband's case in her own hands and made the trip east in the fall and then the trip to Wright in a snowstorm. At Wright this man did a lot of unwise talking and gossiping, especially among some of the more affluent members. Ellen White wrote: 2BIO 165.5

He chose to represent my husband, even before those for whom we had the greatest labor, as being partially insane and his testimony consequently as of no weight.—Ibid., 1:572. 2BIO 166.1

Root later told her that the work of this man had set the work with the Wright church back by two weeks. She wrote: 2BIO 166.2

By two weeks more of the most wearing labor, with the blessing of God, we were able to remove this wrong influence and give that dear people full proof that God had sent us to them.—Ibid. 2BIO 166.3

Ultimately nine baptisms resulted from their evangelistic thrust, and the church was greatly revived. As for the Root family, which had so generously taken them in at this time of their particular needs, she wrote: 2BIO 166.4

Brother and Sister Root fully sympathized with me in my trials and labors, and watched with the tenderest care to supply all our wants. Our prayers were frequent that the Lord would bless them in basket and in store, in health as well as in grace and spiritual strength. And I felt that a special blessing would follow them. Though sickness has since come into their dwelling, yet I learn by Brother Root that they now enjoy better health than before. And among the items of temporal prosperity he reports that his wheat fields have produced twenty-seven bushels to the acre, and some forty, while the average yield of his neighbors’ fields has been only seven bushels per acre.—Ibid., 1:574, 575. 2BIO 166.5