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

Chapter 31—(1875) Leading in Significant Advances

James and Ellen White had delayed their return to California for the winter months until after the Biblical institute and the dedication of Battle Creek College. The institute would close on Sunday night, January 3, and the college dedication was scheduled for Monday, January 4. But as they approached the time, a cloud hung over their cherished plans. Ellen White was very ill with influenza. W. C. White tells the story: 2BIO 459.1

After three or four days of the usual run of the disease, we expected her to recover, but she did not improve. Rather she grew worse, and the sanitarium physicians feared that she was in danger of pneumonia. They urged that she be brought without delay to the sanitarium for treatment.... Father was distressed at the thought of her not being able to bear her testimony before the members of the Bible institute, the Battle Creek church, and the many visiting brethren who had gathered to witness the dedication of the college.... 2BIO 459.2

I shall never forget the solemnity of the occasion. Mother had been brought down from her sickroom into the parlor. She was seated in a large armchair, warmly wrapped in blankets. Uriah Smith and J. H. Waggoner had come up from the Review office with Father, to unite with him in prayer, and four members of our family were also permitted to be present. 2BIO 459.3

Elder Waggoner prayed. Elder Smith followed in prayer, and then Father prayed. It seemed that heaven was very near to us. Then Mother undertook to pray, and in a hoarse, labored voice, she uttered two or three sentences of petition. 2BIO 459.4

Suddenly her voice broke clear and musical, and we heard the ringing shout, “Glory to God!” We all looked up, and saw that she was in vision. Her hands were folded across her breast. Her eyes were directed intently upward, and her lips were closed. There was no breathing, although the heart continued its action. 2BIO 460.1

As she looked intently upward, an expression of anxiety came into her face. She threw aside her blankets, and, stepping forward, walked back and forth in the room. Wringing her hands, she moaned, “Dark! Dark! All dark! So dark!” Then after a few moments’ silence, she exclaimed with emphasis, and a brightening of her countenance, “A light! A little light! More light! Much light!”—Ibid., February 10, 1938 2BIO 460.2

In his narration W. C. White explained concerning this exclamation: 2BIO 460.3

This we understood afterward, when she told us that the world was presented to her as enshrouded in the mists and fog of error, of superstition, of false tradition, and of worldliness. Then as she looked intently and with distress upon this scene, she saw little lights glimmering through the darkness. These lights increased in power. They burned brighter, and they were lifted higher and higher. Each one lighted other lights, which also burned brightly, until the whole world was lighted. 2BIO 460.4

Following her exclamatory remarks regarding the lights, she sat down in her chair. After a few minutes, she drew three long, deep breaths, and then resumed her natural breathing. Her eyes rested upon the company that had been assembled for prayer. Father, knowing that after a vision everything looked strange to her, knelt by her side, and spoke in her ear, saying, “Ellen, you have been in vision.” 2BIO 460.5

“Yes,” she said, her voice sounding far away, as though she were speaking to someone in another room. 2BIO 460.6

“Were you shown many things?” Father asked. 2BIO 460.7

“Yes,” she replied. 2BIO 460.8

“Would you like to tell us about them now?” he asked. 2BIO 460.9

“Not now” was her response. So the company was dismissed, and she went back to her room.—Ibid. 2BIO 460.10

W. C. White continued his account of the vision: 2BIO 461.1

Father then hastened down to the Review office to meet the brethren who were coming in from the East and the West to attend the dedication. About sundown he came up from the office, walking through the snow, for it had been snowing quite heavily during the afternoon. Entering the house, he threw off his overcoat in the kitchen, and hastened up to Mother's room. There, after a few words of inquiry about the experience of the afternoon, he said, “Ellen, there is to be an important meeting in the church this evening. Do you wish to attend?”

“Certainly,” she answered. So she dressed for the meeting, and with Father, walked down through the snow to the church.—Ibid. 2BIO 461.2

Waggoner, who had been one who prayed that afternoon for Ellen White's healing, reported in the January 8 issue of the Review: 2BIO 461.3

The closing exercises on Sunday evening, January 3, were of unusual interest. A recapitulation of subjects canvassed was presented by Brother Smith. At this point Sister White entered the house. She had been very sick for several days, and all had resigned their hope of hearing her again before their departure. 2BIO 461.4

But the Lord, in answer to prayer, visited her in mercy and in power, and to the great joy of all present she was enabled to give a powerful exhortation and cheering testimony. Brother White followed with a stirring appeal which went to the hearts of the large assembly.—Ibid., January 8, 1875 2BIO 461.5

Whether Ellen White related the vision Sunday night or at one of the special meetings held the next few evenings at the church is not clear. W. C. White describes, as a preface to her telling of the vision, her appeal for all to take broader views of the work: 2BIO 461.6

In Mrs. White's rehearsal of her vision regarding the growth of the work, which was given her on January 3, 1875, not only did she speak of seeing companies of believers who were waiting for the gospel messenger, but she also told her hearers that the time was not far distant when we should send ministers to many foreign lands, that God would bless their labors, and that there would be in many places a work of publishing the present truth. 2BIO 461.7

She said that in the vision, she had seen printing presses running in many foreign lands, printing periodicals, tracts, and books containing truths regarding the sacredness of the Sabbath, and the soon coming of Jesus. 2BIO 462.1

At this point, Father interrupted and said, “Ellen, can you tell us the names of those countries?” She hesitated a moment, and then said, “No, I do not know the names. The picture of the places and of the printing presses is very clear, and if I should ever see them, I would recognize them. But I did not hear the names of the places. Oh, yes, I remember one; the angel said, ‘Australia.’”—Ibid., February 17, 1938 (see also The General Conference Bulletin, 1909, 92, 93). 2BIO 462.2

A decade later, while visiting Europe, she recognized the presses in the publishing house in Switzerland as shown to her in this 1875 vision; the same can be said of the presses she saw in Australia still later. 2BIO 462.3

This was the last vision given to Ellen White accompanied by physical phenomena concerning which we have detailed information and published lines of instruction attesting to it. J. N. Loughborough, who in 1884 was at the Oregon camp meeting, testified that a vision accompanied by the phenomena was given to her there, but we have no details about the circumstances. At the General Conference session of 1893 he stated: 2BIO 462.4

I have seen Sister White in vision about fifty times. The first time was about forty years ago.... Her last open vision was in 1884, on the campground at Portland, Oregon.—Ibid., 1893, 19, 20. 2BIO 462.5