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Ellen G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years: 1900-1905 (vol. 5)

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Pantheism Rampant in Battle Creek

As Elder Daniells took up residence in Battle Creek as the leader of the church following the General Conference of 1901, he found these teachings rampant. For years he had been more or less isolated in Australia. He was amazed to hear the talk of God in flowers, in trees, in mankind. The expression was constantly heard: The acorn falls to the ground and a tree springs up. It was argued that one must say there is a tree maker in the tree. It was declared that the Creator, whatever He might be like, was in the things that were made, and therefore, man must look within for his maker and his God. And some boldly said that there is no great Being sitting on the throne in heaven, but God is in all nature. 5BIO 287.2

This Daniells could not accept, because, as he declared: “I knew that the Bible says that there is a great Supreme Being who had created all things. So I never felt in harmony with this idea.”—DF 15a, AGD, “How the Denomination Was Saved From Pantheism,” copy A, p. 2. 5BIO 287.3

Elder W. A. Spicer, who was serving with Elder Daniells in the General Conference as newly appointed secretary of the Foreign Mission Board, had spent years of service in India. He was astonished at this teaching that was being proclaimed around Battle Creek. He recognized it clearly as pantheism, which is the basis of Hinduism. He asked himself, “Could it be that the philosophies of heathenism are being taught by leading men in the Seventh-day Adventist Church?” 5BIO 287.4

On February 18, 1902, as noted in Chapter 11, the Sanitarium in Battle Creek burned to the ground, and the denomination was confronted with the matter of rebuilding. Dr. Kellogg came to the General Conference Committee and asked what the General Conference could do to help. Thinking of the effort being made in the selling of Christ's Object Lessons to help clear the debts of the church's educational institutions. Elder Daniells suggested that Dr. Kellogg write a simple book on physiology and health care that could be sold by Seventh-day Adventist throughout the United States. Perhaps they could sell half a million copies, and all income from the sale of this book could be used to help rebuild the sanitarium. 5BIO 288.1

This appealed to Dr. Kellogg. But Daniells hastened to say: 5BIO 288.2

“Now look here, Doctor, that book must not contain a single argument of this new theory you are teaching, because there are a lot of people all over the States who do not accept it. I know from what they say, and if it has any of what they consider pantheism they will never touch it.”— Ibid., 3.

And the doctor replied, “Oh yes, oh yes, I understand that.” And Daniells reiterated the point: “You must leave all that out.”— Ibid. Dr. Kellogg fully agreed. (As Kellogg tells the story, it was he who proposed the book for popular sale. Perhaps the idea originated in the minds of both leaders.) In the summer of 1902 Daniells took the matter to the union presidents, and they promised to support the wide sale of a book that would help to raise funds for the Sanitarium. 5BIO 288.3

Dr. Kellogg was a tireless worker. He dictated a manuscript as quickly as he could, and it was sent to the Review and Herald office for the setting of the type. In the form of galley proofs the nascent book, to be called The Living Temple, came to Elder W. W. Prescott, General Conference field secretary, who was serving as acting leader in the absence of Elder Daniells, and to Dr. Kellogg, who was in Europe. 5BIO 288.4

Elder Prescott called Elder Spicer's attention to some of the chapters. Spicer in turn mentioned his feeling to one of Dr. Kellogg's medical associates, that wrong ideas were set forth in certain portions of the book. 5BIO 288.5

The medical friend looked the matter over and wrote to Elder Spicer that it was his conviction that the matter in question was quite right and in harmony with the Advent message, however differently truths might be expressed from a scientific standpoint. He felt that the church ought to be ready to accept advancing light. To this Elder Spicer replied in a letter written June 5, 1902: 5BIO 289.1

“A book to be used as it is purposed that this shall be, in order to pay debts on our sanitariums, must be altogether above question and controversy. It is not a question as to whether our people ought to take advanced light or not, but simply a question as to rallying everybody to undertake what at best will be a very difficult problem.”—DF 15c, W. A. Spicer, “How the Spirit of Prophecy Met a Crisis,” Copy A, p. 18. 5BIO 289.2

Soon after Kellogg's return to Battle Creek, Spicer was invited by the doctor to come to his home for a discussion of the book. The men spent an entire Sabbath afternoon together, and soon they were in rather bitter controversy, as the doctor explained that the teachings of the book presented his views in a very modest fashion, and it was his intent to teach that God was in the things of nature. 5BIO 289.3

Later Spicer wrote of the exchange: 5BIO 289.4

“Where is God?” I was asked. I would naturally say, He is in heaven; there the Bible pictures the throne of God, all the heavenly beings at His command as messengers between heaven and earth. But I was told that God was in the grass and plants and in the trees....

“Where is heaven?” I was asked. I had my idea of the center of the universe, with heaven and the throne of God in the midst, but disclaimed any attempt to fix the center of the universe astronomically. But I was urged to understand that heaven is where God is, and God is everywhere—in the grass, in the trees, in all creation. There was no place in this scheme of things for angels going between heaven and earth, for heaven was here and everywhere. The cleansing of the sanctuary that we taught about was not something in a faraway heaven. “The sin is here ...[Dr. Kellogg said, pointing to his heart], and here is the sanctuary to be cleansed.”— Ibid., 19, 20. 5BIO 289.5

As he left the doctor on that Sabbath afternoon, Spicer reported: 5BIO 290.1

I knew well enough that there was nothing of the Advent message that could fit into such a philosophy. As I had listened, one light after another of the gospel message seemed to be put out. Religious teaching that to me was fundamental was set aside.— Ibid., 21.