The Salamanca Vision and the 1890 Diary

The Salamanca Vision

by Edna Kilbourne Steele

318 San Mateo Drive

Loma Linda, Calif.

August 11, 1946

Elder Arthur L. White

Washington, D. C.

Dear Brother White:

In the [1946] General Conference Bulletin Report No. 3, a study by Elder Wilcox on “The Testimony of Jesus,” subhead entitled “A Remarkable Experience.” I am writing this letter to you as I remember very distinctly that experience, as I was in the home of Sister White at that time. SVD 82.1

I had gone to Battle Creek in 1889, and after a few months in the school I went to Sister White’s home to do secretarial work wherever needed. I was a rather green stenographer, and my work largely consisted of making copy just on Patriarchs and Prophets, and also on other work as it came along. W. C. White was secretary of the Foreign Mission Board and I was the one and only stenographer in the office. At that far-off time we wrote letters to all the S.D.A. foreign missionaries in the world, and not too busy at that. I also did some work for J. E. White from time to time. SVD 82.2

Came the General Conference of 1891. Sister White’s home was at 303 West Main Street in Battle Creek. Her room was the front room on the second floor of the long office building that extended to the street. Sara McEnterfer and I occupied the room next to Sister White’s. SVD 82.3

I remember as though but yesterday the events of that particular morning when the Salamanca manuscript was read to the ministers. Sara got up early and quietly slipped around to Sister White’s room to see if she wished to go to the meeting that morning. Sister White replied that she would not go, that she had no special message at that time, and told Sara to go back to bed. And I well remember of Sara returning, saying that “Mother” was not going to the Tabernacle that morning. SVD 82.4

Now, Sister White was not supposed to ever go out by herself alone, always someone went with her, usually Sara, sometimes W. C. White, and a few times I had that privilege. But on this special morning, after she had told Sara to go back to bed, she was suddenly and strongly impressed to dress quickly and to take that manuscript she had written so many months before, and go to that early ministers’ meeting. Dark as it was, the walking anything but good, as the winter was breaking up, she crossed the street alone, and safely reached the Tabernacle. Neither Sara nor I had heard her pass our door or go down the stairs to the street. SVD 83.1

In the meeting she read the manuscript. It was as though she was in a meeting somewhere, where the American Sentinel was being discussed (a 4-page weekly sheet, I think it was, published by Elder A. T. Jones, at 43 Bond Street, New York City). Someone in the meeting arose, and holding up the periodical, and pointing to an article, said that articles like this should not be published—it was too strong, and should be modified so that the people would not become prejudiced. The article in question was on the subject of the Sabbath. This was a wrong principle, and what Sister White read was a strong rebuke. SVD 83.2

During the reading of the manuscript Sister White noticed that there was much uneasiness and consternation in the room, which she could not understand. When she finished and sat down there was a hush—a deep, tense silence for a brief time—and then someone arose to his feet and said, “That meeting. was held last night in the Review and Herald Office chapel, continuing till a late hour.” And holding up a copy of the American Sentinel, he said, “That periodical is this week’s issue of the American Sentinel,” and pointing to an article in the middle of the front page, he said, “This is the article on the Sabbath referred to by Sister White, and I am the man who said such strong articles should not appear in the Sentinel.” And that man was Elder A. F. Ballenger. SVD 83.3

W. C. White helped his mother home from the meeting, and at the breakfast table she had much to say about what had happened in the morning meeting. Again and again she expressed her surprise and astonishment that the Lord had worked in such a marvelous way. She could talk of nothing else. She did not know of the meeting the night before. She had not seen a copy of that week’s Sentinel. It was as much of a surprise to her as it was to those who listened, and who had been at the meeting the night before. And she had seen it and had written it all down months before it had happened. SVD 83.4

In Elder Wilcox’s article in the Bulletin he states that she was aroused at 3:00 a.m. that same night and wrote out what she had seen. But, as I remember, it was already written some six months before while at Salamanca, New York, and as I remember also, it was written in an old B.D.&S. dummy. “B.D.&S.” meant Edson White’s book, Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper, a household book he published about that time. Of course, this can be verified as to whether or not I am mistaken, as the original manuscript is preserved (and I would like to know). SVD 84.1

Also, I still remember where the drawer was located from which she took the manuscript on that morning—in a chest of drawers straight across the room, opposite the door through which one entered the room from the hallway. And that was the marvelous part of it all, that she had written it all out in such complete detail so many months before, and, without knowing anything at all about the meeting the night before, she had it all ready for use at exactly the moment when needed. SVD 84.2

At the breakfast table that morning, in addition to the usual large family, were Elder and Mrs. N. C. McClure of California. If I remember correctly, Anna Ingels, who later went to Australia, was there and also Georgia Burriss, who went to India. And it seems to me that Sister Josephine Gotzian was also there. Of these, Sister Burriss-Burgess is the only one still living, besides myself. SVD 84.3

It was a wonderful event, and I have always been glad the Lord let me have the privilege of being there. It was such a definite assurance that God was back of Sister White’s work. SVD 84.4

I do not know whether these details may be interesting or not, but in any case I am impressed to write as I have. I have told this interesting story many times during the many years, and if I am mistaken in any of the details, I would like to know, as I wish to be correct. Very Sincerely, Edna Kilbourne Steele.—White Estate Document File 107b. SVD 84.5