The Spirit of Prophecy and Military Service

Chapter 8—Counsel Concerning Enlistment

Then Ellen White turns to certain very practical phases of the crisis of the times. Concerning our allegiance to the government she wrote: SPMS 12.1

I saw that it is our duty in every case to obey the laws of our land, unless they conflict with the higher law which God spoke with an audible voice from Sinai, and afterward engraved on stone with His own finger. “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.”

He who has God’s law written in the heart, will obey God rather than men, and will sooner disobey all men than deviate in the least from the commandment of God. God’s people, taught by the inspiration of truth, and led by a good conscience to live by every word of God, will take His law, written in their hearts, as the only authority which they can acknowledge or consent to obey. The wisdom and authority of the divine law are supreme.—Testimonies for the Church 1:361.

With the principle laid down that the Christian is duty bound to obey the laws of the land, unless there is a conflict with God’s higher law, Ellen White then comes to a very critical point, that of enlistment in an army which makes no provision for individual conscience. We quote from the next paragraph in the testimony: SPMS 12.2

I was shown that God’s people, who are His peculiar treasure, cannot engage in this perplexing war, for it is opposed to every principle of their faith. In the army they cannot obey the truth and at the same time obey the requirements of their officers. There would be a continual violation of conscience. Worldly men are governed by worldly principles.... But God’s people cannot be governed by these motives....

Those who love God’s commandments will conform to every good law of the land. But if the requirements of the rulers are such as conflict with the laws of God, the only question to be settled is, Shall we obey God, or man?—Testimonies for the Church 1:361-362. (Emphasis supplied.)

The reader must bear in mind that when this statement was published in January, 1863, there was as yet no draft. All military service in the Union forces was on a purely enlistment basis. A man entered the army by volunteering his services and at the same time became without reservation subject to the orders of his officers. There was a sharp conflict with the fourth commandment and the sixth of God’s law. There was no provision for Sabbath observance or noncombatancy. “In the army they” could not “obey the truth and at the same time obey the requirements of their officers.” SPMS 12.3

We should pause to note at this juncture that there are some who have taken this January, 1863, E. G. White statement that “in the army they (Seventh-day Adventists) cannot obey the truth and at the same time obey the requirements of their officers” (Testimonies for the Church 1:361) to mean that at no time and under no circumstances can a Seventh-day Adventist be loyal to God and engage in military service. It must be recognized that Ellen White was speaking of the circumstances in connection with “this perplexing war”—the Civil War—at that period when military service was on an enlistment basis only, and there was no provision whatsoever for the convictions of individual conscience. ⁴ SPMS 13.1