Ellen White’s Last Four Books

A potential of more books

On Sabbath, June 15, 1912, W. C. White found his mother rested. Instead of attending church, he spent much of the morning and a part of the afternoon telling her of the progress of the work, particularly at Loma Linda. In the visit Sabbath afternoon they discussed her often expressed intention to visit Portland, Maine, once more. She had been eager to do this, to bear her testimony again in the city that was her girlhood home. He pointed out to her the loss that could come to the cause by her leaving her book work just then and enumerated some of the enterprises they hoped to undertake as soon as the manuscript for the Old Testament history was completed. EWLFB 6.5

He mentioned to her that among the books being called for was a revision of Christian Education. (This should not be confused with the book Education, published in 1903, but was a 250-page volume drawn from E. G. White manuscripts and issued ten years earlier.) Gospel Workers, published in 1892, was to be revised and enlarged. W. C. White then mentioned “a compilation from the Testimonies for translation into foreign languages. Experience and Views revised (Life Sketches of Ellen G. White), Story of the Health Reform Movement, Story of Labors in Europe, Story of Labors in Australia, Bible Sanctification revised,” and so on. It was quite an array of work looming before them. EWLFB 7.1

Ellen White’s response surprised and greatly pleased her son. She said that for about two weeks she had felt no burden to go to Portland in the coming summer, and then she declared: EWLFB 7.2

“‘I am not able to make such a journey in my present state of health .... I feel that my time and strength must be devoted to my books. They will speak to large congregations over and over again after my voice is silent.

“‘Remaining here, I can attend nearby meetings, and if we consent to break our work for anything, it will be in time of necessity to help the work at Loma Linda.’”—WCW to AGD, June 16, 1912.

But the main thrust through 1912, especially the summer and fall months, was in book preparation. In May, Ellen White wrote: EWLFB 7.3

“Just now, what strength I have is given mostly to bringing out in book form what I have written in past years on the Old Testament history from the time of Solomon to the time of Christ. Last year The Acts of the Apostles was put in print, and is being widely circulated; and now we are making good progress with this Old Testament history. We are advancing as fast as possible.

“I have faithful and conscientious helpers, who are gathering together what I have written for the Review, Signs and Watchman, and in manuscripts and letters, and arranging it in chapters for the book. Sometimes I examine several chapters in a day, and at other times I can read but little because my eyes become weary, and I am dizzy. The chapters that I have been reading recently are very precious.”—Letter 20, 1912.

At about the same time, W. C. White, writing of the excellent progress being made with the book, reported that she had read 25 or 30 chapters. There were 60 when the book Prophets and Kings was finished. EWLFB 7.4

It was the hope of the office staff, as mentioned earlier, that the book could be ready for sale by the time of the forthcoming General Conference session, to be held in the spring of 1913. In November, W. C. White wrote of the work: EWLFB 7.5

“During the summer much time has been devoted by Brother C. C. Crisler, Sister Minnie Hawkins and Sister Maggie Hare-Bree in diligently searching through Mother’s writings and gathering together what she has written on different phases of Old Testament history from the time of Solomon to Malachi. We have all felt that this long-neglected work ought to he carried forward as rapidly as possible now while Mother is able to supervise the work.

“Mother is writing very little new matter on the Old Testament history, but as we place before her what she has written in past years and she reads it chapter by chapter, her suggestions regarding matter yet to he sought for lead us to go again to the manuscripts and find that which had been overlooked.”—WCW to Dear Friend. November 5, 1912.