101 Questions on the Sanctuary and on Ellen White

76. “The Words...Are My Own”

The Chicago Tribune, on November 25, 1980, stated: “White, a health reformer who said she experienced divine visions, always maintained that her religious principles were inspired by God. In 1867 she wrote: ‘I am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel.’” Walter Rea is then quoted as saying, “We are faced with choosing to live with the bitter truth rather than with a sweet lie.” Rea is quoted by the Long Beach Independent Press Telegram, of the same date, as saying, “Why did she lie? I don’t know.” What did Mrs. White mean when she said that the words she employed were her own? QSEW 69.4

Ellen White had written that the reform dress should “clear the filth of the streets an inch or two” and “should reach somewhat below the top of the boot to about nine inches from the floor” (Testimonies for the Church 1:458, 461, 521). When one of her readers thought he saw a contradiction in these three expressions, she explained: QSEW 70.1

“The proper distance from the bottom of the dress to the floor was not given to me in inches. Neither was I shown ladies’ gaiter boots; but three companies of females passed before me, with their dresses as follows with respect to length: QSEW 70.2

“The first were of fashionable length, burdening the limbs, impeding the step, and sweeping the street and gathering its filth; the evil results of which I have fully stated. This class, who were slaves to fashion, appeared feeble and languid. QSEW 70.3

“The dress of the second class which passed before me was in many respects as it should be. The limbs were well clad. They were free from the burdens which the tyrant, Fashion, had imposed upon the first class; but had gone to that extreme in the short dress as to disgust and prejudice good people, and destroy in a great measure their own influence. QSEW 70.4

“A third class passed before me with cheerful countenances, and free, elastic step. Their dress was the length I have described as proper, modest and healthful. It cleared the filth of the street and sidewalk a few inches under all circumstances, such as ascending and descending steps, etc. QSEW 70.5

“As I have before stated, the length was not given me in inches, and I was not shown a lady’s boot. And here I would state that although I am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in marks of quotation. As I wrote upon the subject of dress the view of those three companies revived in my mind as plain as when I was viewing them in vision; but I was left to describe the length of the proper dress in my own language the best I could.”—The Review and Herald, October 8, 1867, pages 260, 261. QSEW 70.6

Ellen White was saying, in effect, “The exact wording of my testimonies is not given to me by God. Sometimes I am given pictures without any words at all. When writing I have to choose the words and expressions myself. The words are mine, not God’s.” It was precisely because God did not dictate His messages word-for-word that she felt the need of help from other writers in order to express herself in the best way possible. It is unfair to Ellen White to take a statement she made in a specific context and make it appear to mean the exact opposite of what she intended. QSEW 70.7