101 Questions on the Sanctuary and on Ellen White

84. The SDA Church and Verbal Inspiration

Has the Seventh-day Adventist Church ever officially approved of the concept of “verbal inspiration?” QSEW 86.4

No, it has not. In fact, the General Conference of 1883 formally endorsed the concept of “thought” inspiration rather than “verbal” inspiration. In deciding to remove grammatical imperfections from the first four volumes of the Testimonies, the delegates took the following action: QSEW 86.5

“Whereas, We believe the light given by God to His servants is by the enlightenment of the mind, thus imparting the thoughts, and not (except in rare cases) the very words in which the ideas should be expressed; therefore.” QSEW 87.1

“Resolved, That in the re-publication of these volumes such verbal changes be made as to remove the above named imperfections, as far as possible, without in any measure changing the thought; and, further.” QSEW 87.2

“34. Resolved, That this body appoint a committee of five to take charge of the re-publication of these volumes.”—The Review and Herald, November 27, 1883, Page 741. QSEW 87.3

The committee appointed were W. C. White, Uriah Smith, J. H. Waggoner, S. N. Haskell, and G. I. Butler. In the end, the basic work was done by Marian Davis, who was one of Ellen White’s literary assistants, and Mary Kelsey-White, W. C. White’s wife. (See W. C. White to L. E. Froom, February 18, 1932.) QSEW 87.4