Manuscripts and Memories of Minneapolis

A REMARKABLE WOMAN

The story of Her Connection with Those
Peculiar People, the Seventh Day
Adventists
(From Yesterday’s Later Editions.)

The tinkling church bell that hangs in the tower that crowns the little church, at the corner of Lake st and 4th av S, is hot with ringing today. Bright and early this morning its clear tones summoned the Adventists from their slumbers to breakfast. A little later it rang them into chapel and all day long it has been hard worked toiling out the hours of various meetings that the industrious Adventists have taken upon themselves to attend. MMM 531.1

Beginning next Sunday, the first meeting, the devotional, now held at 7:45 in the morning, will begin at 5:30. When this proposition was presented to the conference this morning one of the members objected. He said that he was as strong physically as any one, but when the work began, as it did yesterday, at 5:30 in the morning and continued all day until 9 o’clock at night, with no more than 15 minutes intermission, it became wearisome. MMM 531.2

At this point a little woman who was sitting in a large rocking chair on the right hand side arose and addressed the meeting. She spoke in slow, distinct and impressive tones. Every work [sic] she uttered seemed to make an impression. She said: MMM 532.1

“I feel that we cannot afford to lose these meetings. Here are young men who want instruction. Many of them understand the theological questions, but they want the demonstration of the spirit. Otherwise our labor is like water spilled on a rock.” MMM 532.2

The speaker was no less a person than the renowned Sister Ellen G. White, one of the most remarkable women in the world today. Mrs. White is now 61 years old but her hair is just tinged with gray. She has a peculiar dark, swarthy face, a low brow and thick lips. A misfortune in her childhood left her with a face disfigured, but where [sic] one hears her speak one does not think of the ugly marks that this misfortune has left upon her. MMM 532.3

Mrs. White has fame not only as speaker on temperance and religious topics, but she is a voluminous writer. She has written a Life of Christ, Sketches of the Life of Paul, and a kind of history of Christianity which she has called the “Conflict of Christ and Satan.” But the most remarkable product of her pen is a series of volumes called “Testimonies.” These contain a history of her visions in which she received warnings and admonitions for the benefit of the “latter church.” She is supposed to have “special light” in regard to the signs that were to indicate the coming of the last days that precede the end of the world. MMM 532.4

Prefaced to the volumes that contain the testimonies is a biographical sketch of her life in which she shadows forth the spiritual struggles of her girlhood, and tells the story of her later life. The story is a peculiar tale. Like Joan of Arc, the girl who put herself at the head of the French armies and liberated France, she had visions in which she saw an angel, who directed her to go forth and preach the gospel. MMM 532.5

In her biography she has given a description of this first vision. The story is told in the terse, strong poetic English of the Bible. MMM 533.1

“I was visiting a dear sister in Christ,” she writes, “whose heart was knit in mine. I seemed surrounded by light. Soon we heard voices like the sound of many waters. It was the voices of the living saints, 144,000 in number, all sealed and perfectly united. At length Christ appears. His hair was white and curly and long. On his shoulders and upon his head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire, in his right hand was a sharp sickle and in his left a silver trumpet. His eyes were as flames of fire, which searched the children through and through.” MMM 533.2

The vision, Sister White says, called her to travel. Up to the time of the first vision she could not write, but when commanded by the angel she wrote readily. Then follows her testimonies, where “in words inspired,” she admonished different members of the church. In her first testimony she asked the angel in her vision: “Why simplicity had been shut out from the church and pride and exaltation had come in.” The angel answered: “Look ye, and ye shall see that the feeling, ‘am I my brother’s keeper?’ prevails.” MMM 533.3

Mrs. White’s maiden name was Harmon. She was born at Gorman [sic], Me, Nov. 26, 1827. Her parents were members of the Episcopal church. The views of the Adventists led them to leave the church in 1843. That was the year when the Adventists believed the world was to come to an end. In that year she was converted to the advent belief. She tells the circumstances of that time with wonderful minuteness. Every incident seems to have impressed itself indelibly upon her mind. She lived in a realm of religious enthusiasm. She wondered why men working in the field could talk in the ordinary language of every day life and not break forth in praise of God. MMM 533.4

“There was a beautiful flower in the garden.” she says, “called the rose of Sharon. I remember approaching it and touching it reverently. God ‘tended it. I thought, and how much more will he care for me?” MMM 534.1

With the opening of the year 1843, the Adventists were prepared for the end of the world. They had made their calculations and set upon that year as the time to which all prophesy pointed as the end of all things. At that time she was living at Portsmouth. The meetings were held every night at Beethoven hall. The public was wild with excitement. One night a Baptist minister, who was listening to the exhortations of the ministers, suddenly fell over on the stage and fainted away with fright. He was placed on a sofa and laid there until the exhortation was ended. MMM 534.2

“With carefulness and trembling,” she continues, “we approached the time when Christ was to appear again. Heaven and earth seemed nearer. The meetings lasted late into the night. As we returned home by various ways, a voice would reach us from the darkness to be answered from another direction with the words. ‘Glory to God; the Lord Reigneth.’ Worldly business was forsaken but there was no making of ascension robes. But the time of expectation passed and we who had thought to see Jesus in the clouds were disappointed.” MMM 534.3

Many fell away from the faith at this time, but the more devoted studied with renewed vigor to learn where the mistake had occurred. It was finally decided that the present is a time of probation in which all people will be allowed to accept the truth. But the end is still near at hand. MMM 534.4

In 1846 she married Elder James White. For a time they lived at Battle Creek, later they removed to Oakland, Cal., where Mrs. White now owns a beautiful home. All her life she has been prominent in temperance work and next Sunday she will address the W.C.T.U. The place has not yet been determined. MMM 534.5

The Advent Sabbath

Tonight at sundown the Sabbath begins and holds until sundown tomorrow night. Last night Rev. A. F. [sic] Jones delivered a most interesting address on the “National Reform Movement,” which was very interesting in view of the present agitation for the keeping of Sunday. At 9 o’clock Dr. Wagner [sic] resumed his instruction on the law in Galatians. At 10:30 the business of general conference was resumed. This afternoon the international tract society held a meeting. At 4 o’clock all work was laid aside and nothing further done until the sermon at 7:30 tonight. MMM 535.1

n.a., “Casually Observed,” Minneapolis Journal, (10/20/1888), p. 4