The Fruitage of Spiritual Gifts

Chapter 5 — Testing the Prophetic Gift

IT IS NOT THE PRIMARY purpose of this volume to state the Bible arguments in favor of spiritual gifts, including the gift of prophecy, as an abiding heavenly endowment from the Lord to His church. When Christ gave His people the promise of the Holy Spirit, He said that, “another Comforter” will “abide with you forever.” John 14:16. The idea that spiritual gifts were only to be seen in the church during the apostolic age is totally false. In the Scriptures there is not the slightest proof for such a view, and the only apparent reason why some churches teach this is that they do not have the gifts. On the other hand, proofs are most abundant that the gifts of the Spirit, and above all the prophetic gift, were to be in the church always, and especially in the church at the end of human history. Seventh-day Adventists have ever taught that the prophetic gift and other spiritual gifts would be found in the remnant church, and also that in the future, during the time of the latter rain, still larger manifestations of these powers would be experienced than have yet appeared. FSG 57.1

Because of certain opposition and misunderstandings in regard to the revelations given to the Lord’s messenger in our day, it was found necessary in the early editions of the Spirit of prophecy books to write a preface of explanation concerning the visions or an introduction on the Bible doctrine of the gifts. The first edition of Spiritual Gifts, printed in 1858, contains an introduction by R. F. Cottrell. It is quite an elaborate argument from the Scriptures in favor of the abiding nature and helpful fruitage of the prophetic gift. Elder James White wrote a number of such articles. One of the most convincing, called “The Spirit of Prophecy,” was inserted as a preface in volume I of a set of larger books of the same title printed in 1870. Other men also prepared such introductions, but we who wrote them for books here or overseas came, in time, to understand that they were not so needful as was at first thought. Mrs. White’s books were themselves the best proof of their divine origin. In fact, sometimes the reader found it easier to understand the book itself than the explanation of the book. In those years, too, there were many longer and shorter articles in the Review in defense of the spiritual gifts, especially as seen in the messages sent by the servant of the Lord. FSG 57.2

In course of time, too, a goodly number of books or pamphlets were written by our leaders showing beyond a question that the visions and messages of Mrs. E. G. White meet every Bible test of the prophetic gift. FSG 58.1

Such pamphlets were written by Uriah Smith, J. H. Waggoner, J. N. Andrews, as well as later ones by G. A. Irwin and others. A much larger and very excellent work entitled Rise and Progress of Seventh-day Adventists was written by J. N. Loughborough, one of the early veterans, who had the great advantages of having seen and lived through what he was writing. Some of these things may seem a bit out of date today, and, as some have said, not quite historical, but, after all, when men tell what they have seen themselves, it carries weight and is more likely to be true to fact than what some call history. It is still possible to secure these books, and our ministers do well to get them from some older member who has finished with them. A later and most valuable book on the subject, called The Testimony of Jesus by our veteran editor of the Review, F. M. Wilcox, is just now having a large sale. It gives information that all should have. FSG 58.2

We recommend these publications to our readers, and first of all to our ministers. They teach clearly that (1) spiritual gifts such as healing, tongues, and prophecy were not designed or given to the apostolic church alone, but are to be seen among God’s people in all ages; (2) the gift of prophecy is to be found in the remnant church, that is, God’s people just before the second advent; (3) spiritual gifts will be found only among commandment keeping Christians; (4) although the Adventists do not make the Testimonies a new Bible or an addition to the Bible nor primarily a test of fellowship, yet they believe and follow these Testimonies as messages from God for this age; (5) Mrs. White’s writings meet every fair Bible test of the prophetic gift and contain abundant evidence of their divine origin and character. In this chapter, however, some other important points and experiences with the spiritual gifts through the years are being dealt with. FSG 59.1

We live in an age of negative thinking, a deplorable result of the popular skepticism in many large religious circles. Many believers today are so shy of false prophets that they are afraid even to accept the true. Yet it is a greater spiritual achievement to discover and receive a true messenger of the Lord than to prove and reject those who mislead. In saying this we would not minimize the importance of rejecting every counterfeit religious leader or movement. The Scriptures distinctly teach us that we are not to believe “every spirit,” but we are to “try the spirits.” (1 John 4: l.) To do so is not difficult, for the tests to be applied are plain and easily made by even the humblest believer. FSG 59.2

When the Lord sends a servant with a message from heaven, that individual is always willing to submit to any fair test. In fact, almost all the prophets mentioned in the Bible had the experience of being tested by the people. FSG 60.1

In the case of Samuel, one of the greatest of the seers, the prophetic call was revealed while he was yet a child, so that right from the beginning of his work Israel accepted him as a prophet. Then, too, the circumstances connected with his mother’s experience before his birth gave the people confidence in him as a prophet. John the Baptist was not accepted and in a way not rejected by the leaders in Israel. They professed not to know whether he was sent from God, saying, “We cannot tell.” Mark 11:33. However, his preaching was so Spirit filled that the honest in heart believed it. And after his death “all men counted John, that he was a prophet.” Mark 11:32. During the Babylonian captivity, Ezekiel, one of the mightiest of prophets, had many “visions of God.” He did some strange things as object lessons for the people, but many did not believe. In fact, not till after his death, when his visions were fulfilled, were they sure that he was a prophet. (Ezekiel 33:33. FSG 60.2

In like manner Mrs. White in the beginning of her work as God’s messenger met those who were not sure of her call and work. With many in America there was a strong prejudice against prophets because of false prophets among the Mormons and spiritualists. Then, too, many churches which had no evidence of the prophetic gift in their midst would not conceive that God would speak to other religious bodies in this way. They were inclined to say with Zedekiah of old, “Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?” 2 Chronicles 18:23. While the majority of Seventh day Adventists believed Mrs. White to be a messenger from the Lord, the question with some at least was more or less undecided as long as she lived. However, when her work was finished and they looked at her godly life and found her teachings, without a single exception, in perfect harmony with the Scriptures, the test was completed and she was fully accepted as one sent of God. This is so generally true that when a person today embraces the Seventh-day Adventist faith he not only accepts the doctrine of spiritual gifts but also comes to believe in the gift of prophecy as manifested in the teachings of Mrs. White. This faith, too, will grow with the years as he sees her words fulfilled. FSG 60.3

It is quite generally understood among Christian people today that Seventh-day Adventists believe in the perpetuity of spiritual gifts. It is also understood that we regard the visions of Mrs. White as having been given by the Spirit of God. However, the reasons why we believe in these gifts and the use which we make of spiritual gifts, particularly the visions of Mrs. White, are sometimes misunderstood. Some still seem to think that Adventists accept the Testimonies as a new Bible or as an addition to the Bible, though nothing could be farther from the truth. We accept the Holy Scriptures in full as divinely inspired and containing all the truth of God that is needed to make us wise unto salvation. We could easily copy a whole chapter of quotations from our strongest and earliest leaders in support of this statement. Elder James White wrote: FSG 61.1

“The gifts of the Spirit should all have their proper places. The Bible is an everlasting rock. It is our rule of faith and practice. In it the man of God is ‘thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ If every member of the church of Christ was holy, harmless, and separate from sinners, and searched the Holy Scriptures diligently and with much prayer for duty, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, we think, they would be able to learn their whole duty in ‘all good works.’ Thus ‘the man of God may be perfect.’ But as the reverse exists, and ever has existed, God in much mercy has pitied the weakness of his people, and has set the gifts in the gospel church to correct our errors, and to lead us to His Living Word. Paul says that they are for the ‘perfecting of the saints,’ ‘till we all come in the unity of the faith.’ The extreme necessity of the church in its imperfect state is God’s opportunity to manifest the gifts of the Spirit. FSG 61.2

“Every Christian is therefore in duty bound to take the Bible as a perfect rule of faith and duty. He should pray fervently to be aided by the Holy Spirit in searching the Scriptures for the whole truth, and for his whole duty. He is not at liberty to turn from them to learn his duty through any of the gifts. We say that the very moment he does, he places the gifts in the wrong place, and takes an extremely dangerous position. The Word should be in front, and the eye of the church should be placed upon it, as the rule to walk by, and the fountain of wisdom, from which to learn duty in ‘all good works.’ But if a portion of the church err from the truths of the Bible, and become weak, and sickly, and the flock become scattered, so that it seems necessary for God to employ the gifts of the Spirit to correct, revive and heal the erring, we should let him work. Yea more, we should pray for him to work and plead earnestly that he would work by the Spirit’s power and bring the scattered sheep to his fold. Praise the Lord, he will work. Amen.”—The Review and Herald, April 21, 1851, page 70. FSG 62.1

G. I. Butler, many years president of the General Conference, wrote on the same subject as follows: FSG 62.2

“We believe these visions because the Bible teaches them. We use the rules given in that holy book, and are forced to the conclusion that these manifestations are the work of the Spirit of God. Instead of our setting up these visions above and outside of the Scriptures as another rule of authority, as our opponents pretend, we claim that none can really take the Bible and fairly apply its teachings without accepting these visions as from God. The Bible is the supreme authority in deciding this as well as other questions. When it tells us to ‘try the spirits,’ to ‘prove all things,’ and ‘hold fast that which is good.’ It is our duty to do this. We find by so doing that these visions harmonize perfectly with the Scriptures.”—The Review and Herald, June 9, 1874, page 202. FSG 62.3

The relation of the Spirit of prophecy to the Holy Scriptures is not a theory but a long and blessed experience with Adventists. The Testimonies never lead away from the Bible. We are known as a church of Bible students. It is a matter of record that our foreign missionaries sell and use more Bibles than do the missionaries of any other church. We do not understand that the gifts spoken of in the Scriptures were in any way to supersede the Bible. The work and the office of the Spirit of God in the church, that is, the manifestation of spiritual gifts, does not do away with the Word of God. The gifts lead to the Word and build on the Word. We believe, however, that the Scriptures teach that the gifts of the Spirit were not merely for the apostolic church but were to be found among God’s people to the end of time, and especially in the remnant church at the close of time. These gifts are not given primarily for sinners. They are bestowed upon the church to build up, preserve, and guide the people of the Lord. FSG 62.4

This brings us to the important question: How and by what means are the spiritual gifts to be tested? Some time ago, in the course of a meeting, I met a prominent doctor and scientist who claimed that the prophetic gift should be tested by medical science. Yet in his lecture that day the doctor stated that medical science was constantly expanding and that medical books ten years old could not be considered reliable in fact, must be given up. When I called his attention to that, he admitted that, of course, medical science, which is constantly growing, developing, and even changing so that new textbooks must be written every ten years, could not possibly be the test for a divine gift. There have been those who claimed that the prophetic gift should be tested by the known facts of history. That position, however, is most unsound. All we know of history is what we find written in books or letters, in stone inscriptions, in government decrees or laws, and in literature generally. But no one ever wrote everything that happened, and no one ever read everything that was written. Further, no two thinkers on history draw exactly the same conclusion from what they read. The plain truth is that it takes as much inspiration to write perfect history as perfect prophecy; and anyway no divine gift could be correctly tested by the fallible human knowledge of history. FSG 63.1

This question of testing the prophetic gift of Mrs. E. G. White is not a new one. The early pioneers and veterans in the Adventist Church, including James White, the first outstanding leader, invited every sincere seeker after truth to make a thorough investigation of this gift. They never made faith in the writings of Mrs. White a test of church fellowship. Mrs. White herself urged that this should not be done, and she willingly invited people to test the visions, saying that “all should decide from the weight of evidence.”—Testimonies for the Church 3:255. She made the claim with deep conviction that her revelations were “visions from God,” and compared her teaching to that of the ancient prophets. She said: FSG 64.1

“In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the Testimonies of His Spirit. There was never a time when God instructed His people more earnestly than He instructs them now concerning His will, and the course that He would have them pursue.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:661. FSG 64.2

Mrs. White’s position was that no one could be consistent and say that although her books were informative and spiritually edifying, they were no different from books by Luther, Spurgeon, or other godly authors. She claimed that her messages were of supernatural origin, that is, given her in vision: FSG 64.3

“God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs, and strengthening their faith, or He is not. This work is of God, or it is not. God does nothing in partnership with Satan. My work bears the stamp of God, or the stamp of the enemy. There is no half way mark in the matter. The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:671. FSG 64.4

That this positive claim by Mrs. White was the only one possible, is self-evident when we remember her condition of body and mind during the visions in which she saw or heard the things she wrote. Back in those years it was generally granted by all who knew her that it could not be otherwise. Many years before he died J. N. Loughborough, a man of keen mind, wrote: FSG 64.5

“I have seen Sister White in vision about fifty times.... The first one I saw her have was at the close of a meeting, when she was well enough to take a long journey. Her last open vision was in 1884, on the camp ground at Portland, Oregon. She has visions at the present time, but they are not open visions in a public assembly. It is a heavenly place to be in, where there is an open vision, as some of those here who have seen her at such times, can testify. FSG 65.1

“The first indication that she is about to be taken off in vision is that she loses all strength, like a person suddenly falling down. This state continues not more than five seconds, when she suddenly rises to her feet. She herself says that the first thing she knows an angel stands by her side and touches her and she receives strength. This is just as it was with Daniel. She has been examined while in vision, by skillful physicians, and we have testimonials from them which declare that the phenomena of her visions are beyond their comprehension. A remarkable evidence of the superhuman strength which Sister White has while in vision was given during her third vision, when she held on her arm a Bible eighteen inches long, eleven inches wide, and four inches thick, and weighing eighteen and a fourth pounds. It was published by Joseph Seale, of Boston, Mass., in 1822. This she held out at arm’s length, her eyes meanwhile looking straight up, and her hand turning from text to text for more than half an hour, pointing to the texts with her finger and repeating them. I have conversed with those who examined every text as she pointed to them, and they testify that she repeated every one correctly. This was an indication that the power of God was connected with that work.... FSG 65.2

“At another time Sister White held this same kind of a Bible open in one hand, above her head, at an angle of forty five degrees, for half an hour, while she turned from text to text, and repeated the words to which she pointed. The spectators stood in chairs to examine the texts as she pointed to them. Some of them tried to hold a Bible in their hands at this angle, and could not do so, but the Bible in her hand seemed to be as firm as if the two had been glued together.”—The General Conference Bulletin, 19, 20, 1893. FSG 65.3

Another witness writes: FSG 66.1

“As one who has frequently observed her in vision, knowing the company of people usually present, all deeply observant and believers in her exercises, I have often wondered why a more vivid description of the scenes which transpired has not been given. FSG 66.2

“In vision her eyes were open. There was no breath, but there were graceful movements of the shoulders, arms, and hands expressive of what she saw. It was impossible for anyone else to move her hands or arms. She often uttered words singly, and sometimes sentences which expressed to those about her the nature of the view she was having, either of heaven or earth. FSG 66.3

“Her first word in vision was ‘Glory,’ sounding at first close by, and then dying away in the distance, seemingly far away. This was sometimes repeated.... FSG 66.4

“There was never an excitement among those present during a vision; nothing caused fear. It was a solemn, quiet scene, sometimes lasting an hour.... FSG 66.5

“When the vision was ended, and she lost sight of the heavenly light, as it were, coming back to the earth once more, she would exclaim with a long-drawn sigh, as she took her first natural breath, ‘D-a-r-k.’ She was then limp and without strength.”—Martha Amadon, Notebook Leaflets, Miscellaneous Leaflet No. 2, quoted in Ministry, March, 1944, page 4. FSG 66.6

When we speak of Mrs. White’s messages as given by inspiration, we wish to stress two points. First, it is well known that she did not employ a stenographer in her work, but she herself wrote by hand most of her many manuscripts. Some of these copybooks in her original handwriting are still with us, so that quite a bit of what is published under her name can be traced to her own hand. Elder and Mrs. White exercised the greatest care in sending out the messages. At first her writings were often read to trustworthy brethren in the church and sent out with their recommendations. When some opponents tried to print them without her consent, there was danger that her writings would be changed and falsified. Thus Mrs. White inserted a note in our first paper, The Present Truth, May, 1850, as follows: FSG 66.7

“Eli Curtis—It is well known by many of the brethren, that Eli Curtis has published many of my visions. He has pursued such an inconsistent course for some time past; and his influence on the cause of truth is such at this time that I feel it my duty to say to the brethren that I have no faith in his course; and that he has published my visions contrary to my wishes, even after I had requested him not to publish them.”—page 80. FSG 67.1

The second point is that the printing of Mrs. White’s writings has never been a commercial enterprise for gain. In the beginning they were given away free. In the Review of January 22, 1867, we have this note from Elder White: FSG 67.2

“Testimonies to the church, No. 11. FSG 67.3

“This work will be ready in a few days. Address Elder James White, Battle Creek, Mich. We print 2,000 copies which are free to all on the receipt of postage. Those who choose to pay, can send ten cents a copy and postage, which is two cents a single copy, or by the quantity two cents for four ounces. And those who choose can send more than the above price to enable us to offer this Testimony without requiring a price.”—page 84. FSG 67.4

Right from the beginning of the advent movement this subject of testing the prophetic gift was carefully studied, and clear answers were given as to why we believe Mrs. White was a messenger sent from the Lord. We will quote here an example of what was written in those early years on that topic. In the official paper of our church, the Review, of March 31, 1891, we find the following questions and answers: FSG 67.5

“J. M. Van Kirk, Ruthven, Iowa, asks: FSG 67.6

“1. Does the Seventh-day Adventist Church believe the so called “Testimonies” and writings of Mrs. E. G. White to be revelations from God? FSG 67.7

“2. If the foregoing question be answered in the affirmative, then I inquire: Upon what grounds do you accept her writings to be revelations from God? FSG 68.1

“3. Has Mrs. E. G. White ever performed any miracle in support of her claims? FSG 68.2

“Answer: (1) The Seventh-day Adventist Church regard the ‘Testimonies’ and writings of Sister White as having come through one of the ‘gifts of the Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, etc.; Ephesians 4:8, 11), which were especially ‘set’ in the church (1 Corinthians 12:28), and were to continue to the end. Acts 2:17-20; 1 Corinthians 1:6, 7. Among these gifts is the ‘spirit of prophecy,’ the operation of which is to bring a person fully under the influence of the Holy Spirit, that to such person are given, through ‘open vision’ (1 Samuel 3:1) or some equivalent operation, views of the spiritual world, revelations of the spiritual condition of the church or individuals, of present and future dangers and duties, and of things to come. John 16:13. This feature of the gifts, if we rightly apprehend certain prophecies, was to become especially prominent in the days which immediately precede the second advent of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, 19-23; Revelation 12:17; 19:10. When one meets some manifestation of this kind which he believes to be a genuine operation of the Spirit of God, we leave any one to judge how far he must receive what comes in this manner to be a revelation from God. FSG 68.3

“(2.) The second question is quite fully answered in the foregoing. We believe the writings of sister White to be a revelation from God, because we believe them to be one of the gifts above referred to. And we believe them to be one of the gifts, because they bear all the marks and characteristics which are set forth in the Scriptures by which a work of this kind is shown to be genuine. When Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, 20, says, ‘Quench not the Spirit,’ and ‘Despise not prophesyings,’ he adds, ‘Prove all things’ (that is, test all which claims to be the gift of prophecy by the work of the Spirit), and ‘hold fast that which is good,’ rejecting, of course, all manifestations which are false and bad, as we see them illustrated in Mormonism and modern Spiritualism, because these, although they show marks of the preternatural, all lead away from God and the Bible, and thus reveal their true character. (See Deuteronomy 13:1-3.) FSG 68.4

“(3.) This question strikes us as betraying quite a misapprehension of the subject of the ‘gifts.’ Spiritual gifts do not appeal to the evidence of miracles in their support; for one of the gifts themselves is the ‘working of miracles.’ In other words, the gifts are their own evidence. Suppose one has ‘the gift of healing’ (1 Corinthians 12:9), and God works through such an one to relieve a sufferer from infirmity and disease; would it not be a strange demand for some one then to ask him to work a miracle to prove that he had healed the person? The healing would he its own evidence. So when one claims to have had revelations through the Spirit of God, the working of a miracle would not establish his claims, for there are false miracles; but we must judge of it by other evidences. We do not find that either Daniel or John ever worked a miracle to prove that any vision which they claimed to have, was genuine. In the case of the gift of prophecy, we look first at the character and position of the one who makes the claim; secondly, at the tendency of what is taught, that is, whether it leads to truth and purity, and the cultivation of the heavenly graces, or away from these things and away from God; and, thirdly, whether there is anything in what is already revealed, or in facts themselves, to contradict what is set forth. And if in all these respects it bears the test, then we believe it is to be received.”—page 200. FSG 68.5

The foregoing statement based on the Bible is so convincing that it cannot be overthrown. Now after years have passed by, however, not only do we have the Scriptural arguments in favor of the prophetic gift, but we have seen the fruitage of that work in nearly all the world, and applying the scripture, “By their fruits ye shall know them,” we are convinced that the work of Mrs. White was of the Lord. For Seventh-day Adventists this question is one of decisive importance. If the claim of Seventh-day Adventists that Mrs. White is a messenger from the Lord is true, then it follows that the Adventist Church is the people of God, through whom He is giving His message to mankind. If, on the other hand, the claim is false, then the Seventh-day Adventist Church cannot be the remnant church spoken of in the Bible but is a church greatly deceived. FSG 69.1

It may also be of interest to know how the early preachers in their debates defended their faith in this gift. S. N. Haskell, one of the veterans of this cause and a godly, broad-minded Bible student and advocate of the Spirit of prophecy among Seventh-day Adventists, told how he and others met the opposition of various denominations, especially the so-called first day Adventists, to the Spirit of prophecy. As an old war horse he loved to tell us how they presented the following propositions: FSG 69.2

1. We affirm that Seventh-day Adventists accept the Testimonies as from the Lord, because both in spirit and in teaching they are in complete harmony with the Bible. FSG 70.1

2. We also affirm that if there is any doctrine or moral teaching in the Testimonies in addition to what is in the Bible or contrary to the Bible, we will reject them as you do. FSG 70.2

3. We further submit that if the Testimonies have nothing contrary to the Bible or any moral teaching additional to the Bible, and if in teaching and spirit they agree perfectly with the Bible, then you must either reject the Bible when you reject the Testimonies or you must believe the Testimonies when you believe the Bible. FSG 70.3

Elder Haskell stated that he had never found anyone who was willing to challenge him on this fair proposition, because they were all unable to point to a single thing in the Spirit of prophecy that was out of harmony with the Word of God. These propositions used by the veterans of the Adventist Church we still hold. Even though we believe in the prophetic gift of Mrs. E. G. White, we are always willing at any time to submit that gift to the test of the Holy Scriptures. The Spirit of prophecy among us stands or falls on its relation to the Word of God. As long as no one can point to a single thing in the Spirit of prophecy that is out of harmony with the Word of God, it must be admitted that it is impossible to believe in the Bible and not believe the Testimonies, which are in harmony with the Bible. FSG 70.4

At this point we wish to call attention to a compelling fact that must not be forgotten. There are special periods in the history of God’s work on earth when a large number of divine prophecies meet their fulfillment. The return of Israel from the Babylonian captivity was such a time of prophetic fulfillment, and the days of John the Baptist and the early apostolic church were others. But notice with care that when we come to one of those periods in which many Bible predictions meet their fulfillment, it is God’s plan that there should be a living prophet to help explain the writings of former prophets. Daniel in Babylon expounded the prophecies of Jeremiah in regard to the return of Israel from Babylon. (Daniel 9:14.) There were many living prophets in the early days of the Christian Era who set forth and expounded the writings of the former prophets. Of these we should mention John the Baptist, the apostles, and especially Christ. In the synagogue in Nazareth soon after His baptism, Christ, reading from the prophecy of Isaiah, said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:21. And the apostle Peter in his great sermon at Pentecost declared, “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” Acts 2:16. FSG 70.5

Prophetic messengers are rare, especially in our day. Papal infallibility precludes the prophetic gift, and so do the Protestant creeds to a large extent. What Jeremiah and other prophets were to Israel before the Babylonian captivity and what Ezekiel meant to the people of God during the captivity, the messenger of the Lord and the Spirit of prophecy have been and are to the Adventist people. As the prophet Ezekiel encouraged, warned, and reproved the people of God and thus prepared them for the return to the Holy Land, so the Spirit of prophecy has been used of God to prepare His people for the second advent. FSG 71.1

Beyond all question, the messenger of the Lord in the Adventist Church belongs especially to that church from its beginning to the end of this age. A few stress at times the difference between those who had experiences through personal acquaintance with Mrs. White and those who had experiences only with the messages she left. I happen to belong to both periods, and it is my settled conviction that the Spirit today than they were while the Lord’s servant was still with us. Those who have never had the privilege of seeing or hearing and knowing the messenger have the same chance to test and apply the messages of the Spirit of prophecy as had the early believers in the Adventist Church. The church today has the messages of the Spirit of prophecy just as surely as it had this instruction while the messenger of the Lord was living. Sometimes people claim that the Adventist Church no longer has the “testimony of Jesus,” that is, the Spirit of prophecy, because the messenger is dead. That is a most superficial assertion. We have these messages as much today as we ever did. The personal counsel of Mrs. White was always helpful, but to think that the people in the early days of the church while she was living had great advantages over us as teachers or ministers in later years is a decided mistake. The value of these prophetic messages does not depend on a living person but on the faithfulness with which they are studied and followed. These messages from the Lord are just as true when the messenger is dead as they were when she was alive. FSG 71.2

Though I could easily have done so, I never sought an interview with Mrs. White. Sometimes interviewers reported her as saying what she never said. Then, too, she herself never encouraged people to go to her. She wrote: FSG 72.1

“In the vision given me June 12, 1868, I was shown the danger of the people of God in looking to Bro. and Sister White, and thinking that they must come to them with their burdens, and seek counsel of them. This ought not so to be. They are invited by their compassionate, loving Savior, to come unto Him, when weary and heavy laden, and He will relieve them. In Him they will find rest. FSG 72.2

...When in their distress they feel the relief which is found alone in Jesus, they obtain an experience which is of the highest value to them.”—Testimonies for the Church 2:118, 119. FSG 72.3

Our early pioneers constantly urged us to read and live with the messages themselves and to make an index for our own use of the special lessons or points that we found particularly helpful and suggestive. They stressed something that is often forgotten today, that is, what they called the spirit or influence of the messages. They also taught that the prosperity of the advent movement in the days to come would be largely decided by our relation to this light from the Lord, and they loved to quote the words, “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chronicles 20:20. FSG 73.1

Before the Savior left, He told His disciples, who sorrowed at the thought of His de parting, that it was well for them that He went away, because, taught by the Spirit of God, they would appreciate Him and His teachings even more when His bodily presence was not with them. We are in a somewhat similar position today. It was a joyful experience to know Mrs. White, but there is a deeper, more glorious victory in believing and practicing her messages. This is one reason why Adventists today stand firmer than ever before in the faith that the Testimonies are of God. FSG 73.2