The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

V. Ellen Harmon-Accepts Conditionalist View in 1843

Inasmuch as the witness of Ellen Gould Harmon will be comprehensively presented later, no sketch will be given here. But note should be taken of her acceptance of Conditionalism in her teens, back in 1843-a position from which she never veered throughout hex long and eventful life. CFF2 676.5

In 1842, when Ellen was fifteen, with her family she attended a series of revival meetings on the imminence of Christ’s second advent, held in the large Casco Street Christian (Connection) church, in Portland, Maine, of which Lorenzo D. Fleming was pastor. Several thousand persons witnessed the baptism of the converts, conducted on the Bay Shore. CFF2 677.1

It was during these meetings that Ellen became convinced that the second coming of Christ was drawing near. But there was another development. It has been pointed out that most of the Christian Connection ministers and members held the Conditionalist view on the nature and destiny of man. And it was evidently while attending the other meetings in this church that Ellen and her mother heard the sermons on Conditionalism which persuaded them as to its Biblical soundness. But let us go back. CFF2 677.2

1. MOTHER PERSUADED SOUL NOT IMMORTAL

The Harmon family were Methodists-members of the Pine Street church in Portland. The presiding elder of the district held the postmillennial view of the Second Advent, popular at the time, and deprecated the rising emphasis on the premillennial and imminent second coming of Christ, then becoming widely accepted.” ¹⁹ One day, early in 1843, when Ellen was sixteen, she listened to a conversation between her mother and a friend concerning a discourse which they had recently heard to the effect that “the soul had not natural immortality.” ²⁰ They discussed the proof texts used by the minister, which specifically included: CFF2 677.3

“‘The soul that sinneth it shall die.’ Ezekiel 18:4. ‘The living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.’ Ecclesiastes 9:5. ‘:.. the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality.’ 1 Timothy 6:15, 16. ‘To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.’ Romans 2:7.” ²¹ CFF2 677.4

Ellen was impressed by her mother’s pointed observation, “‘Why should they seek for what they already have?’” These were “new ideas” to Ellen. Upon asking her mother whether she really believed that the soul is not immortal, her mother replied that she “feared we had been in error” on that question. Pressing as to whether she really believed “that the soul sleeps in the grave until the resurrection” and that “the Christian, when he dies, does not go immediately to heaven, nor the sinner to hell” ²² the mother’s reply was: “‘The Bible gives us no proof that there is an eternally burning hell. If there is such a place, it should be mentioned in the Sacred Book.” ²³ CFF2 678.1

2. SOUNDNESS OF CONDITIONALIST VIEW APPARENT

Ellen first thought this was a “strange theory.” And during the months that followed, her mind was “much exercised” over the subject. Then she herself “heard it preached” and “believed it to be the truth.” From that time on the “light in regard to the sleep of the dead,” and the purpose of the resurrection became clear and “assumed a new and sublime importance.” It resolved questions that had puzzled her, such as, “If at death the soul entered upon eternal happiness or misery, where was the need of a resurrection of the poor moldering body?” ²⁴ Here is the record of her conclusion: CFF2 678.2

“‘But this new and beautiful faith taught me the reason that inspired writers had dwelt so much upon the resurrection of the body; it was because the entire being was slumbering in the grave. I could now clearly perceive the fallacy of our former position on this question. The confusion and uselessness of a final judgment, after the souls of the departed had already been judged once and appointed to their lot, was very apparent to me now. I saw that the hope of the bereaved was in looking forward to the glorious day when the Life-giver shall break the fetters of the tomb, and the righteous dead shall arise and leave their prison-house, to be clothed with glorious immortal life.” ²⁵ CFF2 678.3

That was the time and circumstance of Ellen Harmon’s acceptance of Conditionalism. Married to James White in 1846, she became one of the most prolific and forceful writers in the denomination, and dealt constantly with Conditionalism, from every aspect, beginning with her first article in 1847. Her representative witness will be presented in the twentiethcentury section. CFF2 678.4