Manuscript Releases, vol. 11 [Nos. 851-920]

MR No. 897—Two Spirits Present at the Minneapolis Meeting and Following it

The Holy Spirit Present at Various Meetings Attended by EGW—A meeting was conducted at Potterville by the Michigan ministers. I was urged by Brother Van Horn to attend the meeting. I was glad to do this, hoping that the prejudice would be removed. The Lord gave me of His Holy Spirit at that meeting. The Lord seemed to be close by my side and I had freedom when bearing my message to the people. On this occasion, when only our brethren were present in the morning meeting, I spoke plainly, stating the light that the Lord had been pleased to give me in warnings and in reproof for His people.—Manuscript 30, 1889. p. 6. 11MR 254.1

I thought it was my duty to go to Des Moines, Iowa. I hoped to meet most of the ministers in that State.... I wished I had all the conference that I could address, for my heart was full of the Spirit of God just as it was at Minneapolis. The Spirit of the Lord came into our morning meetings and many humble testimonies were borne with weeping. I will say to the glory of God that He did sustain me and hearts were touched. I did hope to see some who had taken an active part in Minneapolis bend their proud wills and seek the Lord with their whole heart. I believed this would be done, but although the Lord was manifestly at work upon hearts, no thorough confessions were made. They did not fall upon the Rock and be broken, so that the Lord could put His mold upon them. Oh, if they had only yielded their pride, the light and love of God would have come into their hearts!—Manuscript 30, 1889, 8, 9. 11MR 254.2

Light on the Covenants—I am much pleased to learn that Professor [W. W.] Prescott is giving the same lessons in his class to the students that Brother [E. J.] Waggoner has been giving. He is presenting the covenants. John thinks it is presented in a clear and convincing manner. 11MR 255.1

Since I made the statement last Sabbath that the view of the covenants as it has been taught by Brother Waggoner was truth, it seems that great relief has come to many minds. 11MR 255.2

I am inclined to think Brother Prescott receives the testimony, although he was not present when I made this statement. I thought it time to take my position, and I am glad that the Lord urged me to give the testimony that I did.—Letter 30, 1890, p. 2. 11MR 255.3

Wrong Spirit Manifested at Minneapolis—I cannot sanction the spirit that prevailed at Minneapolis, neither can I have confidence that those who were actuated by that spirit are walking in the light. 11MR 255.4

Suppose Dr. [E. J.] Waggoner did hold views that were not wholly correct, was it Christlike to manifest the spirit that was felt in that meeting? The rich blessing of God was hanging over that conference, but the Lord could not work upon hearts so full of misconceived opinions of His own messages and so barricaded with prejudice against them. The reports that were brought to Battle Creek were in accordance with the spirit that prevailed at that meeting.—Letter 2, 1889, pp. 11, 12. 11MR 255.5

Righteousness of Christ as Presented by A. T. Jones—I think that Elder A. T. Jones should attend our large camp meetings and give to our people, and to outsiders as well, the precious subject of faith and the righteousness of Christ. There is a flood of light in this subject, and if he goes to the canvassers’ meetings only, how can the light come before the largest number? You cannot expect that any of the canvassers can present this matter in the light in which he presents it. I think that it is robbing the churches of the light and the message for the present time for him not to attend the camp meetings.—Letter 1, 1889, p. 6. 11MR 255.6

Spirit of God Needed—Now brethren I want to tell you when the Spirit of God comes into our midst it will strike the minds that are ready to receive it. But if their minds are not open to receive it, they are all ready to pass judgment upon the messenger and the words spoken, and in the place of coming to God and asking Him to give them a new heart and a new mind, and that the transforming influence of the grace of God shall be upon them, they commence to find fault and pick flaws. It does not strike them. It must harmonize with their ideas. They will stand right there until these things are culled out of the way, and they place themselves right there to judge. This is the way it was at Minneapolis.—Manuscript 2, 1889, 2. 11MR 256.1

EGW Shown Spiritual Condition of Many at Minneapolis—I related in the Thursday morning meeting [at Ottawa, Kansas] some things in reference to the Minneapolis meeting. I told them by what means the Lord had opened to me the spiritual condition of many of those who came to that conference. They came under a delusion, with false impressions upon their minds. This was Satan's work, for the Lord was to revive His people and give them light in clear distinct rays that would lead to the magnifying of Christ. The Lord's command to His people through His messengers was, “Go forward.” And now Satan determined to hold the people away from the light that the rich blessing of God should not come upon the delegates.... Satan raised an alarm. They thought the law in Galatians would come up and they would go armed and equipped to resist everything coming from those men from the Pacific Coast, new and old. 11MR 256.2

I never labored in my life more directly under the controlling influences of the Spirit of God. God gave me meat in due season for the people, but they refused it for it did not come in just the way and manner they wanted it to come. Elders Jones and Waggoner presented precious light to the people, but prejudice and unbelief, jealousy and evil-surmising barred the door of their hearts that nothing from this source should find entrance to their hearts.—Letter 14, 1889, pp. 2, 3. 11MR 257.1

Different Spirits at Work in Chicago and S. Lancaster—We have traveled all through to the different places of the meetings that I might stand side by side with the messengers of God that I knew were His messengers, that I knew had a message for His people. I gave my message with them right in harmony with the very message they were bearing. What did we see? We saw a power attending the message. In every instance we worked, and some know how hard we worked—I think it was a whole week, going early and late, at Chicago, in order that we might get these ideas in the minds of the brethren. 11MR 257.2

The devil has been working for a year to obliterate these ideas—the whole of them. And it takes hard work to change their old opinions. They think they have to trust in their own righteousness, and in their own works, and keep looking at themselves, and not appropriating the righteousness of Christ, and bringing it into their life and into their character. And we worked there for one week. It was after one week had passed away before there was a break and the power of God, like a tidal wave, rolled over that congregation. I tell you, it was to set men free; it was to point them to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. 11MR 257.3

And there at South Lancaster, the mighty movings of the Spirit of God were there. Some are here that were in that meeting. God revealed His glory; and every student in the college was brought to the door there in confession, and the movings of the Spirit of God were there. And thus from place to place, everywhere we went we saw the movings of the Spirit of God. Do you think, like the ten lepers, I shall keep silent, that I shall not raise my voice to sing the righteousness of God and praise Him and glorify Him?—Manuscript 9, 1890, 7, 8. 11MR 258.1

Critics of J. H. Kellogg Should Help Him—Dr. Kellogg has done a work that no man I know of among us has had qualifications to do. He has needed the sympathy and confidence of his brethren. There should have been a tender compassion for him in his position of trust, and they should have pursued a course that would have gained and retained his confidence. God would have it thus. But there has been instead a spirit of suspicion and criticism. 11MR 258.2

If the doctor fails in doing his duty and being an overcomer at last, those brethren who have failed in their want of wisdom and discernment to help the man when and where he needed their help, will be in a large measure responsible. There have been but few who faithfully warned him in kindness and love for his soul. His brethren do at times really feel that God is using the doctor to do a work that no other one is fitted to do. But then they meet so strong a current of reports to his detriment, they are perplexed. They partially accept them, and decide that Dr. Kellogg must really be hypocritical and dishonest. They do not consider the good he has done and that he is doing. They do not look at his efforts to elevate the religious and moral tone at the sanitarium and keep it up to a high standard. How must the doctor feel to be ever regarded with suspicion? Can nothing be done to change this order of things? Must it ever be thus? I know that it is not right.... 11MR 258.3

Christ paid the redemption price for his soul and the devil will do his utmost to ruin his soul. Let none of us help him in his work.—Letter 21, 1888, pp. 16, 17. 11MR 259.1

Minneapolis Spirit Made EGW's Labors More Difficult—Brethren you are urging me to come to your camp meetings. I must tell you plainly that the course pursued toward me and my work since the General Conference at Minneapolis—your resistance of the light and warnings that God has given through me—has made my labor fifty times harder than it would otherwise have been. I find that my words have far less influence upon the minds of our people that upon unbelievers whose hearts have not been hardened by rejecting the light. I have no word from the Lord to labor for you in the camp meetings, to repeat to you, little by little, that which at great cost and labor I have published for your benefit. As you feel no burden to obtain and circulate the books, I feel that my oral testimony would make no lasting impression. I have no courage to meet you in camp meeting. It seems to me that you have cast aside the word of the Lord as unworthy of your notice.—Letter 1, 1890, p. 10. 11MR 259.2

White Estate

Washington, D. C.,

November 12, 1981.