The Ellen G. White Writings

Ellen G. White Approved W. C. White Statements

With the issuance of the 1911 revision of The Great Controversy, Elder W. C. White, son of Ellen G. White and her assistant following the death of James White in 1881, issued two formal statements regarding the writing of The Great Controversy, the aspects of the book dealing with historical matter, the sources of the information she presented, and the revision of the book. Ellen White read these, gave her endorsement, and declared that in these statements W. C. White had correctly portrayed the facts. We give here his statement regarding “Ellen White’s Sources“: EGWW 123.4

The things which she has written out, are descriptions of flashlight pictures and other representations given her regarding the actions of men, and the influence of these actions upon the work of God for the salvation of men, with views of past, present, and future history in its relation to this work.—W. C. White statement in his letter of July 24, 1911, read by him to the General Conference Committee at the Autumn Council, October 30, 1911. EGWW 124.1

Continuing, he speaks of the reference Ellen White made to historical writings of others: EGWW 124.2

In connection with the writing out of these views, she has made use of good and clear historical statements to help make plain to the reader the things which she is endeavoring to present. When I was a mere boy, I heard her read D’Aubigné’s “History of the Reformation” to my father. She read to him a large part, if not the whole, of the five volumes. She has read other histories of the Reformation.—Ibid. EGWW 124.3

He then explained the relationship of this reading to her writing The Great Controversy: EGWW 124.4

This has helped her to locate and describe many of the events and the movements presented to her in vision. This is somewhat similar to the way in which the study of the Bible helps her to locate and describe the many figurative representations given to her regarding the development of the great controversy in our day between truth and error.—lbid. EGWW 124.5

In his 1911 statement, he makes also another reference to the many visions given Ellen White relating to the history of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation: EGWW 124.6

Mother’s contact with European people had brought to her mind scores of things that had been presented to her in vision during past years, some of them two or three times, and other scenes many times. Her seeing of historic places and her contact with the people refreshed her memory with reference to these things, and so she desired to add much material to the book. This was done.—Ibid. EGWW 124.7

Just as in her introduction to the 1888 Great Controversy, the 1911 explanation on “Ellen G. White Sources” explains that the visions come ahead of the reading of history. The reading of history helped her in presenting these matters to others. And then there was a repeating of some of the scenes, with visions given in connection with the writing. EGWW 124.8