Ellen G. White — Messenger to the Remnant

Chapter 5—The Speaker

“Make known to others what I have revealed to you,” were the words that early rang in Ellen Harmon’s ears. How could she do it? She was but a girl, just turned seventeen, who could speak only in a hoarse whisper, and her health generally was not good. She was timid and unknown. Her family was poor. It was midwinter in Maine. This was her situation in December, 1844. Finally after encouragement from her father that God would not fail to open the way, she terminated the struggle by a full surrender to His will. EGWMR 112.1

A few days later found Ellen Harmon at Poland, Maine, about thirty miles north of Portland. She was at an Adventist home at Mcguire’s Hill, where the believers had gathered for an evening meeting. Her sister and her brother-in-law, with whom she had made the trip that day in an open sleigh, accompanied her to the service. Already the believers had heard of her unique experience, and she was asked to tell her visions to those who had gathered. EGWMR 112.2

The girl of seventeen arose and in a raspy whisper began to talk to the people. Recounting the experience, she later wrote: “I continued thus for about five minutes, when the soreness and obstruction left me, my voice became clear and strong, and I spoke with perfect ease and freedom for nearly two hours. When my message was ended, my voice was gone until I again stood before the people, when the same singular restoration was repeated.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 72, 73. Thus commenced a lifework of public speaking. EGWMR 112.3

Through the years that followed she filled many speaking appointments, standing before audiences large and small, audiences sympathetic and audiences antagonistic, American audiences, European audiences, and Australian audiences. She had a message appropriate for each occasion, and it was delivered in a powerful manner. She became one of the best-known and most popular women speakers of her time in America. EGWMR 112.4

Most of her public speaking, of course, was with Seventh-day Adventist groups. In the earlier years it was a very common practice for Elder and Mrs. White to work together. He would lead out in a telling presentation of some vital subject, and after speaking for twenty or thirty minutes, she would follow with appropriate remarks. Very effective work was done by this team. EGWMR 112.5

Mrs. White made careful preparation for her speaking appointments, choosing her text and forming a general outline of presentation. At times she would choose two texts and have in mind two quite different lines of thought; then during the opening exercise as she faced her audience, she would decide which to present. Often she looked into faces which she had seen before in vision, and the knowledge of their needs and experiences molded the subject matter presented. Occasionally the recognition of faces in the audience led her to make a radical shift in her subject while she was speaking. Sometimes this could be done smoothly, but at other times there was an abrupt break because she was unable to make an easy change in the presentation. EGWMR 112.6