Ellen G. White — Messenger to the Remnant

The Spirit of Prophecy, Volumes I-III

The years passed, the number of believers rapidly increased, and there was need of more books. The brethren called for the republication of the little books, Spiritual Gifts which they had learned to love, but Mrs. White felt that she could not consent to this. Since their publication, she had been favored with revelations in which the views had been repeated in more detail; so she pleaded for time and opportunity to present the subjects more completely before they were published again. Definite plans were laid for a series of four volumes, of about four hundred pages each, to contain a fuller account of the great conflict, from its inception to its close. EGWMR 56.5

The work on this new series moved forward much more slowly than had been anticipated. Volume I, which was issued in 1870, told the conflict story from the fall of Lucifer and the creation to the time of Solomon. Volumes II and III (issued in 1877 and 1878), dealt with the life and work of Christ and the apostles. Some chapters intended for Volume IV were written; but not until the autumn of 1882, one year after the death of James White, was the work of preparing this volume for the press undertaken in earnest. EGWMR 56.6