Manuscript Releases, vol. 1 [Nos. 19-96]

The Release Process

After Ellen White's death the Trustees gradually became aware of the potential usefulness of the unpublished manuscripts. They formulated plans that would provide access to the manuscripts in an orderly way and that would make them available through “Releases.” The White Estate Trustees and the leading officers of the General Conference joined in establishing policies that 1MR 4.3

provided for the publication of all newly-released Ellen G. White materials. It was recognized that if a given statement was valuable to one person, it could be valuable to others also. Sensitive materials, especially personal testimonies, were to be handled in such a way as to protect individuals and their descendants as well. These policies and guidelines still govern those who do research in the Ellen G. White manuscript files. 1MR 5.1

The Ellen G. White collection is not a public archive. It is primarily for the use of the Trustees and denominational leaders at headquarters. But research privileges are granted to doctoral candidates with proper credentials, to ministers in training, and others approved by the Board of Trustees. 1MR 5.2

Requests for release of specific items are considered first by the White Estate Board of Trustees and then by the General Conference-appointed Spirit of Prophecy Committee, a liaison committee composed of White Trustees and church leaders. This enables the Trustees and church leaders to work together harmoniously and to take mutual responsibility in the release of hitherto-unpublished Ellen G. White materials. 1MR 5.3

It was planned at first that every document issued by the White Estate, whether from Ellen White's pen or prepared by the office staff, should pass through the release process, but this idea was soon abandoned. As the work got underway, it was decided to number the documents dealing with previously unreleased materials. But this plan was not implemented until the work had been in progress for about a decade. Thus, when the secretary of the Board began to number the releases, he estimated that by that time some 18 items had been released and he designated the item first numbered as 19. It was his hope to go back and attach numbers to all the documents already produced. This hope was never realized. The first 18 missing numbers covered various documents, some of which were not Ellen G. White manuscript materials. 1MR 5.4