Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Her Encounters With Fanatics

The autobiographical sketch of those first few years reveals that Ellen Harmon no sooner set out on her public ministry than she met, head on, the discordant elements and the fanatics that sought to gain control of Adventist groups or companies. The record is clear that she spoke with vigor and great definiteness against all such. As she traveled and met with different companies she experienced from time to time the singular spiritual exercises that she declares were visions from God. She refers to her visions in simple, brief language. The actual descriptions of her in vision are given by others, and these will be presented in the next chapter. EGWC 33.3

At one of the first places she visited, where certain men were troubling the church with great pretensions of piety, she had this experience: “During family prayer that night, the Spirit of the LORD rested upon me, and I was taken off in vision.”—Spiritual Gifts 2:48. In the few lines that follow she tells how God revealed to her the true character of these impostors. A little later, in another place, she was suffering great pain because of an injury received in falling from a wagon. She wrote: “Sister Foss joined with me in pleading for God’s blessing, and for relief from pain. About midnight the blessing sought rested upon me. Those in the house were awakened by hearing my voice while in vision.”—Ibid. EGWC 33.4

A little later she describes a meeting in Portland, Maine, that was appointed in order for her to relate what had been shown to her. Then she adds immediately, “While praying for strength to discharge that painful duty, I was taken off in vision.”—Spiritual Gifts 2:49. EGWC 34.1