Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Mrs. White Presents Balanced Health Teaching

Even so with Mrs. White. She set forth the principles of healthful living as being vital to healthy bodies, and in turn to healthy minds and spirits. She declared that some might lose heaven who knowingly and willfully violated these principles. At the same time she rebuked those who took the other extreme of viewing healthful living, particularly diet reform, as a form of penance whereby a man may ensure entrance to heaven. To a family that took this extreme, she wrote: EGWC 365.3

“I saw that you had mistaken notions about afflicting your bodies, depriving yourselves of nourishing food. These things led some of the church to think that God is surely with you, or you would not deny self, and sacrifice thus. But I saw that none of these things will make you more holy. The heathen do all this, but receive no reward for it. A broken and contrite spirit before God is in his sight of great price. I saw that your views concerning these things are erroneous.”—Testimonies for the Church 1:205. EGWC 366.1

To others, who made light of the whole subject of health reform, she wrote: EGWC 366.2

“Some have sneered at this work of reform, and have said it was all unnecessary; that it was an excitement to divert minds from present truth. They have said that matters were being carried to extremes. Such do not know what they are talking about. While men and women professing godliness are diseased from the crown of their head to the soles of their feet, while their physical, mental, and moral energies are enfeebled through gratification of depraved appetite and excessive labor, how can they weigh the evidences of truth, and comprehend the requirements of God? If their moral and intellectual faculties are beclouded, they cannot appreciate the value of the atonement or the exalted character of the work of God, nor delight in the study of his word. How can a nervous dyspeptic be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh him a reason of the hope that is in him, with meekness and fear? How soon would such a one become confused and agitated, and by his diseased imagination be led to view matters in altogether a wrong light, and by a lack of that meekness and calmness which characterized the life of Christ, be caused to dishonor his profession while contending with unreasonable men? Viewing matters from a high religious stand-point, we must be thorough reformers in order to be Christ-like.”—Testimonies for the Church 1:487, 488. EGWC 366.3

In the following words Mrs. White sets forth the principle underlying the whole doctrine of health reform that she preached: EGWC 366.4

“Let it ever be kept before the mind that the great object of hygienic reform is to secure the highest possible development of mind and soul and body. All the laws of nature—which are the laws of God—are designed for our good. Obedience to them will promote our happiness in this life, and will aid us in a preparation for the life to come.”—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 120. See also Counsels on Diet and Foods, 23. EGWC 366.5