Ellen G. White and Her Critics

Part III: Ellen G. White’s Works

(In Chronological Order)

Mrs. White’s writings, including compilations and posthumous works, present a certain problem to the bibliographer. It is not difficult to present an annotated list of all her major writings, even though some of these were published as pamphlets. And that has been done here. But, as might be expected, through the long years a considerable number of E. G. White leaflets and pamphlets have been published. For example, a sermon she preached at some place or an address at an institution might be published as a leaflet and given a limited circulation in a local area. Again, a letter that she wrote to a church might likewise be published and briefly circulated in an area, or the circulation might be widespread, if the matters discussed were of general significance. Almost invariably the material in such special leaflets was ultimately incorporated either in part or in whole in one or another of Mrs. White’s books, which, in most instances, are still currently published. Again, some special situation or denominational need might prompt the publication of a few selections from her works on a particular subject, for example, on education or on medical work. EGWC 691.1

These leaflets and pamphlets, with the exception of a few in the early years, are not in the main stream of Mrs. White’s writings, but rather are rivulets flowing either into or out from the main stream. To list all these would only needlessly lengthen a bibliography of her writings, and would discuss many small publications that are no longer available in any library for study. The mortality rate of leaflets, whether secular or religious, is always appalling. They seem to disappear, like man, who, with the grass, today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven. And the place thereof knows them no more. Only in the office of the Ellen G. White Publications is there a complete list of these peripheral publications. EGWC 691.2

The technical reader of a bibliography of Mrs. White’s writings will need to keep in mind another fact. The publisher listed is the one first publishing the work. By a special arrangement among the Seventh-day Adventist publishing houses in North America, certain books published by one house may later be published by the others, each publishing house giving only its own name on the title page, or in a few instances, the names of the other houses in small type below. In the case of certain of Mrs. White’s major works, there is a subscription edition and a trade edition. The first is on heavier paper and well illustrated, the second is on thin paper and generally not illustrated. The text is the same in both editions, but in some instances the pagination is different. EGWC 691.3

With the foregoing exceptions noted, the following list may he described as a complete bibliography of Mrs. White’s works from her first printed article in 1846, until the latest compilation work in 1950. EGWC 691.4

Mrs. White’s works carry her name variously as Ellen G. White, E. G. White, and Mrs. E. G. White, except her initial writings, which are under her maiden name, Ellen G. Harmon. EGWC 691.5

Bibliographical data are based on the oldest edition available. If the edition is not the first, a bracketed note gives date of first edition as ascertained by the office of the Ellen G. White Publications. EGWC 691.6

Many of Mrs. White’s works have gone through various printings and editions. No attempt has been made to list these except in those instances where a significant change in form or content is involved. EGWC 691.7