Ellen White is one of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist church. To be clear, there were several founders. Joseph Bates brought the seventh-day Sabbath light to the group. James White (Ellen’s husband) started the first publishing house. John Andrews was the first church president and first overseas missionary. Uriah Smith was the first church secretary and editor of the church’s periodical.
Seventh-day Adventists believe Ellen White received the gift of prophecy in a Biblical sense. They believe that God spoke to her directly through visions and dreams and indirectly by sending angels. These visions and dreams can be compared to those believed to be received by St. Patrick. St. Patrick is believed to have had many visions or dreams from God and the conversion of Ireland was certainly miraculous.
There were supernatural signs that indicated White’s gift couldn’t have been fabricated. She often went into vision in public, would stop breathing and be unaware of her surroundings. She was examined by medical doctors and skeptics on multiple occasions while in vision and found to have a pulse but not be breathing. Some visions lasted as long as thirty minutes. She was also spared in a train derailment. When a train she was traveling on derailed, her car became disconnected and stayed on the rails. The pin for her car was found neatly removed and laid upon the hitch – as if done by an angel to prevent her railcar from derailing with the rest of the train.
Adventists are not in total agreement on how to use White’s writings. They do all agree that her writings do not supersede the Bible. Many use her writings as an inspired Bible commentary. In doing so, they use her writings to interpret the Bible. Others do not agree with that practice. Some believe everything she wrote was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Others believe only when she says “I was shown…” “The Lord told me…” or similar phrases is when she is baring direct testimony from God. Outside of that, she is expressing her personal beliefs and convictions. This disagreement dates all the way back to the beginning of the church.
Uriah Smith was one of the founders of the church and one that believed that only what White was shown in vision or dream was to be considered a “testimony” from God. Ironically, modern-day critics of White use a dispute between Smith and White to discredit her (although most do not realize it). Critics often use the following quote from White, which she wrote in a letter to Smith. Most critics are probably not aware of the context.
Yet now when I send you a testimony of warning and reproof, many of you declare it to be merely the opinion of Sister White. You have thereby insulted the Spirit of God. You know how the Lord has manifested Himself through the spirit of prophecy. (5T64)
The context of this letter tells a lot about the gift of prophecy she is believed to have had. Critics want take the position that in this quote, White is setting herself to be equal with God. Therefore, if you disagree with her opinion, you have insulted the spirit of God. Upon examination, we see that her claim is the role of a messenger and not everything she wrote and spoke was directly from God.
The church at Battle Creek, Michigan had a college. The college was focusing more on academics and not on training Bible workers and pastors. White’s letter stated that many parents would stop sending their children to the college if it did not train them for the Bible work of spreading the gospel. She also stated the college needed to teach trades of manual labor and agriculture. From reading the letter, it seems the college was focusing more on academics like math and science and not on religion and vocational skills. When Smith received the letter, he read it as White’s opinion and dismissed it. Even though he believed she had the gift of prophecy. In the quote below, he explains his action to her.
The ground of my hesitancy to regard that part of your communication referring to the special school trouble as a “testimony” was the fact that I had always supposed that a testimony was based on a vision, and I did not understand that you had had any vision since the recent trouble in the college commenced; hence I did not see how there could be any “testimony,” in the common acceptation of that term, concerning these special matters. At the same time I said that if you should claim that it was a testimony, I would accept the situation; and so I do. (3BIO 196.3)
So basically, Smith says he was unware that God had given White a vision about the matters of the college. Therefore, he considered her letter to be simply her opinion. White not only wrote back, she went to the publishing house and published a pamphlet on the matter. She clarifies that the direction she received from God was in a dream and from an angel. God spoke to her in both dreams and visions. Her visions were often public events that others witnessed. Her dreams were, obviously, private. There were reports of her room being highly lit when angels would visit her at night, I have never read anyone, other than White, claiming to have seen the angel’s form – only the light.
“A few weeks since, I was in a dream brought into one of your meetings for investigation. I heard testimonies borne by students against Professor Bell.” (3BIO 198.2) While visiting Healdsburg last winter, I was much in prayer, and burdened with anxiety and grief. But the Lord swept back the darkness at one time while I was in prayer, and a great light filled the room. An angel of God was by my side, and I seemed to be in Battle Creek. I was in your councils; I heard words uttered, I saw and heard things that, if God willed, I wish could be forever blotted from my memory. (3BIO 199.3) After I wrote you the long letter which has been belittled by Elder Smith as merely an expression of my own opinion… the Lord partially removed the restriction, and I write as I do. I dare not say more now, lest I go beyond what the Spirit of the Lord has permitted me. (3BIO 199.5) In the testimonies sent to Battle Creek, I have given you the light God has given to me. In no case have I given my own judgment or opinion. I have enough to write of what has been shown me, without falling back on my own opinions. (3BIO 200.1)
White did not consider herself to be infallible, even as a messenger.
Dr. David Paulson wrote to White in April 1860, “I was led to conclude and most firmly believe that every word that you ever spoke in public or private, that every letter you wrote under any and all circumstances, was as inspired as the ten commandments.” White responded, “My brother, you have studied my writings diligently, and you have never found that I have made any such claims, neither will you find that the pioneers in our cause ever made such claims” (1SM, 24-26)
She also wrote, “God and heaven alone are infallible” (1SM, 37). “The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will” (GC, vii).
This is what she wrote about using her writings (aka Spirit of Prophecy or Testimonies).
“I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the ‘last days’; not for a new rule of faith (3SM 29.1) “The Lord desires you to study your Bibles. He has not given any additional light to take the place of his Word.” (3SM, 29.2) “In public labor do not make prominent, and quote that which Sister White has written, as authority to sustain your positions. To do this will not increase faith in the testimonies. Bring your evidences, clear and plain, from the Word of God. (3SM 29.3) [emphasis added]. “Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light. (3SM 30.4) “Brother J would confuse the mind by seeking to make it appear that the light God has given through the Testimonies is an addition to the Word of God, but in this he presents the matter in a false light. (3SM 30.6)
In summary: There still exists a diverse opinion among Seventh-day Adventists. There are those that believe everything she wrote was inspired by God. There are others that are inclined to think like Uriah Smith – that only when she says “the Lord showed me” is it a testimony from the Lord. Still others do not think much about her. This third group does not read her writings and only reads from the Bible.
