Ellen G. White

Ellen Gould White (née Harmon) (November 26, 1827 – July 16,1915), born to Robert and Eunice Harmon, was an American Christian leader whose prophetic ministry was instrumental in founding the Sabbatarian Adventist movement that led to the rise of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Supporters of Ellen G. White regard her as a modern-day prophet, even though she never claimed this title for herself. Support for her prophetic role is usually expressed in the language that she exhibited the spiritual gift of prophecy as outlined in the New Testament. Adventists do not consider this to conflict with the Reformation principle Sola Scriptura ("by scripture alone"), because the Bible is believed to be superior to her writings and the Bible teaches that one of the gifts to the church is the gift of prophecy. Her restorationist writings showcase the hand of God in Seventh-day Adventist history. This cosmic conflict, referred to as the "great controversy theme", is foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology. Her involvement with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would create a nucleus of believers around which a core group of shared beliefs would emerge. Ellen White believed that at the close of earth's history Jesus Christ would return to this earth to gather His people and take them to heaven.

White was a controversial figure even within her own lifetime. She claimed to have received a vision soon after the Millerite Great Disappointment. In the context of many other visionaries, she was known for her conviction and fervent faith. Randall Balmer has described her as "One of the more important and colorful figures in the history of American religion". White is the most translated female non-fiction author in the history of literature, as well as the most translated American non-fiction author of either gender. Her writings covered theology, evangelism, Christian lifestyle, education and health (she also advocated vegetarianism). She was a leader who emphasized education and health, and promoted the establishment of schools and medical centers. During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books; but today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. Some of her more popular books include Steps to Christ, The Desire of Ages, and The Great Controversy. Seventh-day Adventists believe she experienced over 2,000 visions.

Early Life

Ellen, with her twin sister Elizabeth, was born November 26, 1827, to Robert and Eunice Harmon. With eight children in the family, home was an interesting and busy place. The family lived on a small farm near the village of Gorham, Maine, in the northeastern part of the United States. However, a few years after the birth of the twins, Robert Harmon gave up farming, and, with his family, moved into the city of Portland, about twelve miles east.

Ancestry Debate

Some individuals have expressed curiosity regarding her racial ancestry, suggesting that her darker complexion could point to some African-American heritage. Charles Edward Dudley, Sr., in The Genealogy of Ellen Gould Harmon White (1999) claims a connection between her family (Gould) and the Gould family of Gouldtown, New Jersey, who are of African West-Indies descent. However, no actual evidence of any connection is offered by Dudley (wishfull thinking on his part). The Ellen G. White Estate commissioned a professional genealogist to research her ancestry, who concluded that she was of Anglo-Saxon origin. See her ancestral chart (JPG).

Mercury Poisoning

It has been postulated that she may have suffered from mercury poisoning.^{[citation needed!]} As a child Ellen was required to work for her father in the manufacture of hats. The Whites made a modest living as hatters, and at the time, the natural fur the hats were made out of were processed in oil and water treated with a strong solution of mercury.

Head Injury

At the age of nine, Ellen was hit in the head by a rock thrown during a fight with a fellow student. The injury left her in a coma for three weeks, severely disfigured her nose.

When Ellen Harmon had her first "conversion experience". She would later write:

Shortly after her injury Ellen, with her parents, attended a Methodist camp meeting at Buxton, Maine, and there, at the age of 12, she gave her heart to God. On June 26, 1842, at her request she was baptized by simulated drowning "immersion" in Casco Bay, Portland, becoming a member of the Methodist Church.

Millerite movement

In 1840, at age 12, her family became involved with the Millerite movement. Attending William Miller lectures Ellen began to feel that she was guilty of sin, and she was filled with terror about being eternally lost. She describes herself as spending nights in tears and prayer, and being in this condition for several months. Historian Merlin Burt points to a three-step conversion process. She was baptized by John Hobart in Casco Bay in Portland, Maine, and eagerly awaited for Jesus to come again. After her conversion, in her later years, she referred to this as the happiest time of her life. Her family's involvement with Millerism caused the Methodist church they attended to disfellowship all of them.

Visions

First Reported Vision

In 1844, Ellen White reported her first encounter with the supernatural.

About this time I visited sister [Haines], one of our Advent sisters, whose heart was knit with mine. In the morning we bowed at the family altar. It was not an exciting occasion. There were but five of us present, all females. While praying, the power of God came upon me as I never had felt it before. I was surrounded with light, and was rising higher and higher from the earth.

In this vision she reportedly saw the “Advent people” travelling a high and dangerous path towards the city of New Jerusalem [heaven]. Their path was lit from behind by “a bright light...which an angel told me was the midnight cry.” Some of the travellers grew weary and were encouraged by Jesus; others denied the presence of the light that went out and they fell “off the path into the dark and wicked world below.” The vision continued with a portrayal of Christ’s second coming, following which the Advent people entered the New Jerusalem; and ended with White returning to earth feeling lonely, desolate and longing for that “better world.”

As Godfrey T. Anderson points out, “In effect, the vision assured the Advent believers of eventual triumph despite the immediate despair into which they had plunged.”

Second and Third Visions

White’s second vision became known as the “Bridegroom” vision and White received it in Exeter, Maine, in February 1845. Together with a third vision where White saw the new earth, these visions "gave continued meaning to the October 1844 experience and supported the developing sanctuary rationale. Additionally they played an important role in countering the spiritualizing views of many fanatical Adventists by portraying the Father and Jesus as literal beings and heaven as a physical place."

Public Testimony

Fearing people would think she was experiencing mental illness or was on drugs, Ellen did not share her visions with the wider Millerite community a meeting at her parent’s home when she received what she regarded as supernatural confirmation of her ministry:

While praying, the thick darkness that had enveloped me was scattered, a bright light, like a ball of fire, came towards me, and as it fell upon me, my strength was taken away. I seemed to be in the presence of Jesus and the angels. Again it was repeated, ‘Make known to others what I have revealed to you.’

Soon Ellen was giving her testimony in public meetings—some of which she arranged herself; and in her regular Methodist class meetings in private homes.

I arranged meetings with my young friends, some of whom were considerably older than myself, and a few were married persons. A number of them were vain and thoughtless; my experience sounded to them like an idle tale, and they did not heed my entreaties. But I determined that my efforts should never cease till these dear souls, for whom I had so great an interest, yielded to God. Several entire nights were spent by me in earnest prayer for those whom I had sought out and brought together for the purpose of laboring and praying with them.

News of her visions spread and White was soon travelling and speaking to groups of Millerite followers in Maine and the surrounding area. Her visions were not publicised further afield until January 24, 1846, when White’s account of the first vision: "Letter From Sister Harmon" was published in the Day Star, a Millerite paper published in Cincinnati, Ohio by Enoch Jacobs. White had written to Jacobs to encourage him and although she stated the letter was not written for publication, Jacobs printed it anyway. Through the next few years it was republished in various forms--including as part of White's first book, Christian Experience and Views, published in 1851.

Two Millerites claimed to have had visions prior to Ellen White – William Ellis Foy (1818–1893), and Hazen Foss (1818?–1893), Ellen White's brother-in-law. Adventists believe the gift offered to these two men was instead passed on to White.

Marriage and Family

Sometime in 1845 Ellen came into contact with her future husband James Springer White, a Millerite who became convinced that her visions were genuine. A year later James proposed and they were married by a justice of the peace in Portland, Maine, on August 30, 1846. James later wrote:

We were married August 30, 1846, and from that hour to the present she has been my crown of rejoicing....It has been in the good providence of God that both of us had enjoyed a deep experience in the Advent movement....This experience was now needed as we should join our forces and, united, labor extensively from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific....

James and Ellen had four children, all boys: Henry Nichols, born August 26, 1847; James Edson (known as Edson), born July 28, 1849; William Clarence (known as Willie or W. C.), born August 29, 1854; and John Herbert, born September 20, 1860.

Only Edson and William lived to adulthood. John Herbert died of erysipelas at the age of 3 months, and Henry died of pneumonia at the age of 16 in 1863.

Middle Life

Ellen White described the vision experience as involving a bright light which would surround her. In these visions she would be in the presence of Jesus or angels or other spirits, who would show her events (historical and future) and places (on earth, in heaven, or other planets), or give her information regarding the ascendancy of the antichrist in 2099. She described the end of her visions as involving a return to the stone cold reality of the abstinent life on earth.

The transcriptions of White's visions generally contain theology, prophecy, or personal counsels to individuals or to Adventist leaders. One of the best examples of her personal counsels is found in a 9-volume series of books entitled Testimonies for the Church, that contains edited testimonies published for the general edification of the church. The spoken and written versions of her visions played a significant part in establishing and shaping the organizational structure of the emerging Sabbatarian Adventist Church. Her visions and writings continue to be used by church leaders in developing the church's policies and for devotional reading. Mrs. White's councils regarding the impact of eating eggs on the sin of self abuse is particularly poignant.

On March 14, 1858, in Lovett's Grove, Ohio, White received a vision while attending a funeral service. On that day James White wrote that "God manifested His power in a wonderful manner" adding that "several had decided to keep the Lord's Sabbath and go with the people of God." In writing about the vision, she stated that she received practical instruction for church members, and more significantly, a cosmic sweep of the conflict "between Christ and His angels, and Satan and his angels." Ellen White would expand upon this great controversy theme which would eventually culminate in the Conflict of the Ages series.

From 1861 to 1881 Ellen White's prophetic ministry became increasingly recognized among Sabbatarian Adventists. Her frequent articles in the Review and Herald (now the Adventist Review) and other church publications were a unifying influence to the beginning church. She supported her husband in the church's need for formal organization. The result was the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1863. During the 1860s and 1870s the Whites participated in the founding of the denomination's first medical institution (1866) and school (1874). Her husband James White died in 1881, which is significant because Mrs. White was left without her husband to husband the fledgling SDA church into a grownup institution.

Later Ministry

After 1882 Ellen White was assisted by a close circle of friends and associates. She employed a number of literary assistants who would help her in preparing her writings for publications. She also carried on an extensive correspondence with church leaders. She then traveled to Europe on her first international trip. Upon her return she promoted E. J. Waggoner and A. T. Jones, young ministers, in preparation for a more Christ-centered theology for the church. When church leaders resisted her counsel on various matters, she was sent to Australia as a missionary.

Final Years of Ministry and Death

Ellen White returned to the United States in 1900, settling in Elmshaven, her home in Helena, California. At first she thought her stay would be temporary and she called for church re-organization at the pivotal 1901 General Conference Session. During her later years she wrote extensively for church publications and wrote her final books, including a new edition with historical revisions expounding the title, The Great Controversy (1911). During her final years she would travel less frequently as she concentrated upon writing her last works for the church. Not too long before her death she laid her books before a group of people, held up a Bible, and made a point that her writings would not have been needed if people had just read the word of God for themselves and prayed for understanding. Ellen G. White died July 16, 1915, at her home in Elmshaven, which is now an Adventist Historical Site.

Major Teachings

Health Reform

Ellen White expounded greatly on the subject of health and nutrition, as well as healthy eating and a balanced diet. At the behest of Ellen White, the Seventh-day Adventist Church first established the innovative Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1866, to care for the sick as well as to disseminate health instruction. Over the years, other Adventist sanitariums were established around the country. These sanitariums evolved into hospitals, forming the backbone of the Adventists' medical network and, in 1972, forming the Adventist Health System. Two weeks after this, James and Ellen White visited Otsego, Michigan, over the weekend, to encourage the evangelistic workers there. As the group bowed in prayer at the beginning of the Sabbath, Ellen White was given a vision of the relation of physical health to spirituality, of the importance of following right principles in diet and in the care of the body, and of the benefits of nature's remedies--clean air, sunshine, exercise, and pure water.

Previous to this vision, little thought or time had been given to health matters, and several of the overtaxed ministers had been forced to become inactive because of sickness. This revelation on June 6, 1863, impressed upon the leaders in the newly organized church the importance of health reform. In the months that followed, as the health message was seen to be a part of the message of Seventh-day Adventists, a health educational program was inaugurated. An introductory step in this effort was the publishing of six pamphlets of 64 pages each, entitled, Health, or How to Live, compiled by James and Ellen White. An article from Mrs. White was included in each of the pamphlets. The importance of health reform was greatly impressed upon the early leaders of the church through the untimely death of Henry White at the age of 16, the severe illness of Elder James White, which forced him to cease work for three years, and through the sufferings of several other ministers. Early in 1866, responding to the instruction given to Ellen White on Christmas Day, 1865 (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 489), that Seventh-day Adventists should establish a health institute for the care of the sick and the imparting of health instruction, plans were laid for the Western Health Reform Institute, which opened in September, 1866. While the Whites were in and out of Battle Creek from 1865 to 1868, Elder White's poor physical condition led them to move to a small farm near Greenville, Michigan. Away from the pressing duties of church headquarters, Ellen White had opportunity to write, and she undertook the presentation of the conflict story as it had been shown to her more fully in further revelations. In 1870, The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, was published, carrying the story from the fall of the Demon Lucifer in heaven to King Solomon's time. Work with this series was broken off, and it was seven years before the next volume was issued. White's idea of health reform included vegetarianism. This was in a day and age where "meat and two vegetables" was the standard meal for a typical North American. Her health message inspired a health food revolution starting with Dr. John Harvey Kellogg in his creation of Corn Flakes. The Sanitarium Health Food Company as it is now known was also started by this health principle. It is also based on her health principles that Dr. Kellogg differed from his brother's views on the sugar content of their Corn Flake breakfast cereal. The latter started Kellogg Company. Mrs. White championed a spiritually oriented vegetarianism untroubled by moral issues regarding the treatment of animals.

Her views are expressed in the writings Healthful Living (1897, 1898) and The Health Food Ministry (1970) and The Ministry of Healing (1905).

Education

White's idea of creating a Christian educational system and its importance in society is detailed in her writings Christian Education (1893, 1894) and Education (1903).

Theology

• Christ-centered, particularly since the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference
• The Great Controversy theme
• Assurance of salvation. Jerry Moon argues that White did teach assurance of salvation.
• Abstaining from the sin of self abuse.
• Sabbath-keeping one requirement to going to heaven.

Arthur Patrick believes that White was evangelical, in that she had high regard for the Bible, saw the cross as central, supported righteousness by faith, believed in Christian activism, and sought to restore New Testament Christianity.

Public speaking

White was a powerful and sought after preacher.

Major Writings

Some of her most well known known books are:

• Steps to Christ (1892), a classic concise treatment.
• Christ's Object Lessons (1900), about the parables of Jesus.
• Education (1903), principles of Christian education
• The Ministry of Healing (1905), instructions on healthy living and the care of others.
• Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing (1896), about Christ's Sermon on the Mount.

Conflict of the Ages Series

• Patriarchs and Prophets (1890), covering Genesis to the end of David's reign.
• Prophets and Kings (1917), covering Solomon to the last prophetic book of the Old Testament.
• The Desire of Ages (1898), covering the life and ministry of Jesus.
• The Acts of the Apostles (1911), describing the twelve apostles and the early Christian church.
• The Great Controversy (1888, 1911), about church history viewed in terms of the conflict between Christ and Rebel Satan.

During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles, 40 books, and reported over 2000 visual/aural paranormal experiences, most of which she was convinced were communications with supernatural entities including various angels and sometimes Gods own Son, King Jesus. Today over 100 titles are available in English, including compilations from her 50,000 manuscript pages.

Book links are to the official Ellen White website, and also available as E-books

Historic Legacy

According to one evangelical author, "No Christian leader or theologian has exerted as great an influence on a particular denomination as Ellen White has on Adventism. According to the "Valuegenesis" studies, the percentage of self-identified Adventists studying in Adventist schools who read White's writings at least once a week was 13% in 1990 and 6% in 2000. According to a 1985 questionnaire of North American Adventist lecturers, White was the second-most influential Adventist writer on them, after Edward Heppenstall. However no lecturers aged under 39 nominated her as a major influence on their thinking. A 2004 survey of American Protestant pastors by The Barna Group showed those under 40 "championed" Ellen White as an author who had influenced them.

Anglican minister Geoffrey Paxton wrote White has a "wax nose", in that her writings can be turned "turned this way, and then that way" by different people to support their own position.

Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.

The Ellen G. White Estate, Inc., was formed as a result of Ellen G. White's will. It consists of a self-perpetuating board. The Estate continues to exist and has a modest staff that includes a secretary (now known as the director), several associates, and a support staff. The main headquarters is at the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Branch Offices are located at Andrews University, Loma Linda University, and Oakwood College. There are 15 additional research centers located throughout the 13 remaining divisions of the world church. The mission of the White Estate is to circulate Ellen White's writings, translate them, and provide resources for helping to better understand her life and ministry. At the Toronto General Conference Session (2000) the world church expanded the mission of the White Estate to include a responsibility for promoting Adventist history for the entire denomination.

Adventist Historic Sites

Several of Ellen G. White's homes are historic sites. The first home that she and her husband owned is now part of the Historic Adventist Village in Battle Creek, Michigan. Her other homes are privately owned with the exception of her home in Cooranbong, Australia, which she named "Sunnyside," and her last home in Saint Helena, California, which she named "Elmshaven". These latter two homes are owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the "Elmshaven" home is also a National Historic Landmark.

Biographical Writings

The most comprehensive biography of Ellen G. White is an extensive six-volume work called "Ellen G. White: A Biography" written by her grandson, Arthur L. White ). A critical work is Ronald L. Numbers' analysis of Ellen G. White's health reform teachings in the context of other nineteenth-century health reformers "Ellen G. White: Prophetess of Health," rev. ed. (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee, 1992). Thousands of articles and books have been written about various aspects of Ellen G. White's life and ministry. A large number of these can be found in the libraries at Loma Linda University and Andrews University, the two primary Seventh-day Adventist institutions with major research collections about Adventism. An "Encyclopedia of Ellen G. White" is being produced by two faculty at Andrews University: Jerry Moon , chair of the church history department, and Denis Fortin, dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. The Encyclopedia is due out in 2007/2008 and will be published by the Review and Herald. It will contain contributions by dozens of scholars and an attempt is made to cover every aspect of her life.

For a listing of most of these books, periodical articles, theses, and dissertations see Gary Shearer's Index to Bibliographies on SDA and Millerite History under "White" (updated periodically):

Debate regarding the prophetic value of her writings

Most Adventists believe her writings are inspired and continue to have relevance for the church today. Some believe that her writings have devotional value only. Seventh-day Adventists began to discuss her writings at the 1919 Bible Conference, soon after her death. During the 1920s the church adopted a Fundamentalist stance toward inspiration. Because of criticism from the evangelical community, in the 1940s and 1950s church leaders such as LeRoy Edwin Froom and Roy Allan Anderson attempted to help evangelicals understand Seventh-day Adventists better by engaging in extended dialogue that resulted in the publication of Questions on Doctrine (1956) that explained Adventist beliefs in evangelical language.

Evangelical Walter Martin of the countercult Christian Research Institute "rejected White’s prophetic claims", yet saw her "as a genuine Christian believer", unlike her contemporaries Joseph Smith, Jr., Mary Baker Eddy, and Charles Taze Russell. Kenneth Samples, a successor of Martin in his interaction with Adventism, also denies White's prophetic claims yet "believe[s] she, at minimum, had some good biblical and theological instincts."

Adventist statement of belief about the Spirit of Prophecy

Ellen White's writings are sometimes referred to as the Spirit of Prophecy by Adventists. The term is dually applied to the Holy Spirit which inspired her writings.

Early Sabbatarian Adventists, many of whom had come out of the Christian Connexion, were anti-creedal. As early as 1872 Adventists produced a statement of Adventist beliefs. This list was refined during the 1890s and formally included in the SDA Yearbook in 1931. In 1980 a statement of 27 Fundamental Beliefs was adopted, which was added to in 2005 to the current list of fundamental beliefs. Ellen G. White is referenced in the fundamental belief on spiritual gifts. This doctrinal statement says:

"One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested. (; ; ; .)

Ellen G. White's writings are considered divinely inspired but not on a par with the Bible. Seventh-day Adventists believe that her writings are subject to the Bible's authority.

Criticisms

Soon after Ellen Harmon's first vision in 1845 doubts were cast as to the reliability and authenticity of her visions. While there would be numerous critics during her lifetime, the most prominent critic was D.M. Canright. His criticisms are summarized in his 1919 book, Life of Mrs. E.G. White, Seventh-day Adventist Prophet: Her False Claims Refuted. The criticisms found in this book synthesize those of all previous critics and, until recent years, served as a basic text for many of Ellen G. White's critics. Some of the most prominent criticisms include:

• Mental Illness: Critics argue that Ellen White's childhood injury caused traumatic brain injury, was cataleptic and hysterical and some neurologists have commented that this may have caused partial complex seizures and hallucinations. They suggest that her visions were actually hallucinations and delusions during non-motor seizures which that led her to believe that she had visions of God.

• Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE): Professor Gregory Holmes of Dartmouth Medical School has noted that many of the self-described changes in Ellen White's behavior, including changes in facial expression, frequent episodes of staring upward, unawareness of her environment, as well as episodes of Automatism, all point to Temporal Lobe Epilepsy as a possible explanation for her high degree of religiosity and belief that she was receiving messages from God. He also points out that the fact that Ms. White's visions followed her head injury is more than coincidental, since the bones behind the eyes are weak and the brain tissue behind the eyes (Temporal Lobes) is particularly susceptible to injury. These textbook symptoms have Holmes conclude that there can be only one diagnosis for Ellen White's condition - Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
• Plagiarism: Many critics have also accused Ellen White of extensive plagiarism. One such was Walter T. Rea, who argued against the "original" nature of her supposed revelations in his book The White Lie. An examination of the plagiarism charges with a specific focus on White's teachings on health reform can be found in Ronald Numbers' Ellen White: Prophetess of Health (originally published in 1976). In this text Numbers argues that her understanding of health reform was simply plagiarized from other health reformers and therefore did not come from divine revelation. Also, there are parallels between her descriptions of heavenly visions and experiences with those described by Joseph Smith, Jr, who died in 1844 prior tho White's first theophany, as well as the presumption of having prophetic authority, as Smith have done.
• False prophecy: Ellen G. White is believed to have made a number of failed prophecies.
• Denial of the Trinity: Some critics, as well as some non-Trinitarian Adventists, have asserted that in some of her early writings Ellen White denied the Trinity and affirmed a form of Arianism, the view that Jesus is a lesser being than God the Father (a position later adopted officially by the Jehovah's Witnesses). Orthodox Adventists, for their part, credit her with bringing the Seventh-day Adventist church into a progressive awareness of the Trinity during the 1890s. Some critics have characterized her descriptions of the Godhead as Tritheistic. Such anti-trinitarian teaching was common among early Adventist leaders, including White's husband James, Joseph Bates, Uriah Smith, J. N. Loughborough and J. H. Waggoner.
• Views on Masturbation: Many critics cite Ellen White's views on masturbation, which she called "self-indulgence" or "a solitary vice" as proof that she is a false prophet. In her now out of print book "A Solemn Appeal" she writes that:

"If the practice [self-indulgence] is continued from the age of fifteen and upward, nature will protest against the abuse she has suffered, and continues to suffer, and will make them pay the penalty for the transgression of her laws, especially from the ages of thirty to forty-five, by numerous pains in the system, and various diseases, such as affection of the liver and lungs, neuralgia, rheumatism, affection of the spine, diseased kidneys, and cancerous humors. Some of nature's fine machinery gives way, leaving a heavier task for the remaining to perform, which disorders nature's fine arrangement, and there is often a sudden breaking down of the constitution; and death is the result."

Females possess less vital force than the other sex, and are deprived very much of the bracing, invigorating air, by their in-door life. The result of self-abuse in them is seen in various diseases, such as catarrh, dropsy, headache, loss of memory and sight, great weakness in the back and loins, affections of the spine, and frequently, inward decay of the head. Cancerous humor, which would lie dormant in the system their lifetime, is inflamed, and commences its eating, destructive work. The mind is often utterly ruined, and insanity supervenes.

Critics cite modern studies which seem to show that not only is masturbation normal and healthy, it even helps protect against certain diseases such as prostate cancer and heart disease.

• Racism: Many critics believe that Ellen White also wrote extremely racist statements in her book "Spiritual Gifts."

"Every species of animal which God had created were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the flood. Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men.

This criticism is compounded by a defense published 8 years later by church leader and personal friend of Ellen White Uriah Smith, inferring that this "amalgamation" produced certain lesser races which are difficult to differentiate from animals:

" Now we have ever supposed that anybody that was called a man, was considered a human being. The vision speaks of all these classes as races of men; yet in the face of this plain declaration, they foolishly assert that the visions teach that some men are not human beings! But does any one deny the general statement contained in the extract given above? They do not. If they did, they could easily be silenced by a reference to such cases as the wild Bushmen of Africa, some tribes of the Hottentots, and perhaps the Digger Indians of our own country.. Moreover, naturalists affirm that the line of demarkation between the human and animal races is lost in confusion. It is impossible, as they affirm, to tell just where the human ends and the animal begins.

Responses to Criticism

Seventh-day Adventists have long responded to critics with arguments and assertions of their own. Typical responses to these criticisms include:

• Mental illness: Seventh-day Adventists reject the charge that Ellen White suffered mental illness or that she had seizures. There are several main lines of argument Adventists use to respond to this charge:
• They point out that there is nothing on record of Ellen White ever having a seizure or showing signs of mental illness. They assert instead that these charges were trumped up by critics many years after her first vision as a way of discrediting her.
• The same charges have been made against Biblical prophets.
• Many times Ellen White had visions in the company of large groups of people. These visions were sometimes accompanied by unusual physical phenomena that all were able to witness. One such story relates how on several occasions witnesses recorded her holding a large family Bible for extended periods of time (in one case 20-25 minutes) at arms length just above her head while quoting Scriptural passages out loud; she would trace the verses in the Bible with her free hand as she spoke the words, and was apparently unaware of other people in the room. During such incidents, Adventists claim, several skeptics attempted to pull her arm down, as well as double-check the verses she was speaking aloud against the verses she traced with her finger. The story concludes that these unbelievers could not pull her arm down, and the verses were verbatim quotations from the Bible.
• Adventist also point to "the overall ministry of her life" as evidence of her inspiration.

• Plagiarism: Adventists argue that her use of sources was typical for a 19th-century writer; they generally believe that "she was in control of her sources and that her sources did not control her." Adventists assert that it became increasingly normative to cite sources during her lifetime, and that Ellen G. White subsequently revised her books, changed passages to include quotations from authoritative writers, and at times deleted passages when an author could not be found. When the plagiarism charge ignited a significant debate within the Adventist church during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the General Conference commissioned a major study by Dr. Fred Veltman. The ensuing project became known as the "'Life of Christ' Research Project." The results are available at the General Conference Archives. Dr. Roger W. Coon, David J. Conklin, Dr. Denis Fortin, among others, undertook the refutation of the accusations of plagiarism.

A Roman Catholic lawyer, Vincent L. Ramik, undertook a study of Ellen G. White's writings during the early 1980s, and concluded that they were "conclusively unplagiaristic. Of course, Ramik's study of the charge of plagiarism focused almost solely on the legal question of plagiarism and copyright infringement--not on the moral or theological problems which might be implied in what White did. For opponents, the larger question is how White could claim to have received divine revelations when she had clearly taken some of her material from other (namely, human) sources, a concern that may not factor into consideration issues in textual criticism (see following subsection). At the conclusion of Ramik's report, he states:

"It is impossible to imagine that the intention of Ellen G. White, as reflected in her writings and the unquestionably prodigious efforts involved therein, was anything other than a sincerely motivated and unselfish effort to place the understandings of Biblical truths in a coherent form for all to see and comprehend. Most certainly, the nature and content of her writings had but one hope and intent, namely, the furthering of mankind's understanding of the word of God."

• Textual Criticism

It is also noteworthy that Biblical books whose authors are understood to have been inspired also appear to at least share similar "source material" which remains uncredited. Examples include but are not limited to:

• the entire discipline called textual criticism, a field that includes discourse on the synoptic gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke and finds that some unknown source Q may in fact have formed the basis for the similarities among the three books;
• it has been found that roughly 40% of the material in the book of Revelation bears similarities up to large tracts of verbatim reflection of material found in the Apocrypha, generally regarded by Christians as non-inspired;
• writings of Paul also bear remarkable similarities with Apocryphal material.
• Additionally, all the 'Proverbs of Solomon' did not originate with Solomon. In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon, referring to himself as 'the preacher', records that he "sought out and set in order many proverbs". Ecclesiastes 12:9, 10 "And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. "

As such, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the modern conception of plagiarism may not be applicable to ancient or even the pre-modern society in which White wrote. Any efforts to find her works plagiaristic without factoring the issues of textual criticism that impose upon the Bible itself are not objective.

• Failed prophecy: Adventists state that some prophecy, including Bible prophecy, can be conditional. Some, for instance, have suggested that a passage in "Testimonies" which refers to the destruction of buildings at the end of time, refers to the terrorist attack on New York City on September 11, 2001. However, the Ellen G. White Estate has rejected this interpretation. Recently a number of apologetic books have been published by the church arguing for the validity of her prophetic gift. Two examples include Don McMahon's book examining the accuracy of Ellen White's medical statements and Graeme Bradford's book Prophets are Human. Opponents would respond, however, that the Bible clearly states that, if someone claims to be a prophet speaking on behalf of God and that prophet's statements do not come to pass, then the prophecy was not from God (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). A simplistic application of that principle would, however, exclude Jonah as a prophet of God. The main difference being that the prophecies of Jonah are explicitly conditional, while Ellen White made no such "if...then" type statements in her prophecies.
• Denial of the Trinity: Many Adventists argue that, while she never used the terms "Trinity" or "Triune" in her published writings, Ellen White did use the term "trio" (as in Evangelism pp. 613-617) and many Adventists believe that she was, in fact, Trinitarian in her views despite doctrinal affirmations consistent with Arianism (a view held by a number of early Adventist leaders).

See also

• Inspiration of Ellen White
• List of Ellen White writings
• Ellen G. White Estate
• Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
• James Springer White

References

• "Prophecy, Gender, and Culture: Ellen Gould Harmon [White] and the Roots of Seventh-day Adventism" by Jonathan M. Butler. Religion and American Culture 1:1 (Winter, 1991), p3–29

External links

Official Ellen G. White Estate

• Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.
• Issues and Answers Regarding Ellen White and Her Writings
• Ellen G. White Photographs
• Loma Linda University Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
• Andrews University Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
• Biography by Arthur White
• The Truth of Ellen G. White by Amazing Facts
• Center for Adventist Research: Ellen G. White Resources, listing unpublished materials, list of books in White's library, etc.

Apologists

• EllenGWhiteTruth.com
• Answers for the Critics
• Examines the Critics Allegations
• Free Ebook - Was Ellen White a Plagiarist?
• Audio Interview - Was Ellen White a Plagiarist?
• What About Ellen G. White?
• Jud Lake's Personal Web Site
• The Ellen White Answers Web Site by Jud Lake
• David Conklin's Evaluation of Ellen White

Critics

The individuals behind these web sites are all Former Seventh-day Adventists:

• The Ellen White Research Project A comprehensive site founded by Dirk Anderson, and now edited by Dale Ratzlaff and others.
• exAdventist Outreach (formerly SDAOutreach.org) A ministry of J. Mark Martin, senior pastor of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix.
• Truth or Fables

Writings Online

• Major books (from the White Estate page)
• The Complete Published Writings of Ellen G. White
• Articles by White in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)
• Truth for the End of Time, audio recordings of major Ellen White books in mp3 format
• Adventist Archives Contains many articles written by Ellen White
• Ellen G. White's book: Steps to Christ Audio & Document

Other

• "The Christology of Ellen Gould White", chapter 2 in Reprinted with permission by Andrews University Press. Berrien Springs, MI (February 1992)
• The Theology of Ellen G. White from Present Truth magazine (Robert Brinsmead), which claims to be systematic and neutral
• Australian Dictionary of Biography entry

Offline Resources

• The World of Ellen G. White edited by Gary Land, a historical background to White's writings without critically comparing the two
• Forthcoming review of White's correspondence by a Newbold College scholar