The Old Question—Who Told Sister White?

Elder Burden observed that many of the brethren in southern California were taking the position—and the matter had spread through the conference—that what she had written to meet the situation in southern California was based on the representations made to her by W. C. White, “that a situation is laid before you by Brother White, and you, from your knowledge, write on that representation, and not because you have received light apart from that” (Manuscript 105, 1907).6BIO 155.3

To this Ellen White responded: “He will tell you himself that it is I that presents the situation to him.”— Ibid. (Italics supplied.)6BIO 155.4

She pointed out:6BIO 155.5

He does not seem to want to tell me anything about the southern California meeting. Scarcely anything has he told me—only some points that he knows would not trouble my mind....

I come to him with manuscripts, and tell him, “This must be copied, and sent out just as quickly as it can be.”6BIO 155.6

Now I have light, mostly in the night season, just as if the whole thing was transacting, and I viewing it, and as I am listening to the conversation, I am moved to get up and meet it.6BIO 155.7

This is the way it is; and then in the morning I tell him about it. Often he doesn't say a word—not a word; but after a while, when I have written and written, then he acknowledges that it is so. He is quite sure that it is so, because he was there; but he did not tell me.— Ibid.6BIO 155.8

At this point the interview turned to other phases, but as it was continued on Sunday morning, Ellen White addressed herself again to the matter of the source of her information. Because of its importance, we quote from the interview at length:6BIO 156.1

Sister White: There is one other point that I want Brother Reaser to keep in his mind; perhaps he does not understand it fully.6BIO 156.2

He has thought that Willie tells me. Now I am up in the morning, you know, before anyone else is up—at one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, and seldom ever after four—more often by three. Recently, for nights and nights and nights, I have seldom been able to sleep after two o'clock, but have been up writing.6BIO 156.3

I write out the presentations that the Lord has given me in the night season; and when, later on in the morning, Willie comes in to see me, I have already written many pages.6BIO 156.4

Often the manuscript has been placed in the hands of one of my copyists, and is being written out, before he knows that I have written anything, or what I have written. After it is typewritten, a copy is often placed in his hands.6BIO 156.5

It is not he that comes with things to me, but I give to him the light that I have received.6BIO 156.6

W. C. White: Sometimes, you know, you propose to read to me what you have written. Sometimes you tell me a little about it; but there is not more than one-twentieth part that I really know anything about before it is passed on by you into the hands of the copyist to be typewritten.6BIO 156.7

Sister White: Yes, I know that.6BIO 156.8

W. C. White: But the real point in the minds of the brethren is: Do I, after seeing how things are going in the field, come to you with my representations of how things look to me, and keep presenting them so as to stir you up to write out principles which are good, true principles, but principles which may not be needed at that time, and which do not exactly apply at that time, but which you think apply at that time because of the representations I have made to you of the conditions in the field?6BIO 156.9

Sister White: I have not been able to get from Willie full particulars regarding perplexing matters; he is careful to tell me only of victories gained, or anything that will encourage me. When he attends meetings, he does not make it a point to tell me of the difficulties that he encounters in these meetings. Instead of going into particulars regarding the matters that perplex the brethren, he presents those things that he thinks will not disturb my mind. Sometimes letters come, giving me information that I should never gain from him, because he won't tell me.—Manuscript 109, 1907.6BIO 157.1

Then she informed the men that it was Elder H. W. Cottrell, the president of the Pacific Union Conference, who had given her somewhat of a detailed report of the camp meeting in Los Angeles, for she had pressed him for his impressions of what had taken place, particularly in the light of the fact that she had sent testimonies to the meeting to be read.6BIO 157.2