[June 1854, Sylvan, Michigan]1 The words “Portion of Vision Given at Sylvan, Mich., June 1854” appear on the earliest typed copy. Unfortunately, no handwritten source for this document has been found. Nevertheless, the amount of detail given in this heading—the location as well as month of the vision—suggests that this information has its origins in the earliest sources.
Portion of Vision Given at Sylvan, Michigan, June 1854. 1EGWLM 427.8
Portions of this manuscript are published in Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, pp. 205, 206.
Proper discipline of children as it relates to their salvation. 1EGWLM 427.9
I saw the great responsibility of parents to their children, and they must not neglect their solemn duty. Parents, you stand in the place of God to your children, and you must not suffer them to manifest cruel tempers or passions; their temper must be subdued, their will broken,2 In this context, the “will” that Ellen White says must be broken appears to be the perverse will, the determination to let “cruel tempers or passions” have sway, resulting in “sin and wickedness.” Elsewhere her counsels against breaking the will warn of an undue, dictatorial control that destroys the child's individuality (Child Guidance, pp. 210, 211; Education, pp. 288, 289; Review, July 8, 1902). A reference to children who have not yet reached the stage where they can personally understand and experience conversion (“age of accountability”).
I was shown the children of Israel in Egypt when the destroying angel was to pass through the land he was to destroy all the firstborn of man and beast. Israel was commanded to gather their children and families into their houses with them and then mark their door posts with the blood that the destroying angel might pass by the dwellings of Israel; and if they failed to go through this process there was no difference made between them and the Egyptians. 1EGWLM 428.1
The destroying angel is soon to go forth again, not to destroy the firstborn only, but to slay utterly old and young, both men and women and little children who have not the mark. Parents, the Lord has shown me that if you wish to save your children, separate them from the world, keep them from other wicked children.4 The analogy between the separation of believers’ children from “the world” and the separation of ancient Israelites from the Egyptians at the time of the tenth plague is clarified by Ellen White in 3SG 224: “In order to escape the great judgment of God which He was to bring upon the Egyptians, the token of blood must be seen upon their houses. And they were required to separate themselves and their children from the Egyptians, and gather them into their own houses, for if any of the Israelites were found in the houses of the Egyptians, they would fall by the hand of the destroying angel.” This passage appears to deal with the destiny of children below the age of accountability. Just as protection was afforded the firstborn children of believing Israelites during the tenth plague, so in the future final crisis the “mark of the believing parents will cover the children if they are brought up aright.” The parallel is brought out clearly in Manuscript 26, 1885 (Oct. 22): Asked whether “the little children of … believing parents would be saved,” Ellen White responded, “The faith of the believing parents covers the children, as when God sent His judgments upon the first-born of the Egyptians.” The question of the destiny of children who die before reaching “the age of accountability” has been an unsettled issue among Christians. It receives only passing mention in the writings of Ellen White, perhaps the most substantial treatment being in Selected Messages, book 3, pp. 313-315. No major analyses of Ellen White's position on infant salvation have been published. For partial studies, see Alberto R. Timm, in Revistra do Ancião (Brazil), October-December 2006, p. 7; Edwin Harry Zackrison, “Seventh-day Adventists and Original Sin,” pp. 247, 248, 366-371; Woodrow W. Whidden II, “The Soteriology of Ellen G. White,” pp. 130-132; Jairyong Lee, “Faith and Works in Ellen G. White's Doctrine of the Last Judgment,” pp. 328-330.