[Circa 1859],1 The entire manuscript is very close in wording to the corresponding portions of Ellen White's first major autobiography published in 1860, Spiritual Gifts: My Christian Experience, Views and Labors in Connection With the Rise and Progress of the Third Angel's Message. This suggests that the manuscript is a partial draft of that book. Ellen White announced her intention to write an extended autobiographical account already in March 1858, so this manuscript probably dates from the period 1858-1860. See: Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], pp. 49-52; Ellen G. White, in Review, Mar. 25, 1858, p. 152; Arthur L. White, “Spiritual Gifts, Volume II,” Ministry, December 1944, pp. 10-12.
Early Experiences in Meeting Fanaticism. 1EGWLM 767.2
Portions of this manuscript are published in Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], pp. 46-50.
Meeting fanaticism in New Hampshire and Maine during 1845. 1EGWLM 767.3
[We2 “About this time I was shown that it was my duty to visit our people in New Hampshire. My constant and faithful companion at this time was Sister Louisa Foss. … We were also accompanied by Elder Files and his wife, … Brother Ralph Haskins and Elder White.” See: James White and Ellen G. White, Life Sketches (1880), p. 202. Within some months of the passing of October 22, 1844, most Adventists had come to deny that the October date had any prophetic significance or that the “seventh month movement,” which led up to it, was ordained of God in any special sense. Ellen White's visions, however, supported the minority Adventist position, championed by Joseph Turner and Apollos Hale, that October 22 represented a fulfillment of prophecy, i.e., they were “holding fast their advent experience.” For a brief survey of divisions among Adventists in 1845, see George R. Knight, Millennial Fever and the End of the World, pp. 236-242. Identities: In the original handwritten draft of this manuscript Ellen White did not provide the full names of these two elders, giving only the first and last letters of their surnames. The same format appears in Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], her earliest full autobiographical account published in 1860. However, in an edited and amplified version of her experiences first published in 1880 (Life Sketches), the names of the two elders appear in full as “Elders Bennett and Bellings.” Variant spellings, “Bennet” and “Billings,” are found in Ellen White's later (1904) memories of these events. The exact identity of the two men is difficult to establish since there were several Millerite Adventists with similar names associated with Claremont, New Hampshire, about the time of Ellen White's visit. Thus, Millerite papers from the mid-1840s feature, among others, “Leonard F. Billings,” “A. M. Billings,” “John Billings,” “J. G. Bennet,” and “J. G. Bennett,” all said to come from Claremont. There may be some grounds for holding that Ellen White was referring to J. G. Bennett and A. M. Billings, since the Advent Herald in 1844 reported that they preached together as a team: “Bro. J. G. Bennet, of Claremont, N. H … is associated with Bro. A. M. Billings … [who] are now holding Conferences and Camp-meetings continually.” See: Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], pp. 46-48; James White and Ellen G. White, Life Sketches (1880), pp. 206-208; Ellen G. White, Ms 46, 1904 (May 18); Leonard F. Billings, “Letter from Bro. L. F. Billings,” May 6, 1846, p. 103; John Billings, “Letter from Bro. J. Billings,” Advent Herald, Mar. 25, 1846, p. 55; Leonard F. Billings, “Letter from Bro. L. F. Billings,” May 6, 1846, p. 103. On the teamwork of J. G. Bennett and A. M. Billings, see J. V. Himes, “Conference at East Randolph, Vt.,” Advent Herald and Signs of the Times Reporter, July 24, 1844, p. 199; “L. F. Billings Writes,” idem, July 31, 1844, p. 204; “The Saints of God Will Hold a Conference … ,” idem, Aug 7, 1844, p. 8.
Elder B—t [Bennett] had the appearance of being a very holy man. He spoke upon the subject of faith, and said “that all we had to do was to believe, and what we asked of God would be given.” He also had much to say upon charity. Brother White answered, “Blessings are promised on conditions,” and quoted John 15:7, “‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.’ Your theory of faith is empty as a flour barrel with both heads out. True charity is a very delicate personage, never stepping her foot out of the path of Bible truth.” 1EGWLM 768.1
In the afternoon we called at Brother Collier's.5 This person has not been identified.
That evening as I was praying and reaching up by faith to claim the blessing of the Lord, B—t [Bennett] and B—s [Billings] began to groan and cry out, Amen! Amen! and threw their sympathy and influence in with my prayer. Brother White was much distressed. He arose and cried out, “I resist this spirit in the name of the Lord.” As I was speaking with freedom they commenced groaning and crying out, Amen! Amen! I had no union with them, for their amens chilled me. Brother White felt their influence upon him again, and arose and in the name of the Lord rebuked their wicked spirit, and they were bound. They could not rise again that night. 1EGWLM 768.3
After the meeting closed, Brother White said, “Brother Collier, now I can tell you about those two men. They are dealing in a satanic influence and are calling it the Spirit of the Lord.” Said Brother C, “I believe that the Lord has sent you. We have called their influence mesmerism,6 See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Hypnosis and Mesmerism.”
While at family prayer that night the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me and I was taken off in vision. A curtain was lifted, and I was shown the case of these men, and a few others in union with them; that they were practicing deception upon the flock of God while professing to be the chosen holy servants of God. I saw darkness and iniquity covered up with a pious garb over their dark designs and deeds, disclosing iniquities that some had scarcely dreamed of, and that God would rend off that false covering and expose hidden things that some have scarcely thought of. 1EGWLM 769.1
We returned to Grantham7 According to the Life Sketches (1880) account they were on their way “to Springfield” when the accident happened. Since Grantham lies between Claremont and Springfield, there is no contradiction here. See: James White and Ellen G. White, Life Sketches (1880), p. 213. Life Sketches adds that “the road was very bad. We had to travel over bare ground, and then through snow drifts that still remained. I fell from the wagon …” See: Ibid. In later autobiographical accounts Ellen White wrote of her travels in 1845: “My constant and faithful companion at this time was Sister Louisa Foss, the sister of my brother-in-law.” It therefore seems fairly certain that the “Sister Foss” spoken of here is Louisa Foss, sister of Samuel Hoyt Foss. See: Ibid., p. 202. In an earlier mention of the “voice of God,” published in 1846, Ellen White elaborated further on the place of the “voice of God” (see Rev. 16:17) in the sequence of final events. “About four months since, I had a vision of events, all in the future. … I saw the time of trouble, such as never was … the time of Jacob's trouble. … And I saw famine, pestilence and sword. … We cried to God for deliverance day and night. Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of God's coming.” See: Ellen G. Harmon, “Letter from Sister Harmon,” Day-Star, Mar. 14, 1846, p. 7. (Italics supplied.) In other places Ellen White related some of these events using the full names “Joe” or “Joseph” Turner and “John Howell.” See: Ellen G. White, Ms 131, 1906 (Aug. 13); idem, “Life Sketches” manuscript,” pp. 126-128, EGWE-GC. See Ms 9, 1859 (c. 1859), note 9, regarding the contention that Ellen White in 1845 was immersed in fanaticism herself and did nothing to oppose it.
We soon returned to Portland [Maine] and found the brethren in great confusion. A meeting was appointed at the house of Sister H. [Elizabeth Haines]13 In Life Sketches (1880) the name “Sister Hanes” is inserted, corrected to “Sister Haines” in the 1888 edition. An explanatory footnote in Spiritual Gifts makes it probable that “Sister H.” is in fact the same Elizabeth Haines at whose home in Portland Ellen Harmon had her first vision some months earlier. See: James White and Ellen G. White, Life Sketches (1880), p. 213; idem, Life Sketches (1888), p. 213; Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], p. 302.
With anguish of spirit I left the meeting, for I had a message for J. T's wife [Jane B. Turner].14 Jane B. Turner, wife of Joseph Turner. By 1848 Joseph Turner was based in Hartford, Connecticut, where he edited the Bible Advocate and, later, the Second Advent Watchman. See: 1850 U.S. Federal Census, “Jane B. Turner,” Connecticut, Hartford County, Hartford City, p. 217. Many years later Ellen White gave further details regarding the contents of this vision. It showed Turner “transgressing the commandments, giving attention to other women, and his wife suffering under the great strain. …” His distraught wife confirmed the vision relating how her husband would sometimes spend “half the night, and sometimes all night” with Sarah Jordan, sister of William Jordan, “giving her visions.” Ellen White attributed Sarah's “so-called visions” to Turner's “mesmeric passes.” She also related how, sometime later, while in a meeting in Poland, Maine, Turner unsuccessfully tried to “mesmerize” her. See: EGWEnc, s.v. “Hypnosis and Mesmerism”; Ellen G. White, “Life Sketches” manuscript, pp. 127, 128, EGWE-GC; idem, Spiritual Gifts [vol. 2], p. 38; idem, Ms 131, 1906 (Aug. 13).
Our parents were disgusted as they saw reason and judgment laid aside by them. They protested against the hypocrisy they witnessed, and as they could not get rid of this company they closed their house and left the city for Poland [Maine], where my two married sisters [Harriet McCann and Mary Plummer Foss]16 See: Artemas C. Harmon, ed., The Harmon Genealogy, p. 41; 1850 U.S. Federal Census, “Harriet McCann,” Maine, Cumberland County, Poland, p. 34; 1850 U.S. Federal Census, “Mary Foss,” Maine, Cumberland County, Poland, p. 46. For a survey of the continued strained relationship between Joseph Turner on the one hand and the Whites and Joseph Bates on the other, see Merlin D. Burt, “Sabbatarian Adventism From 1844 to 1849,” pp. 140-46, 151, 348-350.