Kellogg, J. H.
“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California
November 21, 1903
Portions of this letter are published in 5MR 439. +NoteOne or more typed copies of this document contain additional Ellen White handwritten interlineations which may be viewed at the main office of the Ellen G. White Estate.
Dr. J. H. Kellogg,—
It is not possible for me to describe the intense burden I have for your soul. I have written you many letters, setting before you the messages God has given me for you and the sadness of my heart in your behalf. I now beseech you, for your soul’s sake, to “seek the Lord while He may be found, to call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, and He will abundantly pardon.” [Isaiah 55:6, 7.] 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 1
Last night I could not sleep for more than three hours. Your case was pressing upon my soul. I have an intense desire that you shall be saved. I pray the Lord to help you to come to Him as one of His little children. You do not understand the situation. The Lord sends you reproofs and entreaties, that you may change your way for His way. But you have followed your own way. Sometimes you have been full of good purposes, and again, you have had many schemes and an exalted view of what J. H. Kellogg can do. You have tried to exercise the powers of a king. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 2
You have tried to set before me, in the way you view it, the work done in College View. But God does not see as man sees. The work that was done at that time and place has ever been before me as an example of the work you could and would do if you had opportunity. I tell you that all such work is of satanic invention. It is condemned of God, with all work done in the same spirit. You need not refer to it again. God will not sanction any such work, but will condemn it decidedly. You have carried yourself proudly, oppressively. The example you have set others in a variety of ways has placed you under the disapproval of a holy God—weighed in the balance and found wanting. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 3
I have written so much on this subject that I do not think there is need of my tracing another line. How will you do now? Will you change square about? I know that you will not unless you see that the Lord is much displeased with you. I know that you have lost the truth out of your soul. You do not know what is truth. I have been distinctly shown evil angels making a desperate, intensified effort to stir up the powers from beneath. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 4
Had you come into line at the General Conference held in Battle Creek in 1901, or even at the conference held later in Oakland, had you believed the warnings given, and laid off the coat of J. H. Kellogg, putting on the armor of God, there would now be a united company in our ranks. I have seen again and again that when ministers saw things as you viewed them, you thought them just the men for the place they occupied, but just as soon as they could not conscientiously accept your propositions, then in your estimation they were entirely wrong. There was hatred in your heart toward every one who did not accept your propositions, which the Lord did not desire them to accept. Your exhibition at the Oakland conference was a shame to the Christian profession and dishonored the great Medical Missionary. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 5
I shall not attempt to specify, but for years the working of your mind has been such as God condemns. Not every action is wrong, but your perverted religious ideas have been mingled with the good, till your whole soul is diseased. You can no longer be trusted to carry on the education of the youth. The things that you are now doing are a part of your policy to gain minds to sustain you. The Lord does not accept your mixture of actions in the courts of law. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 6
As for the testimonies sent you by the Lord, you do not believe them; for they stand in the way of your self-serving, your exaltation of J. H. Kellogg. No one will urge you to believe them. You have treated more unbelief in them and in the truth than any other man who has ever had the light. I do not care to have you claim to believe the testimonies, because you deny them in your practice. But they are the words of truth that by and by you will have to meet. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 7
When the testimonies do not vindicate your course of action, you say, “Somebody has told her.” This idea you have talked to others for hours. Do you suppose that while you feel thus, the testimonies could do you the least bit of good? No, no. You have destroyed your own faith in the testimonies. The erroneous faith that you have is in reality the most injurious unbelief. Therefore I do not place the least confidence in your faith in the testimonies. I hope that you will not admit that you believe them; for it cannot be the truth. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 8
These things make my work tenfold harder than if you openly took your stand against the testimonies. It is not right for you to suppose that I am striving to be first, striving for leadership. I never supposed that my position was misunderstood, and people would not misunderstand it were it not for the erroneous position that you have taken. You are all out of the way. I want it to be understood that I have no ambition to have the name of leader, or any other name that may be given me, except that of a messenger of God. I claim no other name of position. My life and works speak for themselves. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 9
Sara told me how you had assured her of your faith in my work and the message that God had given me. I told her that I understood all these things, that your actions were constantly speaking louder than your words, and that therefore she need not say anything more to me about the matter. When for a time the tempter was not in close association with you, you would say that you believed. But when the tempter was in close converse with you, you would say the most ridiculous things for a Christian medical missionary to say. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 10
I was instructed that there should be no conversation between you and me. The Lord has spoken in regard to this matter before I left my home for Oakland. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 11
Now I wish to make a statement. I was saying to one or two, How can Dr. Kellogg do all in his power to unsettle the faith of the people in the work God has given me? One said, “I asked Dr. Kellogg, ‘How could you help but believe that the testimonies borne during the three first meetings held in Battle Creek at the Conference of 1901 were given by the inspiration of the Spirit of God?’ Dr. Kellogg answered, ‘I gave her that inspiration.’” 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 12
These meetings were held in the school building. We had had no talk together, so that no one could say that you had told me anything or that I had told you anything. I am not referring to the talks given in the Tabernacle, but to the talks given before a select company of responsible men. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 13
Your saying this was no more than I expected; for the enemy was throwing his spell upon you. Evil angels have taken possession of you. The enemy is a liar, and he can put his lies into your mind. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 14
I have not the slightest evidence that it is my duty to go through again the experience that I have gone through in the past concerning your mistakes and your wrong course. If you show a desire to show yourself a true man, a man as true as steel to principle, I will rejoice. A man having the influence that you have, a man whose name has become so popular can do us as a people great injury, if you are permitted by God. But the Lord He is God, and it will be shown that He has spoken, saying, “Thus far shall you, J. H. Kellogg, go, and no further.” 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 15
If you have decided to help the enemy to play the game of life for your soul, then the sooner I understand this, the better it will be all around. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 16
I have no light whatever that it is my duty to go to Battle Creek. I could not for a moment think of going there to pass through again the experience I had first in Battle Creek in 1901 and afterward in Oakland. You will never know how near I came to losing may life during the Oakland Conference. It was opened before me day and night what you were doing in secret schemes, which have been growing since the Conference of 1901. I followed your course, and I know that which has been opened to me. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 17
At the Conference of 1901 I did all I conscientiously could to set you right before the people, fully believing that you would take your stand on solid ground. And then by your course of action you place me in such a position before unbelievers as to make it necessary for me to contradict you. That I would have to bear a message to you such as I have borne has appeared contradictory, and I cannot explain the matter, or make it appear straight, unless the whole thing is laid out clearly. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 18
These things cost me agony of mind. I cannot vindicate your course of action, for I know it to be wrong. I do not want to hurt your influence; but when I see the flock of God being charmed with the kind of deception that ruined sinless Adam and Eve, I have a firm, decided testimony to bear, and this testimony I must bear, though it cuts and pains my heart. I have felt as deep an interest in you as if you were my own son. These severe trials are so taxing that I must avoid them; for I must preserve my strength for future action. I shall hope to see unity perfected in the whole body; but in order for this to be, there must be the working of the Holy Spirit. If we must face the difficulties and make known the things I wanted to keep secret, it will be only because the flock of God must not be spoiled by your presenting Satan’s seducing heresies. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 19
I was instructed last night that I must say these things to you. I do not want to go over this ground again. If you are willing to humble your soul before God, and become a converted man, I shall not be compelled to crucify my soul over these matters. I have suffered keenly over your case. I cannot praise you; for I see that unless the Holy Spirit of God shall come to you, and break your heart, molding and fashioning you after an entirely different similitude, you will clasp hands with the deceiver. I will go further; you have already clasped hands with the artful foe. Unless you change, I shall have this battle to fight over and over again. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 20
The Lord does not desire you to exercise over the medical missionary workers the molding, fashioning influence that you have exerted. Let them alone. Leave them to look to Jesus Christ as their leader. The Lord will teach them in all things. You have exercised a power of influence, as if you were appointed to be judge and king of mind and soul and body. You have tried to sanctify sin and make it righteous. Through deceiving, deceptive theories, you would lead medical missionaries in a raid against God, His ministers, and His truth. You would lead them to change leaders. By your specious errors you would break up the past experience, which I know to be the truth as surely as I know that Christ is my Saviour. What confidence can we ever inspire in giving the last message of mercy for a perishing world. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 21
It is now time that we came into harmony regarding what is truth. What is the third angel’s message? Just that which we have ever represented it to be, and those who proclaim it are to bear the banner on which is inscribed, “The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” [Revelation 14:12.] 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 22
“Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” [2 Corinthians 6:17, 18.] The course you have taken in making worldly lawyers your right arm testifies that you have not made the Lord your leader. You have forsaken the true God. How can you expect to prosper in carrying out schemes instigated by Satan. You have made a very bad showing before the world. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 23
The whole of the sixth chapter of First Corinthians is a lesson that ministers and medical missionaries should study. Wake up the watchmen. They are to give the warning message for this time. Is it not time for gospel ministers and medical missionaries to take in the situation and understand that they need to be healed of the maladies of sin and unbelief? Is it not time for them to realize that they are to refuse to accept the teachings of the prince of darkness? You need to have Satan cast out of your heart. Let no one be astonished at these words; for they are the truth. All who will come right to the Lord, humbling their poor, defective hearts before Him, will receive help. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 24
The fourth chapter of Hebrews was explained in a most clear, positive manner. Let all gospel ministers and all who claim to be medical missionaries study this chapter, if they would be recognized in the heavenly courts as children of the heavenly covenant. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 25
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:10-12.] Here are the foes whom we have to meet, and we are to realize that satanic agencies are constantly at work. The enemy will insinuate himself at every point where he is given the least chance. He has been presenting his fascinating, delusive theories, clothed in the garments of heaven, to Dr. Kellogg and his associate physicians, who have accepted them. They have been watchmen who have been altogether too much at ease, eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree. All must watch now as never before, else these spiritualistic ideas will steal a march upon us. I am instructed to bear a decided message, to wake up the watchmen, that they may be on guard. Let those who know the truth keep their Bibles in their hands, declaring as did Christ, “It is written.” The men who stand as God’s messengers in these last days are to be minute men. With unceasing vigilance they are to guard the fort. It is dangerous to sleep on guard; for thus the whole work and cause of God will be imperilled. There is no time now to sleep, lest Satan steal a march upon us. We cannot afford to lean upon a broken staff. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 26
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” [Verses 11, 13-20.] 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 27
My brethren and sisters, ministers, medical missionaries, and people, take your Bibles, and most earnestly search the Scriptures together. Never was there a time when there was so much need of watching for souls as they that must give an account. Let ministers and teachers and medical missionaries, and all our leading men, seek to be bound together with the golden cords of love. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 28
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. ... Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” [Colossians 3:1-4, 12-15.] 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 29
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” [Romans 6:1-5.] This is something that we may strive for. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 30
“Yea, doubtless,” Paul writes, “and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 3:8-14.] 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 31
How much precious light is contained in the Word for our admonition and instruction! The Lord Jesus must in no case be dishonored by our course of action. Individually we are to be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. To every soul I would say, What if you are found wanting? Too, the motives of men and women are measured by the Lord. Said Hannah, “The Lord is a God of judgment, and by Him actions are weighed.” [1 Samuel 2:3.] Said Isaiah, “Thou most upright dost weigh the path of the just.” [Isaiah 26:7.] Solomon traces the words, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirit.” [Proverbs 16:2.] 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 32
The Word of the Lord is our instructor and contains lessons for all. The great evil that all will have to meet is found in their individual selves. We have light, clear and distinct, from the Word of God, with which we ought to be thoroughly acquainted, searching the Word as for hidden treasure. It is not more light that many who claim to be followers of Christ need, but an increase of genuine faith in the Word of God. An increase of power will come when human agents co-operate with God, walking in the light given, and bringing into the daily practice the directions and counsels given in the Word. The light given in the Bible becomes life to the receiver if he walks and works in accordance with that light. By the example of such ones, light is reflected to others. The heart of the receiver is filled with joy, and he improves every opportunity to let his light shine forth in good works. The world is not left with imperfect witnesses of Christ, who are on the losing side and who mislead others. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 33
God knows the secret of every motive in our hearts. He sees the outcome of every course of action. When a man influences others to follow in a wrong course, God holds that man as a tempter, who helps Satan in his work. He sees the wrong appropriation of means or the wrong influence exerted over the mind of another. Unless repentance comes and restitution is made, there are written against the name of the wrongdoer the words, “Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting.” [Daniel 5:27.] Every man will be judged according to his deeds. 20LtMs, Lt 320, 1905, par. 34