Summary

Ellen White was not only called to receive instruction inspired by the Holy Spirit, but was also charged with the task of writing out those messages for the benefit of others. As with any modern author, there is a developmental process that occurs between first putting one's pen to the paper (or one's fingers to the keyboard) and the final desired product. She not only labored to find appropriate human language to describe heavenly things, but also struggled over how best to word a much-needed, divinely inspired rebuke.1EGWLM 31.4

Her prophetic calling, however, did not dismiss her day-to-day commitments as a wife, mother, and friend. She was anxious to keep up with the latest news from home (and abroad), enjoying the vital link that correspondence provides in keeping us closely knit in the human family. Both of these dimensions are remarkably preserved in the letters and manuscripts presented in this series.1EGWLM 31.5