Chapter 5—The Foreign-Language Book Work

The Saviour’s parting command to His disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,” rang with insistent appeal in the ears of Mrs. Ellen G. White. As the church was developing its foreign-language work in America and in Europe, the most prominent of her books, such as The Great Controversy and The Life of Christ, were published in a number of the leading tongues to help in fulfilling the command, “Teach all nations.”EGWMR 77.1

This phase of the work was not forgotten when Mrs. White was preparing the instruction for those who should carry forward the publication of her writings after her decease. We find that to the board of trustees, appointed by her in her last will, were entrusted the “right, title, and interest in the copyrights” of her books “in all languages” [italics added], with definite instruction and provision “for the securing and printing of new translations thereof.”EGWMR 77.2

In connection with this charge to the trustees, we refer also to instruction written in 1907 regarding the publication of the Ellen G. White books in foreign languages. Speaking of her son, Elder W. C. White, who for many years prior to her death assisted in her bookwork, she says:EGWMR 77.3

“I have instructed him to labor untiringly to secure the publication of my writings in the English language first, and afterward to secure their translation and publication in many other languages.”—The Writing and Sending Out of the Testimonies for the Church, 14.EGWMR 77.4

The two hundred and more volumes which represent the various foreign-language editions of the principal Ellen G. White books issued in nearly sixty leading tongues, bear witness not only to the burning desire of Mrs. White to provide her writings in many languages, but also to the untiring efforts of the trustees in forwarding this phase of their work. Their part of this task includes not only the arrangement for, and promotion of, the Ellen G. White books in foreign languages, but also the preparation of manuscripts for translation.EGWMR 77.5