Personal Testimonies

Through the years there have been some who by one means or another have obtained possession, in whole or in part, of testimonies of counsel and reproof which have been sent to individuals in days past. These they have copied and passed on to others, and sometimes they have sent them out broadcast, inferring that the messages were of general application and intended for all. Those who have engaged in such circulation of these testimonies are usually unacquainted with the circumstances connected with their writing, and have been led to conclusions which often cannot be maintained when all the facts are known. Regarding the unauthorized use of personal testimony matter, Mrs. White wrote:EGWMR 86.9

“As a sample of the way in which Brother S. has compiled this pamphlet, I will give the following incident: I wrote a private letter to one of our ministers, and in kindness, thinking that it might be a help to Brother S., this brother sent a copy of it to him; but instead of regarding it as a matter for his personal help, he prints portions of it in the pamphlet, as an unpublished ‘Testimony’, to sustain the position he had taken. Is this honorable? There was nothing in the ‘Testimony,’ to sustain the position Brother S. holds; but he misapplied it, as many do the Scriptures, to the injury of his own soul and the souls of others. God will judge those who take unwarrantable liberties and make use of dishonorable means in order to give character and influence to what they regard as truth. In the use of a private letter sent to another, Brother S. has abused the kindly efforts of one who desired to help him.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 33.EGWMR 86.10

Great care must be exercised in making selections from the writings for general circulation, that subjects be not presented in an unbalanced manner. The trustees sense keenly the care that must be taken in placing in general circulation hitherto unpublished testimonies. They do not trust merely to their own judgment in this, but secure the help of other workers of long experience who give careful study to the manuscripts to ensure that fair and wise selection has been made. All new matter which is placed in general circulation by the trustees is considered not only by them, but by experienced members of the General Conference Committee. There is ever kept in mind the importance of the factors of time and place, so forcefully set forth by Mrs. White in these words already referred to, but quoted here again:EGWMR 87.1

“Regarding the testimonies, nothing is ignored; nothing is cast aside; but time and place must be considered. Nothing must be done untimely.”—The Writing and Sending Out of the Testimonies to the Church, 25. [Italics added.]EGWMR 87.2