Visions While Praying or Writing

While the two types of visions already mentioned were the most common in the experience of Mrs. White, the revelations to her were by no means limited to these two. Not infrequently visions unaccompanied by physical phenomena were given while she was writing, speaking, or praying, either in private or in public. At such times the immediate surroundings seemed to be shut out while matters were presented to her in revelation. One outstanding instance of this character was in connection with the Minnesota camp meeting of 1870. W. C. White, who was present, gives the following account:EGWMR 8.2

“Father and mother were carrying a heavy burden in behalf of the ministry who had been working in that State. On Sunday morning they undertook to conduct a revival service. Father spoke for a few minutes, but with little freedom. Then after mother had spoken briefly, they asked the congregation to kneel in prayer. Father offered a labored, sorrowful prayer, then mother began to implore for light and freedom. After she had prayed for about two minutes she stopped. There was silence long enough to count to forty or fifty, about half a minute.EGWMR 8.3

“I was kneeling with the congregation, and I turned to see what was the occasion for the silence. Just then she burst forth in prayer. Her voice was melodious, and triumphant, and the remainder of her prayer greatly moved the people present.EGWMR 8.4

“During the period of silence, a revelation was given her regarding conditions in the Minnesota Conference, also conditions regarding the work in Battle Creek, also regarding other matters of general interest in the cause. Following the camp meeting, father and mother found retirement at the home of one of our brethren. Mother wrote diligently for about two weeks, in recording what had been shown to her during the half minute of pause in her prayer.”—W. C. White in Lecture at Advanced Bible School, 1936. (White Publications Document File No. 696.)EGWMR 8.5

References to visions during prayer are quite common in the E. G. White writings. Here is one: “While engaged in earnest prayer, I was lost to everything around me; the room was filled with light, and I was bearing a message to an assembly that seemed to be the General Conference.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 461.EGWMR 8.6

It is clear that the mind of the prophet, during vision, must be entirely freed from surrounding circumstances or influences. It was of little consequence whether this was accomplished through the loss of ordinary consciousness during the hours of wakefulness, or whether the revelations were given during the hours of the night when the mind was free and at rest. In either case God spoke, the mind was enlightened, and the agent was entrusted with important messages to communicate to the church and the world. The varying circumstances of the visions created no degrees of quality of the revelations imparted.EGWMR 8.7