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    Avoiding Extremes

    In the same article Mrs. White explained how this subject was presented to her:BHP 261.2

    “Although I am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in marks of quotation. As I wrote upon the subject of dress the view of those three companies revived in my mind as plain as when I was viewing them in vision; but I was left to describe the length of the proper dress in my own language the best I could.” Ibid.BHP 261.3

    Of her experience in developing a style of dress harmonizing with that shown her in the vision, Mrs. White wrote further in the same article:BHP 261.4

    “I put on the dress, in length as near as I had seen and described as I could judge. My sisters in Northern Michigan also adopted it. And when the subject of inches came up in order to secure uniformity as to length everywhere, a rule was brought and it was found that the length of our dresses ranged from eight to ten inches from the floor. Some of these were a little longer than the sample shown me, while others were a little shorter.BHP 261.5

    “Numerous letters came to me from all parts of the field, inquiring the length of the dress shown me. Having seen the rule applied to the distance from the floor of several dresses, and having become fully satisfied that nine inches comes the nearest to the samples shown me, I have given this number of inches in [Testimony] No. 12 [see Testimonies for the Church 1:521], as the proper length in regard to which uniformity is very desirable.” Ibid.BHP 262.1

    Of the experience at the Health Institute in Battle Creek, one wrote:BHP 262.2

    “At my request the physicians at the Institute named a number of its inmates whose dresses they considered as nearly correct in make and appearance as could be found to that number amongst the varieties. I measured the height of twelve, with the distance of their dresses from the floor. They varied in height from five feet to five feet seven inches, and the distance of the dresses from the floor was from 8 to 10½ inches. The medium, nine inches, was decided to be the right distance, and is adopted as the standard.” The Health Reformer, March, 1868.BHP 262.3

    In 1865 Mrs. White warned against the adoption of the American costume because of its imitation of men’s clothing:BHP 262.4

    “Those who adopt and advocate this style of dress, are carrying the so-called dress reform to very objectionable lengths…. They could be instrumental in accomplishing vastly more good if they did not carry the matter of dress to such extremes.” How to Live, No. 6, chap. 6 (1865).BHP 262.5

    In 1866 Mrs. White set forth some basic principles to guide the sisters of the church in their selection of clothes:BHP 263.1

    “Christians should not take pains to make themselves a gazingstock by dressing differently from the world. But if, when following out their convictions of duty in respect to dressing modestly and healthfully, they find themselves out of fashion, they should not change their dress in order to be like the world; but they should manifest a noble independence and moral courage to be right, if all the world differ from them. If the world introduce a modest, convenient, and healthful mode of dress, which is in accordance with the Bible, it will not change our relation to God or to the world to adopt such a style of dress. Christians should follow Christ and make their dress conform to God’s word. They should shun extremes.” Testimonies for the Church 1:458, 459. (Italics supplied.)BHP 263.2

    “I was shown that God would have us take a course consistent and explainable. Let the sisters adopt the American costume, and they would destroy their own influence and that of their husbands. They would become a byword and a derision…. There is a great work for us to do in the world, and God would not have us take a course to lessen or destroy our influence with the world.” Testimonies for the Church 1:458. (Italics supplied.)BHP 263.3

    The quotations I have used give the background of conditions existing generally at that time. They also indicate how our women were influenced by these conditions, and their earnest attempt to arrive at a satisfactory solution. However, there were many of our own women who either failed to adopt the recommended standard or who went to an extreme. For this reason, dress reform became a decided stumbling block to many.BHP 263.4

    Some took the attitude that the wearing of the reform dress must be obligatory, but Mrs. White wrote (Testimonies for the Church 4:637), “I did not make the dress a test question.”BHP 264.1

    Still others with misguided zeal placed it entirely out of its setting:BHP 264.2

    “With extremists, this reform seemed to constitute the sum and substance of their religion. It was the theme of conversation and the burden of their hearts; and their minds were thus diverted from God and the truth…. To those who put it on reluctantly, from a sense of duty, it became a grievous yoke. Still others, who were apparently the most zealous reformers, manifested a sad lack of order and neatness in their dress.” Testimonies for the Church 4:636, 637.BHP 264.3

    “They sought to control others’ conscience by their own. If they wore it, others must put it on. They forgot that none were to be compelled to wear the reform dress.” Testimonies for the Church 4:636.BHP 264.4

    “Some were greatly troubled because I did not make the dress a test question, and still others because I advised those who had unbelieving husbands or children not to adopt the reform dress, as it might lead to unhappiness that would counteract all the good to be derived from its use. For years I carried the burden of this work, and labored to establish uniformity of dress among our sisters.” Testimonies for the Church 4:637.BHP 264.5

    For these reasons, less and less was said about the reform dress until, as George I. Butler wrote:BHP 265.1

    “A point was reached where it became evident that the short dress, which was designed to be a blessing to our people, became an actual hindrance to the cause, because of the unreasonable course of many among us concerning it. Sister White ceased to speak in its behalf, and did not wear it herself, and it soon ceased to be generally worn.” The Review and Herald Supplement, Aug. 14, 1883.BHP 265.2

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