A Significant Experience in Australia

My father in his long association with Ellen White usually refrained from telling his mother certain things. He was a member of the General Conference Committee from 1884 to the close of his life in 1937, with the exception of four years while in Australia. He knew what was going on in the cause, but he seldom told her about the problems that existed. He would bring to her the good reports, the encouraging things, but seldom the problems.EGWW 97.5

He reasoned that if he brought the problems to her and the Lord then gave her light on that point and she wrote it out, some would say, “W. C. White tells his mother, and she has a vision, and writes a testimony.” It was his custom, therefore, not to tell Ellen White the problems that confronted the cause. In the late 1890’s Ellen White and her son were in Australia, starting the college at Cooranbong. Times were very hard financially. During one crisis the problems were so large that the school board met over a period of several days.EGWW 97.6

W. C. White was chairman of the board, and he knew that often when leading men were wrestling with problems in committees the Lord would open up those matters to Ellen White in vision. Each morning before walking over to the college to meet with the board W. C. White would stop at his mother’s home, ask about her health, and hope that she had some message of guidance for him.EGWW 98.1

The second or third morning she inquired, “Willie, how are you getting on?” He replied in general terms, “Quite well, Mother.” She said, “Willie, what are your problems, what are you dealing with?” “Oh,” he said, “Mother, I shall not tell you. If the Lord wants you to know He’ll tell you.” She said, “Willie, I want you to tell me what you are doing on the board.” He said, “No, Mother, I shall not tell you. If God wants you to know, God will tell you.”EGWW 98.2

Then she took him by the lapels of his coat as a mother would a little boy and pulling him close she said, “Willie White, I want you to tell me what you are doing at the board meeting.” He said, “Mother, why do you ask?” She replied, “I have been shown that when you get to a certain place in your deliberations, I am to come in and bear my testimony. I want to know where you stand.” He told her briefly, and she said, “Today isn’t the day. I will come in a little later.” She recognized that by the next day or two they would get to the point where her message should be given. At the right time she went in and bore her testimony.EGWW 98.3

This kind of situation placed W. C. White in a difficult position. He had to be very careful. Often before Ellen White had had time to write out a vision she would tell those about her what she had been shown. At times many months were involved in writing what was shown in a single vision. But frequently after a vision she would bring out in conversation certain principles that had been revealed to her. Often it would happen that a little later my father would be in a committee meeting where the church leaders would be facing the same kind of problems as Ellen White had seen in vision. How could he do otherwise than let his influence be felt along the line concerning which he had heard his mother speak? Yet when she wrote out the testimony, frequently some said, “Willie White said that in committee, and now his mother comes out with a testimony. She gets her inspiration from him.” This situation was not easy to explain to those who wished to doubt.EGWW 98.4