Ellen Shocks Battle Creek (With Unconventional Therapy)

The year following the Whites’ return from Dansville was a “year of captivity.” Ellen's attention was given almost wholly to James's care. Although there had been temporary gains, James had remained an invalid in spite of her efforts. But remembering the assurance given her in the vision at Rochester, Ellen White could not dismiss the picture in her mind of her and her husband working together to build up the cause. She feared, however, that James had been too much impressed with the counsel of the physicians at Dansville, who urged entire rest, both of body and mind, for those who had been prostrated by overwork.WV 126.4

Having become fully satisfied that James would not recover from his protracted sickness while remaining inactive, Ellen decided to “venture a tour in northern Michigan” with James “in his extremely feeble condition, in the severest cold of winter” (Ibid., 1:570).WV 126.5

She added,WV 126.6

It required no small degree of moral courage and faith in God to bring my mind to the decision to risk so much, especially as I stood alone.... But I knew I had a work to do, and it seemed to me that Satan was determined to keep me from it. I had waited long for our captivity to be turned and feared that precious souls would be lost if I remained longer from the work. To remain longer from the field seemed to me worse than death, and should we move out we could but perish (Ibid.).WV 126.7

In recounting the experience several years later, Ellen stated:WV 127.1

We had the assurance that God could raise him up, and we believed he would yet be able to work in the cause of God. I thought my husband should have some change, and we took our team, faithful Jack and Jim, and ventured a journey to Wright, Michigan.WV 127.2

In this matter I was obliged to move contrary to the judgment of my brethren and sisters in Battle Creek. They all felt that I was sacrificing my life in shouldering this burden; that for the sake of my children, for the cause of God, I should do all in my power to preserve my life (Manuscript 1, 1867).WV 127.3

So, in a snowstorm, on December 19, 1866, they left Battle Creek with the team and Brother Rogers for northern Michigan, planning to make Wright, Ottawa County, their first stop. The weather was stormy, yet they drove 46 miles [74 kilometers] that day, and were obliged to put up at a noisy rum tavern.WV 127.4

The next morning they arose at 5:00 and before breakfast drove 15 miles [24 kilometers] against a keen north wind to Brother Hardy's. Here they thanked God for the hospitality and the simple, wholesome food. Driving another 23 miles [37 kilometers] brought them to Wright. Ellen reported:WV 127.5

My husband stood the long and severe journey of ninety miles [144 kilometers] much better than I feared, and seemed quite as well when we reached our old home at Brother Root's as when we left Battle Creek (Ibid., 1:570).WV 127.6

Here commenced our first effective labors since the sickness of my husband. Here he commenced to labor as in former years, though in much weakness (Ibid., 1:571).WV 127.7

At long last they were turning a corner, with the promise of better days ahead. But the battle was not fully won. It took some persuasion on her part to get James to prepare reports for the Review. But this was a significant step in his recovery.WV 127.8

Wright was off the beaten path; ministers seldom visited the church. Ellen wrote:WV 127.9

We found this church in a very low condition. With a large portion of its members the seeds of disunion and dissatisfaction with one another were taking deep root, and a worldly spirit was taking possession of them. And notwithstanding their low state they had enjoyed the labors of our preachers so seldom that they were hungry for spiritual food (Ibid., 1:570, 571).WV 127.10

The situation was just the challenge James White needed to draw him into active spiritual labor. They conducted a series of meetings, lasting several weeks. Visions were given to Ellen presenting lines of instruction, counsel, and reproof for a number of the members of that church.WV 128.1

It was a critical time for a number in the church. They hardly knew how to relate to personal testimonies. It is not easy to receive and accept reproof. In the service Sabbath morning, January 12, James White saw an opportunity to help the church in a special way. He spoke on the testimony to the Laodiceans, drawing parallels and giving counsel. He pointed to the Saviour standing at the door, knocking, waiting, entreating. He reminded the audience:WV 128.2

It is those He loves that He rebukes and chastens, whether by the cutting testimony of the Word of God or by a corresponding testimony, pointing out their errors and spiritual blindness. Let those, then, thus reproved, rejoice, instead of being discouraged. It is the best of evidence that their salvation is possible (The Review and Herald, January 29, 1867).WV 128.3

This was a landmark experience in the history of the Wright church, bringing strength and stability. It also was a milestone in James White's finding his way back to active service. Ellen White was jubilant. During the six weeks that they were at Wright, she spoke 25 times, and James 12. Since James was recovering from a long illness, she carried the heavy part of the burden, but she was careful to see that her husband led out.WV 128.4

Ultimately nine baptisms resulted from this evangelistic thrust, and the church was spiritually revived. The Roots, who so graciously took the Whites into their home, cared for them as tenderly “as Christian parents can care for invalid children” (Testimonies for the Church, 1:570). As a result, the Roots were blessed with health and temporal prosperity. Root reported that his wheat fields had produced 27 bushels [108 pecks] to the acre [.41 hectare] and some 40 [160 pecks], while the average yield of his neighbors’ fields had been only seven bushels [28 pecks] to the acre [.41 hectare] (Ibid., 1:574, 575).WV 128.5

Ellen insisted on keeping up James's exercise program. They took a long walk twice a day. Then came a snowstorm that left a heavy blanket on the ground, bringing a minor crisis. She later told of it:WV 128.6

I went to Brother Root and said, “Brother Root, have you a spare pair of boots?” “Yes,” he answered.WV 128.7

“I should be glad to borrow them this morning,” I said. Putting on the boots and starting out, I tracked a quarter of a mile [.41 kilometer] in the deep snow. On my return, I asked my husband to take a walk.WV 129.1

He said he could not go out in such weather.WV 129.2

“Oh, yes, you can,” I replied. “Surely you can step in my tracks.”WV 129.3

He was a man who had great respect for women; and when he saw my tracks, he thought that if a woman could walk in that snow, he could. That morning he took his usual walk (Manuscript 50, 1902 [see also Selected Messages 2:307]).WV 129.4

On January 29, 1867, the Whites left Wright and rode to Greenville, Montcalm County, a distance of 40 miles [64 kilometers]. Ellen described the trip:WV 129.5

It was the most severely cold day of the winter, and we were glad to find a shelter from the cold and storm at Brother Maynard's. This dear family welcomed us to their hearts and to their home. We remained in this vicinity six weeks, laboring with the churches at Greenville and Orleans, and making Brother Maynard's hospitable home our headquarters (Testimonies for the Church, 1:575).WV 129.6

The activities in the Greenville area were much the same as those at Wright. Meetings were frequent, and both James and Ellen participated. She noted the improvement in her husband's health:WV 129.7

His labors were received by the people, and he was a great help to me in the work.... The Lord sustained him in every effort which he put forth. As he ventured, trusting in God, regardless of his feebleness, he gained strength and improved with every effort (Ibid.).WV 129.8

With the prospect improving that the two would work together again, Ellen's feeling of “gratitude was unbounded.” Subjects dealt with in depth were primarily Systematic Benevolence and health reform in its broad aspects. They found the Word more readily received there than at Wright, prejudice breaking away as plain truth was spoken (The Review and Herald, February 19, 1867).WV 129.9

They were delighted with Greenville's surroundings. Of this James wrote:WV 129.10

One might suppose that Montcalm County was a very new, log-house country, it being seventy-five miles [120 kilometers] north of Calhoun County [and Battle Creek]. But this is the most beautiful portion of the State. The farmers are generally independent, many of them rich, with large, splendid houses, large, fertile farms, and beautiful orchards.WV 129.11

One traveling through this country passes a variety of scenery peculiar to Michigan, namely, rolling, oak openings, and plains covered with heavy maple and beech, and lofty pines. Then before he is aware of it, he comes upon a fine farm with buildings equal in size and style to the dwellings in our small cities (Ibid.).WV 129.12

“The sleighing has been excellent for the last two months,” he reported, “and the weather, generally, comparatively mild and fine” (Ibid.). With their team of horses, which were a great blessing, they drove from five to 40 miles [eight to 64 kilometers] nearly every day. In his report written March 3, James informed the readers of the Review:WV 130.1

Since we left home [Battle Creek on December 19], ... we have ridden, with our team, one thousand miles [1,600 kilometers], and have walked some each day, in all amounting to one hundred miles [160 kilometers]. This, with our preaching, writing, baths, and rest hours, has filled up our time (Ibid., March 12, 1867).WV 130.2

Other reports put his health at about one-half recovered. He was still frail, but determined to move on by faith, looking forward to full restoration. He closed his report of their work in the vicinity of Greenville:WV 130.3

We have taken our leave of this people for the present, who express a desire that we should settle among them. And we feel the strongest desire, if the Lord will, to settle with this dear people where our testimony, as is most natural, is prized more than in those places where they are blessed with much ministerial labor, and the labors also of efficient local elders and experienced brethren.WV 130.4

When men come from ten to fifteen miles [16-24 kilometers] on foot, and aged and feeble come from three to twelve miles [five-19 kilometers] on foot, at this season of the year, depend upon it, they come to hear (Ibid.)WV 130.5