And Now, Back To Work: The Priorities

Ellen White had always endeavored to obtain adequate living quarters for herself and staff. Much as she enjoyed the amenities of life, they were never the end but the means to the end—her special work. She moved into Elmshaven as quickly as she could, in mid-October, 1900.WV 375.1

In a number of visions in Australia, conditions, situations, and dangers that threatened the church were clearly revealed to her. Correspondence from America also disclosed some of the looming problems. Now she must face these unflinchingly and without delay.WV 375.2

There was the matter of the disproportionate development in the medical missionary lines, which was placing special emphasis on a work in Chicago directed toward outcasts, drunks, and prostitutes. The light given to Ellen White indicated that a certain amount of this type of work, carried out under proper safeguards, was essential and proper, but it would yield but little lasting harvest. There was grave danger of an imbalance that would divert attention from major objectives in the medical work of the church and, because of the heavy financial demands, curtail various lines of denominational work around the world. From a reliable source in Battle Creek she was informed that Dr. Kellogg had at last taken a position against her because she did not sustain him in the work he was carrying to such extremes.WV 375.3

Then there was the situation in which Dr. Kellogg was involved. His growing interest in and promotion of a great Christian medical work that would be undenominational in nature and not linked to a small religious body was a matter of growing concern.WV 375.4

Then too, Ellen White had been given views of an outbreak of fanaticism that, when developed, came to be known as the holy flesh movement. While in Australia she was shown in vision its perils and what would transpire.WV 375.5

There was the work among the Blacks in the South in which her son James Edson White was leading out.WV 375.6

These were some of the important matters that would be considered at the General Conference session, which was scheduled to meet in February. The reason she felt she must leave Australia in August was in order to be certain that she could attend this conference. Thoughtful church leaders sensed that this would be a particularly important meeting.WV 375.7

Where to hold the General Conference of 1901 was a matter of much discussion. At the Autumn Council in August the action taken was indecisive, with the feeling that Oakland was most likely the preferred location. Factors that seemed to point to Oakland as the logical place were the delicate nature of Ellen White's health, her dread of a long journey east in midwinter, and the state of the work in California. Nonetheless, while she dreaded returning to Battle Creek in winter, or anytime, because of the burdens that would fall upon her when she returned to that city after an absence of 10 years, deep down in her heart she knew that the time would come when she would have to spend some time in Battle Creek. In visions of the night she seemed to be bearing her testimony there in the tabernacle, and she knew that she must sometime return.WV 376.1

Finally, after careful consideration of the pros and cons of holding the conference at Oakland or Battle Creek, the available members of the General Conference Committee in Battle Creek voted on December 10, 1900, to hold the 1901 General Conference from April 2 to 23 in Battle Creek. Ellen White decided to attend, but her decision had not come without some cost to herself. She declared, “For a week before I fully consented to go to Battle Creek, I did not sleep past one o'clock. Some nights I was up at eleven o'clock and many nights at twelve. I have not moved from impulse, but from the conviction that at this time I must begin at Jerusalem” (Letter 159, 1900).WV 376.2

During the last days of December she was very active working with the churches in the Bay Area and San Francisco and Oakland. She and Elder A. G. Daniells were the main speakers for the Week of Prayer. She was quite worn out when she returned to Elmshaven. She was happy, however, with the fruitage of the rather strenuous program. The following Friday she was exhausted, and during her evening bath she fainted. Sara and Maggie succeeded in getting her to bed, where she was confined for the next two weeks. Then, upon getting up too soon, she suffered a relapse and had another period of illness. Nonetheless, she maintained her plans to attend the General Conference session in Battle Creek, even though Sara declared that she was “not fit to go anywhere,” and she dreaded the trip for her (Manuscript 43a, 1901).WV 376.3

As the time neared for her to start her journey east, the question of where she should stay was uppermost in her mind. Dr. Kellogg invited her to stay at the sanitarium, but later invited her and her party to stay in his own home. He had a large, two-story frame house with sufficient room to accommodate the children he and his wife took in to rear. He promised to make a portion of the home available to Ellen White and her helpers, and urged that she accept the invitation.WV 376.4

But would it be wise to stay in the doctor's home when so much controversy swirled about him? At first she felt it would not be best. Would not people feel that she was under his influence? And then she thought, “No matter with whom I should stay, it would be said, ‘Someone has been talking with Sister White, telling her about the state of the church. This is why she talks as she does’” (The General Conference Bulletin, 1901, 204).WV 376.5

The answer came in a very forceful way. Friday evening, February 15, as she met with her family in the sitting room for worship, she was deeply burdened with a decision about Dr. Kellogg's invitation. She began to pray about it. In reporting the experience, she wrote, “I was asking the Lord where I should go and what I should do. I was for backing out.... Well, while I was praying and was sending up my petition, there was, as has been a hundred times or more, a soft light circling around the room, and a fragrance like the fragrance of flowers, of a beautiful scent of flowers” (Manuscript 43a, 1901). And a voice said, “‘Respect the courtesy of My servant, John Kellogg, the physician by My appointment. He needs encouragement that you can give him. Let him put his trust in Me. My arm is strong to uphold and sustain. He may safely lean upon My strength. I have a work for him to do. He must not fail nor be discouraged’” (Letter 33, 1901).WV 377.1

Did the others kneeling in worship that Friday evening see the light and notice the fragrance? This is a very natural question, which she answered as she recounted the incident on April 11 at the General Conference session: “Though none of the family saw what I saw, or heard what I heard, yet they felt the influence of the Spirit, and were weeping and praising God” (The General Conference Bulletin, 1901, 204).WV 377.2

So Dr. Kellogg's gracious invitation was accepted. Ellen White and her helpers would stay in his home.WV 377.3