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- Ellen White Announces Her Positive Stand
- Kellogg Attempts to Hold the Line
- Strong Sentiments Against the Spirit of Prophecy
- The Question—Shall We Publish?
- Announced Plans for the “University” in Battle Creek
- First General Conference Medical Missionary Convention
- Mid-December Week of Prayer Meetings in Battle Creek
- Arrival of the Promised Testimonies
- A Marked Confidence-Confirming Experience
- Daniells Restates His Faith and Loyalty
- Dr. Kellogg Unmoved
- E. G. White Publishes Two Pamphlets
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- Confirming Evidence to the Lord's Messenger
- Meeting Direct Attacks
- To Southern California Again
- A Vision of Coming Destruction
- News of the San Francisco Earthquake
- At Paradise Valley Sanitarium, and the Trip Home
- The Tour of Ravaged San Francisco
- Consuming Fire that Followed the Earthquake
- Martial Law
- Destruction in the Central City
- Adventists and Adventist Properties
- The Earthquake Special of the Signs
- The Trip Home to Elmshaven
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- Circumstances at Elmshaven
- Questions Calling for Careful Answers
- Response to Specific Questions
- An Array of Questions from One Physician
- Involvements in Answering Questions
- Answer Regarding Chicago Buildings
- Whether Past or Future She Did Not Always Know
- Who Manipulated Her Writings?
- Care Required in Answering Questions and Charges
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- The Oakland Camp Meeting (July 19-29)
- The Pacific Press Fire
- The Friday-Night Vision
- Continued Camp Meeting Ministry
- Plans for a Continuing Evangelistic Thrust
- Ellen White to Participate
- Evangelist Simpson's Effective Ministry
- More Than One Right Way To Work
- Loma Linda Interests Again
- Her Correspondence
- Rebuilding the Pacific Press
- A Second Granddaughter Marries
- Ellen White Begins to Await Her “Summons”
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- The Receiving and the Acceptance of Personal Testimonies
- The President Reelected
- The Response to Earnest Testimonies
- The Old Question—Who Told Sister White?
- The Other Question—Proper Relationships
- First Resistance, Then a Heartfelt Response
- Ellen White Rejoices in the Victory Gained
- Elder Reaser Needed in God's Cause
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- Chapter 18—America's Cities—The Great Unworked Field
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- A Review of What Was Done to the Book
- Paraphrased and Quoted Materials in The Great Controversy
- Statements Regarding the Papacy
- Changes Affecting the Sense
- “The Great Bell of the Palace”
- Inspiration and Details of History
- The Appendix Notes
- Did Church Leaders and Scholars Interfere?
- E. G. White Authority to Change Her Published Writings
- Ellen White's Letter of Approval
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- The Future Custody of Her Writings
- At Work Through 1912
- Correspondence and Interest in Correspondence
- A Quiet, Uninterrupted Visit with His Mother
- The Spring Trip to Southern California
- The Vision Concerning Recreation
- Not an Isolated Situation
- Elmshaven in September
- Book Preparation
- Ellen White's Last Visit to Loma Linda
- Later Life Brought No Despondency
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- The Question of Another Prophet
- The Visit From James Edson White
- A Slight Stroke in Early Summer
- Ellen White Writes A Comforting Letter—Her Last
- Reading and Approving Chapters and Articles
- Her Eighty-Seventh Birthday
- Review and Signs Articles
- Advance! Advance! Advance!
- Simplicity of Faith and Confidence
- The Report to Elder Haskell
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The Difficult Task of Warning Church Leaders
One of the very difficult tasks given to the prophet of God was to bear Heaven's messages of reproof and correction to the leaders of God's people. It was so in times of old, and it was so in Ellen White's day. Church leaders were called of God or appointed by Him to their positions of trust and duty. They were for the most part unselfish individuals, Bible Christians, God-loving, dedicated, and hard-working, and often times quite certain that they were performing their administrative duties well.6BIO 143.3
The occasion for a testimony of reproof was usually not to point out some gross sin, as was the message God charged Nathan to give David, but rather to call attention to defects in character, faulty concepts, or poor administrative policies. It was in the field of the latter that Ellen White was at times called upon to bear messages of correction to those with whom she worked and whom she held in esteem. This was particularly so in 1907, in its closing months.6BIO 143.4
The reading of many testimonies dealing with this period, published and unpublished, reveals the very fine line between wise and understanding administration and the assumption of dictatorial or kingly authority. The testimonies also reveal that this matter is to be understood by all persons carrying responsibilities, whether in an institution or a conference office, and particularly by presidents of all conferences, from the local to the general.6BIO 143.5
As noted in a preceding chapter, the year 1907 was not much more than an hour old when a vision was given to Ellen White at Elmshaven concerning situations in medical institutions in southern California and particularly at Paradise Valley Sanitarium. The nature of the problem is revealed in the testimony written to the matron, a woman of pronounced convictions—yes, the very woman who had unselfishly matched funds with Ellen White to finance the purchase of the property. Here are a few sentences written to her:6BIO 143.6
I wish to say to you, my sister, Do not make perplexities for yourself by trying to make everyone see as you see, and follow the plans you have devised. I have told you that you do not view everything in a correct light. Your ideas are not always pleasing to others. Your strong traits of character lead you to seek to mold and fashion others according to your ideas.6BIO 144.1
I must speak plainly to you, my sister. Let others act upon their individual merit and intelligence. God expects them to do this under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To every man and woman God has given a work, and He would have every mind so well balanced that the work can be done after the divine similitude. You, my sister, must not seek to put your mold upon other minds. You must not feel that your mind and judgment is to be the criterion for other minds. The Lord has given to each capability and tact, and if we will be guided by His wisdom, the minds of the workers will blend, and the work be carried on harmoniously.6BIO 144.2
Your way is not the way that would be wisest to follow in every instance.—Letter 54, 1907.6BIO 144.3
It was not long until the president of the California Conference had to be reminded of these principles. Four Ellen G. White messages were read at the conference session held at San Jose in late January, one of which, “Individual Responsibility and Christian Unity,” consisted of twenty-one pages of counsel on relationships of conference administrators to their workers and church members. In this she pointed out that there was danger of the executive, “instead of acting as a wise counselor,” assuming” the prerogatives of an exacting ruler” (Special Testimonies, Series B 9:21; [Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 491]). This was published at the request of the California Conference with the other E. G. White messages read at the session. (The particular article appears in full in Ibid., 485-505.)6BIO 144.4