A Medical School Early Envisioned by Ellen White

From the first, Ellen White had been enthusiastic for the securing of Loma Linda, and when she first drove onto the grounds, she recognized the buildings as the ones shown to her in vision two years before. She was instructed that it should be had for the work of the church. The property was purchased in the summer of 1905, ostensibly for a sanitarium.6BIO 273.1

A few weeks later she declared, “This place will become an important educational center.”—Letter 277, 1905.6BIO 273.2

On October 28 she wrote:6BIO 273.3

The Lord will open, yes, He is opening ways whereby your children can be given an education in medical missionary lines without endangering their souls.... In a short time we shall have facilities for giving the necessary requirements.—Manuscript 151, 1905.

November 1, 1905, she wrote to Elder John A. Burden:6BIO 273.4

A school will be established as soon as possible, and the Lord will open the way.—Letter 309, 1905.

A few weeks later, on December 10, she urged:6BIO 273.5

In regard to the school, I would say, Make it all you possibly can in the education of nurses and physicians.—Letter 325, 1905.

In reporting to the readers of the Review and Herald on the dedication of Loma Linda on April 15, 1906, she announced:6BIO 273.6

Loma Linda is to be not only a sanitarium, but an educational center.... A school is to be established here for the training of gospel medical missionary evangelists.—The Review and Herald, June 21, 1906.6BIO 273.7

Writing to S. N. Haskell on June 8, 1906, she referred to steps being taken in response to her urging:6BIO 273.8

Brother Howell is very desirous of knowing how to plan for the educational work with which he is connected, so that no mistakes may be made. I told him that the Lord will lead all who are willing to be led.—Letter 192, 1906.6BIO 273.9

On August 19, in a letter to Elders Reaser and Burden and the executive committee of the Southern California Conference, she indicated her burden for the educational work that should be done there.6BIO 273.10

Be very careful not to do anything that would restrict the work at Loma Linda. It is in the order of God that this property has been secured, and He has given instruction that a school should be connected with the Sanitarium.—Letter 274, 1906.6BIO 274.1

A month later, September 20, the Loma Linda College of Evangelists was opened, yet without a clear sense of direction. Shortly thereafter Elder Burden and his associates at Loma Linda, being eager to establish the school on right lines, wrote to Mrs. White requesting any further light that would be of service to them.6BIO 274.2

In response, in October they received from Elmshaven a document comprised of extracts on the training of medical students. The compilation had been made by a member of the Elmshaven staff, presenting the light that had been given to Ellen White. This was studied very carefully by faculty and students.6BIO 274.3

On October 30, 1907, Ellen White was at Loma Linda and addressed students and faculty on the high standards that should characterize the educational features of the work. At the close of her presentation, Elder Burden addressed the question to her that was uppermost in his mind:6BIO 274.4

I want to ask a question. Is this school that you have spoken of simply to qualify nurses, or is it to embrace also the qualification of physicians?—Manuscript 151, 1907.6BIO 274.5

To this she replied:6BIO 274.6

Physicians are to receive their education here.— Ibid.

There was no question that on the basis of the visions given to her Ellen White had insights into the future of the work at Loma Linda that far exceeded concepts held by those about her, and the Lord was leading His people just as fast as they could grasp the potential of the work before them. At the General Conference session at Washington, on June 1, 1909, Ellen White addressed the delegates, reading from a manuscript entitled “The Loma Linda College of Evangelists.” In this she stressed:6BIO 274.7

Loma Linda is to be not only a sanitarium, but an educational center. A school is to be established here for the training of gospel medical missionary evangelists. Much is involved in this work, and it is very essential that a right beginning be made....6BIO 275.1

In regard to the school I would say, Make it especially strong in the education of nurses and physicians. In medical missionary schools, many workers are to be qualified with the ability of physicians to labor as medical missionary evangelists. This training, the Lord has specified, is in harmony with the principles underlying true higher education.—The General Conference Bulletin, 1909, 308 (see also Testimonies for the Church 9:173, 174).6BIO 275.2

She spoke at length concerning the standards that should guide in the training of Seventh-day Adventists for medical missionary service, urging that “they are to be educated from the standpoint of conscience” and to follow right methods. In pointing out what was and what was not to be done, she seemed to imply that the church would be operating a medical school, for she declared:6BIO 275.3

We should not at this time seek to compete with worldly medical schools. Should we do this, our chances of success would be small. We are not now prepared to carry out successfully the work of establishing large medical institutions of learning.— Ibid. (see also Ibid., 9:175, 176).6BIO 275.4

And then she laid before the conference what at that time she saw as the objectives for the school:6BIO 275.5

At Loma Linda many can be educated to work as missionaries in the cause of health and temperance. Teachers are to be prepared for many lines of work. Schools are to be established in places where as yet no efforts have been made....6BIO 275.6

I feel a deep interest that careful study shall be given to the needs of our institution at Loma Linda, and that right moves shall be made.—Ibid., 9:309 (see also Ibid., 9:177).6BIO 275.7

Step by step the counsels given by Ellen White seemed to be leading to a medical school fully recognized for the training given to physicians. Measures were taken with the view in mind that at Loma Linda one or two years of medical studies would be given, which might be accepted by a recognized medical college as part of a regular medical course (General Conference Committee Minutes, July 25, 1909 [see also DF 5, Medical Practice and the Educational Program at Loma Linda, p. 74]). It seemed that the next step would be the securing of a charter that would give such work acceptance. Elder Burden, on September 20, 1909, counseled with Ellen White at her home about this. He found that she was distressed with any plan that called for “having medical students take some work at Loma Linda” and then “get the finishing touches of their education from some worldly institution”. She exclaimed, “God forbid that such a plan should be followed,” and commented, “I must state that the light I have received is that we are to stand as a distinct, commandment-keeping people.”—Manuscript 72, 1909.6BIO 275.8

As the interview continued, Burden explained that they simply wanted to know whether they “were moving in right lines.” He declared, “If the Lord gives you light, well and good, we will be glad to receive it; and if not, then we will wait.”6BIO 276.1

In response Ellen White explained:6BIO 276.2

There are some who may not be able to see that here is a test as to whether we shall put our dependence on man, or depend upon God. Shall we by our course seem to acknowledge that there is a stronger power with unbelievers than there is with God's own people? When we take hold upon God, and trust in Him, He will work in our behalf. But whatever the consequences may be, we are in regard to our faith to stand distinct and separate from the world.— Ibid.

She was asked, “Does that mean that we are not to have any more physicians, but that our people will work simply as nurses, or does it mean that we shall have a school of our own, where we can educate physicians?” She replied:6BIO 276.3

We shall have a school of our own. But we are not to be dependent upon the world. We must place our dependence upon a Power that is higher than all human power. If we honor God, He will honor us.— Ibid.6BIO 276.4

Burden then asked, “Would the securing of a charter for a medical school, where our students might obtain a medical education, militate against our dependence upon God?”6BIO 276.5

Ellen White replied:6BIO 277.1

No, I do not see that it would, if a charter were secured on the right terms. Only be sure that you do not exalt men above God. If you can gain force and influence that will make your work more effective without tying yourselves to worldly men, that would be right. But we are not to exalt the human above the divine.— Ibid.

As the steps were taken to secure a charter for medical education at Loma Linda, Ellen White on November 5, 1909, gave strong counsel:6BIO 277.2

Some questions have been asked me regarding our relation to the laws governing medical practitioners. We need to move understandingly, for the enemy would be pleased to hedge up our work so that our physicians would have only a limited influence. Some men do not act in the fear of God, and they may seek to bring us into trouble by placing on our necks yokes that we could not consent to bear. We cannot submit to regulations if the sacrifice of principles is involved, for this would imperil the soul's salvation.6BIO 277.3

But whenever we can comply with the law of the land without putting ourselves in a false position, we should do so. Wise laws have been framed in order to safeguard the people against the imposition of unqualified physicians. These laws we should respect, for we are ourselves protected from presumptuous pretenders. Should we manifest opposition to these requirements, it would tend to restrict the influence of our medical missionaries.—Letter 140, 1909 (Medical Ministry, 84).6BIO 277.4

On December 9, 1909, with the full approval of the General Conference Committee, a charter was secured under the laws of the State of California authorizing the College of Medical Evangelists to grant degrees in the liberal sciences, dentistry, and medicine (see The Story of Our Health Message, 383).6BIO 277.5

Now, at the session of the Pacific Union Conference in late January, 1910, held at Mountain View, the future of medical education conducted by Seventh-day Adventists was in the balance. The dramatic story of what took place is one of faith, divine guidance, and of expressed determination on the part of church leaders to follow the light God was giving to His people. The story was clearly laid out in the February 3 issue of the Pacific Union Recorder, with fifteen of its sixteen pages devoted to various speeches and actions.6BIO 277.6