- About the Author
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- Abbreviations
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- Here the Story Begins
- Harbingers of the Advent Awakening
- Carefree Childhood Days
- Early Experiences Recounted
- A “School Days” Experience
- The Family Moves to the City of Portland
- The Portland the Youthful Ellen Harmon Knew
- Hatmaking in the Harmon House
- Attending Brackett Street School
- The Textbooks She Read
- Robert Harmon's Trip to Georgia
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- The Question of the Immortality of the Soul
- The Time of Expectation Passes
- A Test of True Character
- The Second Angel's Message
- October 22, 1844, The Day of Expectation
- The Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844
- The Failing Health of Ellen Harmon
- Ellen Harmon Given a Vision—Her First
- The First Vision as Published in the Day-Star
- The Vision Answered Many Pressing Questions
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- The Otis Nichols Letter of April 20, 1846
- Ellen's Experience in Delivering the Message
- Early Arguments for the Spirit of Prophecy
- Some High Points of her Work in Eastern Maine
- Vision of Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
- Some Fanatical Positions She Met
- Wrestling With the Views of the Spiritualizers
- Ellen Leaves Suddenly for Home
- The Healing of Frances Howland and William Hyde
- Preserved from Fanaticism
- Visit to New Hampshire
- Contending with Spiritual Magnetism
- Called Back to Portland
- Vision of the New Earth
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- Enabled to Write
- The Large Family Bible
- The Bible Held in Vision
- The Unenviable Position of the Prophet
- A Symbolic Warning
- “Another Angel, Father!”
- Who Could be Saved?
- The First Visit to Massachusetts
- The 1845 Expectancy of the Second Advent
- The Second Visit to Massachusetts
- Otis Nichols’ Eyewitness Account
- Meeting Joseph Bates at New Bedford
- The Publication of Her First Vision—January, 1846
- Publication of the Vision of the Heavenly Sanctuary
- The Place of the Vision in Confirming the Sanctuary Truth
- God's Leadings Clearly Manifest
- The Vision in a Sailboat
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- Writing for the Press
- Ellen White described its reception:
- The Proclamation of the Third Angel's Message
- The Content of the Paper
- Birth of a Second Son, James Edson White
- The Paris, Maine, Conference
- Among the Believers in Maine and New York State
- A Hymnbook for the Sabbathkeeping Adventists
- The Little Paper Almost Died
- Death Invades the Camp
- Fruitage of Public Ministry in Oswego
- Vision of Future Events
- The Visit to Vermont and Maine
- The Gift of a Horse and Carriage
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- Satan's Vicious Attacks
- Special Significance Disclosed by Vision
- The Third Angel's Message to be Made Plain by a Chart
- A Marked and Significant Change in the Tide
- Many Visions Giving Insights and Guidance
- A Summary of Other Important Visions
- A Time for Development of the Doctrinal Structure
- The Crucial Yet Productive Years of the “Scattering Time”
- Taking Up Residence in Maine
- Significant Conferences at Paris and Topsham
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- Concerted Plan to Publish the Visions
- Ellen White's First Book
- Settling in Saratoga Springs, New York
- Moves Toward Order and Organization
- The Conference at Washington, New Hampshire
- The Bethel, Vermont, Conference
- The Conference at Johnson, Vermont
- The Conference at Vergennes, Vermont
- Testimony Concerning Using Tobacco
- The Midwinter Tour in Western New York
- Back Home in Saratoga Springs
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- Ellen G. White Looks Back
- Positive Denial of the False Charge
- Explained Further as a Charge is Answered in 1883
- Developing Perception on Ellen White's Part
- A Term with a Changing Meaning
- Vision of the Open and Shut Door
- Labor for Sinners During the Shut-Door Period of 1845 to 1851
- Experience of Heman Churchill (July, 1850)
- J. H. Waggoner Recalls His Experience
- A Review of 1851 Developments
- Criticism of Deletions from the First Vision
- Why Were the Lines Omitted in 1851?
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- Strict Economy Maintained
- Working in the Opening West
- First Visit of James and Ellen White to Michigan
- With the Believers in Jackson, Michigan
- The Strange Case of a Self-Appointed Woman Evangelist
- Lost on the Way to Vergennes
- The Vergennes Meeting and Mrs. Alcott
- Back Home in Rochester
- The Review and Herald to be Published Weekly
- The 1853 Eastern Tour
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- The Vital Need for Church Organization
- James White Joins in Calling for Gospel Order
- The Tour of Northeastern New York State
- Sins Tolerated in the Camp
- Early Light on Basic Health Principles
- Ellen White's Battle With Disease
- Continuing the Evangelistic Thrust
- The Trip to Wisconsin
- Establishing the First “Adventist Book Center”
- Eyes on the Evangelistic Tent
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- The Vision at Hillsdale, Michigan
- Visiting the Churches in Eastern Michigan
- The Concept of the Investigative Judgment Dawns
- A Power Press for the Review Office
- Plans for a Trip East
- Vision at Buck's Bridge, New York
- The August Vision at Monterey, Michigan
- The October Visit to Monterey and Another Important Vision
- The Battle Creek Conference
- The Vision of the Shaking
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- Meetings in Ohio
- The Great Controversy Vision
- Counsels for New Believers
- A View of the Agelong Controversy in its Broad Sweep
- Ellen White Tells the Story at the General Conference in May
- The Choice of Title for the Forthcoming Book
- A Startling and Thought-Provoking Object Lesson
- M. B. Czechowski, the Converted Catholic Priest
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- The Conference Address on Organizing Churches
- The Eight-Week Eastern Tour
- Vision at Roosevelt, New York
- The Battle Creek Church Sets the Pace in Organizing
- A Creed and the Spirit of Prophecy
- The Formation of the Michigan Conference
- Other States Organize
- Cautions Sounded
- M. E. Cornell to Go to Ohio
- Confessions of Negative Attitudes
- James White Surveys the Battle and Victory
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- Vision at Parkville, Michigan
- Ellen White Examined While in Vision
- At Home and Writing Personal Testimonies
- The Inroads of Prevailing Fashion
- Letters to the Wife of a Minister
- Another Intimate Glimpse of the White Home Life
- A Second Vision of Civil War Involvement
- The New Publishing House
- The Five-Week Western Tour
- The War and the Threatening Draft of Recruits
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- First Annual Session of the Michigan State Conference
- The Business Sessions of the Conference
- Matters for Conference Consideration
- Organization of the General Conference
- The Last Few Weeks of 1862
- A Burden for the Youth of the Church
- Victories at Wright and Orleans
- Triumphant Year-End Meetings at Battle Creek
- The Church Prepared for Development and Expansion
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Birth of a Second Son, James Edson White
The precise date when the Present Truth was brought home, prayed over, folded, addressed, and mailed is not recorded. It was late July, 1849. Almost simultaneously there was an important event in the White family, and that does carry a date. Ellen White wrote: “July 28, 1849, my second child, James Edson White, was born.”—Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White (1880), 260.1BIO 167.3
Reflected in the names that James and Ellen gave to their children is the high esteem in which they held certain of the stalwart Adventist families. The first son, Henry, also carried the name of Nichols, the loyal family in Dorchester, Massachusetts; the second son was named for Hiram Edson.1BIO 167.4
The six weeks of August and the first half of September James devoted to the publication of numbers 2, 3, and 4 of Present Truth, which gave the new mother a little time to make a good recovery.1BIO 167.5
Numbers 2 and 3 were sent out in August; by the time the September issue was being made up, James had one letter of response he could publish. It came from a J. C. Bowles, of Jackson, Michigan, and opens:1BIO 167.6
Your first and second numbers of the Present Truth are received, and we are thankful to our heavenly Father for the light of the truth.1BIO 167.7
I would say, for your encouragement, that the little band here have received the truth on the Sabbath without an exception. And we thank the Lord for ever inclining Brother Bates's mind to come to Jackson. O sound the alarm, and let the message fly! I think it is the last one to the remnant.1BIO 168.1
We herein send you ten dollars for the spread of the truth. If you need it all, use it; if not, let Brother Bates have a part of it to travel with.— The Present Truth, September, 1849.1BIO 168.2
Bowles declared that he believed James White was doing the Lord's work. He added that if means would allow, he hoped the paper could be enlarged to include extracts of letters from readers.1BIO 168.3
The second August issue and the September issue carried several communications from Ellen White. These included her report of the vision of March 24, 1849, given at Topsham, Maine, dealing with the view of the heavenly sanctuary and the doors that were open and shut. She introduced this by the following note:1BIO 168.4
The Lord has shown me that it is my duty to relate to you, what He has revealed to me relating to the present truth, our present tried, scattered, and tempted state, and our duty in view of the coming judgments of God.— Ibid., August, 1849.1BIO 168.5
The September number included the vision given Ellen on Sabbath, January 5, 1849, with the commission to the angel to hold the four winds of strife, and a letter addressed “Brethren and Sisters.” This opens with the words “In this time of trial, we need to be encouraged.” The letter was intended to do just that.1BIO 168.6
As to financing this publishing effort, James White, in the fifth issue, published in December, wrote:1BIO 168.7
While publishing the four first numbers in Connecticut, the brethren sent in more means than was necessary to sustain the paper, which I have since used in traveling to visit the scattered flock.—The Present Truth, December, 1849.1BIO 168.8
The receipt for $64.50 given by Charles Pelton, the printer in Middletown, stating that payment had been made in full for printing four issues, testifies to the fulfillment of the promise God gave to Ellen in the vision.1BIO 168.9
With the four numbers James White had planned now published and in the field, he, his wife, and their six-week-old son traveled to Paris, Maine, to attend a conference called to open on Friday, September 14. The little company of believers there had been devastated by some who manifested wild fanaticism.1BIO 169.1