- 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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The Crucial Yet Productive Years of the “Scattering Time”
It will be appropriate to further review and sum up what took place in the emerging remnant church in the six years between 1844 and 1850. A hundred or more years later, some have been rather amazed and baffled because the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were not engaged in public evangelism, preaching “the message” immediately after the 1844 disappointment. “What message?” might be asked. And what's more, “Who would listen?”1BIO 191.6
First of all, there must be the lapse of some time when the prejudice of the world against the 1844 experience would diminish. But most important, they had to determine what was the truth, what was the message.1BIO 192.1
Of prime importance was the Advent preaching that swept through the land in the early 1840s and was also heard in other parts of the world. Was it a movement led by God, or was it just a delusion, as many were claiming? The pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as they carefully reviewed the experience, could not dismiss the marked influence of the Spirit of God in the work, and the absence of fanaticism. This, together with what the experience did for them, led to the unalterable conclusion that the movement was ordained by God. Bible study backed up by the visions given to Ellen Harmon attested to this, giving a touch of certainty to the messages of the first and second angels of Revelation 14.1BIO 192.2
Next, why had not Christ come? And if the 1844 experience was valid, what did take place on October 22, 1844? The pioneers worked their way through this, finding the explanation in an understanding of the sanctuary question in its fullness. Christ was now ministering in their behalf in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. In connection with this they found “doors” “open” and “doors” “shut” that were easily linked with the close of probation, [Note: see chapter 16 for elaboration.] the full extent of which was not at first seen.1BIO 192.3
Almost immediately in their experience, the pioneers were brought face to face with a prophet in their midst. It was unexpected, but it was Biblical. The message met their needs, and the gift, when tested by Bible criteria, measured up fully. This was a great aid but also an embarrassment, because of the natural prejudice against “visions.”1BIO 192.4
Before the 1844 disappointment, the third angel's message had not been clearly seen. The pioneers having been through the first and the second, the third angel's message began to take on significance. It related to the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, although certain features of the message seemed to be a mystery. As the sanctuary in heaven was studied, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment took on special meaning. The visions given to Ellen White helped to clarify this. The Sabbath would be a test of allegiance to God, and as worship of the “beast and his image” and the receiving of his “mark” (Revelation 14:9, 10) became better understood, the pioneers saw it as “present truth” and were confronted with the responsibility of sounding that message to the world. It was staggering! A great and vitally important message, but only a handful of people who comprehended its meaning! And these, for the most part, were virtually penniless.1BIO 192.5
They were still close to the 1844 disappointment, and only those who had been with them in the Advent Awakening would give any attention at all to what they might have to say. They studied “doors” in the heavenly sanctuary, open and closed, but there were no open doors before them to the religious world outside of the Adventists. So the burden of the third angel's message as first understood was for their former brethren. However, they gradually perceived that there were those who had not rejected the Advent message in 1844, and that there were children below the age of accountability for whom Christ ministered in the heavenly sanctuary.1BIO 193.1
Then to James White, a youthful advocate of the Advent message, a schoolteacher who had the benefit of a year in school, came the message, presumably from heaven, that he must publish the positions of truth ardently held. He was inexperienced so far as editing and publishing were concerned, and with no financial backing. Admonished to start out by faith and write, write, write, he took his pen and began in the issuance of the four numbers of Present Truth. Through the school of experience he rather quickly learned the demands of writing, proofreading, publishing, circulating, and financing the printed page. God was preparing him for large responsibilities.1BIO 193.2
He and his wife were buffeted by brethren who misunderstood him, hounded by poverty, bereaved by separation from children so they could travel and minister to the scattered flock. But they enjoyed a rich experience in God, and with wholehearted dedication they gained the preparation needful for the work that was before them. All this was in “the scattering time,” 1844 to 1850. Now they were prepared to enter the openings of “the gathering time.” The message was clear. Doctrinal beliefs were for the most part well established. Wrote Ellen White on December 13, 1850, “We know that we have the truth.”—Letter 30, 1850.1BIO 193.3