John N. Loughborough Enters the Picture

Three days after James and Ellen White returned to Rochester, 21-year-old John Loughborough was at the Sabbath meeting at the home on 124 Mount Hope Avenue. Oswald Stowell, who operated the hand press, was severely ill with pleurisy and had been given up by his physician to die. On that Sabbath morning he was in an adjoining room in bed. At the close of the service he requested that special prayer be offered for his healing. Loughborough with some others was invited to gather about his bed for the solemn service. Loughborough wrote of the experience:1BIO 237.5

We bowed by his bedside, and while prayers were being offered, Elder White anointed him with oil “in the name of the Lord.” There was a sensible presence of the Spirit of God, and he was instantly healed. When we arose from prayer he was sitting up in bed, striking his sides, which before had been so painful, and saying, “I am fully healed. I shall be able to work the hand press tomorrow.” Two days after this, he did work it.—GSAM, p. 318.1BIO 237.6

As so often was the case, at a time when God's special blessing was felt Ellen White was taken in vision. It was so this Sabbath. Loughborough reported:1BIO 238.1

As Elder White turned to look at her, he said, “Ellen is in vision; she does not breathe while in this condition. If any of you desire to satisfy yourselves of this fact, you are at liberty to examine her.” She remained thus in vision about one hour and twenty minutes. While in that condition she spoke words, and sometimes distinct sentences: yet by the closest scrutiny no breath could be discerned in her body.— Ibid., 318, 319.1BIO 238.2

While the physical phenomena he observed provided Loughborough with interesting and convincing evidence, it was the verification of the conduct of a man not known to all present, someone Ellen White had never met nor known of, that very soon provided indisputable proof to the questioning Loughborough. He later explained:1BIO 238.3

Before the return of Elder White and his wife from their eastern journey, one of our number had left the city, and was traveling on business in the State of Michigan. He was not, therefore, present at this meeting, and had never seen Elder White or his wife. In relating her vision, Mrs. White told us, among other things, what she saw concerning a man who, while he was traveling and away from home, had much to say about the law of God and the Sabbath, but was at the same time breaking one of the commandments. She said he was a person whom she had never met, yet she believed she would see him sometime, as his case had been unfolded to her. Not one of our number, however, supposed him to be anyone with whom we were acquainted.1BIO 238.4

About six weeks from the time of the above vision, the brother previously mentioned returned from Michigan. As soon as Mrs. White looked upon his countenance, she said to one of the sisters, “That is the man I saw in the vision, of whom I told you.” The vision being related to this brother, in the presence of his wife and several other persons, Mrs. White said to him, as Nathan did to David, “Thou art the man.”1BIO 238.5

He then did just what Paul said some persons would do when reproved for their sins by the gift of prophecy [see 1 Corinthians 14:24, 25].... After listening to the rehearsal of his wrongdoings by Mrs. White, this brother dropped upon his knees before his wife, and with tears said to her, and to the few present, “God is with you of a truth,” and then made a full confession of his course while in Michigan, in violating the seventh commandment, as revealed at the time of its occurrence, over five hundred miles away.— Ibid., 319, 320 (see also The Review and Herald, March 4, 1884).1BIO 239.1

Commented Loughborough, “Thus a few weeks’ time gave us a strong confirmation of the testimonies.”1BIO 239.2