- 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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Ellen White Alters Her Practice
The reader will recall that in her distress over the manner in which some influential workers in the cause had kept a knowledge of testimonies of counsel and reproof they had received secret—and had often ignored them—Ellen White concluded that she must make some matters public that she wished might be handled differently. After expressing her perplexity as to the right course to follow and still fulfill her commission, she declared:1BIO 434.2
My course is now clear to wrong the church no longer. If reproofs are given I dare not commit them alone to the individuals to be buried up by them, but shall read what the Lord has seen fit to give me, to those of experience in the church, and if the case demands, bring it before the whole church.—Spiritual Gifts, 2:293, 294.1BIO 434.3
She stated that she would keep such things secret no longer, for “God's people must know what the Lord has been pleased to reveal, that they be not deceived and led astray by a wrong spirit.”—Ibid., 2:294. This is precisely what she did as she penned the articles for Testimony No. 6. Many of the messages had to do with the spirit and actions of close friends, those who had been and were working closely with her and her husband.1BIO 434.4
In dealing with the subject of organization and pointing out that matters of the church must not be left at loose ends, she declared:1BIO 434.5
I was shown the wrong stand taken by R. F. C. [Cottrell] in the Review in regard to organization, and the distracting influence he exerted. He did not sufficiently weigh the matter.—Testimony for the Church, 6:4, 5 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:211).1BIO 435.1
An article in the heart of the pamphlet opened:1BIO 435.2
I was shown that the Spirit of God has had less and less influence upon S. W. R. Rhodes, until he has no strength from God to overcome. Self and self-interest has been prominent with him for some length of time.... He has been exacting, which has encouraged a spirit of faultfinding in the church.—Ibid., 6:27 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:227).
In the article “Fanaticism in Wisconsin” we read:1BIO 435.3
God sent His servants to Brother and Sister Steward. They despised correction, and chose their own course. Brother S. was jealous and stubborn, and his future course must be with great humility.—Ibid., 6:31 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:229, 230).
The next article opened with the words:1BIO 435.4
I was shown the course of G. W. H. [Holt] and S. W. R. [Rhodes]. Although reproved, they have not corrected their wrongs. The people of God have been affected by their wrong course, especially in the State of New York.—Ibid., 6:36 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:233).
The article titled “The Cause in Ohio” began:1BIO 435.5
Since our visit to Ohio in the spring of 1858, G. W. H. [Holt] has done what he could to exert an influence against us; and where he thought he could affect individuals, he has done so by circulating reports to stir up wrong feelings. A message was given me in regard to him and his family when we visited Ohio in the spring of 1858. This testimony was given to him. But very few persons knew that I had a message for him. He rose in rebellion against it, and, like some others who have been reproved, took the position that persons had prejudiced my mind against his family, when the vision pointed out the same faults in his family which I had repeatedly seen for ten years. He said that he believed the visions, but I was influenced by others in writing them.—Ibid., 6:38, 39 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:234, 235).
Near the close of the pamphlet Ellen White included counsel regarding evangelistic work in new places:1BIO 436.1
I saw that when the messengers enter a new place, their labor is worse than lost unless they bear a plain, pointed testimony. They should keep up the distinction between the church of Jesus Christ, and formal, dead professors. There was a failure in P. [Parkville]. Brother J. N. A. [Andrews] was fearful of offending, fearful lest the peculiarities of our faith should appear, and the standard was lowered down to the people....1BIO 436.2
God's servants must bear a pointed testimony. It will cut the natural heart, and develop character. Brethren J. N. A. and J. N. L. [Loughborough] moved with a perfect restraint upon them while in P. Such preaching will never do the work that God designs to have accomplished.—Ibid., 6:59-61 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:248, 249).1BIO 436.3
The last testimony included two names, rather than initials:1BIO 436.4
I was pointed back to the meeting in Iowa City. Brother Cornell felt the burden of the cause. S. Everett had a spirit of opposition. His testimony was not in union with the work of God.—Ibid., 6:63 (see also Testimonies for the Church, 1:250).
In this sixty-four-page pamphlet, Testimony No. 6, in which initials and names were used, Ellen White met her objective. All believers could now have a clear view of the situation and could relate to it accordingly. Most of those who were brought to the front, clearly identified by the use of their initials, with a showing of their weaknesses and mistakes, came to see their true condition. Their acknowledgments and confessions during the next few months were published in the Review.1BIO 436.5
It was a bitter and severe experience for Ellen White and for the church, but one she felt she must endure in being true to her calling. When the time came ten years later for the republication of Testimony No. 6, Ellen White substituted blanks for the initials, thus allowing the messages to stand for their inherent and continued value, divested of personalities. She loved and respected her brethren. She would not hurt them if they could be spared.1BIO 436.6