Chapter 26—Literary Work

As she was finishing her work of The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4 (The Great Controversy), in California early in 1884, Ellen White penned these words:EGWE 255.1

“Write, write, write, I feel that I must, and not delay. Great things are before us, and we want to call the people from their indifference, to get ready for that day. Things that are eternal crowd upon my vision day and night. The things that are temporal fade from my sight.”—Letter 11a, 1884.EGWE 255.2

As the book came from the press, Seventh-day Adventists bought it eagerly and they read it earnestly. For several years it had been promised as the fourth and climaxing volume of the four-book series recounting the great controversy story from the fall of Lucifer and Creation through the centuries to our day and then to the new earth. As the author embarked for Europe in 1885, the book was enjoying a good sale among church members, and plans were being laid for its publication as a volume to be sold by colporteurs.EGWE 255.3

Coming to Europe and living in the environment of Reformation history together with reports of the successful sale of The Great Controversy in America and the calls from her European brethren for the book in their languages led Ellen White to begin to plan for the enlargement of it and other of the conflict books, and particularly volumes one and four for sale, both within and without the church.EGWE 255.4

At first she thought of this as work she would undertake on returning to American shores. As the months stretched out and the realization finally came over her that if her work was to be effective she must continue on in Europe for a year or two, she, as we have seen settled down in Basel, making this her base for writing.EGWE 256.1

Having both her trusted helpers, Marian Davis, who had come to Switzerland in February, 1886, and her daughter-in-law, Mary White, to assist her, Ellen White looked forward to real progress in book preparation. Before she could turn to the enlarging of the great controversy story, she must do her part in furnishing her sermons and the account of her travels in connection with the European trip for the forthcoming book Historical Sketches of SDA Foreign Missions.EGWE 256.2

Under her supervision, decisions had to be made as to what to include and what to omit. Her sermons had to be edited. Then there were the historical articles prepared by the leading workers in Europe about the beginnings of the work—all these Marian had to check for accuracy and proper spelling of names.EGWE 256.3

By early November, Historical Sketches was completed. It was an attractive, 294-page, illustrated, two-column volume in English and would sell in America for 90 cents. But Marian was a little discouraged. She had come over in February to work on the Spirit of Prophecy volumes, she had been in Europe nearly a year, and Ellen White had up to that time almost no time to write for the new, enlarged books.EGWE 256.4

In addition to the work on Historical Sketches, there were editing and typing of testimonies to individuals, preparing and duplicating addresses to be read at camp meetings in America, and sending Ellen White's sermons and other articles for publication in the Review and Signs of the Times.EGWE 256.5

Finally, in December, 1886, Ellen White began seriously the work of revising and enlarging volume 1—Patriarchs and Prophets.EGWE 256.6

All through the first three months of 1887, she concentrated her efforts on the Old Testament history. The plan was to finish the manuscript in Europe and have the book published and on the market by Christmas of 1887. But forces were at work that changed her plans.EGWE 257.1

C. H. Jones, the manager of Pacific Press, in California, had written that there was a need for a new edition of volume 4, The Great Controversy.EGWE 257.2

Sales had been so good that the printing plates were already showing signs of wear. It was decided to reset the book in larger type. Meanwhile, J. G. Matteson had completed a Danish-Norwegian translation of the book, and the Scandinavian leaders were eager to publish it for their colporteurs. In America, Danish and Swedish immigrants were also calling for it.EGWE 257.3

Seeing the success of the book in America, German and French workers in Europe were eager to get The Great Controversy in their languages, and translators in Basel were ready to begin the work.EGWE 257.4

W. C. White talked the situation over with his mother and wrote to C. H. Jones that they would give the book a careful examination, smooth out some expressions that were not as clear as they might be, and add some more references at the foot of the pages. By mid-April, 1887, Ellen White had laid aside her work on volume 1 and had turned to volume 4, and was working diligently to get the latter book ready.EGWE 257.5

The writing of the great controversy story stemmed from several visions, but particularly two that were very comprehensive. One was given to Ellen White in 1848 and the other on March 14, 1858. In great panoramic views the history of the age-long conflict between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels passed before her. Of this she later wrote:EGWE 257.6

“Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the scenes of the long-continued conflict between good and evil haveEGWE 257.7

been opened to the writer of these pages. From time to time I have been permitted to behold the working, in different ages, of the great controversy between Christ, the Prince of life, the Author of our salvation, and Satan, the prince of evil, the author of sin, the first transgressor of God's holy law....EGWE 258.1

“As the Spirit of God has opened to my mind the great truths of His word, and the scenes of the past and the future, I have been bidden to make known to others that which has thus been revealed—to trace the history of the controversy in past ages, and especially so to present it as to shed a light on the fast-approaching struggle of the future.”—The Great Controversy, x, xi, Introduction.EGWE 258.2

When in the summer of 1858 her first published account came from the press, it was comprehensive in its over-all outline, but brief and sketchy, and the high points of the great controversy story were encompassed in a book of 219 small pages.^{*The volume bore the title of Spiritual Gifts, volume one, “The Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels.”} Considering the fact that there were then fewer than three thousand Sabbathkeeping Adventists, the book rated well for size.EGWE 258.3

The volume opens with the words. “The Lord has shown me that Satan was once an honored angel in heaven.” At least once for each page, by the use of such phrases as “I saw,” “I was shown,” “As I beheld,” et cetera, the readers are reminded that what is before them is an eyewitness account, as it were, of the great controversy.EGWE 258.4

The main part deals with the life and work of Jesus, the early Christian church, the period of time to the Advent Movement, and then events to the new earth.EGWE 258.5

The span of centuries between the apostles and the Advent Movement is encompassed in twenty-one small pages. Nonetheless, the reader easily detects that the author is describing events as she in vision witnessed them transpiring. At times symbolic representations spanned and summarized the events of important periods. Chapter 17, entitled “The Great Apostasy,” opens with the words:EGWE 258.6

“I was carried forward to the time when the heathen idolaters cruelly persecuted the Christians, and killed them.”—Page 103.EGWE 259.1

“It was presented before me in the following manner: a large company of heathen idolaters bore a black banner upon which were figures of the sun, moon, and stars. The company seemed to be very fierce and angry.EGWE 259.2

“I was then shown another company bearing a pure white banner, and upon it was written Purity, and Holiness unto the Lord. Their countenances were marked with firmness and heavenly resignation. I saw the heathen idolaters approach them, and there was a great slaughter. The Christians melted away before them.”—Page 105.EGWE 259.3

The next chapter, “Mystery of Iniquity,” continues in the same vein, with the events of centuries reduced to a few scenes and some symbolic representations.EGWE 259.4

There is a five-page chapter titled “The Reformation,” with Martin Luther and Melanchthon introduced (page 120) and other Reformers alluded to.EGWE 259.5

“Luther was chosen to breast the storm, and stand up against the ire of a fallen church, and strengthen the few who were faithful to their holy profession. He was ever fearful of offending God.”—Page 120.EGWE 259.6

“I saw that Luther was ardent and zealous, fearless and bold in reproving sin, and advocating the truth.... Luther possessed fire, zeal, courage and boldness, and at times might go too far; but God raised up Melanchthon, who was just the opposite in character, to aid Luther, and carry on the work of reformation.... I was shown the wisdom of God in choosing these two men, of different characters to carry on the work of reformation.EGWE 259.7

“I was then carried back to the days of the apostles, and saw that God chose as companions an ardent and zealous Peter, and a mild, patient, meek John.”—Pages 122, 123.EGWE 259.8

Coming to the Advent Movement, Ellen White opens the chapter titled “William Miller” with the words:EGWE 259.9

“I saw that God sent His angel to move upon the heart of a farmer who had not believed the Bible, and led him to search the prophecies. Angels of God repeatedly visited that chosen one, and guided his mind, and opened his understanding to prophecies which had ever been dark to God's people.”—Page 128.EGWE 259.10

The internal evidence is clear. Ellen White in vision was shown events taking place and at the same time was taken “behind the scenes,” so to speak, to gain a perception of the deeper meanings involved in what she saw. There is no evidence that there was imparted to her the whole of world history, or even all the events of the history of the periods that passed before her in panoramic view. But that she did see the transpiring of historical events involving the Christian church and the Reformation cannot be denied when one reads this initial E. G. White account thoughtfully.EGWE 260.1

The Great Controversy vision of 1858 created an interest on the part of James and Ellen White in reading the history of the Reformation of the sixteenth century, and they did so, comparing and interpreting the events in the light God gave to her as to events, their philosophy and significance. Of this her son W. C. White reports:EGWE 261.1

“When I was a mere boy, I heard her read D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation to my father. She read to him a large part, if not the whole, of the five volumes. She has read other histories of the Reformation. This has helped her to locate and describe many of the events and the movements presented to her in vision. This is somewhat similar to the way in which the study of the Bible helps her to locate and describe the many figurative representations given to her regarding the development of the great controversy in our day between truth and error.”—W. C. White in an address to the General Conference Council, October 30, 1911. Quoted in The Ellen G. White Writings, 189.^{*For a more detailed discussion of Ellen White's writing in the field of Reformation history, the reader is referred to the currently available book, The Writings of Ellen G. White, prepared by Arthur L. White.}EGWE 261.2

As time passed, two editions of the little 1858 book were sold out. The church had grown and could handle larger books. As the years passed by, in many visions certain parts of the great controversy story were repeated to Ellen White in greater detail. Consequently she decided to present the great controversy story in larger volumes. As she wrote of the Reformation, she quite naturally turned to accepted Reformation historians and in her description of events often quoted from them.EGWE 261.3

Of this she wrote in 1888.EGWE 261.4

“In some cases where a historian has so grouped together events as to afford, in brief, a comprehensive view of the subject, or has summarized details in a convenient manner, his words have been quoted.”—Ibid., xii, Introduction.EGWE 261.5

And she explains:EGWE 261.6

“The quotations are not given for the purpose of citing that writer as authority, but because his statement affords a ready and forcible presentation of the subject.”—Ibid.EGWE 261.7

The book published in 1884 picked up the great controversy story with the account of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, dealt with the apostasy of the Christian church, the Dark Ages, the Reformation, et cetera. This was followed by the account of the Advent Movement, the development of a church under the messages of the three angels of Revelation 14, then sweeps through in prophetic forecast to the second advent of Christ, the millennium, the destruction of the wicked, and the earth made new. It contained 492 pages of text, followed by certain appendix notes.EGWE 261.8

This was the book that Ellen White, now in Europe in 1887, with the aid of her literary assistants, was enlarging to meet a wider reading audience both in America and in Europe.EGWE 261.9

She found that her visits in the countries of Europe to places linked with the scenes of the Reformation aided in depicting the scenes by pen. Of this her son wrote:EGWE 261.10

“During her two years residence in Basel, she visited many places where events of special importance occurred in the Reformation days. This refreshed her memory as to what she had been shown and this led to important enlargement in those portions of the book dealing with the Reformation days.”—W. C. White letter to L. E. Froom, December 13, 1934. Quoted in The Ellen G. White Writings, 127.EGWE 261.11

And while in Europe, as has been noted in chapter 9, as she reported her visit to Sweden and recounted the experiences of the child preacher, she wrote:EGWE 262.1

“Years ago the work of the first message in these countries was presented before me, and I was shown circumstances similar to those related above.”—Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 206.EGWE 262.2

On one occasion W. C. White recounted an enlightening experience in Basel:EGWE 262.3

“One Sabbath, at Basel, as I was reading Wylie's History of Protestantism, telling about the experience of the Roman armies coming against the Hungarians [Bohemians], and how a large body of persecutors would see a little body of Protestants, and become frightened, and beat a hasty retreat. As I read it to Mother, she interrupted me, and told me a lot of things in the pages ahead, and told me many things not in the book at all. She said, ‘I never read about it, but that scene has been presented to me over and over again. I have seen the papal armies, and sometimes before they had come in sight of the Protestants, the angels of God would give them a representation of large armies, that would make them flee.’EGWE 262.4

“I said, ‘Why did you not put it into your book? [Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4]. She said, ‘I did not know where to put it.’” W. C. White talk at Takoma Hall, Takoma Park, Maryland, December 17, 1905. Quoted in The Ellen G. White Writings, 126.EGWE 262.5

Of her visit to Zurich, Switzerland, he wrote:EGWE 262.6

“I was with Mother when we visited Zurich and I well remember how thoroughly her mind was aroused by seeing the old cathedral and the market place and she spoke of them as they were in the days of Zwingli.”—W. C. White letter to L. E. Froom, December 13, 1934. Quoted in The Ellen G. White Writings, 127.EGWE 262.7

In later years she also recounted how her mind was refreshed as she was writing the history.EGWE 263.1

“While writing the manuscript of ‘Great Controversy,’ I was often conscious of the presence of the angels of God. And many times the scenes about which I was writing were presented to me anew in visions of the night, so that they were fresh and vivid in my mind.”—E. G. White Letter 56, 1911. Published in The Ellen G. White Writings, 191, 192.EGWE 263.2

In her work in Basel, Ellen White was appreciative of having access to Elder Andrews’ library now at the publishing house and could gain easy access to accepted historical works as she wrote, in the spring and summer, on The Great Controversy manuscript.EGWE 263.3

At the same time, the work was being prepared for translation. W. C. White explained in a letter to J. H. Waggoner dated April 15, 1887:EGWE 263.4

“We are now reading it [Vol. 4] through with those who are to translate it into German and French and by discussing various points we think it will enable them to make a better translation. We are finding some places where corrections should be made in the English and on some points Mother wishes to add. She is now writing about Huss, which will make chapter five a little larger. She is also writing about Zwingle.”EGWE 263.5

Each morning then, at seven, a little group gathered in the office library: W. C. White, Marian Davis, B. L. Whitney, and the French and German translators. W. C. White commented on the type of problems they discovered: “We find several places where figurative language is used, which though perfectly plain to SDA's and those familiar with the Bible may not be clear to all the readers to whom your new edition will go.” Years later, he recalled:EGWE 263.6

“When we reached those chapters relating to the Reformation in Germany and France, the translators would comment on the appropriateness of the selection of historical events which Sister White had chosen, and in two instances which I remember, they suggested that there were other events of corresponding importance which she had not mentioned.EGWE 263.7

“When this was brought to her attention, she requested that the histories be brought to her that she might consider the importance of the events which had been mentioned. The reading of the history refreshed to her mind that which she had seen, after which she wrote a description of the event.”—The Ellen G. White Writings, 128.EGWE 264.1

In mid-April, 1887, Ellen White herself told of her work in a letter to her son Edson:EGWE 264.2

“I stopped my work on that [Vol. 1] to put additions into Volume 4. I work early and constantly until dark, then retire early and generally rise between three and four.”—Letter 82, 1887.EGWE 264.3

Several years later she would recall:EGWE 264.4

“The words have been spoken in a charge to me, ‘Write in a book the things thou hast seen and heard, and let it go to all people; for the time is at hand when past history will be repeated.’ I have been aroused at one, two, or three o'clock in the morning, with some point forcibly impressed upon my mind, as if spoken by the voice of God....EGWE 264.5

“I was shown ... that I should devote myself to writing out the important matters for Volume 4, and that the warnings must go where the living messenger could not go, and that it would call the attention of many to the important events to occur in the closing scenes of this world's history.”—Letter 1, 1890. (May 14, 1890.)EGWE 264.6

Another objective of the revision and enlargement of The Great Controversy was to make it more understandable to the people of Europe:EGWE 264.7

“Mother has entered heartily into this work of making the book more suitable for European readers,” W. C. White wrote, “and has added several important passages.”EGWE 264.8

While this work was going on, the publication of the book in Norway and in America was held up, but with important additions coming from the pen of Ellen White there was nothing to do but wait. For more than a month, Mrs. White wrote energetically—early and late. Her diary entries sometimes contain nothing more than the number of pages she had produced:EGWE 264.9

April 23 22 pages letter paper April 24 22 pages letter paper April 25 32 pages letter paper April 26 17 pages letter paper, 12 pages notepaper April 27 wrote 18 pages letter paper April 28 20 pages letter paper April 29 8 pages letter paper, 12 pages note.EGWE 265.1

It was near the end of this period of intensive writing that she made the visit to Zurich referred to earlier. W. C. White explained the purpose:EGWE 265.2

“For several days we have been thinking of making a short visit to Zurich. We have been reading the account of Zwingle's work, and before leaving [Europe] we want to see his city. Mother is especially anxious to see Zurich, and we have some business matters to attend to also.”EGWE 265.3

While good progress was made on the enlargement of The Great Controversy the work was unfinished when it came time to leave Basel for the last round of visits in Germany, Scandinavia, and England. Literary work usually takes longer than the most optimistic estimates of the time that would be involved. She would take the unfinished manuscript of both Patriarchs and Prophets and The Great Controversy back with her to America. At her Healdsburg, California, home she would finish The Great Controversy in April, 1888, and Patriarchs and Prophets in early 1890.EGWE 265.4

Nonetheless, Ellen G. White's literary work done in Basel formed an important segment of her published messages.EGWE 265.5