Visits to Zurich

But before leaving they felt they must spend a day in Zurich. So May 12, in the company of W. C. White and his wife, Marian Davis, and Elder Whitney, Mrs. White left by train for this adventure. It was a rainy, cloudy day. At noon they arrived in the famous northern city of Switzerland where Ulrich Zwingli proclaimed the truth of justification by faith during the sixteenth century.EGWE 272.3

Elders Conradi and Erzberger met the party at the train station. One of the first events of the day was to visit a distinguished Zurich landmark, the Gross Munster with its twin towers, a portion of which was said to have been built about A.D. 300. Mrs. White was told that in those early times the chapels had no seats. The congregation simply stood and listened to the preacher.EGWE 272.4

In a little chapel near the church she delighted in scanning the ancient books in Latin and Greek. Zwingli's Bible fascinated her. She “saw the veritable writing of Zwingli,” she said.EGWE 273.1

Emerging into the sunlight again, they viewed a life-sized monument of Zwingli. The statue, done in bronze, represented the Reformer as both soldier and chaplain, about to go into battle.EGWE 273.2

“One hand rests upon the handle of his sword,” she wrote, “while in the other hand he clasps a Bible.”—Manuscript 29, 1887. W. C. White half a century later wrote of his observations on that day:EGWE 273.3

“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.EGWE 273.4

The next year she was to write about Zwingli and his struggles on the field of religious faith and actual war in The Great Controversy:EGWE 273.5

“In Switzerland as in Germany, there came dark days for the Reformation. While many cantons accepted the reformed faith, others clung with blind persistence to the creed of Rome. Their persecution of those who desired to receive the truth finally gave rise to civil war. Zwingli and many who had united with him in reform fell on the bloody field of Cappel.”—Pages 211, 212.EGWE 273.6