Through the Early Months of 1886

During the winter and spring months of 1886 Ellen White devoted her energies to her writing, with occasional weekend trips to visit nearby churches in Switzerland. In addition to her almost-constant letter writing, her first literary work was to carry out the resolution, passed during the closing days of the European Missionary Council, that called for the publication in English of a “report of the European missions, with the report of Sister White's morning talks and a sketch of her visit to the missions” (see Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 118). This would be for the information and encouragement of members in America.3BIO 338.6

W. C. White was editing the volume and gathering in the reports, which included Australia as well as Europe. But Ellen, with Mary's help, had to edit and prepare the E. G. White addresses, and she needed to write out the story of her travels. In doing this, several reports written for the Review and Herald, but principally her diary, diligently kept for just such a purpose, were a great help.3BIO 339.1

Occasionally she spoke on the Sabbath in the hall at the publishing house. Inasmuch as she was working on the enlargement of Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, it is not surprising that on Sabbath, January 23, her topic was the rebellion of Lucifer. “I know the Lord blessed me in bringing out the subject,” she wrote. “All were intensely interested. Sister Whitney took it down in shorthand.... We are in every discourse getting subject matter to be used.”—Letter 94, 1886. The next Sabbath she spoke on Cain and Abel.3BIO 339.2