Chapter 6—A Misunderstanding

Some have wondered if W. C. White did not sometimes prompt his mother as to what she ought to say to ministers or business men regarding their duty and connection with the general work. I will relate an instance showing what I sometimes do, and how one good woman thought she had the clearest evidence that I had undertaken to tell Mother what she ought to say to a minister who was under deep trial, and who felt that he needed counsel and advice.ITC 8.5

At the close of the General Conference held in Battle Creek in 1901, the brethren urged that Mother should go to Indianapolis and attend the general meeting appointed there, to consider the fanatical work carried on by a group of laborers who had been teaching the doctrine of the holy flesh.ITC 8.6

Mother was weary, and felt that she had not strength for this additional burden. She repeatedly told me and other members of the family that she did not feel able to attend that meeting. She did not feel that she had strength to bear the testimony which she must bear if she attended the meeting. Then she told us many things which she would have to say to the brethren who had been teaching the strange doctrines in Indiana. She repeated this several times, so that I remembered very distinctly what it was that she said she must testify if she went to Indiana. Finally she decided to go. The Lord strengthened her for the journey, and she bore her testimony to a large congregation of our people in a clear, decisive way. After this she was requested to speak to a large public audience Sunday afternoon. This was a heavy draft on her strength, and at the close she was very weary.ITC 9.1

Sunday afternoon I had a long talk with one of the ministers holding the strange doctrine against which Mother had borne her testimony, and he asked for an interview with Mother. I told him that Mother was weary. But when I saw that he would feel grieved and injured if the interview was denied, I told him I would do all I could to arrange for an interview early Monday morning.ITC 9.2

I expected to see Mother Sunday evening and tell her of this brother’s desire to see her in the morning, but committee work prevented my seeing her that evening.ITC 9.3

Monday morning early I went to her room and found her very busy writing. Then she told me that an important subject had been opened up to her mind in the night, and she greatly desired to write it out before anything came in to divert her mind from the subject. I then told her that I had promised one of the ministers that I would do my best to arrange for an interview with her early Monday morning. Mother said, “But my mind is now on this other subject. I have borne my testimony to our people and my discourse to the large audience exhausted my strength, and now I have this new subject to write out. Why must I have a private interview with this brother?” Again I told her of his desire to have an interview with her, and she said, “But what can I say to him?” Then I saw that the Sunday afternoon discourse and the new subject opened to her mind had taken her thoughts completely away from the matter of the holy flesh fanaticism, and so I repeated to her some of the things which she told us in Battle Creek that she would have to say to these brethren if she came to Indiana. After calling her attention to a few of the things that she had repeatedly told us she must say to these brethren if she came to Indiana, her mind took up that line of thought, and then I went to look for the brother.ITC 9.4

During this conversation, a good sister in the next room had heard some of our words. I had spoken quite loudly to Mother, and the sister had heard my words without hearing, perhaps, what Mother said, and she was greatly surprised and shocked to hear W. C. White telling his mother what she should say to a brother in perplexity. Of course the matter was told to others, and the report was circulated far and wide for many months before it came to my attention. When Elder Hankins wrote to me about it, I explained to him the facts in the case, and I have heard nothing from it since; but this is an illustration of how that which is fair and right may be misunderstood and regarded as serious error by those who but partially understand the facts in the case.ITC 9.5

It has often happened that because of the instruction I have received from Mother, I have in committee meetings taken a position disagreeing with some of my brethren, and afterward, when Mother had occasion to write upon the subject, our brethren were shocked and surprised to find that she was upholding those things which I had stood for, and they drew the conclusion that I had been influencing Mother; whereas, I had been trying to represent in the committee that which she had been teaching and advocating. Her testimony agreed with those plans and policies that I had stood for only because I had stood for that which I had been taught by her.—(Signed) W. C. White.—DF 107d.ITC 10.1

Ellen G. White Publications

General Conference of S. D. A.

Takoma Park, Washington 12, D. C.

May 20, 1954