Chapter 4—Autobiographical Writing

Several times during her lifetime Ellen White wrote out her personal life experiences. The first account was her first small book, printed in 1851, titled The Christian Experience and Views of Mrs. Ellen G. White. She provided a supplement to this in 1854. (Both of these are now included in Early Writings.) In 1860 she prepared Spiritual Gifts, Volume II, as a record of her experiences. Another life sketch appeared at the beginning of Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1. In 1886 she included a journal of her travel and appointments in early months in Europe in a book called Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists. The final personal record of events appeared as Life Sketches of Ellen G. White in 1915, the year of her death. This account drew heavily on the earlier ones.HPEGWW 13.1

In the preface of SG, Volume II, she wrote:HPEGWW 13.2

In preparing the following pages, I have labored under great disadvantages, as I have had to depend in many instances, on memory, having kept no journal till within a few years. In several instances I have sent the manuscripts to friends who were present when the circumstances related occurred, for their examination before they were put into print. I have taken great care, and have spent much time, in endeavoring to state the simple facts as correctly as possible.—2SG, p. iii.

A very unusual statement from Ellen White. It appears that the common, everyday account of events in her life she did not consider inspired. It is the only such area of writing that she so characterizes. She states it another way in Selected Messages 1:39:HPEGWW 13.3

There are times when common things must be stated, common thoughts must occupy the mind, common letters must be written and information given that has passed from one to another of the workers. Such words, such information, are not given under the special inspiration of the Spirit of God. Questions are asked at times that are not upon religious subjects at all, and these questions must be answered. We converse about houses and lands, trades to be made, and locations for our institutions, the advantages and disadvantages.—Selected Messages 1:39.