Chapter 4—Warnings Against Deceptive Claims of the Spirit's Guidance

[On November 12, 1908, there came to St. Helena, California, a zealous man, with his wife. They sought an interview with Mrs. White, and related to her remarkable experiences dating back for about three years. These experiences began to come to them after several days of fasting and praying for the Holy Spirit until, as they said, “great drops of sweat stood on our brow.” They believed that they had received the Holy Spirit as did the early apostles. They claimed to have spoken in tongues, and to have labored zealously for others that they might enter into a similar experience.2SM 40.1

They had been arrested in the east on a charge of exercising mesmeric influence on a child. After hearing the case the attorney and the mayor had said that if they were not on the border of insanity, they were perilously close to it. They claimed that while in the jail they were told “through the Spirit” to act as though they were insane, with the result that God “put the fear on these men, so they were fearful to come inside” the cell.2SM 40.2

They believed that the child whom they were charged with mesmerizing was gifted with the Spirit of Prophecy, and directed them where to go. They claimed that through prayer they had healed the sick, cast out devils, and had done many other wonderful works. Of his wife, the husband said, “The Spirit operates through her, and we believe that this is the gift of prophecy that is to be poured out on all flesh.”2SM 40.3

The following statements were made by Mrs. White in reference to this and similar movements.—Compilers.]2SM 40.4