Ellen G white Testimonies
Ellen G white Testimonies
Ellen G white Testimonies
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Testimonies on Sabbath School
For some time an earnest desire has been expressed by many that we might have a compilation of the testimonies bearing on the Sabbath-school work, for the benefit of those who are specially interested in it. In response
to these solicitations the officers of the international Sabbath-school association have with much care and labor gathered the matter presented in this little volume. {TSS 5.1}
It has been thought best to arrange the selections as far as possible in chronological order, giving first place to those which were written first, and giving credit to the source from which each was taken. Brief quotations and paragraphs are arranged in the same order and placed by themselves under the title “fragments,” at the close of the work. {TSS 5.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
The reader will not find all that has been written on a given subject in the article upon that subject, for excellent thoughts will be found on almost every phase of the Sabbath-school work in many of the leading articles. The alphabetical index will greatly aid in finding particular statements, and room has been left after each letter so that other features may be added to it if desired. What is said in regard to the qualifications and duties of teachers, applies with equal force to superintendents. {TSS 5.3}
In some cases an article or paragraph may have been published several times, and in different places. We do not undertake to give references to each and every place where an article or paragraph has appeared, but only to the place where first published. {TSS 5.4} Ellen G white Testimonies
It has been our aim to have the arrangement of the work, the preparation of the index, and the form of the book such as to make the excellent matter which it contains easy of access, and quickly available for study or reference. We, therefore, send it forth with the expectation and the earnest prayer that it will prove a source of pleasure and rich blessing to the present and future workers in our Sabbath-schools. {TSS 6.1}
Executive Board Int. S.S. Association.
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Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery and Divorce
When this compilation was produced, it was not intended for general circulation. It was designed to assist church administrators and other ministers in their efforts to maintain high moral standards in the church, balancing
mercy with justice in dealing with members involved in question table or immoral conduct. However, the book has proved so helpful, and the demand for it so widespread, that it is now being made generally available as part of the Christian Home Library series. {TSB 5.1}
Readers will note that many of the letters in this volume were addressed to errant ministerial laborers. Since Ellen White corresponded largely with ministers and other gospel workers, this should come as no surprise. However, in spite of the faults and sins of those to whom she wrote, Ellen White had great confidence in the ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. At the age of 85 she sent two messages to be read to the General Conference session of 1913. In the first message she assured the delegates, {TSB 5.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
“While I still feel the deepest anxiety over the attitude that some are taking toward important measures connected with the development of the cause of God in the earth, yet I have strong faith in the workers throughout the field, and believe that as they meet together and humble themselves before the Lord and consecrate themselves anew to His service, they will be enabled to do His will.”—Selected Messages 2:401, 402. {TSB 5.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
In her second and final message to the conference Ellen White declared: {TSB 5.4}
“When in the night season I am unable to sleep, I lift my heart in prayer to God, and He strengthens me and gives me the assurance that He is with His ministering servants in the home field and in distant lands. I am
encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end.”—Selected Messages 2:406. {TSB 5.5} Ellen G white Testimonies
These expressions of confidence make clear that the moral problems dealt with in the letters quoted in this volume were not general or widespread. Nevertheless, since contemporary moral problems are similar to those of past decades, we believe that many letters written by Ellen White a century ago contain warnings and appeals that need to be heard today. Concerning the use of her letters, Ellen White said: {TSB 6.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
“I am endeavoring by the help of God to write letters that will be a help, not merely to those to whom they are addressed, but to many others who need them.”—Letter 79, 1905. {TSB 6.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
The present compilation is not designed to serve as a manual of rules for dealing with immorality, infidelity, or unscriptural divorce and remarriage. No manual could cover every possible moral irregularity. When W. C. White was asked for an authoritative statement from his mother that would serve as a standard by which to settle all cases of unscriptural marriage, he replied: {TSB 6.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
“After reading the documents I sent you today, you will say, well, he has not given me anything authoritative from Sister White that directly answers the question. But I think you will see from what I am sending you that it was Sister White’s intention that there should not go forth from her pen anything that could be used as a law or a rule dealing with these questions of marriage, divorce, remarriage, and adultery. She felt that the different cases where the devil had led men into serious entanglements were so varied and so serious, that should she write anything that could be considered as a rule for settling such cases, it would be misunderstood and misused.”—W. C. White to C. P. Bollman, January 6, 1931. {TSB 6.4} Ellen G white Testimonies
We concur fully with Ellen White’s view. Moral problems are complex. No two situations are exactly alike. Each will require careful study; and although the differences may be minor, each situation will require its own solution. The Holy Spirit will always be needed as a divine Guide and Counselor to help those who are grappling with moral problems. {TSB 7.1}
All given names in this book are genuine, but, in the various problem cases cited, letters of the alphabet have been substituted for the surname. All chapter titles and sub-headings have been supplied. {TSB 7.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
It is our hope and prayer that in the hands of an ever-learning and truly caring church, the materials in this compilation will contribute to the elevation of moral standards in the church, and at the same time provide comfort, encouragement, and hope for those whose complex moral problems seem beyond human solution. {TSB 7.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
The Trustees of the
Ellen G. White Estate
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Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers
As noted in the preface to this third edition, Testimonies to Ministers consists of materials drawn from several sources, primarily Ellen G. White articles which have appeared in the Review and Herald and pamphlets bearing
testimonies to the Battle Creek church and to the leading workers of the cause. The larger part of the content of this volume was written in the years 1890-1898, with some earlier and later materials drawn in to augment certain areas of counsel. Section I, “The Church of Christ,” gives assurance of the tender regard in which God holds his church, and contains clear-cut promises of the church’s triumph. This is followed by Warnings and Counsels to Ministers and Administrators. {TM xv.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
The decade of the 1890’s was an interesting, yet in some ways distressing, period in the experience of Seventh-day Adventists. The church was growing, more than doubling its membership in the ten-year period. With rapidity its workers were entering new countries. Institutions at home and abroad were brought into being. Ellen G white Testimonies
The original provisions for organization devised at the first general conference session in 1863 were being rapidly outgrown. Older established institutions were expanding and entering upon a period of popularity with both Seventh-day Adventists and the world. This growth was fraught with many perils, from liberalism on one hand to consolidation and centralization on the other hand. Then, in and through the experience of this period, there were elements reflecting the aftermath of the 1888 General Conference session held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where certain doctrinal issues were discussed heatedly and at length. A number of men identified themselves with one camp or the other, with their decisions influenced not alone by the doctrinal arguments presented, but also molded by attitudes toward the spirit of prophecy counsels. In some cases these attitudes were not wholesome. Through most of this period, Ellen White was in Australia, laboring to build up the work in that newly entered land and leading out in the establishment of a college and a sanitarium in that continent. {TM xv.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
This volume bears the title of Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers. It is not devoted essentially to instruction as to how the work of the minister should be conducted, as is Gospel Workers. This volume contains messages given to admonish, warn, reprove, and counsel the ministers of the church, with special attention given to perils peculiar to men who stand in positions of responsibility. Some of the reproofs are severe, but the assurance is given that God in his chastening, “wounds only that he may heal, not cause to perish.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 23. {TM xvi.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
The reproofs and counsels directed to ministers and especially administrators were not published initially by Ellen G. White, but rather by the President of the General Conference, and later the General Conference Committee. For the most part they were messages directed originally to the President of the General Conference, O. A. Olsen, and his associates in administrative work, particularly in Battle Creek. He and his committee placed them in print that their fellow ministers and fellow administrators might have the benefit of the reproofs which pointed out wrongs, and the counsels and encouragement associated with the reproof. {TM xvi.2}
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Testimonies to Southern Africa
When in 1886 a “Macedonian call” came to the General Conference in Battle Creek from several Sabbath-keeping Adventists in South Africa asking that a minister be sent to them, the response came in the form of a
company who set out from America the next year for Cape Town, consisting of D. A. Robinson and C. L. Boyd and their wives; two colporteurs, George Burleigh and R. S. Anthony; and a Bible instructor, Miss Carrie Mace. {TSA 4.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
In Norway, as they were en route to South Africa, the path of brethren D. A. Robinson and C. L. Boyd crossed that of Ellen White who had gone from America to spend some time in Europe (1885-1887); and having become deeply interested in their mission she wrote letters of counsel which she placed in their hands as they journeyed to Africa. {TSA 4.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
Mrs. White’s interest in the opening work in Africa did not stop there. In 1889 when S. N. Haskell went to Africa to spend five months in visiting, holding meetings, and counseling concerning the work, he received letters from Ellen White in which she discussed certain aspects of the work of the mission and those leading out in it. {TSA 4.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
A. T. Robinson was sent to Africa in 1891 and, as he took charge of the work there, had much to do in shaping its organization. Letters of counsel from the pen of Ellen White were also addressed to him. {TSA 4.4} Ellen G white Testimonies
Among those very prominent in Ellen White’s correspondence concerning the Africa interests was a South African family, the Wessels family, who had come into the possession of considerable means. Pieter Wessels was one of the original two believers who wrote for help to the General Conference in 1886, and this entire family evoked the deepest interest in the years that followed on the part of Ellen White who was concerned with their spiritual welfare, their personal problems, and the right use of their means for the cause. {TSA 4.5} Ellen G white Testimonies
While Ellen White never visited South Africa in person she conducted regular correspondence with leaders and members there while she was in Australia from 1891 to 1900. There are in the files many letters from the pen of Ellen White to members of the Wessels family starting in 1890 and spanning the years to 1908, only seven years before her death. {TSA 5.1}
To summarize, the E. G. White materials in the files of letters and documents touching on Africa consist of counsels to missionaries and leaders in Africa, to believers, and especially to members of the Wessels family. It includes counsel to individuals, some of it very personal and applying to particular situations. There are observations pointing out mistakes in method, many exhortations, statements of principles applying to the work, and many pages of deeply spiritual instruction. {TSA 5.2}
The E. G. White office has endeavoured to bring together in this collection the relevant material that will serve to guide and inspire in the work in Africa, and to include some of the special items out of the correspondence that will show the deep interest and involvement of Ellen White in the Africa mission and her burden for the rapid and balanced growth of the Advent message in that continent. {TSA 5.3}
Ellen G. White Estate
Washington, D. C.
August 1974
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Testimony Treasures Vol 1
The possession of the spirit of prophecy is one of the two distinguishing features of the remnant church, as foretold in the book of the Revelation. From the very beginning days this gift has played an important role in the
experience of Seventh-day Adventists and in the development of the church. Through it the church has been admonished, guided, encouraged, as well as reproved and corrected. {1TT 5.1}
As from time to time the Testimonies came from the press, they were eagerly secured, their contents prayerfully studied, and the instruction heeded. Through the years some of these testimonies have also been provided for believers who read languages other than English. Largely to these messages may be traced the present-day strength, unity, and high standards of the church. {1TT 5.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
Now, through this world edition of Testimony Treasures, these counsels which have wielded so large an influence are being made available to Seventh-day Adventists the world around.
It is, however, only by presenting a selection of articles that it is possible to publish them in this compact, easily handled, and widely distributed form. {1TT 5.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
These three volumes present a well-balanced and fully representative selection of articles, chosen by able committees of experienced workers, under the direction of, and in collaboration with the Board of Trustees of the Ellen G. White Publications, the agency established by Mrs. E. G. White to carry the responsibility of the continuing publication of her writings. They constitute an integral part of the Introductory Spirit of Prophecy Library—twelve spirit of prophecy volumes designated for early publication in the principal languages of the world. {1TT 5.4} Ellen G white Testimonies
The full nine volumes of the Testimonies for the Church are composed of a series of independently written articles and letters often on unrelated topics. The first collection, in pamphlet form, was published late in 1855. Others soon followed, until there were thirty-seven consecutively numbered pamphlets and books issued over a period of fifty-five years. The messages were both general and specific in character, interspersed with personal testimonies dealing with problems others might face. {1TT 5.5}
Written as they were over a long period of time, to meet the current needs of the church, there was naturally considerable repetition of subject matter. Moreover, much of the counsel applied especially to local and sometimes isolated conditions that existed at the time of writing. Such repetition of counsel, and messages of local import, while of great value, are not of present-day service to the church outside North America. A selection of articles of general and universal application is therefore feasible and advisable as the testimony counsel is made available to the church throughout the world. The making of such a selection is in full harmony with a policy outlined by Mrs. White herself in 1864 in reprinting the first ten numbers of the Testimonies. To make this clear we quote her introductory statement: {1TT 6.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
“During the last nine years, from 1855 to 1864, I have written ten small pamphlets, entitled Testimony for the Church, which have been published and circulated among Seventh-day Adventists. The first edition of most of these pamphlets being exhausted, and there being an increasing demand for them, it has been thought best to reprint them, as given in the following pages, omitting local and personal matters, and giving those portions only which are of practical and general interest and importance.”—Testimony for the Church, Nos. 1-10, as Republished in Spiritual Gifts, volume 4. {1TT 6.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
Although later English editions embodied the full presentation of the earlier pamphlets, these principles enunciated by Mrs. White have guided in preparing this uniform world edition of Testimony Treasures. {1TT 6.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
The Testimonies for the Church published in English aggregate 4,737 pages. There are 1,500 pages of text in these three volumes of Testimony Treasures, or about one third of the content of the nine volumes. An endeavor has been made to include all of the articles which have appeared in the two basic Selections From the Testimonies which have in the past been published in languages other than English—the two-volume 650-page edition published in Central Europe and the three-volume 1,100-page edition published in some of the Latin languages. In a few cases when paralleling articles in the above-named Selections would result in duplication or a close repetition of subject matter in this three-volume set or within the Introductory Spirit of Prophecy Library, such articles have been omitted. {1TT 7.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
As a rule, articles are used in their entirety. In some cases, however, in order to conserve space and thus open the way for a broad selection of subject matter, some portions of long articles are omitted. In each case, deletions in the text are indicated. Aside from the articles which are selected, some outstanding paragraphs, presenting vital points of truth, have been taken from other chapters. In each case the original source is clearly indicated. There have also been included a few important articles of a testimony character, dealing with vital topics not represented in the Testimonies, but which appear elsewhere in the English editions of the E. G. White books not available in other languages. {1TT 7.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
The articles will be found in their chronological order as they appear in the full nine-volume set, with the exception of a few cases where rearrangement seemed advisable to make appropriate openings for the three volumes. Subheadings have been added, and in some cases long paragraphs have been divided. Modern forms of punctuation and spelling have been employed, but there has been no editing or changing of the text. The date of first publication, together with the source of the article and the original chapter title, if a change in title has been made, is given as a footnote in connection with each article. {1TT 7.3}
In a very few cases references which are obscure because of the deletion of preceding chapters are clarified by explanatory footnotes. It will be observed that in the personal testimonies the names of those concerned do not appear, the initials “A,” “B,” “C,” etc., being used instead. The initial used in the testimony, therefore, bears no relation to the name of the individual for whom the message was given. {1TT 8.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
These volumes in the English are not designed to replace the full nine-volume set of Testimonies for the Church. That standard edition will always be in large demand. Testimony Treasures in the English will, however, greatly broaden the distribution of important testimony counsels, making them available in convenient and less expensive form for English readers in the Americas and abroad. {1TT 8.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
As rapidly as these volumes are made available in other leading languages, they will carry the important testimony messages of admonition and encouragement to the homes of Seventh-day Adventists throughout the world. The uniformity of content of Testimony Treasures as published in all languages, will bring large advantage to the people of God who are one in interest, objective, faith, and hope throughout the world. That this counsel, vital to the welfare of the church, may be effectual in “the perfecting of the saints” and “the edifying of the body of Christ,” is the earnest prayer of the General Conference Committee, the publishers, and— {1TT 8.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
The Trustees of the Ellen G. White Publications.
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Testimony Treasures Vol 2 Ellen G white Testimonies
The nineteen-year period spanned by the counsels of this volume was a time of expansion in the work of Seventh-day Adventists. In earlier decades the foundations of doctrine were laid, the work of the church organized,
and beginnings made in such leading lines of church endeavor as the publishing, medical, and educational. The opportunities of foreign mission service were now beginning to open before us. {2TT 5.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
The instruction given through this critical period to guide and guard the church and edify its members speaks to our hearts today as we are faced with similar opportunities, problems, and responsibilities. {2TT 5.2}
As in Book 1, the articles appear in their chronological order. The date of first publication and the source reference is given as a footnote at the opening of each chapter. While most of this material has been selected from Testimonies for the Church, volumes 4, 5, and 6, four chapters have been drawn from other E. G. White books and periodical articles. {2TT 5.3}
That these counsels in the hands of Seventh-day Adventists the world around may lead to higher standards and more earnest service is the fervent wish of the publishers and {2TT 5.4}
The Trustees of the Ellen G. White Publications.
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Testimony Treasures Vol 3
Book 3 of Testimony Treasures forms the capsheaf to the three-book set which is to carry these precious testimony counsels to Seventh-day Adventists around the world. The articles comprising this volume were penned in
the decade commencing with the year 1900—a period of well-rounded and solid development of the work of the church which had now grown to world-wide scope. {3TT 5.1} Ellen G white Testimonies
This book closes with the last formal messages to the church penned by Ellen G. White. Although these messages were given some years after Volume 9 of the Testimonies was published, it is fitting that these significant statements should be included here. {3TT 5.2} Ellen G white Testimonies
In the make-up of this volume, as in the preceding volumes, the chronological arrangement has been followed, and as an aid to the reader the date of first publication and the source of each article are noted. {3TT 5.3} Ellen G white Testimonies
The messages contained herein are of great importance to the remnant church. That the counsels to the church contained in these three volumes may be the means of leading Seventh-day Adventists throughout the world to a richer experience in grace, a deeper devotion, and more earnest endeavor in giving the Advent message to the world is the sincere wish of the publishers and {3TT 5.4}The Trustees of the Ellen G. White Publications.
In Chapter Four of Love Wins, Bell criticizes some statements of faith that he has taken from evangelical church websites that reflect Jesus’ teachings on Hell: “The unsaved will be separated forever from God in hell.” After giving a number of examples with which he feels uncomfortable, Bells states, 
The emergent-friendly, Global Dictionary of Theology, makes a distinction between ‘Hopeful Universalism’ and ‘Convinced Universalism’:
Indeed, in the very preface of Love Wins, Bell contradicts Jesus’ teaching that few would actually be saved. Bell writes:
It is a sobering thought that Jesus went on to state in the verses immediately following His teaching on the narrow and broad roads, that false prophets would come in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15-21). Such false prophets stand at the cross roads between the broad and narrow road, claiming to represent Christ, while pointing their followers toward the broad road that leads destruction, assuring them that it eventually leads to Heaven. Consider this for a minute. Isn’t this exactly what Rob Bell is doing?
Rob Bell not only redefines Hell by teaching that it will only be a temporary abode for those who want to leave later, but he redefines Hell by claiming that it is not so much about the after life, but it’s about what you make of the life here and now. In his book, Velvet Elvis, Bell had already stated this position:
Rob Bell takes every possible liberty to deny reality and to either explain Hell away or get everyone into Heaven, regardless of his or her rejection of God and the Gospel. Bell not only empties Hell of God’s holy wrath, he creates an exit door from the inside out and claims that Hell is merely what we make it. He also claims that most of the imagery of future judgments in Hell were fulfilled on earth in AD 70 (p. 81).
By claiming that the unrepentant wicked will have a chance to get to Heaven from Hell, Rob Bell has gone beyond that of Edward W. Fudge, who states in The Fire That Consumes, 
Biblical Scholar D.A. Carson, commenting on Matthew 25:46, says :
“What is hard to prove, but seems to me probable, is that one reason why the conscious punishment of hell is ongoing is because sin is ongoing.”
There is hardly any wiggle room for a second chance in hell in these passages or anywhere in Scripture. Bell would have his readers believe of the book of Revelation that 
May God give us the grace, in these times of apostasy, to hold fast to Jesus’ teachings and remain faithful to our loving and Holy Lord to the end. May God deliver His bride from the cotton candy Christianity that is endemic in Emergent Churches and among false prophets who lead the lost into believing they can put off repentance until after death.