The Paraphrasing Prophet
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Warren Johns, Ellen G. White Estate Official Statement | Ellen White's Claims |
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| "Evidence for literary borrowing can be substantiated in virtually all nine volumes of the (1) Testimonies for the Church, in her (2) Review and Herald and Signs of the Times articles, and in (3) all of the books published during her lifetime. The only exception may be Early Writings. At this time I am not aware of any significant literary borrowing in that work, but it would not be surprising if it should come to light"1 |
"I have my work to do, to meet the misconceptions of those who suppose themselves able to say what is testimony from God and what is human production. . . . Those who have helped souls to feel at liberty to specify what is of God in the Testimonies and what are the uninspired words of Sister White, will find that they were helping the devil in his work of deception."2
"I am glad that you are having success in selling my books for thus you are giving to the world the light that God has given me. These books contain clear, straight, unalterable truth, and they should certainly be appreciated. The instruction they contain is not of human production."3 |
James's White's claim for Ellen White:
"In her published works there are many things set forth which cannot be found in the writings of others, that are new to the most intelligent readers and hearers. And if they are not found in print...from what source has she received the new and rich thoughts which are to be found in her writings... She could not have learned them from books, from the fact that they do not contain such thoughts... The Spirit of God has revealed to her..."4Arthur White's claim for Ellen White:
"In this broader field of writing, from which there seemed to be no respite, she was impelled to bear testimony to what was revealed to her in scores and hundreds of visions through 70 years of her ministry. In writing these messages of instruction, counsel, encouragement, and correction, she sought no human source of information and was not influenced by those about her. In all her works, we see her moving under the bidding and guidance of the Spirit of God."5Contrast the statements of James and Arthur White with this recent statement from the Ellen G. White Estate's Warren John:
"Ellen White was unusually well read in the light of the amount of formal eduction she received. The ground covered in her reading amounted to several hundred books perhaps covering several tens of thousands of pages...Ellen White incorporated a wealth of material from that which she read into what she wrote. Without saying how extensive it is, we can conclude at this time that she made an extensive use of sources in order to convey the unique truths and the pointed messages needed by God's Church..."6Ellen White's claim:
"I have not been in the habit of reading any doctrinal articles in the paper, that my mind should not have any understanding of anyone's ideas and views, and that not a mold of any man's theories should have any connection with that which I write."7
Ellen White's description of how earthquakes were formed after the flood8, according to Warren Johns, was borrowed from other sources:
"In the 1915 inventory [of Ellen White's library of books] is listed an entry, 'Earthquakes, Bound collection of pamphlets on.' This particular collection, which has no author or date indicated, is the most likely source for Ellen White's statements on earthquakes and volcanic phenomena."9In the preface to Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, Ellen White stated:
"In presenting this, my third little volume, to the public, I am comforted with the conviction that the Lord has made me His humble servant in shedding some rays of precious light upon the past..."10According to Dr. Ronald Graybill, former Associate Secretary of the Ellen G. White Estate:
"Mrs. White borrowed not only the words and phrases used by these authors, but in some cases followed the outline of their expositions and drew from them facts, illustrations, thoughts, and concepts."11Dr. Graybill also noted:
"These borrowings occured not only in the historical sections of The Great Controversy but also in its prophetic sections. They appear throughout the Conflict of the Ages and in the Testimonies for the Church as well as other Ellen White books. They occur in letters and specific testimonies to individuals. They appear in descriptions of the content of specific visions given to Mrs. White. It would be unwise at this point to assert that there is any particular book written by Mrs. White or any type of writing from her pen in which literary borrowing will not be found.In spite of the mounting evidence from the Ellen G. White Estate regarding Ellen White's literary borrowing practices, she herself warned the Church:"In cases where we have Mrs. White's handwritten draft of something she borrowed, this handwritten draft is usually closer to the literary source than is the published version which followed. This difference should generally be attributed to the work of Ellen White's literary assistants in editing her material for publication--a work that she approved.
"Many of the beautifully expressed thoughts, that is, many of the literary gems found in Mrs. White’s writings were borrowed from other authors. This fact, together with the knowledge that her writings were polished by literary assistants, leads us to avoid the suggestion that the literary beauty of her writings is an evidence of her divine inspiration."12
"They [Adventist ministers] profess to be teachers of the word, but they sadly neglect to search the Scriptures for themselves. They are content to use the arguments which are prepared in pamphlets and books, and which others have labored earnestly to search out; but they are not willing to tax their minds to study them out for themselves. In order to make full proof of their ministry, those who open the word of God to others should search the Scriptures diligently. They should not be content to use other men's thoughts, but should dig for truth as for hid treasures. While it is perfectly right to gather ideas from other minds, they should not be satisfied to take those ideas and repeat them in a poll-parrot manner. Make these ideas your own, brethren; frame the arguments yourselves, from your own study and research. Do not borrow the productions of other men's brains and pens, and recite them as a lesson; but make the most of the talents, the brain power, that God has given you."13In 1905, when Dr. David Paulson asked permission to publish some selections from Ellen G. White's writings for his publication "Life Boat", permission was granted; however, only on the condition Ellen G. White be given full credit. Responding to Dr. Paulson's request, Mrs. White's son, Willie C. White, Secretary of the Ellen G. White Estate, stated:
"Mother instructs me to say to you that you may be free to select from her writings short articles for the Life Boat. Or you may make extracts from these MSS and from similar writings, in your articles, in each case giving the proper credit."14
| "Dear daughter [in-law] Mary: This week we shall commence to live in the new house. ... Send books, red-covered Jewish Antiquities and the Bible Dictionary. Is Night Scenes of the Bible there? If so, send it."15 |
I have now finished a line-by-line comparison, page-by-page, and chapter-by-chapter, of Ellen White's five books of the Conflict of the Ages series, as well as other material she was supposed to have written. Using the books and material that have been acknowledged and are available from her library, this study will show by using only one author (Daniel March) how extensive her paraphrasing was in all of her writings.
| Daniel March, Night Scenes in the Bible, 1868 | Ellen G. White Books |
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| Pages 201-220 | Selected Mesages, book 1, pp. 27-28 |
| Page 363 | Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, pp. 343-344 |
| Page 313 | Desire of Ages, p. 83 |
| Pages 459-460 | Acts of the Apostles, p. 146 |
| Pages 193-198 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 119-120 |
| Pages 200-207 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 121-128 |
| Pages 208-216 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 143-165 |
| Pages 292-299 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 523-531 |
| Page 255 | Messages to Young People, p. 103 |
| Page 336 | Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 44 |
| Pages 25-42 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 156-179 |
| Pages 47-55 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 147-155 |
| Pages 85-102 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 195-203 |
| Pages 105-127 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 281-290 |
| Pages 127-144 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 283-290 |
| Pages 147-164 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 675-682 |
| Pages 165-186 | Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 727-745 |
| Pages 189-222 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 143-176 |
| Pages 225-244 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 265-272 |
| Pages 285-302 | Prophets and Kings, pp. 522-538 |
| Pages 343-360 | Desire of Ages, pp. 377-382 |
| Pages 363-374 | Desire of Ages, pp. 447-454 |
| Pages 377-394 | Desire of Ages, pp. 673-694 |
| Pages 397-410 | Desire of Ages, pp. 685-697 |
| Pages 413-430 | Desire of Ages, pp. 795-808 |
| Pages 433-448 | Desire of Ages, pp. 809-817 |
| Pages 451-466 | Acts of the Apostles, pp. 146-148 |
| Pages 469-488 | Acts of the Apostles, pp. 214-217, 231 |
| Pages 491-508 | Acts of the Apostles, pp. 442-445 |
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Daniel March, Night Scenes in the Bible, pp. 201-202, 1868 | Ellen White, Selected Messages Book 1, p. 28 |
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| We must not defer our obedience till every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of mistake is removed. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith, for faith rests upon probability, not demonstration. ... We must obey the voice of duty when there are many other voices crying against it, and it requires earnest heed to distinguish the one which speaks for God. | If you refuse to believe until every shadow of uncertainty and every possibility of doubt is removed, you will never believe. The doubt that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to faith. Faith rests upon evidence, not demonstration. The Lord requires us to obey the voice of duty, when there are other voices all around us urging us to pursue an opposite course. It requires earnest attention from us to distinguish the voice which speaks from God. |
1. Warren Johns, Ellen G. White Estate, Ellen G. White, Literary Dependence, and Science, p. 2.
2. Ellen White, Selected Messages Book 3, p. 70.
3. Ellen White, letter 339, 1904. Editor's Note: This letter has not (as of September 10, 2005) been released to the public by the Ellen G. White Estate.
4. James White, Life Sketches, pp. 328-329, 1880 edition. Written one year prior to James White's death, but borrowed from Joseph Smith's apostle, John Taylor, who used nearly identical phrasing one year before, in 1879, to describe the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith's work.
5. Arthur White, "Inspiration and the EGW Writings", Review and Herald, 1978, p. 39.
6. Warren Johns, pp. 12,13.
7. Ellen White, letter 37, 1887.
8. Passage on earthquakes is found in Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, pp. 79-83.
9. Warren Johns, page not given.
10. Ellen White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, page v.
11. Dr. Ronald Graybill, "Ellen G. White's Work - An Update", taken from an edited and annotated transcript of a tape recording of presentations made in the morning worship services at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Nov. 15-19, 1981. Emphasis supplied.
12. Ibid.
13. Ellen White, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 6, 1886.
14. Willie C. White, letter to Dr. David Paulson, Feb. 15, 1905.
15. Ellen G. White, Letter 60, 1878, p. 1.