Ellen G. White: Volume 1—The Early Years: 1827-1862
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Ellen G. White: Volume 1—The Early Years: 1827-1862 Arthur L. White 1985 Copyright © 2018 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. Information about this Book Overview This eBook is provided by the Ellen G. White Estate. It is included in the larger free Online Books collection on the Ellen G. White Estate Web site. About the Author Ellen G. White (1827-1915) is considered the most widely translated American author, her works having been published in more than 160 languages. She wrote more than 100,000 pages on a wide variety of spiritual and practical topics. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she exalted Jesus and pointed to the Scriptures as the basis of one’s faith. Further Links A Brief Biography of Ellen G. White About the Ellen G. White Estate End User License Agreement The viewing, printing or downloading of this book grants you only a limited, nonexclusive and nontransferable license for use solely by you for your own personal use. This license does not permit republication, distribution, assignment, sublicense, sale, preparation of derivative works, or other use. Any unauthorized use of this book terminates the license granted hereby. Further Information For more information about the author, publishers, or how you can support this service, please contact the Ellen G. White Estate at [email protected]. We are thankful for your interest and feedback and wish you God’s blessing as you read. i Contents Information about this Book . .i About the Author . xi A Statement the Author Would Like to Have You Read . xiii The Author’s Aims and Objectives . xiv Abbreviations . xviii Chapter 1—(1827-1836) The Messenger of the Lord in Our Midst . 19 Here the Story Begins . 21 Harbingers of the Advent Awakening . 23 Carefree Childhood Days . 24 Early Experiences Recounted . 25 A “School Days” Experience . 25 The Family Moves to the City of Portland . 26 The Portland the Youthful Ellen Harmon Knew . 27 Hatmaking in the Harmon House . 28 Attending Brackett Street School . 29 The Textbooks She Read . 30 Robert Harmon’s Trip to Georgia . 31 Chapter 2—(1836-1843) Abrupt Changes in Ellen’s Life. 33 Schooling Cut Off . 36 Early Religious Instruction . 37 Wrestling with the Problems of “Conversion” . 39 The William Miller Lectures . 39 Ellen’s Developing Christian Experience . 42 William Miller’s Second Visit to Portland . 43 Two Significant Dreams . 44 Bearing Public Witness. 46 Cast Out from the Methodist Church . 49 Chapter 3—(1844) 1844—The Year of Expectation and Disappointments . 52 The Question of the Immortality of the Soul . 52 The Time of Expectation Passes . 53 A Test of True Character . 55 The Second Angel’s Message . 57 ii Contents iii October 22, 1844, The Day of Expectation . 58 The Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844 . 61 The Failing Health of Ellen Harmon . 63 Ellen Harmon Given a Vision—Her First . 64 The First Vision as Published in the Day-Star . 65 The Vision Answered Many Pressing Questions . 67 Chapter 4—(1844-1845) Make It Known to Others . 69 Ellen’s Confrontation . 70 Fear of Exaltation . 74 Meeting Hazen Foss . 75 Ellen Ventures Into the Field . 76 The Background of this Traumatic Experience . 77 The Fruitful Journey to Eastern Maine . 79 Encouraging the Fainthearted and Meeting Fanaticism . 79 Chapter 5—(1845) The Messenger of the Lord at Work . 83 The Otis Nichols Letter of April 20, 1846 . 84 Ellen’s Experience in Delivering the Message . 85 Early Arguments for the Spirit of Prophecy . 87 Some High Points of her Work in Eastern Maine . 88 Vision of Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary . 88 Some Fanatical Positions She Met . 90 Wrestling With the Views of the Spiritualizers . 90 Ellen Leaves Suddenly for Home . 92 The Healing of Frances Howland and William Hyde . 93 Preserved from Fanaticism . 94 Visit to New Hampshire . 95 Contending with Spiritual Magnetism . 97 Called Back to Portland . 98 Vision of the New Earth . 99 Chapter 6—(1845-1846) Sustained in a Continued Ministry . 102 Enabled to Write . 103 The Large Family Bible . 104 The Bible Held in Vision . 104 The Unenviable Position of the Prophet . 105 A Symbolic Warning . 106 “Another Angel, Father!” . 107 Who Could be Saved?. 108 The First Visit to Massachusetts . 110 iv Ellen G. White: The Early Years: 1827-1862 (vol. 1) The 1845 Expectancy of the Second Advent . 112 The Second Visit to Massachusetts . 114 Otis Nichols’ Eyewitness Account . 117 Meeting Joseph Bates at New Bedford . 119 The Publication of Her First Vision—January, 1846 . 121 Publication of the Vision of the Heavenly Sanctuary . 121 The Place of the Vision in Confirming the Sanctuary Truth 122 God’s Leadings Clearly Manifest . 122 The Vision in a Sailboat . 123 Chapter 7—(1846-1847) Entering Married Life . 125 The Wedding . 127 Their First Home . 128 Stricken with Severe Illness . 130 Acceptance of the Seventh Day as the Sabbath . 132 The Profitable Time in Massachusetts. 133 Vision Confirming the Sabbath . 136 Rebaptism of Ellen White . 138 The Visions of Ellen White . 138 Ellen White’s Letter to Eli Curtis . 141 Chapter 8—(1847-1848) Laying the Foundations . 144 James White on the Prophetic Gift . 145 New Responsibilities . 151 Ellen Hits an All-Time Low in Discouragement . 152 Careers Changed . 154 The First “General Conference” of Sabbathkeeping Adventists . 154 Chapter 9—(1848) The Sabbath and Sanctuary Conferences and the Development of Doctrines . 157 The Volney Conference . 158 The Conference at Port Gibson, New York . 161 The Development of the Doctrines . 162 Ellen White’s Mind Locked for a Few Years . 164 A Glimpse of the Activities at the Conferences . 166 Established by the Lord God of Heaven . 167 Commissioned to Print a “Little Paper” . 169 Chapter 10—(1848-1849) Heaven-directed Travels and Important Visions . 172 Troubles in Europe and Their Supposed Significance . 173 Contents v View of Heaven and Other Worlds . 176 Was It Ellen White or the Spirit of God? . 178 Travels and Labors in Early 1849 . 179 Another Important Vision . 180 Quandary over the Next Move . 183 Chapter 11—(1849) Beginning to Publish . 185 Writing for the Press . 186 Ellen White described its reception: . 187 The Proclamation of the Third Angel’s Message . 188 The Content of the Paper . 188 Birth of a Second Son, James Edson White . 189 The Paris, Maine, Conference . 191 Among the Believers in Maine and New York State . 192 A Hymnbook for the Sabbathkeeping Adventists . 193 The Little Paper Almost Died . 194 Death Invades the Camp . 196 Fruitage of Public Ministry in Oswego . 198 Vision of Future Events . 199 The Visit to Vermont and Maine . ..