Ellen Gould White

Background

Ellen Gould White (née Ellen Gould Harmon) was born at Gorham, Me. , the daughter of Robert and Eunice (Gould) Harmon, and a descendant of John Harmon who was in Kittery, Me. , in 1667. When she was still a child the family moved to Portland. She was not more than nine years old when a girl playmate in a fit of anger struck her with a stone, knocking her unconscious, a state in which she remained for three weeks. Her face was disfigured and her "nervous system prostrated. "

Education

Her health was so poor that she had to give up school, and with the exception of a short period of tutoring at home she received no further formal education.

Career

During the stirring evangelistic campaign of William Miller in the forties, she embraced the Advent faith as taught by Miller and looked for the personal return of Christ on October 22, 1844. When this expectation proved baseless, she was deeply disappointed; her health failed rapidly and she seemed sinking into death. In December, however, while she was kneeling in prayer with four other women, a vision came to her in which she seemed to be transported to heaven and shown the experiences that awaited the faithful. Subsequently, she had other visions, accompanied by strange physical phenomena. According to the reports of physicians and others, her eyes remained open during these visions, she ceased to breathe, and she performed miraculous feats. Messages for individuals, churches, and families were imparted to her, occasionally of what would take place in the future, but more often of reproof or encouragement. During a long life span, she exerted the most powerful single influence on Seventh-day Adventist believers. The larger portion of them accepted her visions without question and acted in accordance with her messages. She and her husband were penniless, and neither was in good health. Under the promotion of the Whites, Battle Creek College, the first Seventh-day Adventist school, was founded in 1874. This same year they journeyed to California, where, at Oakland, White established the Signs of the Times, the printing establishment of which developed into the Pacific Press Publishing Association. After the death of her husband she traveled about visiting churches and attending conferences and camp meetings. She labored in Europe from 1885 until 1888, and in 1891 went to Australia, where she remained nine years. In 1901 she turned her attention to Christian work in the Southern states. Largely as a result of her interest the Southern Publishing Association was founded at Nashville, Tenn. , in that year. In 1903 she played an important part in moving the denominational headquarters to Washington, D. C. , and she also had a very definite part in founding, in 1909, the College of Medical Evangelists at Loma Linda, Cal. , which has sent its graduates to many quarters of the world. Her place in the denomination was unique. She never claimed to be a leader, but simply a voice, a messenger bearing communications from God to his people. Her life was marked by deep personal piety and spiritual influence, and her messages were an important factor in unifying the churches. She was a constant contributor to the denominational papers and was the author of about twenty volumes. With her husband she wrote Life Sketches of Elder James White and His Wife, Mrs. Ellen G. White (1880) and in 1915 published Life Sketches of Ellen G. White. In 1926 Scriptural and Subject Index to the Writings of Mrs. Ellen G. White appeared. She died at St. Helena, Cal.

Achievements

• Along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she formed what became known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Smithsonian magazine named Ellen G. White among the "100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Great Controversy

    (Presents the history of the great conflict between Christ...)

  • God Has Promised: Encouraging Promises Compiled from the Writings of Ellen G. White

    (Excerpts from the writings of one of the principal founde...)

  • God's amazing grace

    (As we make Christ our daily companion we shall feel that ...)

  • Heaven (Christian Home Library)

    (Ellen White's choicest writings about heaven and the Seco...)

  • Our Father Cares: A Daily Devotional

    (Title: Our Father Cares( A Daily Devotional) <>Binding: H...)

  • By Ellen Gould Harmon White - Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing (1956-06-16) Hardcover
  • Last Day Events: Facing Earth's Final Crisis

    ( Book Specs Hard Back Publisher: PPPA Printed: 1992 Page...)

  • Peace Above the Storm

    ( Book Specs Paper Back Publisher: PPPA Pages: 144 Table...)

  • My Life Today

    (A daily devotional book drawn from Mrs. White's writings,...)

  • PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS

    (Book by White, Ellen Gould Harmon)

Personality

White was seen as a powerful and sought after preacher. While she has been perceived as having a strict and serious personality, perhaps due to her lifestyle standards, numerous sources describe her as a friendly person. [

Connections

On August 30, 1846, she married the Rev. James White, born in Palmyra, Me. , August 4, 1821, the son of John White.

Father:

Robert Harmon

Mother:

Eunice (Gould) Harmon

Spouse:

James White

He was ordained a minister of the Christian Connection in 1843, and adhered to the Advent faith. After various activities, in 1849 White began to publish a little paper, which soon became the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, the organ of the denomination. It was first issued in various places in New England, then in Rochester, N. Y., and later in Battle Creek, Mich. For years White was in charge of the publishing work of the Adventists. He labored hard for the union of the churches and in 1863 the General Conference was organized. His health broke down about 1864 and his wife nursed him back to health. This experience turned their thoughts to health reform, and in response to a vision which came to the wife, the Western Health Reform Institute was founded in 1866 at Battle Creek. He died at Battle Creek August 6, 1881.

Son:

William C. White

Son:

John Herbert

Son:

James Edson White

Son:

Henry Nichols