Ellen White Question and Answer Page

Your Questions Answered

Before emailing us, you might want to look over this list of Questions & Answers.

General Questions
(Web/Technical Questions at Bottom of Page)

Are you part of the Ellen White Estate? No, we are not. Although they have been quite helpful to us, we are not an official part of the Ellen White estate. Ellen-White.com is run by a growing number of volunteers. Some work in the technical area while others respond to email or research various allegations. We are members of the Seventh-day Adventist church from various Conferences in the United States. Both the Ellen White Estate and the Biblical Research Institute have been helpful as this site has grown. Some of the folks who have worked at Ellen-White.com in various capacities are Skip Dempsey, A. E. Frederick, Walt Carlton Martin, Holly Ann Greer, Rick Angelin... not to mention many others who have contributed either directly or indirectly through their research.
Have you seen _________? (a book, article or web page criticizing EGW). We try to research as much as we can, when we can, and we are aware of most of the critical material that is out there. However, we know that we haven't seen it all, so if you find something you'd like to make us aware of, send it our way.
Can you contact my friend or relative and please convince them that Ellen White was a true prophet? No, we do not think this is a wise or effective approach. People are convicted of truth when others see Christ in their lives. Then they can witness about how the truth has affected them in a positive way. The Holy Spirit does the convicting. Having a stranger present some facts rarely—if ever—works.
Why don’t you people just admit Ellen White made mistakes? Both Adventists and Ellen White herself readily admit that she, like every human (Rom. 3:23) sinned and made mistakes. However, we believe that her writings do not contain doctrines that conflict with the Bible. The observant reader will note that this web site never claims that Ellen White was above human mistakes. We simply address the allegations against her and examine the evidence. As stated elsewhere on this page, many of the accusations against Ellen White are accurate (i.e. that she taught the seventh day Sabbath, soul-sleep in death, Investigative Judgment, etc.). Yet these and other similar teachings which are considered error by some are embraced by Seventh-day Adventists, based on what we believe to be Scriptural evidence.
Are you putting Ellen White above the Bible? Not at all. Adventists and Ellen White herself have been very clear about this. This site is simply looking at various allegations.
How should I respond to people on the Internet who trash the writings of Ellen White? The same way Jesus would. Love them and say nothing unkind to them. Christ died to give every human the freedom of choice.
Have you contacted the individuals in charge of the anti-Ellen White sites? Before this site was created some of them were contacted and asked to prayerfully reconsider their position. So far we have seen no such changes, but we remain hopeful.
Why don't you just talk about Jesus? Isn't He enough? Yes, He is more than enough for any problem we may face in life. This was the core of Ellen White's messages. To say that accepting Ellen White's writings is somehow "adding to" Jesus, as if He is not enough is like saying that about Paul's writings. If his epistles were under attack no one would feel that it would be exalting Paul to examine the evidence and express belief in his writings. Christians accept Paul's writings, which point to Jesus, not take away from (or "add to") Him. It is the same with the writings of Ellen White. If a person really believes that she was inspired by God, then they would naturally desire to read those writings, which would exalt Christ and Christ alone. If her messages are from Christ, then He undoubtedly wants us to listen to what He is telling us.
What about the allegation ________? If you ask us about something that is not currently on our site be patient for an answer. We constantly have a list of allegations that we are studying, so we don’t have a lot of time to research additional ones. Also keep in mind that the subject may not be as fully researched in an email response as it will be once it is posted, and we do not like to give incomplete answers. We have received numerous inquiries about allegations that are covered in-depth in Francis Nichol's book Ellen G. White and Her Critics (purchase it here). We highly recommend you purchase this book; it could save you much time and effort.
What did Ellen White say about __________? If your question is not directly related to something a critic has said about her or her writings, we are not the ones to ask. Please check with the EGW Online Concordance first, and then with the Ellen White Estate. They are far better prepared to answer questions about what she said on this or that topic.
I disagree with all of you completely. Ellen White was a false prophet. We welcome any critical comments about this site, and will try to respond in a positive way. No one has ever changed anyone else's mind by arguing, so let's be willing to discuss the issue like loving, Christian adults.
Do you think the anti-Ellen White folks leave off portions of her statements on purpose? We wish to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, so we don’t accuse everyone who oversees a clarifying statement of being deceptive. We know that sometimes the critic was simply not aware of the other statements on that point, or perhaps didn’t read the entire chapter of whatever book from which they quoted. Please remember that one of our main goals on this site is to BRING BACK some of the brethren who have made some mistakes about Ellen White. We pray that as they see the explanations, the Holy Spirit will impress in a positive way. (Please see Statements, Context, and Why We Shouldn't Misjudge the Critics)
Why do you conceal the names of Ellen White’s critics, since they freely give out their own names? We have no desire to make this issue personal and if a critic wants to give out his name, that is his choice. But for us to do so, we feel would be less than honorable, since there is always the possibility of the brother or sister changing their mind and returning. The only time names will be given is if we are addressing allegations raised in a book, in which case it would be doing the student a disservice not to give that information.
What did Ellen White say about her critics? The best reference for Ellen White's comments about her own critics (and some explanations of statements taken out of context) is Selected Messages, Vol. 1(purchase it here), pp. 59-76. She wrote quite eloquently in her own behalf, and although she said that she had to "stand in defense of the truth," she also said, "I have no ill will toward those who are seeking to make of none effect the message which God has given to reprove, warn, and encourage His people." This chapter (chap. 5) should be read by all who want to know how she felt about the allegations against her.
Hey, you could have answered allegation _____ much better by stating _________. By praying about these issues and putting our heads together we can come to the best conclusions. If you have additional information that helps clarify an issue, send it in and we will take a look at it.
Don’t you think that by listing these allegations (even with the answers) you could be in danger of planting erroneous seeds and weakening someone’s faith in the validity of the writings of Ellen White? When we began this endeavor this was a legitimate concern of ours and we even asked an associate from the Ellen White Estate if this was a good idea (it's like asking if it would be wise to show a new Christian a list of ancient and modern arguments against the Bible). Not only did he agree that the project was important, but we soon discovered that the more we studied these allegations and saw the answers to them, the more we believed that the writings were inspired. In this Internet age it is impossible for the false allegations against the Bible and Ellen White not to circulate quickly. Thus there was a need for some balance and this was our motive as we set up this site. We have had a number of people testify that a closer look at the allegations (when their faith had been wavering) actually reconfirmed their belief that Ellen White was indeed inspired. It is our hope that all who visit this site will receive a similar blessing.
Didn’t Ellen White predict all of these attacks against her writings anyway? Yes, she did, although that on its own does not prove her to be a true prophet, for anyone could make such a prediction. The issue seems to be the spirit behind so many of the attacks. Christ in the heart always makes a person more loving and kind, even when they disagree with someone’s theology. The most well-known book ever written against Ellen White not only attacks her, but contains overtones of mockery and sarcasm. The general feel and tone of this book and others like it fulfills what Ellen White said would happen.
Hey, I found this one site that was just awful! Please do not send us any email putting down those who oppose the writings of Ellen White. We want a supernatural love in our hearts for everyone. Defending the truth in the wrong spirit is just as offensive in God’s eyes as attacking the truth. We want to remain positive, by God’s grace. Again, at Ellen-White.com we want to strictly stay on the issue at hand: examining the allegations against Ellen White, not attacking individuals who propagate these allegations.
Aren’t you guys making too much of Ellen White? On this site we aren’t making anything of Ellen White, but rather are looking at the allegations against her and her writings. We have full confidence in the writings, but this is a response site, not a promotional site.
I’ll just stick with the Bible, thank you. We highly recommend this. Those who do so will have no problem with the writings of Ellen White.
Do you really think you can convince everyone that the allegations are wrong? Wouldn't that be nice? However, we just hope that all who read this will understand the truth about the allegations (some are accurate: she did teach seventh-day Sabbath observance after all, as some of her critics charge). No one is beyond the hope of reconciliation to the truth, but this site was not set up to debate those who have already made up their minds. Its main purpose is to give a larger view of these allegations to the honest, seeking soul. We feel that unless there is prejudice against the writings, anyone should be able to see that the allegations fall short of proving Ellen White to be a false prophet, just as evolutionists fall short of proving the Genesis account to be false.
What’s your opinion on _____________ ? We try to stay away from opinions and just present the evidence, but email us if you wish.
If Ellen White was truly inspired by God, would there really be a need to defend her from allegations like these? The Bible itself has been under attack for thousands of years (some charges are pretty strong on the surface, too). Yet when faced with the allegations against it most Christians do not throw up their hands and decide that their faith must have been in vain for their entire Christian walk. Rather, they study the critics’ charges and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide them into the truth (John 16:13). This web site presents the evidence of just such research. We recommend that concerned students investigate the allegations on their own and simply use this site as a last resort. There is a special blessing that comes—and truth is more convicting—when one studies a matter for him/herself (as we have discovered!).
Who are the critics against Ellen White? We will not give out any critics' names here, but suffice it to say that it is a relatively small number of individuals who have aggressively attacked Ellen White. Because of the power of the Internet, however, they can reach an enormous audience and have widespread coverage. Sometimes it is a member of another church, but most often it is a former Adventist who somewhere along the line decided the church was not for him/her. The most common reason given in their biographical pages is usually a difference of opinion on the relation between grace and the law or confusion over what Adventists teach in this regard. We do not doubt their sincerity, nor attack them for their beliefs.
Hey, Ellen White never claimed to be a prophet! The statements by Ellen White about not being called a prophet (Selected Messages 1, pp. 31-35) should be read in their context and coupled with this statement "My work includes much more than this name signifies. I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord with messages for His people" (Letter 55, 1905; quoted in Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 35, 36). Ellen White claimed to be inspired by God and it is this point with which the critics take issue.
What are the biblical tests of a prophet? Click here

Web Site Related Questions

How often do you update this site? We try to put new info on every couple of weeks, if possible.
Why is your return email address sometimes different than the one I sent my email to? This has to do with email forwarding (technical stuff). It depends on how the email addresses are set up and who it is going to. No matter what happens, be assured that if you hit “reply” to anything we send you, we will get it.
I sent you an email two days ago and still no response. What’s taking so long? Please keep in mind that this site is maintained by volunteers, who have regular full-time jobs. Most of the questions will be answered within a week and usually by the next day.
I have Spanish (German, etc.)-speaking friends who need to see this. Do you have non-English versions of your site? We are definitely planning a Spanish version of Ellen-White.com, but this of course will take time. French, German, and even Russian versions are planned as well. In the meantime one can translate any page on this site to Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portugese by going to the go.com translator (this is a very rough, imperfect translator, but...). If you want to leave your email address, we can contact you when the non-English pages have been uploaded.
I have friends who need to read this, but they don’t have Internet access, and I don’t have a printer. Email us with your request and we’ll send you a printed version of whichever subject you choose.
Why don’t you have more graphics on this site? We know graphics make the site more attractive, but it also wastes a lot of ink when being printed. We wanted to make this site as printer-friendly as possible so that people could easily share this info with friends after creating a hard copy. We have considered the possibility of two formats on this site (graphical and non-), but that is still in the future.
Have you considered putting your findings into a book? Yes, books or booklets are a possibility down the road for those who do not have Internet access.

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