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Ellen G. White

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**1. Early Life and Personal Background:**
Ellen G. White was born in Gorham, Maine in 1827.
– She was the seventh of eight children in her family.
– White had a conversion experience at a Methodist camp meeting at the age of 12.
– A genealogist concluded she was of Anglo-Saxon origin.
– White’s family joined the Millerite movement in 1840.

**2. Marriage, Family, and Ministry Involvement:**
– Ellen Harmon married James Springer White in 1846.
– James White believed in the genuineness of her visions.
– The couple had four sons, but only two lived to adulthood.
– They labored extensively together in the Advent movement.
– James White referred to Ellen as his crown of rejoicing.

**3. Contributions to Seventh-day Adventist Church:**
– White co-founded the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
– She received over 2,000 visions and dreams from God.
– White’s writings formed the basis of Seventh-day Adventist theology.
– Her book ‘Steps to Christ’ has been translated into over 140 languages.
– White advocated for vegetarianism and established schools and medical centers worldwide.

**4. Final Years, Death, and Legacy:**
Ellen G. White spent her final years in Saint Helena, California.
– She focused on writing her last works and traveled less frequently.
– White’s husband, James White, passed away in 1881.
– Her funeral service was held at Battle Creek Tabernacle.
– She was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery.

**5. Visions and Physical Phenomena:**
Ellen G. White allegedly had between 100 and 200 visions from 1844 to 1863.
– Her visions portrayed the conflict between Christ and his angels and Satan and his angels.
– Witnesses attested to the physical characteristics of her visions.
– Physicians conducted tests to verify the physical phenomena during her visions.
– The physical phenomena displayed during her visions were documented and studied.

Ellen G. White (Wikipedia)

Ellen Gould White (née Harmon; November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was an American author and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Along with other Adventist leaders such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she was instrumental within a small group of early Adventists who formed what became known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. White is considered a leading figure in American vegetarian history. Smithsonian named her among the "100 Most Significant Americans of All Time".

Ellen G. White
Ellen White in 1864
Personal details
Born
Ellen Gould Harmon

(1827-11-26)November 26, 1827
DiedJuly 16, 1915(1915-07-16) (aged 87)
Elmshaven, St. Helena, California, U.S.
SpouseJames S. White
Children
OccupationAuthor and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
SignatureEllen G. White's signature

White claimed to have received over 2,000 visions and dreams from God in public and private meetings throughout her life, which were witnessed by Adventist pioneers and the general public. She verbally described and published for public consumption the content of each vision. The Adventist pioneers viewed these experiences as the Biblical gift of prophecy as outlined in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10, which describe the testimony of Jesus as the "spirit of prophecy". Her Conflict of the Ages series of writings endeavor to showcase the hand of God in Biblical history and in church history. This cosmic conflict, referred to by Seventh-day Adventist theologians as the "Great Controversy theme", became foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology. Her book on successful Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been published in more than 140 languages. The book Child Guidance, a compilation of her writings about child care, training and education, has been used as the foundation for the Seventh-day Adventist school system.

White was considered a controversial figure by her critics, and much of the controversy centered on her reports of visionary experiences and on the use of other sources in her writings. Historian Randall Balmer has described White as "one of the more important and colorful figures in the history of American religion". Walter Martin described her as "one of the most fascinating and controversial personages ever to appear upon the horizon of religious history". Arthur L. White, her grandson and biographer, writes that Ellen G. White is the most translated female non-fiction author in the history of literature, as well as the most translated American non-fiction author overall. Her writings covered a broad range of subjects, including religion, social relationships, prophecy, publishing, nutrition, creationism, agriculture, theology, evangelism, Christian lifestyle, education, and health. She advocated vegetarianism. She promoted and has been instrumental in the establishment of schools and medical centers all over the world, with the most renowned being Andrews University in Michigan and the Loma Linda University and Medical Center in California.

During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books. As of 2019 more than 200 White titles are available in English, including compilations from her 100,000 pages of manuscript published by the Ellen G. White Estate, which are accessible at the Adventist Book Center. Her most notable books are Steps to Christ, The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy.

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