Answers to the Shut Door Charges
The following links and articles address the issue of the Shut Door. For those wanting a concise introduction to the subject, the first link is an article from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia.
“Open and Shut Door:” A very helpful introduction to the subject from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, Second Revised Edition, 1996.
Responding to the Shut Door Charges: Forthcoming article by Dr. Jud Lake, editor of this website.
The following links are articles from the book, Messenger of the Lord, by Dr. Herbert Douglass, whose knowledge of the Shut-Door literature is comprehensive. He provides a helpful response to the issues surrounding the Shut Door in early Adventism.
Basic Presuppositions Shared by Most Critics
Ellen White’s Growth in Understanding Her Own Visions
Ellen White Enriched the Term “Shut Door”
Response to Delition of “Wicked World”
Why Ellen White Seemed to Reach Out Only to Shut-door Advocates
Chief Charges Against Ellen White Regarding the Shut-door Issue and the Responses Through the Years
The July 13, 1847, Letter to Joseph Bates
Francis D. Nichol’s response to the Shut Door charges in his classic, Ellen White and Her Critics, still a very helpful resource:
A Sketch of Early Adventist History: Mrs. White and the Shut Door—Part I
The Shut-Door Charge Examined: Mrs. White and the Shut Door—Part II
Mrs. White Taught Probation Still Lingers: Mrs. White and the Shut Door—Part III
The Shut Door Documents: Statements Relating to the “Shut Door,” the Door of Mercy, and the Salvation of Souls by Ellen G. White and Other Early Adventists Arranged in a Chronological Setting from 1844 to 1851 Compiled, with Occasional Commentary, by Dr. Robert W. Olson. A most important study for anyone interested in studying the Shut Door in depth.
Advent Experience: Ten Review and Herald articles (February thorugh April, 1885) by George I. Butler, recording the beginnings of the Advent movement. At the time of the writing of these articles Elder Butler was president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In these ten articles he recounts the experiences of the Advent believers from 1844 to 1851, with special emphasis on the Shut Door and the rise of the Third Angel’s Message. Be sure to read the witness statement signed by 21 eye witnesses toward the end of article #9, April 7. This important series shows how the SDA pioneers responded to the Shut-Door charges of their day, which are essentially no different than the Shut-Door charges of our day. As such, these articles are a very important read for all interested in this subject.