Answers to the Hard Sayings of EGW
Below are statements by Ellen White that, at first glance, are hard to understand and appreciate. Critics tend to exploit these statements, ignoring their literary and historical contexts. Keep in mind that in comparison with the entire corpus of Ellen White’s writings, these statements collectively are only a tiny part. When their literary and historical contexts are taken into consideration, however, they are not so hard as they look.
The links under each “hard saying” provide answers from different sources. Many will find that these statements, which look so bad on the anti-Ellen White websites, can be easily answered in an intellectually satisfying way. This page will be updated periodically as I add more answers and other hard sayings exploited on the Web.
Formal Principles for interpreting statements like these can be found elsewhere on this website.
The sayings are in alphabetical order.
Amalgamation of man and beast
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics
Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord
More material forthcoming on this controversial statement
Amusement and Sports
Jud Lake, “Was Ellen White Against Chess, Checkers, Tennis, and Bicycles?”
Apocrypha
The Truth About Ellen White Website
Astronomical statements
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics
The Truth About Ellen White Website (Tall people on Jupiter or Saturn?)
Civil War Statements
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics
The Truth About Ellen White Website
Dead Husband: Ellen White Spoke to Her Husband after He Died
Jud Lake, “Ellen White Spoke to Her Dead Husband”
Death from cosmetics
Disclaimer to prophetic office
England to declare war during Civil War
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics
The Truth About Ellen White Website
Extra-biblical descriptions
Freemasons: Were early SDA leaders and Ellen White involved with Freemasonry?
What about the pictures of early SDA leaders with the hand-in-jacket pose and Ellen White’s use of phrases found in Masonic literature? NEW! (June 2013) See the video series by Jud Lake
God does not love erring children
More material forthcoming on this statement
God’s providence in the 1843 chart
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics
Jerusalem never to be rebuilt
Julia Neuffer, “The Gathering of Israel”
Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord
Never say that you are saved
Jerry Moon, SDA Seminary (PDF File)
Predictions
Jud Lake, “Pestilence Prediction?”
Self-abuse
Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord
Some in 1856 alive when Jesus comes
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics
Herbert Douglass, Messenger of the Lord
More material forthcoming on this statement
Some slaves not resurrected
Francis D. Nichol, Ellen White and Her Critics