Uncovering the Myths of Ellen G. White By Sydney ClevelandCopyright © 2000 by Sydney Cleveland 172 Suncrest Drive Greenwood, IN 46143 317-885-8122 E-Mail Scleveland@TCON.NET Web Sites: DoveNET hhutp://mem,tcon.nev/users/5018.2365/ The Cleveland Bible Commentary http://members.xoom.com/SCleveland/ Printed in the United States of America Published by Life Assurance Ministries P.O. Box 11587 Glendale, Arizona 85318 623-572-9549 800-355-7073 E-Mail dale@ratzlaf.com Web Site ittp://www.ratzlaf.com All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: ISBN 0-9627546-8-4 Foreword With the publication of White Washed, Sydney Cleveland has ‘done a wonderful service for the Evangelical world and even more so to those who live in the sub-culture of Adventism. As one who was bom and reared in the milieu of Adventist thought and practice, he is ‘eminently qualified to critique this rapidly growing organization. This book will not be easy reading for Seventh-day ‘Adventists. For Adventists to entertain the thought that their “Messenger of the Lord” whose “pen of inspiration” still speaks through the “testimonies” could be a false prophet, is unthinkable. However, Cleveland shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the writings of Ellen White disagree with Scripture on @ number of points, including some fundamental to faith. He shows that many of ‘Adventism’s sacred traditions about Ellen White are simply myths. He tests her prophetic statements and finds they do not pass the Scriptural test. Where she fails, she blamed God or the Adventists of her day — never taking responsibility for her own error. Pastor Cleveland lays out before his readers evidence that church scholars and leaders have known about the problems and errors in Ellen White's writings for many years. However, he documents that the church leaders covered over these facts, not wanting to tamish her prophetic image for fear it might cause a “crisis” in Adventism, ‘Adventists often “prove” Ellen White’s divine inspiration by pointing to statements in her writings which they believe indicate that she was were far ahead of her time, Sydney illustrates that these so- called “ahead-of-her-time” statements were copied from her contem- poraries — many of whom taught the same things two decades before Ellen White wrote If this were not enough, Sydney also shows that deception and dishonesty seem to be the platform upon which the church’s leaders worked for more than a century. He includes a number of genuine Photographs and their touched up counterparts used to deceive believers. Sydney, like many SDA pastors who have left Adventism, shows the error of the church’s unique, central theological “ their October 22, 1844 Sanctuary/Investigative Judgment doctrine. Yes, this will not be an easy book for Adventists to read, But in reading it many will be freed from the deceptive effects of being White Washed. Dale RatelaifContents Why I Wrote This Book - 1 Who Really Wrote Those Books? - 5 Do They Agree? - 23 Are You Saved? -45 Failed Prophecies - 65 ‘Ahead of Her Time? -91 What About Those Miracles? - 113 ‘Who Was That Young Man? - 123 ‘The Great Disappointment - 143 Karaite Jews and October 22, 1844-159 Caution! Handle With Care! - 177 ‘A Word to Aspiring Prophets - 187 Appendix A: EGW’s Copying - 193 Brief examples of Ellen White copying from Conybeare and Howson - 193 Brief examples of Ellen White copying from William Hanna - 197 ‘Some Facts to Remember About EGW’s Copying - 198 ‘Answering the SDA Defense for Plagiarism - 200 Appendix B: SDA Jewelry and Dress - 201 Photographs of EGW and other prominent SDAS wearing forbidden jewelry and the “reform dress” ~ 203, ‘Appendix C: Recommended Resources - 208 Index - 209Asa child, Ellen White was struck on her nose by a rock. The result was she had a “pug nose,” with the bridge broken down almost even with her face. Compare Ellen White's nose in this drawing and photograph (taken when she was 85 years old) with her nose in the photograph on the next page. Even Ellen White's nose is a myth! (Compare with the photograph on the previous page.) This photograph, published in Arthur White’s The Early Elmshaven Years, vol. 5, depicts Ellen White with a retouched nose and normal bridge. Elder W. A. Colcord, Secretary of the General Conference, vigorously protested the publishing of retouched photographs. On February 29, 1928, he wrote to E. S. Ballenger: “Iam glad to see you getting after W. C. White... No doubt he was the one who had his mother’s picture doctored up to represent her having ‘a beautiful, long, straight nose. .. (It is) a misrepresent: tion which covers up the deformity caused by an all but fatal blow in childhood which later brought on her epilepsy and ... fits mistaken for visions. ... For many years he has figured in these misrepresentations and ‘defenses of his mother.” Additional examples of the Church retouching the truth appear on pages 203-207.Ellen White often used the words “I saw” a shown” to signal readers that what folloy narrative had been presented to her in vision. The facts demonstrate, however, that the information often ‘came to her through the gossip of fellow workers. Ellen White frequently posed with a Bible in formal photographs. Asa result viewers naturally assume her writings and teachings are strongly in harmony with God’s Word. But the facts demonstrate she repeatedly contradicted the Bible in every category of her private life and public ministry.In 1909 Ellen White filled out a Biographical Information Sheet for ‘the General Conference claiming she had never been ordained. When questioned about the discrepancy between Ellen White’s claim and her Ordained Minister Credentials on file, Elder William Fagal replied: “Beginning in 1871 she was granted ‘ministerial credentials,’ the type of eredential given to ordained ministers. ‘Sometimes the word ‘ordained’ was neatly struck out, and sometimes it wasn’t, but according to Mrs. White's own testimony she was not ordained.... Why did the church give her ministerial credentials if she was not ordained? ...I think it highlights the awkwardness of giving credentials to a prophet. To... recognize her special role, they gave her what they had, giving the chureh’s highest credentials without carrying out an ordination ceremo1 = William Fagal in an email dated July 12, 1999. For a century and a half the Church withheld ordination from women and violated the rights of women employees to equal pay for equal work by denying women the “head of household allowance.” Not until Mary Kay Silver's lawsuit in the 1970°s did the Church’s employment practices change. When pressed to ordain women Church leaders often objected: “Why should you be ordained, when Ellen White wasn’t?” Thus through false information the Church prevented ordination of women for 150 years while at the same time saving the salary increase woman ‘would have received at ordination, 2s The books Ellen White produced during the 75 years of her ministry would exceed her own height if stacked one on top of the other. Compare this stack to the 2” thick Bible which contains the divinely-inspired writings of some fifty writers spanning nearly 1,500 years. Is it logical to believe God would give so litle divinely inspired information to a billion Christians living during the past two millenniums and so muck to just ten million members of the ‘Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has only existed 137 years?Dedication ‘This book is dedicated to all who desire the freedom that is available in Jesus Christ; “The Spirit ofthe Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for te prisoners and recovery of sight forthe blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year ofthe Lord's favor.” — Jesus Christin Lake 4:18-19 (NIV) Why | Wrote This Book was @ third-generation Seventh-day Adventist. Ellen White was as much a part of my childhood training as was the Bible. During my sixteen years of education in SDA schools I was taught that Sister White's twenty million words were just as inspired as the Bible. 1 was taught that she was a genuine prophet just like the Bible prophets, therefore she never erred or contradicted God's Word. | hardly knew ‘where the Bible left off and Ellen White's writings began. So, for ten years as an ordained minister of the SDA Church, | faithfully preached ‘the writings of Ellen G. White to my congregations. I taught them what 1 hhad been taught — not knowing that much of my theology was based on and influenced by her writings. ‘Afier 32 years of membership 1 discovered that my salvation ‘was not tied to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 1 accepted the Bible as the all-inspired, all-sufficient Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As I focused on God's Word through inductive Bible study, 1 began to see inconsistencies in what I had believed. Those inconsistencies made me {question how a pastor could conscientiously continue to teach what went bbeyond and often contradicted Scripture. So I ended my employment with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in July of 1990. by voluntarily resigning and returning my ministerial credentials. Shortly after I requested that my membership be dropped. ‘Then, while pastoring a non-denominational Christian church, 1 spent a year sorting through the beliefs I had held to determine whether they were based on Scripture or on Ellen White. The information 1 gathered during that research compelled me to write this book. I grew through both experiences and have never regretted my decisions to ‘move beyond the myths in Seventh-day Adventism. ‘What do I mean by the word "myth?" The dictionary defines a “myth” as "an illfounded belief held uncritically by an interested -group." So I have writen this book, not to criticize anyone's beliefs, but ply to offer facts that I and many others before me have uncovered — facts that have had a revolutionary effect on my life.White-Washed Why You Should Read This Book Ifyou are not a Seventh-day Adventist, this book will help you understand: the stranglehold Ellen White has upon the Seventh-day “Adventist denomination. The information you will receive from this book will enable you to be a powerful witness for God as you expose the myths of Ellen White. On the other hand, ifyou are a Seventh-day Adventist this book will help you realize you experience life from a perspective different from mainstream Christianity. You are a member of "The Remnant Church." You may intellectually admit some people in other churches will be saved, but you call them "Babylon." There is a Grand Canyon between you and the rest of Christianity — deliberately created by Ellen G. White. This book will help you evaluate the legitimacy of your separation from God's “other” people and the theology which created it ‘Theology and Eschatology Not just theology but also eschatology separates you from mainstream Christianity. At the heart of the Seventh-day Adventist view of end time events is the doctrine that the Sabbath is the "seal of God,” ‘and that worshipping on Sunday is the "mark of the Beast." You probably accept this as the great distinction between those who are saved and those who are lost. You believe this because you were taught both the Bible and "the Lord's Messenger" proclaim this "truth." ‘What you may not know is that the Bible does not say the Sabbath is the Seal of God. Neither does the Bible say worshippi ‘Sunday is the Mark of the Beast. And never, in all of the Bible, is there ‘any statement that the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is "The Remnant Church." AI! of that came from Ellen White. But what about the rest of the twenty-seven doctrinal beliefs of Adventism? Are they Biblical? This book will help you examine the evidence, Divine Inspiration ‘You probably were also taught that, as the "Lord's Messenger,” Ellen White was as much inspired by God as was any of the Bible prophets. No doubt you were told about the many miracles "proving" her visions were from God. You honestly believe what she wrote was 2 Why 1 Wrote This Book