Introduction

Introduction

Much of Ellen White’s life was spent preparing books that carried the messages God gave her for His people and in some instances to the general public. The White Estate files contain relatively few of her statements concerning the details of this work. However, others working with her wrote more fully. Her relatively few statements, however, do take us into the very heart of her work. We present here some of these statements relative to the preparation and publication of the Testimonies for the Church and certain of her books that present the conflict of the ages story, particularly The Great Controversy and The Desire of Ages.

Since the initial writings on various components of the conflict of the ages story were enlarged two or three times, it is not possible to present a precise chronological sequence of Ellen White’s work depicting the events of the agelong controversy. it should also be noted that Ellen White considered all parts of this narrative as part of the great controversy story, whether Old Testament, New Testament, or post-Biblical history.

Statements explaining the work of her literary assistants are included, constituting the opening chapter of this section. Another chapter traces her work in writing on the life of Christ, in which she was assisted by her niece in 1876 and by Marian Davis in the 1890’s.

Ellen White’s son William was closely associated with her in the production of her books after 1881, the year James White died. On several occasions he wrote from his intimate knowledge of his mother’s work in book preparation. Several enlightening statements from his pen, as well as from the pen of Marian Davis, appear as appendix items.

White Trustees. [89]