Biographical Notes
Biographical Notes
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The Author
Ellen Gould (Harmon) White, cofounder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, writer, lecturer, and counselor, and one upon whom Seventh-day Adventists believe the gift of prophecy was bestowed, was born in Gorham, Maine, November 26, 1827, one of eight children of Robert and Eunice Harmon.
During her seventy years of active service to the church, she found time to write voluminously. She is credited with having written 100,000 manuscript pages. This remarkable legacy to the church could alone have occupied Ellen White’s entire life, had she dedicated her time to little else but writing.
However, her service for the church embraces much more than writing. Her diaries tell of her public work, her travels, her personal labor, hostessing, contacts with neighbors, as well as of her being a mother and housewife. God blessed her abundantly in these activities. Her ambitions and concerns, her satisfactions and joys, her sorrows—her whole life—were for the advancement of the cause she loved.
Ellen G. White is reputed to be the most translated woman author and the most translated author in American history. For example, her little book Steps to Christ is available in more than 100 languages.
After a full life dedicated to the service of God and others, she died on July 16, 1915, confidently trusting in Him whom she had believed. [8]
The Early Years, 1827-1860
Born on a late fall day in a farmhouse near Gorham, Maine, Ellen Harmon spent her childhood and youth in nearby Portland. She married James White in 1846, and the struggling young couple lived in a variety of New England locations as they sought to encourage and instruct fellow Advent believers by their preaching, visiting, and publishing. After eleven irregular issues of The Present Truth, they launched the Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald* in Paris, Maine, in 1850. Thereafter they followed a steadily westward course—to Saratoga Springs, New York, and then Rochester, New York, in the early 1850s, and finally, in 1855, to Battle Creek, Michigan, where they resided for the next twenty years.
1827, November 26 Born at Gorham, Maine.
1836 (c.) Broken nose and concussion at Portland, Maine.
1840, March First heard William Miller present the Advent message.
1842, June 26 Baptized and accepted into Methodist Church.
1844, October 22 Disappointed when Christ did not come.
1844, December First vision.
1845, Spring Trip to eastern Maine to visit believers; met James White.
1846, August 30 Married James White.
1846, Autumn Accepted seventh-day Sabbath.
1847-1848 Set up housekeeping at Topsham, Maine.
1847, August 26 Birth of first son, Henry Nichols.
1848, April 20-24 Attended first conference of Sabbathkeeping Adventists at Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
1848, November 18 Vision to begin publishing work—“Streams of Light.”
1849, July First of eleven numbers of The Present Truth, published as a result of the vision of November, 1848.
1849, July 28 Birth of James Edson, second son.
1849-1852 Moved from place to place with her publisher-husband.
*Now known as the Adventist Review, it is one of the oldest continuously published religious journals in the, United States.
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1851. July First book published, A Sketch of Experience and Views.
1852-1855 In Rochester, New York, where husband published Review and Herald and Youths Instructor.
1854. August 29 Third son, William Clarence, born.
1855. November Moved with the publishing plant to Battle Creek, Michigan.
1855. December “Testimony for the Church,” number I, a sixteen-page pamphlet, published.
1856, Spring Moved into their own cottage on Wood Street.
1858. March 14 “Great Controversy” vision at Lovett’s Grove, Ohio.
1860, September 20 Fourth son, John Herbert, born.
1860, December 14 Death of John Herbert at three months.
Years of Church Development, 1860-1868
The 1860s saw Ellen White and her husband in the forefront of the struggle to organize the Seventh-day Adventist Church into a stable institution. The decade was also crucial in that it encompassed the beginnings of Adventist health emphasis. Responding to Mrs. White’s appeal, the church as a body began to see the importance of healthful living in the Christian life. In response to her “Christmas Vision” of 1865, our first health institution, the Western Health Reform Institute, was opened in 1866. The institute later grew into the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
1860, October 1 Name Seventh-day Adventist chosen.
1861, October 8 Michigan Conference organized.
1863, May Organization of General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
1863, June 6 Health reform vision at Otsego, Michigan.
1863, December 8 Death of eldest son, Henry Nichols, at Topsham, Maine.
1864, Summer Publication of Spiritual Gifts, volume 4, with thirty-page article on health.
1864, August Visit to James C. Jackson’s medical institution,
1864, September Our Home on the Hillside, Dansville, New York, en route to Boston, Massachusetts.
1865, Publication of six pamphlets, Health: or How to Live.
1865, August 16 James White stricken with paralysis.
1865, December 25 Vision calling for a medical institution.
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1865, December Mrs. White takes James White to northern Michigan as an aid to his recovery.
1866, September 5 Opening of Western Health Reform Institute, forerunner of Battle Creek Sanitarium.
1867 Purchased a farm at Greenville, Michigan, and built a home and engaged in farming and writing.
The Camp Meeting Years, 1868-1881
Residing at Greenville and Battle Creek, Michigan, respectively, until late 1872, and then dividing her time between Michigan and California, Ellen White spent her winters writing and publishing. During the summer she attended camp meetings, some years as many as twenty-eight! Testimonies, numbers 14-30, now found in Testimonies, volumes 2-4, were published during these years.
1868, September Attended first SDA camp meeting, held in 1-7 Brother Root’s maple grove at Wright, Michigan.
1870, July 28 Second son, James Edson, married on his 21st birthday.
1870 The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, published; forerunner of Patriarchs and Prophets.
1872, July In Rocky Mountains resting and writing en route September to California.
1873-1874 Divided time between Battle Creek and California, attended camp meetings, and spent some months in 1873 in Colorado resting and writing.
1874, April 1 Comprehensive vision of the advance of the cause in California, Oregon, and overseas.
1874, June With James White in Oakland, California, as he founded the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the Signs of the Times.
1875, January 3 At Battle Creek for dedication of Battle Creek College. Vision of publishing houses in other countries.
1876, February 11 William Clarence, third son and manager of the Pacific Press, married at the age of 21.
1876, August Spoke to 20,000 at Groveland, Massachusetts, camp meeting.
1877 The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 2, published; forerunner of The Desire of Ages.
1877, July 1 Spoke to 5,000 at Battle Creek on temperance.
1878 The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 3, published; forerunner of last part of The Desire of Ages, and The Acts of the Apostles.
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1878, November Spent the winter in Texas.
1879, April Left Texas to engage in the summer camp meeting work.
1881, August 1 With husband in Battle Creek when he was taken ill.
1881, August 6 Death of James White.
1881, August 13 Spoke for ten minutes at James White’s funeral at Battle Creek.
The 1880s, 1881-1891
Following James White’s death in August, 1881, Ellen White resided in California, at times in Healdsburg and at times in Oakland. She labored there, writing and speaking, until she left for Europe in August, 1885, in response to the call of the General Conference. During the two years in Europe she resided in Basel, Switzerland, except for three extended visits to the Scandinavian countries, England, and Italy. Returning to the United States in August, 1887, she soon made her way west to her Healdsburg home. She attended the 1888 General Conference session at Minneapolis in October and November; following the conference, while residing in Battle Creek, she worked among the churches in the Midwest and the East. After a year in the East she returned to California, but was called back to attend the General Conference session at Battle Creek in October, 1889. She remained in the vicinity of Battle Creek until she left for Australia in September, 1891.
1881, November Attended the California camp meeting at Sacramento and participated in planning for a college in the West, which opened in 1882 at Healdsburg.
1882 Early Writings published, incorporating three of her early books.
1884 Last recorded public vision, at Portland, Oregon, camp meeting.
1884 The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4, published; forerunner of The Great Controversy.
1885, Summer Left California for trip to Europe.
1887, Summer The Great Controversy published.
1888, October Attended Minneapolis General Conference.
1889, November Testimonies, volume 5, published, embodying Testimonies, numbers 31-33—746 pages.
1890 Patriarchs and Prophets published.
1891, September 12 Sailed to Australia via Honolulu.
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The Australian Years, 1891-1900
Responding to the call of the General Conference to visit Australia to aid in establishing an educational work, Ellen White arrived in Sydney, December 8, 1891. She accepted the invitation somewhat reluctantly, for she had wanted to get on with her writing of a larger book on the life of Christ. Soon after her arrival she was stricken with inflammatory rheumatism, which confined her to her bed for some eight months. Although suffering intensely, she persisted in writing. In early 1893 she went to New Zealand, where she worked until the end of the year. Returning to Australia in late December, she attended the first Australian camp meeting. At this camp meeting, plans for a rural school were developed that resulted in the establishment of what became Avondale College at Cooranbong, 90 miles north of Sydney. Ellen White purchased land nearby and built her Sunnyside home late in 1895. Here she resided, giving her attention to her writing and traveling among the churches until she returned to the United States in August, 1900.
1892, June Spoke at opening of Australian Bible School in two rented buildings in Melbourne.
1892 Steps to Christ and Gospel Workers published.
1894, January Joined in planning for a permanent school in Australia.
1894, May 23 Visited the Cooranbong site.
1895, December Moved to her Sunnyside home at Cooranbong, where much of The Desire of Ages was written.
1896 Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing published.
1898 The Desire of Ages published.
1899-1900 Encouraged the establishment of Sydney Sanitarium.
1900 Christ’s Object Lessons published.
1900, August Left Australia and returned to United States.
The Elmshaven Years, 1900-1915
When Ellen White settled at Elmshaven, her new home near St. Helena in northern California, she hoped to give most of her time to writing her books. She was 72 and still had a number of volumes that she wished to complete. She little realized how much traveling, counseling, and speaking she would also be called upon to do. The crisis created by the controversies in Battle Creek would also make heavy demands on her time and strength. Even so, by writing early in the morning, she was able to produce nine books during her Elmshaven years.
1900, October Settled at Elmshaven.
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1901, April Attended the General Conference session at Battle Creek.
1902, February 18 Battle Creek Sanitarium fire.
1902, December 30 Review and Herald fire.
1903, October Met the pantheism crisis.
1904, April-September Journeyed east to assist in the beginning of the work in Washington, D.C., to visit her son Edson in Nashville, and to attend important meetings.
1904, November-December Involved in securing and establishing Paradise Valley Sanitarium.
1905, May Attended General Conference session in Washington, D.C.
1905 The Ministry of Healing published.
1905, June-December Involved in securing and starting Loma Linda Sanitarium.
1906-1908 Busy at Elmshaven with literary work.
1909, April-September At the age of 81 traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the General Conference session. This was her last trip east.
1910, January Took a prominent part in the establishment of the College of Medical Evangelists at Loma Linda.
1910 Gave attention to finishing The Acts of the Apostles and the reissuance of The Great Controversy, a work extending into 1911.
1911-1915 With advancing age, made only a few trips to southern California. At Elmshaven engaged in her book work, finishing Prophets and Kings and Counsels to Parents and Teachers.
1915, February 13 Fell in her Elmshaven home and broke her hip.
1915, July 16 Closed her fruitful life at the age of 87. Her last words were “I know in whom I have believed.” Testimonies, volumes 6-9, were also published in the Elmshaven years.