As a strong Adventist for 50 years, a teacher in our Adventist schools, and an elder in my local church, I just read Dr. Steve Daily's books: Ellen White A Psychobiography and his other book, The White Estate Fraud. I am wondering what the official Adventist position is to his books? And, are there any credible rebuttals?
As backgound, he was my professor and chaplain at La Sierra University when I was a student, and was on the faculty of both La Sierra and Loma Linda University for 24 years. He also wrote 10 other books on Ellen White that were sold in the ABC, or used as College textbooks. Furthermore, he holds 2 PhD, one in Psychology and one in Religion as well as a masters in History. He seems very credible to me, and someone that I would trust to write a book on this subject. In his book, he has over 300 references to where Ellen Whites quotes can be found that he has referenced. Mrs White's own qoutes and visions completely discredits her as a prophet, and Dr. Daily carefully details them, as well as sharing how so many other Adventist theologians have shared similar things in the past and each one has been disfellowshiped and their reputation tarnished.
So what does the Adventist church say about this new carefully written and researched book? Am I to believe it? Is there any books as carefully written that rebuttles them? I am not interested in character assination of the author, because that has been what is normally done. I want to know how this book, and the information inside is not credible. Thank you so much for your insight on this subject!
I think the answer to your question may be found in the historical Des Ford saga. Des was convinced that he was being asked to present doctrines to facilitate a foundational change in the SDA belief in the heavenly sanctuary and 1844 doctrine.
Despite Des's well known and proven academic credentials, he was clueless in realising that his endeavour there was an impossible task. One cannot take the entire foundation out from underneath a house without the building suffering significant structural damage. The church cannot throw out the very reason it moved away fom the Millerite movement in the first place.
Your question here is to suggest that one of our most significant founding members is a liar and her writings not credible...i can assure you that is unlikely to ever happen.
From memory (and this is 25 years ago for me), E G White provided 3 main areas of guidance:
1. Health
2. Education
3. Spiritual
I would strongly suggest that instead of focusing on what are mostly "grammatical errors" (metaphor), consider her health message and her education guidance...given you are a schoolie (as was I) surely you agree that these parts of her writings are well worth keeping close to your heart?
I would challenge that if you do not believe that 1 and 2 above have any validity, then you have seriously not conscientiously read any of her writings and instead have leaned on wives tales. I make the assumption that given you were trained by this professor, you studied EG White health and education books at university as part of the mandatory SDA University "Christian faith subjects" as did i?
You should stop worrying about what others believe and do your own research on her writings as you were trained to do. Look at the writings and then look at the world around you. Are they consistent? (I would argue, yes they are) Given that, who cares about plagerism. If she managed to read widely enough to bring in ideas from outside, so be it...we do that in academia all the flaming time. Hers wasnt a college paper waiting to receive a grade from a professor...so the bibliography is missing...honestly, if thats how you determine whether or not its safe to wear a seatbelt in a car...???
Does her plagerism issue bother me? Yes it does, however, there are lots of modern authors who do not quote their sources in published material...its not limited to just her.
My single biggest argument against using EG White is that the conservatives in our church decades ago, did almost nothing else other than preach her from the pulpit. It was EG White said this, EG White said that, EG White...sister White...it was like being forced to stare at white painted building in direct sunlight burning/blinding my eyes! I got so sick of what was going on there it was doing my head in.
After having studied her writings at Avondale, i began to realise that the issue isnt EG White...its us, the way we were hyperfocusing on her prophetic gift and guidance. In recent years (specifically during and after covid), where due to staying at home restrictions i had to opportunity to spend a great deal of time thinking and researching and debgating online the historicity of the Christian church, i came to realise that our church using her in the way we do is a stumbling block to others outside of its walls. It is for that reason i do not use her writings in forums any more. Do i believe that she had the gift of prophecy and recived divine revelation through visions? My answer to that question lies in answering another question...
do i believe that a donkey spoke to its rider after being beaten mercelessly for refusing to move forward into the path of an unseen angel ready to strike them both down? (Numbers Chapter 22)
I believe it because there are enough evidences to support my belief in something i did not witness personally and because her writings are generally consistent with good health, education and spirituality.
oh by the way... in considering my answer above, may i present a significant biblical issue to you...
are you aware that it has been comprehensively proven that no deadly poisonus snakes have ever existed on the Isle of Malta?
Google AI
AI Overview
There is no evidence that a venomous snake native to Malta has ever existed. However, there are several species of snakes that live in Malta, including the Western Whip Snake, Algerian Whip Snake, Leopard Snake, and Cat Snake:
- Western Whip Snake
The largest and most common snake in Malta, it can grow up to 1.5 meters long.
I hope you immediately make the connection with Acts 28 and the significant issue of biblical authenticity on that one. Christians have far bigger issues to defend than the authenticity of EG White. You learned professor has lost tourch with the direction we have to preach the gospel. His writging all those books attacking EG White does not bring people to Christ...it turns them away using the argument its the fault of EG Whites plagerism. That is just nonsense and im going to be very brutal here...your professor is an idiot because it is the witness of others to her visions that must be considered...not whether or not she plagerised!
