Hello Pastor ___________,
Good to hear from you. I'll try to help you with your questions.
Good day Elder Fagal. Greetings in the name of our soon coming Saviour Jesus the Righteous. I hope all is well with you.
I was hearing some news concerning what Elder Loughborough might have witnessed or wrote concerning Ellen G. White and her visions. Some are crediting to her epilepsy and all sorts of foolishness during her visions.
A few years ago a medical doctor at Loma Linda wrote a brief book refuting these charges. His specialty includes the kind of epilepsy that some have claimed was the cause of Mrs. White's visions. The book is no longer in print, but you can find the full text of it on our website, at http://www.whiteestate.org/issues/visions.html.
Some are reporting that holding of the Bible, loss of breath and other things as she was under the power of the Holy Ghost was incorrectly reported by Loughborough. Have eny of these types of falsehood come across your desk? What has been your response?
Loughborough was not perfect in his recounting of the facts. For instance, in telling of Mrs. White's longest vision, at Randolph, Mass., where she held a Bible over her head, turned the pages, pointed to texts, and quoted the texts without being able to see them, Loughborough described the Bible with information that actually came from another such incident. But the general account of what happened was accurate. The story of Mrs. White's holding the "big Bible," one like we show here, came down through the White family themselves; it did not rely on Loughborough's account.
After Mrs. White died, A. G. Daniells is quoted referring to the "big Bible" story, saying that he didn't know how much was true and how much had "crawled into" the story. His point, by the way, was not to cast doubt on whether it happened, but to say that one should not base one's faith in Mrs. White's ministry on such things.
By the way my belief in the spiritual gift (White, Foss and Foy and all the prophests) remain solid no matter what. I know and believe God is consistent and true. But I just wanted to set the record straight for unbelievers.
Pastor ___________
I hope this helps. God bless!
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William Fagal, Director
Ellen G. White Estate Branch Office
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400 USA
Phone: 269 471-3209
FAX: 269 471-2646
Website: www.WhiteEstate.org or www.egwestate.andrews.edu
E-mail: egw@aubranch.egwestate.andrews.edu
