white lie soap, chapter 5, "upgrading from black and white to color"

CHAPTER 5

Upgrading from Black and White to Color

I was asked to make a thorough study of Ellen White’s use of sources. The intent was to investigate some of the questions being raised by scholars and students of some background in literary analysis.

—Fred Veltman, Life of Christ Research Project report

FRED VELTMAN TOOK THE STUDY OF LITERARY SOURCES TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Starting with Walter Rea’s list of parallels, he and his volunteer staff read through many more sources, looking for parallel “sentence units” (some of which are only part of a compound sentence). Veltman also categorized the dependent sentences they found for similarity to their source. Categorizing for degrees of dependency was not a simple “black or white” matter. It required a system that could represent “shades of gray.” Therefore, Veltman created a numeric classification system that rated dependent sentences from a maximum of seven down to zero:

CATEGORY CRITERIA RATING

VERBATIM Sentences that exactly duplicate at least a part of a sentence in a source (none was found in the Desire of Ages text)1 7

MODIFIED VERBATIM Sentences made up of mostly the same words, though allowing for slight modifications2 6

STRICT PARAPHRASE Sentences containing at least a phrase or two from a source with modified wording but meaning the same as the source 5

SIMPLE PARAPHRASE Sentences saying basically the same thing as a source, though perhaps with an additional thought (the largest category of parallels) 4

LOOSE PARAPHRASE Sentences expressing a very similar thought, though not always in the same order or with verbatim words as source 3

SOURCE BIBLE Scriptures that are not directly associated with the story but follow a source 2

PARTIAL INDEPENDENT Sentences that present an original thought, though containing an allusion to a source3 1

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT Sentences with no parallel 0

BIBLE QUOTATIONS Quotations from the Bible that are essential to the story 0

Colorized Text Discloses Independent Wording Veltman did not actually use grayscale in his marking in the Life of Christ Research

Project. Rather, he underlined parallel phrases and boldfaced verbatim or nearly verbatim words to call attention to dependent wording. Unfortunately, the boldfacing in the facsimile edition at adventistarchives.org is not always easy to see, making review of Veltman’s 2,222-page report quite tedious. At Tim Poirier’s suggestion, Mrs. Anderson King and I “upgraded” the original marking from black and white to the color scheme in this book. See what a difference it makes in evaluating literary borrowing.4

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62 White Lie Soap

Black and White Marking Vs. Color

sample from the “Life of Christ Research Project”

colorized “upgrade” of the same sample

Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience. While manifesting

perfect trust in His Father, He would not place Himself, unbidden, in a

position that would necessitate the interposition of His Father to save him

from death. {DA 125.3, highlighted is from 2SP 94.2 via BEcho 11-15-1892}

Here, Mrs. White has adapted scattered wording for a single sentence in The Desire of Ages from four long, non-consecutive sentences in Hanna’s Life of Christ.

SOURCE: Jesus would rely to the very uttermost upon the Divine faithfulness, upon God’s promised care and help; but he would not put that faithfulness to a needless trial. If put by the devil in a position of difficulty and danger, he will cherish an unbounded trust in God, and if extrication from that position be desirable, and no other way of affecting it be left, he will even believe that God will miraculously interpose in his behalf. But he will not of his own accord, without any proper call or invitation, for no other purpose than to make an experiment of the Father’s willingness to aid him, to make a show of the kind of heavenly protection he could claim; he will not voluntarily place himself in such a position. He was here on the pinnacle of the temple, from that pinnacle there was another open, easy, safe method of descent; why should he refuse to take it if he desired to descend; why fling himself into open space? If he did so unasked, unordered by God himself, what warrant could he have that the Divine power would be put forth to bear him up. God had indeed promised to bear him up, but had not bidden him cast himself down, for no other purpose than to see whether he would be borne up or no; to do what Satan wished him to do, would be to show not the strength of his faith, but the extent of his presumption. (Hanna, p. 94)

Based on careful appraisal of 15 chapters in The Desire of Ages, Veltman projected that the 31 percent of the sentences in the book would be dependent in some way.5 Missing the import of Veltman’s statement, Rea maintained his own exaggerated projection: “After great expense and almost eight years, Veltman confirmed what other studies showed, that depending upon the material used from Ellen White’s writing, the copy work could be as much as 90%” (“How the Seventh-day Adventist ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ Was Born,” p. 1).6 Rea’s projection is certainly way over the mark, but what did he mean by “copy work”? The concept apparently varies from example to example.7 Consider the first of two examples of “copy work” from this very paper:

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 371 Daniel March, Our Father’s House, pp. 90, 91

I was shown the Waldenses, and what they suffered for their religion. They conscientiously studied the word of God, and lived up to the light which shone upon them. They were persecuted, and driven from their homes; their possessions, gained by hard labor, were taken from them, and their houses burned. They fled to the mountains and there suffered incredible hardships. They endured hunger, fatigue, cold, and nakedness. The only clothing which many of them could obtain was the skins of animals. And yet the scattered and homeless ones would assemble to unite their voices in singing, and praising God that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ’s name. They encouraged and cheered one another, and were grateful for even their miserable retreat. Many of their children sickened and died from cold and hunger, yet the parents did not for a moment think of yielding their religion. They prized the love and favor of God far above earthly ease or worldly riches. They received consolation from God and with pleasing anticipations looked forward to the recompense of reward.

For a thousand years the unconquered Waldenses defied the armies of kings and emperors with their songs of thanksgiving to the Maker of the mountains amid the solitudes of the Alps. They sang upon their rocky heights in sight of their enemies, and all the legions of Rome had not the power to silence their hymns of lofty cheer:

“For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God! Thou hast made thy children mighty by the touch of the mountain sod. Thou hast fixed our ark of refuge, where the spoiler’s foot ne’er trod; For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!

“The banner of the chieftain far, far below us waves; The war-horse of the spearman cannot reach our lofty caves; Thy dark clouds wrap the threshold of freedom’s last abode; For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!

“For the dark, resounding heavens, where thy still small voice is heard; For the strong pines of the forests, that by thy breath are stirred; For the storms on whose free pinions Thy Spirit walks abroad; For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!

“For the shadow of thy presence round our camp of rock outspread; For the stern defiles of battle, bearing record of our dead; For the snows and for the torrents, for the free heart’s burial-sod; For the strength of the hills we bless thee, our God, our fathers’ God!”

CHAPTER 5 Upgrading from Black and White to Color 63

March missed every unique point that Ellen White made concerning the Waldenses (see italicized). The only similarity in the passages is the Waldenses’ use of the mountains for protection and their praising God in song. (“The strength of the hills” is from Psa. 95:4.) Such minor points of similarity do not invalidate Ellen White’s claim of seeing the Waldenses in vision. (Rea’s other comparative reference, Wylie’s History of the Waldenses, pp. 29–33, had no significant parallels.) Consider Rea’s second example of “copy work”:

Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 123 Daniel March, Home Life in the Bible, pp. 209–211

The spirit, wisdom, and goodness of God, revealed in His word, are to be exemplified by the disciples of Christ, and are thus to condemn the world. God requires of His people according to the grace and truth given them. All His righteous demands must be fully met. Accountable beings must walk in the light that shines upon them. If they fail to do this, their light becomes darkness, and their darkness is great in the same degree as their light was abundant. Accumulated light has shone upon God’s people; but many have neglected to follow the light, and for this reason they are in a state of great spiritual weakness.

It is not for lack of knowledge that God’s people are now perishing. They will not be condemned because they do not know the way, the truth, and the life. The truth that has reached their understanding, the light which has shone on the soul, but which has been neglected or refused, will condemn them. Those who never had the light to reject will not be in condemnation. What more could have been done for God’s vineyard than has been done? Light, precious light, shines upon God’s people; but it will not save them unless they consent to be saved by it, fully live up to it, and transmit it to others in darkness. God calls upon His people to act. It is an individual work of confessing and forsaking sins and returning unto the Lord that is needed. One cannot do this work for another. Religious knowledge has accumulated, and this has increased corresponding obligations. Great light has been shining upon the church, and by it they are condemned because they refuse to walk in it. If they were blind they would be without sin [John 9:41]. But they have seen light and have heard much truth, yet are not wise and holy. Many have for years made no advancement in knowledge and true holiness. They are spiritual dwarfs. Instead of going forward to perfection, they are going back to the darkness and bondage of Egypt. Their minds are not exercised unto godliness and true holiness.

Let us look boldly and calmly both at the danger and the refuge which the light of the divine word sets before us. It is dangerous «to trifle with the sacred demands of conscience», and to live on, year after year, without obeying the clear, gentle voice with which God speaks in every soul. There is nothing which a brave man has so much reason to fear as dishonor and rebuke before the bar of his own conscience. It is dangerous to wait for a better time to begin a better life. The best time is now, and the present is always God’s day of sal- [210] vation. Whoever puts off till to-morrow the first duty of to-day hazards an endless joy for a momentary pleasure. He throws the pearl of infinite price into the fathomless sea of the future, rashly presuming that he can find it again when he is tired of gathering pebbles and shells on the solemn shore. It is dangerous to wait for clearer evidence to confirm revealed truth and to unfold the mysteries of eternal Providence while the claims of present duty are denied. Light shines with ever-increasing brightness on the path of those who pass on where it already shows the way. The vision widens as we ascend. And yet to reach the loftiest heights of faith we must often climb through clouds. Sometimes the best evidence that we are in the right way is the fact that it grows darker as we go on. The least advance costs an effort just because every step lifts us higher.

It is dangerous to leave the great matter of preparation for death undecided while the years of life are passing rapidly away, and the summons to go hence may come without a moment’s warning. The next step forward may be out of time into eternity. We are afraid to walk in the broad day unless we are sure of something solid to set our foot upon. Much more should we be sure of the way before us when we step from the shore of time into the infinite deep. It is dangerous even for once to say to the Saviour of sinners, Go thy way; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. [Acts 24:25.] It is never convenient to take up the cross and [211] follow him. It is never convenient to deny self and live by faith and renounce the world. It is never convenient to break up bad habits and renounce evil companionships, and set out upon the heavenward journey with a steady step and a firm mind. And yet it is right and safe so to do.

[The isolated phrase «to trifle with the sacred demands of conscience» was used in 8T 195.2.]

The only real similarity between the two passages are the fundamental themes of Jesus, “Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you” (John 12:35), and of Paul, “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Such trivial similarity betrays a very skewed idea of “copying.” Who would use such meager evidence in a court of law to prove the defrauding of literary rights?

In a set of marked volumes in his office at the Ellen G. White Estate, Tim Poirier keeps track of the literary parallels that critics and supporters have located and reported to him. The listing is fittingly named “Project Surprise” since the current number of lines with literary parallels in all of

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: periodical Spirit of Prophecy

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Ellen White’s writings now stands —surprise!—at less than four percent.8 The listing raises the question of how Ellen White could have written as much as she did with her “sources” providing so little of what she wrote. Rea’s sweeping assertion of 90 percent “copy work”—whether verbatim or close paraphrase—certainly does not apply to Ellen White’s writings as a whole.9 Neither does his assertion of 90 percent “copy work” apply to any single book written by Ellen White. Her book with the highest dependency—The Desire of Ages—is virtually independent for 75 percent of the book, and very little of the dependent text is verbatim or close paraphrase. Neither does Rea’s assertion apply to any single chapter or article. The highest dependency for either is a single chapter that has 50 percent of the sentences with some degree of dependency.10

The only division of her writings to which the assertion could possibly apply is to single “sentence units” like those Veltman designated MODIFIED VERBATIM in the Life of Christ Research Project Report. Aside from Bible verses, there are 29 of these, and they stretch the limits of “verbatim,” since verbatim means “in the exact words: word for word” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbatim). None of the 29 sentences was a complete sentence in the source; none is word for word the same as the source wording; only five of the sentences contain phrases long enough to require quotation marks by modern standards (here, using guillemots, « », to avoid confusion with those in the text). I have listed all 29 of the MODIFIED VERBATIM sentences in the exhibit below, with added markings and comments not previously included in More Than Words or “A Quick View of the Life of Christ Research Project (1980–1988)” on the Internet.

MODIFIED VERBATIM—V2, rated 6 for literary dependency—29 sentences

Chapter 3 (One sentence unit out of 130)

The fullness of the time had come. (DA 34.4)

When, in the fulness of time, the eternal Son came forth from the bosom of the Father, he descended to a region of spiritual darkness. (Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 49)

In this instance, The Desire of Ages follows Galatians more closely than it does Harris. Galatians 4:4 says: “But when the fulness of the time was come . . . .” Perhaps there should have been a category for BIBLICAL PARAPHRASE. Ellen White often borrowed phrasing to make her own biblical paraphrase. Here Harris used phrasing from John 1:18 and Matthew 4:16.

Chapter 14 (Five sentence units out of 250)

Again the face of the prophet was lighted up with glory from the Unseen, as he cried, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (DA 138.4)

On the following day, while two of John’s disciples were standing near by, Jesus came, in sight, and the Baptist’s face again took the glow of inspiration, as he cried: “Behold the Lamb of God!” (Jones, Life-Scenes from the Four Gospels, p. 96)

This sentence is more of a SIMPLE PARAPHRASE than a VERBATIM, with words taken from John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Ellen White first quoted John’s words in 1SG 29.1, 2.

The words thrilled the hearts of the disciples. (DA 138.4)

The two disciples, how they were thrilled by the words! (Jones, Life-Scenes from the Four Gospels, p. 96)

Ellen White may have adapted Jones’s expansion of John 1:37: “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus,” perhaps conflating it with “heart” from the later description of the effect of Jesus’ conversation with other disciples: “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32).

Philip entered into no controversy. (DA 140.3)

The reply of Philip is every way observable. He entered on no controversy, he attempted no discussion; he felt that the means which had been effectual with himself were most likely to be effectual with Nathanael; and, therefore, wishing to bring him into communication with Christ, he simply proffered the invitation, “Come and see.” (Melvill, The Golden Lectures, p. 49)

This five-word “VERBATIM” sentence correlates with four verbatim words in two sentences of 53 words. The parallel wording may be merely coincidental. I found no other significant parallels between Golden Lectures and the rest of the chapter or even the rest of the book. Ellen White had earlier used this isolated parallel in Letter 86 (Sept. 25), 1895, writing to her son, Edson.


If you believe on Me as such [that is, as “the Son of God”—from the previous sentence], your faith shall be quickened. I have opened them to you. (DA 142.4)

Believe what that sign was meant to confirm; believe in me as the lamb of God, the Saviour of the world, the baptizer with the Holy Ghost, and your eye of faith shall be quickened, and you shall see those heavens standing continually open above my head—opened by me for you . . . . (Hanna, Life of Christ, p. 108; quoted in TWL 106, 108)

From one sentence of 99 words came two sentences. The first of these sentences has eight verbatim words with paraphrase; the second has two verbatim words with paraphrase. At most, these are a thoughtful condensation of the original. These two sentences were carried over from RH 1-21-1873, par. 15, via 2SP 67.1.


They hurried him to the brow of a precipice, intending to cast him down headlong. (DA 240.1)

. . . they hurry him forth to the brow of a precipice, near by the synagogue, that they may cast him down headlong. (March, Walks and Homes of Jesus, p. 61)

This “VERBATIM” sentence is also a BIBLICAL PARAPHRASE, using elements from March’s paraphrase of Luke 4:29: “And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.” Hanna (p. 171) also used “to the brow of a precipice” and “hurrying him to the brow of the hill.” Like March’s Walks and Homes of Jesus and Hanna’s Life of Christ, which it predates, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, p. 36, also paraphrases Luke 4:29: “Again as the plain truth dropped from his holy lips, the multitude laid hold of him, and led him to the brow of a hill, intending to thrust him down.”

Chapter 37 (Five sentence units out of 217)

Where He had passed, the objects of His compassion were rejoicing in health, and «making trial of their new-found powers». (DA 350.3)

Where he had passed, the restored might be seen, making trial of their new-found powers; listeners, formed into groups to hear the tale of healing; and the delighted objects of his compassion, rehearsing, with earnestness, what had passed, imitating his tones, and even trying to convey an idea of his condescending ways. (Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 343; quoted in TWL 312)

Ellen White has simplified Harris’s thought, using ten verbatim words out of 52 in the first sentence of this adapted thought gem. She also used other words from other sentences. Yet, she did not repeat Harris’s imagined scenario of the people imitating Jesus’ tones and mannerisms. At most, it is another thoughtful condensation of the original.

«His voice was the first sound» that many had ever heard, «His name the first word they had» ever spoken, His face the first they had ever looked upon. (DA 350.3)

His voice was the first sound which many of them heard; his name the first word they had pronounced, his blessed form the first sight they had ever beheld. (Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 343)

While a beautiful thought, it stands to reason that this would be true of those who were born deaf or blind.

As He passed through the towns and cities He was like a vital current, diffusing life and joy wherever He went. (DA 350.3)

He went through the land like a current of vital air, an element of life, diffusing health and joy wherever he appeared. (Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 343; quoted in TWL 385, using Gospel Workers, p. 43)

And «more than angels are in» the ranks. (DA 352.2)

. . . he reminds them that they struggle for an invisible world, that they fight in fellowship with all the children of the light [1 Thess. 5:5], that more than angels are in their ranks. (Harris, The Great Teacher, p. xliv)

Ellen White’s sentence uses six verbatim words out of Harris’s 59-word sentence. It was brought into The Desire of Ages by way of Letter 102a (March 9), 1896, written to O. A. Tait and published in The Upward Look, p. 82. The next two sentences in The Desire of Ages, as part of the same thought gem, borrow wording from the same paragraph in Harris.

Every soul was precious in His eyes. (DA 353.1) Every scrap of humanity was sacred and precious in his eyes.

(Miller, Week-Day Religion, p. 187)

This well-worded sentence adapts Miller’s language to expand on Jesus’ command in Matthew 10:16 that the disciples be “harmless as doves,” mirroring His own attitude toward fallible humanity—“A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory” (Matt. 12:20; prophesied in Isa. 42:3). Yet, there are significant differences. Consider the difference between Ellen White’s “soul” and Miller’s “scrap of humanity” and between Ellen White’s “precious” and Miller’s “sacred and precious.” Mrs. White’s statement sets a proper balance, while Miller’s statement first demeans then exalts humanity. The same thought is found in The Youth’s Instructor, Dec. 12, 1895, “He treated every human being as having great value,” and in 1SG 37.2, “The Life of CHRIST was full of benevolence, sympathy and love. He was ever attentive to listen to, and relieve the woes of those who came to him. Multitudes carried the evidences in their own persons of his divine power.” The sentence is part of a larger thought gem adapted from James R. Miller, which we will consider below. The parallel MODIFIED VERBATIM sentence is boxed in gray .

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: letter/manuscript periodical book SP SG

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Christ Himself did not suppress one word of truth, but He spoke it always in love. He exercised the greatest tact, and thoughtful, kind attention in His intercourse with the people. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, «never gave needless pain to a sensitive» soul. He did not censure human weakness. He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. He wept over Jerusalem, the city He loved, that refused to receive Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They rejected Him, the Saviour, but He regarded them with pitying tenderness, and sorrow so deep that it broke His heart. Every soul was precious in

His eyes. While He always bore Himself with divine dignity, He bowed with tenderest regard to every member of the family of God. In all men He saw fallen souls whom it was His mission to save. (DA 353.1)

A true appreciation of the story of the teachings of the gospel will reveal the fact that our Lord himself exercised the most beautiful and thoughtful tact in all his mingling among the people. He was utterly incapable of rudeness. He never needlessly spoke a harsh word. He never gave needless pain to a sensitive heart. He was most considerate of human weakness. He was most gentle toward all human sorrow. He never suppressed the truth, but he uttered it always in love. Even the terrible woes he pronounced against unbelief and hypocrisy I do not believe were spoken in the tones of thunder trembling with rage which men impart to their anathemas. I think we must read them in the light of his tears over the city of his love, which had rejected him, pulsing and tremulous with divine and sorrowing tenderness. His whole life tells of most considerate thoughtfulness. He had a wondrous reverence for human life. Every scrap of humanity was sacred

and precious in his eyes. He bore himself always in the attitude of tenderest regard for every one. How could it be otherwise, since he saw in every one a lost being whom by love he might win and rescue, or whom by a harsh word he might drive for ever beyond hope? He never spoke brusquely or made truth cruel. He saw in every man and woman enough of sadness to soften the very tones of his speech and to produce feelings of ineffable tenderness in him. He moved about striving to impart to every one some comfort or help. (Miller, Week-Day Religion, p. 187)

Notice how Mrs. White condensed the gem as a whole, omitting Miller’s elements of conjecture—“I do not believe . . .” and “I think . . . .” There is a significant theological difference between “He was utterly incapable of rudeness” and “He was never rude”—Jesus was kind by choice, not simply by nature. Gladys King-Taylor identified an effective use of contrast in “While He always bore Himself with divine dignity, He bowed with tenderest regard to every member of the family of God” and an effective use of iteration in “He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, «never gave needless pain to a sensitive» soul” (Literary Beauty, pp. 83, 95, emphasis hers). Mrs. White first adapted the gem in RH 12-16-1884, par. 17, and then in SC 12.1.


We are not to plunge into difficulties, neglecting the means God has provided, and misusing the faculties He has given us. (DA 369.1)

When we plunge ourselves into difficulty, by a neglect of the means or by a misuse of the faculties which God has bestowed upon us, it is to be expected that he will leave us to our own devices. (Wayland, Salvation by Christ, p. 246)

Notice that Ellen White’s condensation of Wayland’s thought gem omits Wayland’s conclusion that God will “leave us to our own devices.” Ellen White first condensed Wayland’s thought in ST 8-19-1897, par. 2.

Chapter 46 (Two sentence units out of 89)

The Saviour and his disciples have spent the day in traveling and teaching, and the mountain climb adds to their weariness. (DA 419.1)

He has spent the day in travel and in teaching, and this mountain climb at night adds a heavy weight to weariness that demanded rest before the evening came. (March, WHJ 150, quoted in TWL 313)

The disciples do not venture to ask Christ «whither He is going, or for what purpose». (DA 419.3)

They do not ask him whither he is going, or for what purpose, he leads them away to the solitude of the mountain—just as night is setting in, and they all need repose and protection in the homes which they have left behind. (March, WHJ 151)

This descriptive language from March is only used in the opening three paragraphs of the chapter.

Chapter 75 (Six sentence units out of 351)

Christ was to be tried formally before the Sanhedrin; but before Annas He was subjected to a preliminary trial. (DA 698.3)

It was in this hall, and before Annas, that Jesus was subjected to that preliminary informal examination recorded in the eighteenth chapter of the gospel of St. John, ver. 19–24. He was to be formally tried, with show at least of law, before the Sanhedrim, the highest of the Jewish courts; but this could not be done at once. (Hanna, LC 663)

This “VERBATIM” is a historical explanation extracting 15 non-consecutive verbatim words from 58 in Hanna’s Life of Christ.

Their own rules declared that every man should be treated as innocent until proved guilty. (DA 699.2)

But He would not repeat it, in spite of their insistence, because He knew that it was open to their wilful misinterpretation, and because they were acting in flagrant violation of their own express rules and traditions, which demanded, that every arraigned criminal should be regarded and treated as innocent until his guilt was actually proved. (Farrar, Life of Christ, 1883, p. 415)


This “VERBATIM” sentence extracts 12 non-consecutive verbatim words from 56 and was introduced through Ms. 51, 1897.

And He «suffered in proportion to the perfection of His holiness» and His hatred for sin. (DA 700.3)

It was by no means an indifferent act to him: “he suffered, being tempted,” [Heb. 2:18]—suffered in proportion to the perfection of his holiness, and the depth of his aversion to sin; but though his residence in an atmosphere of sin was revolting to his purity, though the presence of depravity made his continuance here a perpetual sacrifice, his love induced him to submit—induced him so intimately to associate with the ungodly, that one of his characteristic names became “the friend of publicans and sinners. [Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34]” (John Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 340; quoted in TWL 317)

This “VERBATIM,” which was used in 5T 421.2, takes 12 verbatim words from a 100-word sentence in The Great Teacher.

Of all the throng He alone was calm and serene. (DA 704.0)

He alone, of all that countless host, he alone was calm—serene—fearless! (Ingraham, The Prince of the House of David, p. 349)

It may be that Ellen White adapted this isolated sentence from Ingraham. These recognizable words fit right in.

Caiaphas was desperate. (DA 706.1)

On this Caiaphas became desperate, and adopted a resource which our own rules of evidence would declare most infamous, and which was also wholly adverse to the first principles of Mosaic jurisprudence and the like of which occurs in no circumstance of Hebrew history. (John Kitto, Daily Bible Illustrations, p. 408)

This three-word “VERBATIM” sentence may have extracted two words from Kitto’s forty-four. It was first used in Ms. 51, 1897.

There was a time to be silent, and a time to speak. (DA 706.4)

“There is a time to speak, and a time to keep silence.” (Joseph Hall, Scripture History; or Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testaments, 1830, p. 575)

White and Hall have both paraphrased the last half of Ecclesiastes 3:7, which was applicable in this part of the narrative. Would Mrs. White need to give Hall credit for this? The parallel was carried over from 3SP 127.1.

Chapter 83 (Four sentence units out of 116)

During the journey the sun had gone down, and before the travelers reached their place of rest, the laborers in the fields had left their work. (DA 800.2)

The sun has gone down behind the gray hill-tops, and the shadows of evening have begun to deepen in the narrow valleys, and the laborers have left the terraced orchards and vineyards on the hill-sides before the two travelers reach their home . . . . (March, NS 417)

Christ never forces His company upon anyone. (DA 800.3)

He never forces himself upon any) (March, NS 418)

It is self-evident that laborers would have left their place of labor by sunset. Agricultural workers did not normally work past dark. Ellen White first used this passage in ST 1-20-1888, par. 8, and brought it into The Desire of Ages through Ms. 113, 1897.

Now He puts forth His hands to bless the food. (DA 800.4)

When bread, the simple fare of the poor, was set before them, he put forth his hands to bless it. (March, NS 418, 419)

This thought, which alludes to Luke 24:30, comes from ST 1-20-1888, par. 11 through Ms. 113, 1897.

The disciples start back in astonishment. (DA 800.4)

But what now so suddenly startles the wondering disciples? (March, NS 419)

This “VERBATIM “ is more of a SIMPLE PARAPHRASE. It was brought into The Desire of Ages through Ms. 113, 1897.

Chapter 84 (Four sentence units out of 138)

Every eye is fastened upon the Stranger. (DA 802.2) Every eye is fixed upon the stranger. (March, NS 422) No footstep has been heard. (DA 802.2) No sound of entering footsteps has been heard. (March, NS 422) «The Holy Spirit was not yet» fully manifested;

for Christ had not yet been glorified. (DA 805.2) The Holy Ghost was not yet in his fulness given, because that

Jesus was not yet glorified. (Hanna, LC 806) The last of these sentences is, at most, a STRICT PARAPHRASE of Hanna’s loose quoting of John 7:39: “But this spake

he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” Highlighted wording is from Ms. 113, 1897, which adapted from NS 422, and Ms. 149, 1897, which adapted from LC 806.

The doubting disciple knew that none of his companions had seen Jesus for a week. (DA 807.3)

Thomas knew that for seven days none of the disciples had seen the Lord. (Hanna, LC 817)

More of a STRICT PARAPHRASE than a MODIFIED VERBATIM, this sentence is based on details presented in John 20:24, 26. The description of Thomas’s state of mind before seeing Jesus was carried over from 3SP 221.1.

68 White Lie Soap

These 29 MODIFIED VERBATIM sentences are the most similar of the dependent sentences in the fifteen chapters. They make up about one percent of the whole. Dividing the number of verbatim words in each sentence by the total number of words in that sentence, we reach the surprising conclusion that no sentence reaches the level of 90 percent pure verbatim. Thus, had “copy work” meant word-for-word verbatim duplication, Rea’s assertion regarding 90 percent “copy work” would not apply to a single sentence in The Desire of Ages included in the Life of Christ Research Project. Moreover, only seven phrases in the sentences are long enough to require quotation marks and a footnote by current standards. By the standards at the time of first publication, these sentences would not have been marked, for marking of partial sentences was not then required. Even when the standard changed during the latter half of the nineteenth century, as long as the material was less than a full sentence, an author could use the wording of another author and not give credit of any sort. It was not until an author used a full sentence or more that the general expectation required that the author be credited by at least his or her last name.11 Moreover, until 1909, when Congress changed the copyright laws and required “derivative works” to credit their sources, there was no legal reason for footnoting paraphrased material.12

Like the 29 MODIFIED VERBATIM sentences, sentences in every other category of dependency also possessed unique elements, and legitimate questions remain regarding the dependency rating assigned them in the Life of Christ Research Project. Due to space constraints, we will only examine the first sentence from each category.

STRICT PARAPHRASE—P1, rated 5 for literary dependency—183 total sentences

In his manner and dress he resembled the prophet Elijah. (DA 104.3)

. . . a large gathering of excited people around a man of singular appearance, who was making a most wonderful announcement, and was engaging in a baptismal rite of startling significance. He was a gaunt ascetic; in his dress and manner, and in his authoritative language, reminding all who saw and heard him of the old prophet; and indeed, in his appearance so much resembling Elijah, that the query was immediately started in every man’s mind, whether he was not actually that prophet risen from the dead. (Jones, Life-Scenes from the Four Gospels, p. 3)

From examples in the Life of Christ Research Project Report, we can deduce that, like MODIFIED VERBATIM, STRICT PARAPHRASE can be the extraction of a phrase or two from a much longer sentence. This first example in the research project is from The Desire of Ages, chapter 10. There were no sentences designated STRICT PARAPHRASE in chapter 3. It is the recognizable verbatim words that it has in common with Jones’s account that signaled to the reader in the Life of Christ Research Project that Ellen White borrowed wording. We should note that Jones’s speculation makes no sense, and Ellen White did not repeat it. How could the people be reminded of Elijah, when they had never seen him? They were not alive to see Elijah walk the earth. The phrase “singular appearance” is underlined in Life-Scenes from the Four Gospels because it was used in the previous sentence in The Desire of Ages.

SIMPLE PARAPHRASE—P2, rated 4 for literary dependency—256 total sentences

One language was widely spoken, and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature. (DA 32.2)

When we further consider that there was, as it were, one universal language, superseding by its copiousness and fulness all others,—the language of literature, of cultivation, of the arts, and of trade and commerce,—we easily see that the whole world had almost become one family . . . . (E. W. Thayer, Sketches from the Life of Jesus, Historical and Doctrinal, p. 21, par. 3)

In this first example of SIMPLE PARAPHRASE, taken from The Desire of Ages, chapter 3, it is the uniqueness of the phrase “the language of literature” that suggests literary dependency. Even so, the sentence has been greatly simplified. This example illustrates that the difference between SIMPLE PARAPHRASE and STRICT PARAPHRASE is that sentences designated SIMPLE PARAPHRASE do not follow the same order as the source and often add an original thought. There were more sentences classified as SIMPLE PARAPHRASE than any other category.

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: letter/manuscript periodical book SP SG


LOOSE PARAPHRASE—P3, rated 3 for literary dependency—93 total sentences

The nations were united under one government. (DA 32.2)

While the dominion of Rome so oppressed the nations; it yet unified the world, and harmonized it into the semblance of one family. (Thayer 21.2)

Ellen White may have expressed the same general thought as Thayer, yet, without the verbatim phrase, “language of literature,” in the previous sentence, it would be difficult to certify that she actually derived her wording for this particular sentence from his account. Looking at other sentences in the thought that were borrowed, we can deduce that Thayer’s Sketches from the Life of Jesus supplied a few general historical background facts for the chapter.

SOURCE BIBLE—B1, rated 2 for literary dependency—84 total sentences

In “the region and shadow of death,” men sat unsolaced [Matthew 4:16]. (DA 32.4)

. . . what must have been the wishes and aspirations of those who, with a keen perception of their exigence [i.e., urgency], were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death? (John Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 51)

One could certainly question how remarkable it is to paraphrase Matthew 4:16 in a chapter on the condition of the people at the coming of Christ. To be fair, some B1s are more striking, though most are logically linked to the story being told. This sentence may have come through Signs of the Times, June 16, 1898, “Men were sitting in the shadow of death.”

PARTIAL INDEPENDENT—I2, rated 1 for literary dependency—178 total sentences

From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not. (DA 31.2)

We remember the Patriarch’s remark, that “Judah’s sceptre should not depart till Shiloh come;” we remember the promise of an eternal dominion to the family of David: and still more vividly shines the vision of Daniel. (William Kennedy, Messianic Prophecy, and the Life of Christ, p. 174)

There is only one significant verbatim word in this PARTIAL INDEPENDENT sentence—“promise.” However, the promise in The Desire of Ages is that which was given in “the days of Enoch” and “repeated through patriarchs and prophets,” while the promise in Messianic Prophecy is that of Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:10. That Mrs. White also mentioned Daniel’s prophecy in the next sentence (“The prophecy of Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not all rightly interpreted the message.”) may be the reason that these sentences were correlated by the reader in the Life of Christ Research Project.

Veltman calculated the rate for all the dependent sentences to average out at 3.33, which is “the level of LOOSE PARAPHRASE” (Veltman, LCRP 941). Why would Ellen White’s use of this amount of LOOSE PARAPHRASE in relating the same biblical accounts as other authors cause such a fuss? For Walter Rea, the “fuss” was in assuming that any similarity meant that she could not have received the point she was making by divine inspiration.13 This seems to be the issue that also bothered D. M. Canright, as we see reflected in his question in the Michigan Christian Advocate in 1887, when he discovered Ellen White’s reliance on Protestant authorities in The Great Controversy: “Was D’Aubigne also inspired?” Both men stumbled over inspiration that would allow an inspired writer to communicate God’s messages using adapted wording from non-inspired sources. However, any concept of inspiration that requires all inspired messages to have been spoken by a heavenly voice would exclude much of the “God-breathed” writings of Scripture. The writers of the historical books of the Old Testament gathered information from the annals of the kings of Israel and Judah. Solomon gathered proverbs and “sought out just the right words to express truths clearly.” Luke did research in writing his Gospel. Paul quoted pagan authors and received information regarding the churches from people connected with those churches. In putting into words what he was shown in vision, John used imagery from the non-canonical Ethiopic Apocalypse of Enoch.14

The exhibit below represents the 31 percent literary dependency of the 2,624 sentences in blocks shaded gray for their level of dependency. Only one block—only one percent—is nearly

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: letter/manuscript periodical Spirit of Prophecy

Dudley M. Canright

70 White Lie Soap

black.15 Sixty-nine percent of the blocks are white. These are the 1612 STRICTLY INDEPENDENT sentences and 189 BIBLE QUOTATIONS. Additionally, the light gray of the 178 PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT sentences hardly shows up, illustrating how independent they truly are. In the first three categories of dependency are 1979 sentences—75 percent of the total—that are independent or virtually independent from sources. A weakness of the exhibit is that it cannot represent the independent elements in the MODIFIED VERBATIM sentences we have already seen in this chapter.

To gain a better sense of how Ellen White incorporated wording from sources, the next several pages contain the first portion of a colorized version of The Desire of Ages, chapter 3, which was the first chapter evaluated by Veltman. It does not use his notation, and, due to space constraints, neither does it include the entire chapter. Several of its parallel sentences were included in the previous exhibits. It may be helpful to refer back to the specific comments already made about them (MODIFIED VERBATIM is on pages 64–67; STRICT AND SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE are on page 68; and LOOSE PARAPHRASE, SOURCE BIBLE, and PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT are on page 69). Seeing these sentences in their context and noting which of their words are verbatim, paraphrased, or taken from Scripture and which were used in Ellen White’s earlier compositions can aid readers in evaluating how Ellen White used elements from other works in producing the text of The Desire of Ages. Readers should be aware that we cannot be absolutely certain about every marking and classification. The reverse engineering of a literary work is not an exact science; it often involves “judgment calls.”16

As you look over this selection, ask yourself: Which color is most vivid and which colors predominate? What clues do the colors provide regarding Mrs. White’s use of literary sources? How convincing is the evidence that each of the identified source works was actually used? Does the evidence indicate that Ellen White mindlessly copied or paraphrased from the sources, or does it point to a different use of the sources? Would any of the five-word strings of verbatim, marked with guillemots (« »), be remarkable enough to require a reference to the literary source?17 Would credit need to be given for using the same biblical language as another author?

Percentages of Dependency for 2,624 Total Sentences, Represented in Grayscale

MODIFIED

VERBATIM SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE LOOSE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT

STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE LOOSE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT

STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE SOURCE BIBLE

BIBLE

QUOTATIONS INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT

STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE SOURCE BIBLE BIBLE


STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE SOURCE BIBLE

BIBLE


STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT BIBLE


STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT BIBLE


STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT BIBLE


SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE LOOSE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT BIBLE


SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE LOOSE

PARAPHRASE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT

MODIFIED

VERBATIM STRICT

PARAPHRASE SIMPLE

PARAPHRASE LOOSE

PARAPHRASE SOURCE

BIBLE PARTIAL

INDEPENDENT BIBLE

QUOTATIONS INDEPENDENT


“The Fullness of the Time” HEN the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son . . . to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”a Gal. 4:4, 5. {DA 31.1}

The Saviour’s coming was foretold in Eden.b When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Deliverer. But the fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not.c The prophecy of Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not all rightly interpreted the message.d Century after century passed away; the voices of the prophetse ceased. The hand of the oppressor was heavy upon Israel, and many were ready to exclaim, “The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth.” Eze. 12:22. {DA 31.2}

But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay.f Through the symbols of the great darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the bondage of Israel in Egypt, and had declared that the time of their sojourning should be four hundred years.g “Afterward,” He said, “shall they come out with great substance.” Gen. 15:14. Against that word, all the power of Pharaoh’s proud empire battled in vain. On “the self-same day” appointed in the divine promise, “it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exo. 12:41. So in heaven’s council the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour Jesus was born in Bethlehem.h {DA 32.1}

“When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.” Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. The nations were united under one government.i One language was widely spoken, and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature.j From all lands the Jews of the

a Thayer, Sketches from the Life of Jesus, Historical and Doctrinal, p. 13.1: “But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of

a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law.” Hanna’s explanation of Galatians 4:4, 5 is given in “The Nativity,” which is the second chapter of his book: “. . . if Christ had come in the earliest ages; had the Incarnation followed quickly upon the Fall, so far as that coming was concerned there had been no room or scope for prophecy—one great branch of the Christian evidences had been cut off.”

b Thayer, p. 2: “From the length of time his coming had been expected. The announcement to Adam of the appearance of a divine personage, who should also be the seed of the woman, who should crush the head of the old serpent, regain man’s lost inheritance, and atone for human sin, was all that preserved him from the despair and enmity of a devil. The manner in which this atonement should be accomplished was probably set forth at the same time in the institution of the rite of sacrifice,—the first blood shed on the earth being the blood of the lamb, picturing the great substitute and his work.”

c Kennedy, Messianic Prophecy, and the Life of Christ, p. 174: “We have seen how earnestly the ancient seers peered into the dim vista of futurity to catch glimpses of his dawning. We remember the Patriarch’s remark, that ‘Judah’s sceptre should not depart till Shiloh come;’ we remember the promise of an eternal dominion to the family of David: and still more vividly shines the vision of Daniel. No one who hopes for the Messiah can forget the ‘seventy weeks from the time of the decree to restore and to build Jerusalem.’ ” [Dan. 9:24, 25.]

d Kennedy, p. 175: “The seventy weeks, too, were well nigh fulfilled. If Daniel were a prophet of the Lord, the Anointed would then appear.” e Allusion, Acts 13:27: “For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the

prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.” f Thayer, p. 22: “It was the fulness of time; the world was fully ripe for the event. The clock of destiny had struck the hour: God is in

no haste about his special operations.” g ST 11-4-1880, par. 7: “Abraham was shown in vision that his seed, the children of Israel, after his death should be strangers in a strange land, and

should be afflicted four hundred years.” Ellen White’s statement includes several Scriptural allusions: “. . . an horror of great darkness fell upon him” (Gen. 15:12); “and they shall afflict them four hundred years” (Gen. 15:13); and “. . . behold a smoking furnace . . .” (Gen. 15:17).

h Thayer, p. 22. i Thayer, p. 21: “While the dominion of Rome so oppressed the nations; it yet unified the world, and harmonized it into the semblance of one family.” j Thayer, p. 21: “When we further consider that there was, as it were, one universal language, superseding by its copiousness and

fulness all others,—the language of literature, of cultivation, of the arts, and of trade and commerce,—we easily see that the whole world had almost become one family; and that the vibrations of each stirring event made themselves felt to the ends of the earth.”

Colorization of The Desire of Ages, Chapter 3

“W

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: periodical

72 White Lie Soap

dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to the annual feasts. As these returned to the places of their sojourn, they could spread throughout the world the tidings of the Messiah’s coming. {DA 32.2}

At this time the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the people. Men were weary of pageant and fable.a They longed for a religion that could satisfy the heart.b While the light of truth seemed to have departed from among men, there were souls who were looking for light, and who were filled with perplexity and sorrow.c They were «thirsting for a knowledge of» the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the grave.d {DA 32.3}

As the Jews had departed from God, faith had grown dim, and hope had well nigh ceased to illuminate the future. The words of the prophets were uncomprehended.e To the masses of the people, death was a dread mystery; beyond was uncertainty and gloom.f It was not alone the wailing of the mothers of Bethlehem, but the cry from «the great heart of humanity», that was borne to the prophet across the centuries,—the voice heard in Ramah, “lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” Matt. 2:18. In “the region and shadow of death,” men sat unsolaced. With longing eyes they looked for the [33] coming of the Deliverer, when the darkness should be dispelled, and the mystery of the future should be made plain.g {DA 32.4}

Outside of the Jewish nation there were men who foretold the appearance of a divine instructor.h These men were seeking for truth, and to them the Spirit of Inspiration was imparted.i One after another, like stars in the darkened heavens, such teachers had arisen.j Their words of prophecy had kindled hope in the hearts of thousands of the Gentile world.k {DA 33.1}

For hundreds of years the Scriptures had been translated into the Greek language, then widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire.l The Jews were scattered everywhere, and their expectations

a Kennedy, p. 174: “Certain it is, that the best forms of heathenism then began to wane. They had come to their flowering and fruitage; they had done

what they could, and were about to die.” Thayer, p. 14: “Christ came as soon as idolatry had lost its hold upon any considerable portion, of mankind.” b Kennedy, p. 174: “The better part of the heathen were yearning for a new religious development. Greeks and Egyptians began to

frequent the Hebrew festivals, and to look thitherward for a new faith. Hebrew bigotry and exclusiveness alone prevented them from making still greater advances. They were sick enough of their dead heathenism to embrace anything that had real life in it. Paganism had finished its demonstration. Natural religion would not do.” Thayer, p. 16: “Idolatry had begun to destroy itself; and the great heart of humanity was yearning after the true and living God; and this was the proper time for his interposition.”

c Harris, The Great Teacher (1836), p. 49: “Reason, confident in her resources, had sent forth her sons under all auspices, and in every direction: but they returned, defeated and disheartened; the footsteps of truth could nowhere be found.”

d Harris, pp. 50, 51: “In this remarkable passage, we behold the divine philosopher, rising from a mournful survey of human ignorance, turning with an air of despondency from every earthly resource, yet eagerly thirsting for a knowledge of God, and virtue, and futurity, till his thirst grows into a desire for celestial aid, and his desire matures to an anticipation, and even a prediction, which God was actually intending to fulfil; perhaps indeed, we err in not cordially recognizing in his language the presence of heavenly inspiration.” ST 1-20-1890, par. 1: “At the first advent of Christ, darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. Light and truth seemed to have departed from among men, and Satan appeared to reign in undisputed power. Rival sects existed, and among those who professed to be the servants of God were displayed love of preeminence and strife for power and position. Souls who were desirous of light were filled with perplexity and sorrow. Many were sighing, ‘What is truth?’ They were thirsting for a knowledge of the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the tomb. There were men not of the Jewish nation who prophesied that an inspired instructor would come to teach them of the truth.”

e Allusion, Acts 15:15. f Harris, p. 49: “Nor can the state of Judea be regarded as an exception to the prevailing gloom.” Questionable parallel, Thayer, p. 16: “Idolatry had

begun to destroy itself; and the great heart of humanity was yearning after the true and living God; and this was the proper time for his interposition.” g Harris, p. 51: “. . . what must have been the wishes and aspirations of those who, with a keen perception of their exigence [i.e., urgency], were

sitting in darkness and the shadow of death?” perhaps via ST 6-16-1898: “Men were sitting in the shadow of death.” h Harris, p. 50: “Not only did this awful exigence exist, it was extensively felt and acknowledged; and, by many of the more enlightened heathens, a

Divine Instructor is ardently desired.” Harris, p. 51: “Now the appearance of a Divine instructor, thus absolutely necessary, and ardently desired, might have been warrantably expected.” Thayer, p. 2: “1. From the length of time his coming had been expected.”

i Harris, p. 50: “In another place, speaking of such an inspired teacher, he represents, with prophetic sagacity and precision, that ‘he must be poor, and void of all qualifications but those of virtue alone . . .’. ”

j Gladys King-Taylor marked this sentence as containing an effective simile (Literary Beauty of Ellen G. White’s Writings, p. 93). k Harris, p. 51: “And in uttering the desire which his words disclose, we may take it for granted, he was clothing the thoughts of a

thousand bosoms, venting the secret and cherished longings of unnumbered hearts.” l Cumming, The Life and Lessons of Our Lord, p. 11: “It is found in the most ancient copies of the Hebrew Scriptures; it was translated

into Greek 300 years before the birth of Christ.”


of the Messiah’s coming was to some extent shared by the Gentiles.a Among those whom the Jews styled heathen were men who had a better understanding of the Scripture prophecies concerning the Messiah than had the teachers in Israel. There were some who hoped for His coming as a deliverer from sin. Philosophers endeavored to study into the mystery of the Hebrew economy.b But the bigotry of the Jews hindered the spread of the light. Intent on maintaining the separation between themselves and other nations, they were unwilling to impart the knowledge they still possessed concerning the symbolic service.c The true [34] Interpreter must come. The One whom all these types prefigured must explain their significance.d {DA 33.2}

Through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and prophets, God had spoken to the world.e Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of humanity. The Messenger of the covenant must speak.f His voice must be heard in His own temple. Christ must come to utter words which should be clearly and definitely understood. He, the author of truth, must separate truth from the chaff of man’s utterance, which had made it of no effect. The principles of God’s government and the plan of redemption must be clearly defined. The lessons of the Old Testament must be fully set before men.g {DA 34.1}

Among the Jews there were yet steadfast souls, descendants of that holy line through whom a knowledge of God had been preserved. These still looked for the hope of the promise made unto the fathers.h They strengthened their faith by dwelling upon the assurance given through Moses, “A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.” Acts 3:22.i Again, they read how the Lord would anoint One “to preach good tidings unto the meek,” “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,” and to declare the “acceptable year of the Lord.” Isa. 61:1, 2.j They read how He would “set judgment in the earth,” how the isles should “wait for His law,” how the Gentiles should come to His light, and kings to the brightness of His rising. Isa. 42:4; 60:3.k {DA 34.2}

The dying words of Jacob filled them with hope: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come.” Gen. 49:10. The waning power of Israel testified that

a Thayer, p. 17: “The Jews scattered abroad everywhere bore their continual testimony to the one only living and true God; and the

yearning heart of the world was listening with an abandonment of former absurdities, and an earnest longing for a divine reality.” b Kennedy, p. 174: “Greeks and Egyptians began to frequent the Hebrew festivals, and to look thitherward for a new faith.” Harris, p. 51:

“Besides, the very presence and nature of the Jewish economy was a standing evidence that such was his gracious intention.” c Kennedy, p. 174: “Hebrew bigotry and exclusiveness alone prevented them from making still greater advance.” d Harris, p. 51: “Bearing the marks of a celestial origin, and fraught with important truth, it yet veiled its meaning in types and

enigmas, the solution of which remained to be given. Here were mysteries—where was the interpreter? Here were shadows—the substance, ‘the very things themselves,’ must be at hand.”

e Harris, p. 51: “Indubitable evidence existed that God already had spoken to man at sundry times, and in divers manners; and as the ignorance of the world was still unreclaimed, and there was no intimation that his voice had been final, there was ground to anticipate that, in his own time, he would break the silence again.” Harris and White present a similar thought, but Harris relies more on Hebrews 1:1.

f Allusion, Malachi 3:1. Harris, p. 52: “For, reading on to its closing lines, we find it predict him as the Messenger of the covenant who was yet to come; and the Sun of Righteousness yet to arise.” ST 4-15-1897, par. 3, and BEcho 3-8-1897, par. 3: “The messenger of the covenant, the Sun of Righteousness, must rise upon the world.”

g BEcho 3-8-1897, par. 3: “God had spoken through nature, through types and symbols, patriarchs and prophets. Lessons must be given to humanity in the language of humanity. The messenger of the covenant, the Sun of Righteousness, must rise upon the world. His voice must be heard in His own temple. Christ must come to utter words which would be clearly and definitely understood. He, the Author of truth, must separate truth from the chaff of man’s utterance, which had made it of none effect. The principles of God’s moral government, and the plan of redemption, must be clearly defined. The lessons of the Old Testament must be fully set before men.” See also ST 4-15-1897, par. 3.

h Allusion, Acts 26:6. i Same Scripture, Harris, p. 52. j Harris, p. 52 (quoted in TWL 309): “Unfolding it farther, we read that he should preach the gospel to the poor, and proclaim the

acceptable year of the Lord; . . . .” Highlighted text was quoted in BEcho 3-8-1897, par. 6. k Harris, p. 52: “. . . that he should set judgment in the earth, and the isles should wait for his law; that the Gentiles should come to his light, and

kings to the brightness of his rising.” ST 1-20-1890, par. 2: “Again they read how the Lord should anoint Him to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. They read how he would set judgment in the earth, how the isles should wait for his law, how the Gentiles would come to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising.”

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: periodical

74 White Lie Soap

the Messiah’s coming was at hand. The prophecy of Daniel pictured the glory of His reign over an empire which should succeed all earthly kingdoms; and, said the prophet, “It shall stand forever.” Dan. 2:44.a While few understood the nature of Christ’s mission, there was a widespread expectation of a mighty prince who should establish his kingdom in Israel, and who should come as a deliverer to the nations.b {DA 34.3}

The fullness of the time had come. Humanity, becoming more degraded through ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer.c Satan had been working to make the gulf deep and impassable between earth and heaven.d By his falsehoods he had emboldened [35] men in sin. It was his purpose to wear out the forbearance of God, and to extinguish his love for man, so that He would abandon the world to satanic jurisdiction.e {DA 34.4}

Color-Coded Discoveries So, what do the colors indicate? RED stands out quite vividly, occasionally signaling Ellen

White’s borrowing of a nearly exact sentence or a well-worded phrase. More often it merely marks isolated words of another writer that she used in telling the same Bible story. BLUE is more predominant as a color and often indicates that Ellen White used the narrative of another author as a springboard in composing a chapter of her own. The largest category of paraphrase in her writings is SIMPLE PARAPHRASE, which says basically the same thing as the source, though perhaps with an additional thought. This would indicate that Mrs. White has duplicated some of the same points as her sources, though in her own style, enriched by inspiration and her own thought processes. Pink highlighting indicates material from periodical articles.

GREEN, which is also more predominant than RED, quietly acknowledges that Ellen White used large amounts of Scripture and Scriptural language.18 This may or may not have been suggested by the works of another author. When underlined words are part of the BIBLICAL

PARAPHRASE of another author, it indicates that Mrs. White quarried a few words from that other author in paraphrasing Scripture herself.19 Though Walter Rea asserted that Ellen White used Scriptures as fillers (TWL 24), the truth is just the opposite: delivering the message of Scripture was Ellen White’s special object. In a frequently-repeated statement of hers, she referred to her writings as “a lesser light” to lead to the greater light of Scripture (RH 1-20-1903, par. 9; cf. 2 Peter 1:19). What this means is that she called attention to truths of Scripture that have often been overlooked. She never claimed to be “the lesser light,” as some seem to think, but, like John the Baptist, whom she also described as “a lesser light” (DA 220.2), she accepted it as her mission to

a Kennedy, p. 174: “We remember the Patriarch’s remark, that ‘Judah’s sceptre should not depart till Shiloh come;’ we remember the

promise of an eternal dominion to the family of David: and still more vividly shines, the vision of Daniel.” b RH 12-17-1872, par. 14b, via 2SP 15.1: “Their study was as to the most successful manner to obtain riches and worldly honor, and

they were wholly unprepared for the revelation of the Messiah. They looked for a mighty prince, who should reign upon David’s throne, and whose kingdom should endure forever. Their proud and lofty ideas of the coming of the Messiah were not in accordance with the prophecies which they professed to be able to expound to the people. They were spiritually blind, and were leaders of the blind.”

c Galatians 4:4: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Harris, p. 49: “When, in the fulness of time, the eternal Son came forth from the bosom of the Father, he descended to a region of spiritual darkness.”

d Harris, p. 145: “Besides, by widening the breach which existed, between earth and heaven, Satan might calculate on the possibility of at length realizing his own lie, of wearing out the goodness which only encountered abuse, of extinguishing the last spark of love in the breast of God, and of exasperating justice to doom and destroy the whole species.” Ellen White does not speak of “exasperating His justice” to lead to destruction, but to God’s relinquishing man to the jurisdiction of Satan. This is a different concept of the character of God.

e ST 12-4-1893, par. 2: “Satan had charged God with exercising arbitrary power, and of alienating the human race from himself. Satan sowed seeds of enmity, and kept them well watered, in order that he might be successful in deluding souls, and thus triumph over Christ, making the gulf more deep and impassable between earth and heaven. He presented his falsehoods as truth, and became bold in transgression, seeking to wear out the goodness, mercy, and forbearance of God, to extinguish from his heart all love for man, and thus so exasperate divine justice that God would leave the world under Satanic jurisdiction.”


point people to the greater light of Jesus in Scripture (cf. John 1:8). In a similar way, Jesus has appointed all His followers to be lesser lights to lead their fellow human beings to Him—the Light of the world (Matt. 5:14–16). There is no arrogance in such a role—only humble responsibility.

The Search for Additional Sources The Life of Christ Research Project identified 31 source works (10 major and 21 minor) for

the fifteen chapters covered (LCRP 883, 885). Veltman suggested, “Future studies will no doubt bring to our attention not only more sources but also a greater understanding of Ellen White’s creative role” (Ministry, Dec. 1990, pp. 14, 15). Marcella Anderson King extrapolated from the known literary parallels in The Desire of Ages with a fairly high degree of certainty that Ellen White used about 50 source works with varying degrees of dependency (More Than Words, p. 182), though some may have provided elements for as few as one or two sentences. With easier access to many Victorian works on the Internet, I have attempted to identify other parallels and sources. Unfortunately, most possible leads have turned into dead ends. Such was the case with Melvill’s Golden Lectures (1850), Porter’s The Giant Cities of Bashan (1866), and M. G. Clarke’s Sunshine and Shadows Along the Pathway of Life (1865), the last of which was suggested by a note in Mrs. White’s own handwriting on the flyleaf of her copy of Sunshine and Shadows: “This is a book I esteem highly. Never let it be lost at this time. I appreciate it. I shall be pleased to keep this book for it has treasures of truth which I appreciate in presenting to many others. Let us all seek most earnestly to fashion after the Divine Similitude.”20 Computerized comparison of Mrs. White’s writings with these books has located no significant parallels.

Three other leads—March’s Home Life in the Bible (1873), Geikie’s Hours with the Bible (1881), and Jones’s Life-Scenes from the Old Testament (1868)—have proved more satisfying. Walter Rea (TWL 375) cited March’s Home Life as the source of a thought gem in Sons and Daughters of God, p. 154 (which was excerpted from ST 7-28-1881).21 Computerized comparisons with Ellen White’s books have located other parallel thought gems.22 Arthur White referred to her use of Hours with the Bible. Computerized comparisons have correlated parallels for Patriarchs and Prophets, chapters 11–13, 16, 17, 24, 25, 27–31, 35, 36, 40, 44–46, 48, 53, and 54. Nineteen of these chapters contain only one or two recognizable parallel sentences.23 Jones’s Life Scenes apparently served as a storyline guide for Patriarchs and Prophets, chapters 21–23, and served a much more limited role for chapters 19, 24, 26–28, 30, 33, 35, 37, 38, 40–42, and 44.

Quantifying Usage of Primary Sources in The Desire of Ages The following exhibit characterizes Ellen White’s usage of the major source works in the Life

of Christ Research Project and quantifies the number of located parallels, including those found in chapters of The Desire of Ages outside the project. Only a few of Ellen White’s sources provided ten parallels or more per chapter (listed after a capital S in the chart). The vast majority had nine parallels or less per chapter and were designated “minor sources” of wording (listed after a lower case s). Because this distinction is somewhat arbitrary, chapters with seven or more parallels (still a significant amount) are highlighted gray. Some chapters contained one or more recognizable parallels (indicated by underlining). In an effort to exhaust as many literary parallels as possible, many sentences have been included for little more than a hint of literary allusion. Parallels having the same words but different subjects are marked as questionable (listed after a capital Q).

76 White Lie Soap

Summary of the Use of Major Source Works in The Desire of Ages

William Hanna, The Life of Christ (1863) S5 10 14 19 24 37 53 54 72 75 77 78 80 83 84 85 86 s1 2 6 7 11 12 13 15 16 17 20 23 27

28 29 35 36 39 40 41 45 46 47 48 58 59 63 65 66 67 71 76 81 82 80 87 Q31 Hanna’s Life of Christ provided some background details and structure for the flow of many of the chapters in the book. Ellen White carried over scattered wording in the process of using his narratives to remind her of what she had seen in vision and to help include the essential points of the story. The recognizable parallels tend to be scattered words from the narrative rather than specific gems of thought. In some instances, Deems’ Who Was Jesus? (1868) contains parallels that are closer to The Desire of Ages than the parallels in Hanna’s Life of Christ, though Deems’ book is not listed in Ellen White’s libraries.

Frederic W. Farrar, The Life of Christ (1874, 1883) S75 77 78 s14 15 16 39 72 76 Q31 36 38 44 51 Farrar’s Life of Christ served much the same function as did Hanna’s Life of Christ, though in fewer chapters. The only significant recognizable phrases from Farrar in The Desire of Ages (via Ms. 51, 1897) are «through the hushed streets of the sleeping city» and “midnight seizure.”

George Jones, Life-Scenes from the Four Gospels (1868) S14 77 78 s1 10 22 72 75 Q19 For certain chapters of The Desire of Ages, Jones’s Life-Scenes served in much the same way as did Hanna’s Life of Christ. Verbatim parallels between it and supporting manuscripts for The Desire of Ages suggest that Ellen White also used it in the same way in some manuscripts.

John Harris, The Great Teacher: Characteristics of Our Lord’s Ministry, with an introductory essay by Heman Humphrey (1836)

S1 3 37 75 77 s2 5 7 9 12 17 21 22 24 29 31 33 41 44 50 51 52 55 70 72 73 77 78 79 81

86 Q10 53 61 66 71

Throughout The Desire of Ages, Harris’s book provided mostly scattered, well-worded sentences, which Mrs. White adapted to varying degrees.

Henry Melvill, Sermons, 3rd ed., enlarged (1844) s1 9 12 14 21 37 52 65 Q24 68 77 Melvill’s Sermons provided only limited wording in The Desire of Ages, though Ellen White used some of his excellent imagery in other compositions and requested his book of sermons be sent to her when she was away from home.

Daniel March, Walks and Homes of Jesus (1866) S4 21 24 26 46 s7 8 9 12 25 26 28 39 40 41 45 47 49 58 59 63 65 67 71 72

75 78 79 82 84 Q22 32 33 35 39 43 44 70

Daniel March, Night Scenes in the Bible (1872) S83 84 s10 16 17 25 26 40 49 74 85 March’s Walks and Homes of Jesus and Night Scenes in the Bible were the sources of several gems of thought in The Desire of Ages. Mrs. White adapted the wording of these gems in several key passages, tightening the wording and correcting the author’s concepts. Melvill and March are much less wordy and much more readable than Winslow, Harris, and Hanna. As authors, they say things well—even if they do not always say them correctly. Mrs. White often had to correct their theology and expositions of Scripture.

Cunningham Geikie, The Life and Words of Christ (1877 1883, EGW library), 2nd vol. s9 10 15 18 35 38 41 50 53 56 57 71 72 75 80 86 Q5 17 19 40 48 77 78 82 83

Geikie’s well-written Life and Words of Christ was the source of some background information on New Testament times, but it figures little in the wording of The Desire of Ages.

Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 2 vols. (1886) S76 77 78 s1 5 10 12 66 72 75

Edersheim’s Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah provided only an occasional partial sentence in the book. Had Ellen White used his scholarly attribution of sources in The Desire of Ages, such academic display would have interfered with Ellen White’s purpose.

John Cumming, Sabbath Evening Readings on the New Testament. St. John (1856) S39 58 s8 14 15 17 21 39 50 51 52 53 62 73 85 86 Q7 11 21 56 66 73 77 78

Cumming’s Sabbath Evening Readings on the New Testament. St. John provided recognizable thought gems and allusions for several chapters, but it disagrees theologically with Mrs. White on many points. Its style is not like that of The Desire of Ages but is that of a verse-by-verse commentary.

J. H. Ingraham, The Prince of the House of David; or, Three Years in the Holy City (1855, 1857, 1875) S75 s14 76 77 78 Q65 80

Ingraham’s The Prince of the House of David was a popular work that used fictional characters and details to tell the story of Christ’s crucifixion. Veltman connected his narrative with Ellen White’s early description of the wilderness temptations (see LCRP on The Desire of Ages, chaps. 14 and 15). It also contains descriptions of Christ’s trial and crucifixion that correspond to Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1 (see LCRP on The Desire of Ages, chap. 75, and More Than Words on The Desire of Ages, chaps. 77 and 78).

Samuel J. Andrews, The Life of Our Lord upon the Earth (1862, 1891) S75 Q1 77 78

According to Marian Davis (Letter to C. H. Jones, Nov. 23, 1896, in 3SM 122.1), Andrews’ integrated life of Christ and harmony of the Gospels was an aid in developing the chronological timeline for the book. Yet, his work is a doubtful source of any wording.

Octavius Winslow, The Glory of the Redeemer in His Person and Work (1855) S1 s3 4 21 73 77 78 Q34

Winslow‘s book may have stimulated some thoughts in The Desire of Ages, chap. 1, and provided thought gems for other isolated chapters. Yet, his ornate language makes his exalted themes a bit tiresome (e.g., there are 275 instances of “oh” or “O” in the book’s 500 pages).

S = major source: 10(+) parallel sentences S = minor source: <10 parallel sentences Q = questionable source Superscript = chapter in The Desire of Ages underscored = contains recognizable parallel sentence(s) highlighted = 7(+) parallel sentences


Elements of Ellen White’s Style24 In telling the wonderful story of God’s love, Mrs. White followed the pattern of the

more sermonic writers, though writing in her own unique style without academic superfluity. Literary Beauty of Ellen G. White’s Writings (1954) surveys elements of Mrs. White’s style of writing that Gladys King-Taylor identified in several of Mrs. White’s books. These elements include clearness of thought; careful word selection; forceful, effective sentences; use of contrast and antithesis; figures of speech—tropes, metaphors, similes, personification, metonymy, and synecdoche—and iteration (repetition), climax, and tense changes.25

A beautiful passage that epitomizes Mrs. White’s unique writing style and adaptation of

language from other writers is in The Desire of Ages, p. 755. The imagery comes from John Fleetwood’s Life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (1860), Daniel March’s Walks and Homes of Jesus (1866), and possibly John Ross Macduff’s Memories of Olivet (1868) and Hanna’s Life of Christ (1863). Of this passage, Gladys King-Taylor wrote: “Parallel rhythms and touches of antithesis added to the emotion in the thought make this next paragraph beautiful” (Literary Beauty of Ellen G. White’s Writings, p. 119).

The spotless son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars; those feet so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips shaped to the cry of woe.

And all that He endured— the blood drops that flowed from His head, His hands, His feet, the agony that racked His frame, and the unutterable anguish that filled His soul at «the hiding of His Father’s face»—speaks to each child of humanity, declaring,

«It is for thee that» the Son of God consents to bear this burden of guilt; for thee He spoils the domain of death, «and opens the gates of Paradise».

He who stilled the angry waves and walked the foam-capped billows, who made devils tremble and disease flee, who opened blind eyes and called forth the dead to life,—offers Himself upon the cross as a sacrifice, and this from love to thee.

He, the Sin Bearer, endures the wrath of divine justice, and for thy sake becomes sin itself. (The Desire of Ages, p. 755)26

One can see from the color of the highlighting that this thought gem first appeared in Spirit of Prophecy, p. 162 and that Mrs. White had earlier used the phrase, “hiding of His Father’s face,” in “The Sufferings of Christ” (1869).27

From many sources Ellen White gathered apt wording and helpful explanations of the principles she wanted to present. Recognizing good writing when she saw it, she also produced vigorous and memorable prose of her own. The final exhibit of this chapter calls attention to thought gems from The Desire of Ages that are original to Ellen White. Most of these came from an article or previously published book of hers. The Desire of Ages contains many other thought gems that originated with Ellen White.

PARALLELS: verbatim «5(+) words» paraphrase Scripture EGW: Spirit of Prophecy “The Sufferings of Christ” periodical book

78 White Lie Soap

In our next chapter we will explore the reason describing Ellen White’s use of sources as “copying” is misleading: it overlooks the independent thought in all of her writing.

■ End Notes

1 Veltman asked us to make sure that we called attention to the rarity of Ellen White’s use of unmarked direct quotations (letter to Marcie Anderson, Nov. 2, 2005). In all the manuscripts used in the fifteen chapters of The Desire of Ages in the Life of Christ Research Project, there were only six sentences designated strict VERBATIM. None of these was included in The Desire of Ages. The first is in Diary 32, 1889, and the last five are in Ms. 13, 1884. All six were adapted from Melvill’s Sermons and matched only part of a sentence in the source. Only three are word for word the same. These are: «He could not touch the head» (Diary 32, written in 1889, from Melvill, Sermons, p. 15), «The broken links have been repaired» and «A highway has been thrown up along which the weary and heavy laden may pass» (Ms. 13, 1884, from a sentence in Melvill, Sermons, p. 286; imagery is from Isa. 62:10).

2 Denis Fortin described the category of MODIFIED VERBATIM as including sentences with “one or two words changed” (Fortin, “Inspired Author or Plagiarist? Can We Trust Ellen White’s Books?” slide #24). Examination of the 29 sentences in this category shows that the standard is looser than that.

3 “. . . many of the alleged dependencies do not have a single verbatim word (excluding articles, conjunctions, prepositions and proper names) that is identical to the alleged source” (Conklin, Was Desire of Ages Plagiarized? p. 12)—see LCRP 9, 25 30, 72, 74, 83, 208, 271, 274, 279, and 280.

4 We use the term “literary borrowing” for adapted phrasing because words are not like hand tools that can only be used in a single place at a single time. When people borrow another’s words or phrases, the author or speaker from whom they got the words is not deprived of their use.

5 Veltman, Ministry, Oct. 1990, p. 6. Numbers quoted Veltman that “31.4 percent of the DA text” is “dependent to some extent on literary sources,” that any adaptation of wording from sources was by Ellen White and not by her assistants, and that Ellen White adapted wording from “works of fiction.” Numbers then exaggerated the consequences of Veltman’s study: “White’s reputation for literary excellence and originality lay in shambles, and her honesty was under challenge” (PH xv). The misconceptions from Veltman’s Ministry summary played a part in this.

6 Ironically, the sentence before this acknowledges the percentage revealed by Veltman’s careful study, though Rea included an elastic clause by adding “or more”: “It was not until the church hired Dr. Fred Veltman to study the book Desire of Ages that the figure was raised to 30% or

Original Thought Gems in The Desire of Ages

Heavenly beings woo the hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts above; by gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves can know. (DA 21.1)

The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.” (DA 22.2; ST 4-25-1892)

His quiet and simple life, and even the silence of the Scriptures concerning His early years, teach an important lesson. The more quiet and simple the life of the child,—the more free from artificial excitement, and the more in harmony with nature,—the more favorable is it to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength. (DA 74.3; from YI 2-1-1873)

Jesus did not contend for His rights. (DA 89.4; from YI 12-12-1895) Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the

promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. (DA 126.1) Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name. (DA 130.4) Jesus saw in every soul one to whom must be given the call to His kingdom. (DA 151.2) The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature.

There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. (DA 172.1; from ST 9-26-1892) As the mother watches for the smile of recognition from her little child, which tells of the dawning of

intelligence, so does Christ watch for the expression of grateful love, which shows that spiritual life is begun in the soul. (DA 191.1; from ST 1-19-1882 and MB 84.4)

When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. (DA 200.4; from SC 51.3)

The people of Nazareth knew that He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. [Acts 10:38] About them were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house; for He had passed through them, and healed all their sick. The mercy revealed in every act of His life testified to His divine anointing. (DA 241.1; from SC 11.2 and ST 6-17-1889)28


more depending upon the chapters chosen in the book one was using.” In a letter, he indicated which chapter he thought would raise the dependency level above 30 percent: “Study will show that even Fred Veltman’s study did not show the large amounts of others’ material that was used, such as chapter five found in DA, which was not included in his study. This chapter alone showed that perhaps as much as 80 to 90 percent was copy work” (Rea to “Dear Friends,” Sept. 1, 2004). Veltman told me that he randomized the selection of chapters to satisfy concerns that the study had been slanted. Certain people wanted him to include chapters that were known to have less verbatim; Rea wanted him to include “The Dedication” because he thought it had more. Marking that chapter for its sources, I have no doubt that Mrs. White used Hanna as a storyline guide. Forty-nine of its 133 sentences have dependency. That is 37 percent, which is indeed above 30 percent, though nowhere close to 80 or 90 percent. Many of the verbatim parallels in the chapter are Scriptures, which help tell the story; others are background facts. Among the dependent sentences in the chapter are three adapted gems from The Great Teacher (DA 57.1; quoted in TWL 328, 329): “He showed us that, while the hatred of God against sin is strong as death, his love to sinners is yet stronger than death” (Harris, p. 145). “Having committed himself to the amazing work of our redemption, he resolved that he would spare nothing however costly, withhold nothing however dear, which was essential to the consummation of the design” (Harris, p. 109). “O what a God, what a Father, what an ocean of love is the God of our salvation! Having collected all the riches of the universe, and laid open all the resources of his infinite nature, he gave them all into the hand of Christ, and said, ‘These, all these, are for man; use them for man; distribute them to men; if necessary, confer them all upon man, in order to convince him that there is no love in the universe but mine, and that his happiness consists in loving me, and giving himself to me in return’ ” (Harris, p. 113).

7 In the same document (p. 6), Rea also asserted that Mrs. White got her early visions from William Foy. While Foy agreed that what young Ellen related in meeting “was just what he had seen in vision” (1BIO 488.1), there are also significant literary differences in their accounts, and the most similar section, regarding chariots with wings and wheels (ExV [1851] 18.1, 22.1), sounds much like Isaiah 6:3 and Ezekiel 3:13. In the same paper (p. 8), Rea also criticized Mrs. White for using Coles’ Philosophy of Health in Testimonies, vol. 2. Numbers (PH 222) considered Ellen White’s use of Coles’ book in Testimonies, vol. 2 “puzzling.” So did John Harvey Kellogg (see http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/health2.htm). However, Mrs. White described the order of her vision and her writing on health (RH 10-8-1867; Ms. 7, 1867). The chapter in Testimonies, vol. 2 (1868), that corresponds to Coles, was written after the sketches on health in Ms. 1, 1863 and in Spiritual Gifts, volume 4, and after she turned to the hygienic writers to fill out “How to Live” (1865), as she said. “After this clear-cut declaration of 1867, her later use of words and phrases from sources to which she had called attention gave evidence she had nothing to cover up” (“A Critique of the Book Prophetess of Health,” p. 31).

8 Poirier, “Project Surprise,” summarized at: www.whiteestate.org/issues/parallel.html. In a letter that Rea wrote to supporters (Aug. 1992/revised Oct. 2004), he said: “There was massive borrowing on all levels of Mrs. White’s writings. The church had never before either known or admitted such borrowings to the membership or the public, no matter what we continue to read from the ‘Review’ or other writers. (Glendale Tapes, 1990).” This is an extreme overstatement. Her borrowing is indeed pervasive. It is found in all classes of her writing—in letters, manuscripts, articles and books, and in her reconstruction of the words of angels—but less than four percent total is certainly not massive.

9 Yet, several critics have continued spreading the false figure. For example, Dirk Anderson (using Rea’s statement without noting his source with quotation marks) in “Common Arguments Used by Seventh-day Adventists to Defend Mrs. White’s Plagiarism” at: http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/egw6.htm, Pat Goltz in “A Question of Ethics,” http://www.seghea.com/pat/bible/ethics.html, Steve Rudd, and Robert K. Sanders. Rudd wrote: “[It is] an absolute proven fact that White plagiarized 80–90% of her ‘inspired writings’ . . .”—in “Seventh-day Adventists: They Alone View Ellen G. White as an Inspired Prophet!” available at http://bible.ca/7-WhiteInspire.htm. Sanders quoted Derson Charles: “A more exhaustive research project by Rea that was initially supported by the hierarchy of the SDA organization revealed that the extent of EGW copying from other authors amounted to a whooping [sic] 80 to 90 percent of all her books” (Mirror, Nov. 14, 2003, in “SDA Corruption in Trinidad: Missing over 1 Million Dollars in Student Fees and Expose on Ellen G. White,” http://www.truthorfables.com/SDA_corruption_in_trinidad.htm).

10 The 50 percent is for “Caesar’s Household,” in Sketches from the Life of Paul; the 37 percent for The Desire of Ages, chapter 5, is next. Warren H. Johns noted, in Ministry (June 1982), p. 7, the next two highest, though he overestimated their dependency: “Approximately 40 percent of two articles each in the Review and Herald (July 18, 1882; July 5, 1887) can be identified as coming from two chapters in Melvill’s Sermons.” For the first article, “The First Prophecy” it is actually 35 percent—43 out of 124 sentences show evidence of dependence on Melvill (and five of these are the same Scriptures). Though the dependent sentences contain striking words and phrases (eleven phrases would require quotation marks by modern standards), most are paraphrase. Judging from the fact that she previously wrote on the same subject in Review and Herald, Feb. 24, 1874, it would seem that she adapted Melvill’s sermon because it agreed with her understanding of the subject. The second article, “Christ Man’s Example” has 34 percent dependency—41 out of 123 sentences.

11 David J. Conklin, in E-mail to Kevin L. Morgan, March 4, 2012. This de facto standard is based on David Conklin’s observations in his exhaustive comparative study of The Desire of Ages, chap. 77, with 222 works on the life of Christ from 1664 to 1929. The purpose of the study was to identify “what was considered to be appropriate literary borrowing in the nineteenth century, not by prescriptive methods based on twentieth and twenty-first century norms, but by descriptive analysis of actual nineteenth-century literary practice” (Conklin, Was Desire of Ages Plagiarized?, p. 9).

12 Rea pointed out that the year Ellen White gave instruction to footnote quoted material was 1909 (TWL 49). 13 The fallacy in Rea’s thinking comes through in his statement: “Listed below are hundreds of references in her writings where she has taken and

used the thoughts, words, and even the suppositions of other uninspired writers and made them inspired by insisting that what she was seeing and saying was coming directly from God” (“How the Seventh-day Adventist ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ Was Born,” p. 7, emphasis supplied). He expanded this to include “the thoughts, words and structure of other writers” from Testimonies, volumes 1 through 9 (ibid., p. 9). Most of his examples are quite vague.

14 For examples of the use of the Ethiopic Apocalypse of Enoch in Revelation, see King and Morgan, More Than Words, p. 150. 15 Another way of representing dependency would be to apportion blocks according to the number of parallel verbatim words in the chapter rather

than according to classification of sentences. Results would vary from chapter to chapter. For example, in chapter 3 of The Desire of Ages, the number of words that were verbatim or nearly verbatim amounted to 203 of the 2,192 words in the chapter, or 9.3% of the whole. In chapter 10, the number of verbatim or nearly verbatim words was 79 of the 4,537 words in the chapter—or 1.7% of the whole (Morgan, Was Desire of Ages Plagiarized?, p. 13).

16 Mrs. King told me that Dr. Veltman periodically had to invoke the subjective standard of “that’s a judgment call” in deciding on a classification. 17 The only other five-word verbatim string in the rest of the chapter is: “«What a spectacle for Infinite» Purity to behold!” (DA 36.3).

Gladys King-Taylor identified this interjection as a striking use of exclamation (Literary Beauty, p. 68). It was adapted from Harris, The Great Teacher, p. 231: “. . . what a sight for the Lover of souls! what a spectacle for infinite goodness to contemplate!” and was first used in RH 7-12-1892 and adapted

80 White Lie Soap

in Letter 43 (June 14), 1895. Would this isolated use of Harris’s wording realistically require footnoting? Ellen White had used a similar exclamation, “what a spectacle! what a scene!” in describing the resurrection of the wicked dead in 1SG 214.1.

18 “Considering Mrs. White’s acquaintance with the Scriptures, her frequent quotations from and allusions to them, and the fact that the theme of the five books of The Conflict of the Ages series is largely Biblical, even more directly so than Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, one would expect to find in her style a Biblical simplicity, and he is not disappointed” (Gladys King-Taylor, Literary Beauty, p. 41).

19 Rea asserted that The Acts of the Apostles covered up the borrowing in Sketches from the Life of Paul by substituting Bible texts “for some of the matter previously copied” (TWL 122). He failed to recognize that this implies that what Mrs. White had been borrowed was a paraphrase of Scripture.

20 Ellen G. White, quoted by Jack W. Provonsha: “Did Ellen White Attempt to Conceal the Fact that She ‘Borrowed’ from the Writings of Others?” p. 5, available at: drc.whiteestate.org/files/6124.pdf. The shakiness of her handwriting may indicate that she wrote the note when she was elderly.

21 It reads: “Those who are placed in the highest positions may lead astray, especially if they feel that «there is no danger. The wisest» err; «the strongest grow weary. Excess of caution is» often attended with as great danger as excess of confidence. To go forward without stumbling, we must have the assurance that a hand all-powerful will hold us up, and an infinite pity be exercised toward us if we fall. God alone can at all times hear our cry for help. It is a solemn thought that «the removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to fulfill one good resolution, the» formation of one wrong habit, may result not only in our own ruin, but in the ruin of those who have put confidence in us. «Our only safety is to» follow «where the steps of the Master lead the way», to «trust for protection implicitly to Him» who says, ‘Follow me.’ Our constant prayer should be, ‘Hold up my goings in thy path, O Lord, that my footsteps slip not.’ [Psalm 17:5]” (ST 7-28-1881, pars. 15, 16; adapted from March, Home Life, pp. 351, 352 [see p. 185]).

22 Mrs. White adapted a gem from Home Life, pp. 360, 361: “The feet that God is guiding will press on in a way which leads straight forward, ever ascending, «and ever brightening, until it reaches the» brightness of eternal day. All wrong-doing is forsaking the path where Jesus leads, «turning aside to the crooked ways of darkness». . . . They will not fall, nor stumble. «A divine Guide goes before the faithful, encouraging them with his voice», aiding «them with his hand, and» they need never mistake the way” (ST 7-28-1881, pars. 18, 19). She adapted another from Home Life, pp. 352, 353, for Letter 1 (Oct. 15), 1880, in 2SM 163.3, Home Life, p. 352, was also adapted in PP 452.2. Mrs. White adapted twenty gems from Home Life in 4T, eleven in 5T (5T 44.2, 45.1 was used in PK 236.1, 2), six in 6T, and four in 8T. She also adapted two sentences from Home Life, pp. 432, 433 in DA 74.2 (“He drew «the sympathy of all hearts by showing Himself capable of sympathizing with all».”) and DA 48.4 (“Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than when shepherds listened to the angels’ song.”).

23 The exceptions are Patriarchs and Prophets, chapters 30 and 36. Chapter 30 has eighteen recognizable adapted sentences from Hours with the Bible, vol. 2; chapter 36 has nine. An example from chapter 30 is PP 347.3, “The sacred tent was enclosed in an open space called the court, which was surrounded by hangings, or screens, of fine linen, suspended from pillars of brass.” This parallels Geikie’s Hours with the Bible, vol. 2, p. 293, “The sacred tent was enclosed in an open space 75 feet broad and 150 feet long.”

24 This section is adapted from Morgan, “Literary Elements in Principle Books of Ellen G. White,” review of Literary Beauty of Ellen G. White’s Writings, July 17, 2011, available at: http://www.amazon.com/review/RUSII2X8LFF13.

25 Example of her careful word selection are in PP 148.4, DA 241.1, DA 685.1, and DA 802.2 (see chap. 5); examples of her use of contrast are in PP 290.3 and PK 161.1 (see chap. 3) and DA 158.2 (see chap. 2) and DA 353.1 (see chap. 5); an example of antithesis is in DA 25.2 (see chap. 6); an example of a trope (a rhetorical device that produces a shift in the meanings of words) is found in DA 43.1 (see chap. 6). Examples of metaphors are the “tent” in DA 23.3 (see chap. 6); “high walls” in DA 86.3; and “stars” in DA 33.1 (see chap. 5). Personification is in DA 722.5 (see chap. 6). Examples of iteration are found in DA 353.1 (see chap. 5), DA 686.3 (see chap. 3) and DA 801.3 (see chap. 3).

26 Following are the possible source passages: “But now, my soul, take one view of thy dying Saviour, breathing out his spirit upon the cross! Behold his unspotted flesh lacerated with stripes, by which thou art healed! See his hands extended and nailed to the cross, those beneficent hands which were incessantly stretched out to unloose thy heavy burdens, and to impart blessings of every kind! Behold his feet riveted to the accursed tree with nails! those feet which always went about doing good, and traveled far and near to spread the glad tidings of everlasting salvation! View his tender temples encircled with a wreath of thorns, which shoot their keen afflicting points into his blessed head—that head which was ever mediating peace to poor, lost, and undone sinners, and spent many a wakeful night in ardent prayer for their happiness! See him laboring in the agonies of death! breathing out his soul into the hands of his Almighty Father, and praying for his cruel enemies! Was ever love like this? was ever benevolence so gloriously displayed?” (Fleetwood, p. 362). (It almost seems that Fleetwood used the ignominies and agonies of the crucifixion as literary devices.) “. . . the faith which brings forgiveness and opens the gates of paradise to the dying sinner carries with it a renovating power; that the faith which conveys the title, works at the same time the meekness for the heavenly inheritance” (Hanna, p. 719). “Take away the element of vicarious sacrifice, and we ask in vain, how could He who stilled the waves and walked on their crested tops, who made devils crouch submissive at His word, who made disease take wings and flee away, and plucked the very ignominy—saving others, and yet with an apparent inability to save Himself?” (Macduff, Memories of Olivet, p. 323). “But the love of Jesus is infinitely more generous, patient and self-denying than a mother’s love. He has been more deeply afflicted by our ingratitude and disobedience than any mother ever was by the misconduct of her child. He has longed and labored for our eternal salvation more earnestly than any human parent ever did for the welfare of an only son. As we stand and gaze by faith upon the cross of Jesus, every expression of his agonized countenance, every drop of blood flowing from his many wounds, every convulsion with which the torture of crucifixion shakes his frame, every groan which the hiding of his Father’s face extorts from his troubled soul, seems to say to us, ‘It is for thee that these pangs are borne. It is that thou mayest be forgiven that I consent to have all shames and crimes imputed to me. It is to blot out the record of thy dark and dreadful iniquity that my blood is shed. The grave shall close over me with its horror of great darkness that I may spoil the dominions of death and unbar the gates of life for thee. I submit to all this shame and agony because I have loved thee with an everlasting love [Jer. 31:3], and I could not rest till I had brought back thy wayward and wandering soul to God’ ” (March, Walks and Homes of Jesus, p. 316). Fleetwood used the Scriptural terms “spirit” (Luke 23:46), “upon the cross” (John 19:31), “stripes” (Isa. 53:5), “hands” and “nail” (John 20:25), “feet” (Luke 24:39), “the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), and “crown of thorns” and “head” (Matt. 27:29). “Agony” and “drops” of “blood” come from Luke 22:44; “soul” is from Matthew 26:38 and Mark 14:34. Ellen White frequently used the phrase “the spotless son of God.” That Jesus “becomes sin itself” is from 2 Corinthians 5:21.

27 PH169 14.3 was reused in 2T 214.2: “It was «the hiding of his Father’s face», a sense that his own dear Father had forsaken him, which brought despair.” (Ninety percent of 2T 200–215 is from “The Sufferings of Christ.”) The key expression is a metaphoric interpretation of Jesus’ cry, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).

28 Gladys King-Taylor identified this gem as an example of Ellen White’s careful word selection (Literary Beauty, p. 54).

white lie soap, chapter 5, "upgrading from black and white to color"

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