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1 Adventist Heritage Center From: Tamara Karr Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 11:05 AM To: Adventist Heritage Center Subject: FW: The Sabbath and the President From: Adventist Review [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Adventist Review Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 1:46 PM To: Tamara Karr <[email protected]> Subject: The Sabbath and the President “Yeah, we observe the Sabbath,” says Ivanka Trump.

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Page 1: “Yeah, we observe the Sabbath,” says Ivanka Trump. · PDF file1>FF>nRZKKhS^Q uRK^ lRK ]>kkSKI RKk KuSlR RolF>^I 2RK G`oh[K Sl IKlGkSFKI Fw ] ... KGrKI FKG>spK Sr Sp IKK_KI spKPs]

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Adventist Heritage Center

From: Tamara KarrSent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 11:05 AMTo: Adventist Heritage CenterSubject: FW: 🏛 The Sabbath and the President

  

From: Adventist Review [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Adventist Review Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017 1:46 PM To: Tamara Karr <[email protected]

Subject: 🏛 The Sabbath and the President 

“Yeah, we observe the Sabbath,” says Ivanka Trump.

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The Sabbath and the President1Movie Story of Desmond Doss, Adventist Medal of Honor Recipient, Gets Six Oscar Nominations2Praying for Our 'Kings'3Adventist 'Lineage' Videos Link Movement's Past to Christian History4Ellen White and Depression5When Fake News Becomes “Alternative Facts”6

Volunteers Construct Adventist Church in Dominican RepublicMaranatha group spends Christmas time serving others

Groundbreaking held for Inter-American seminary, online university buildingPrograms will continue to develop leaders for church region

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Jared Thurmonis the Strategic Partnerships Liaison for Adventist Review.

You can reach him anytime on twitter via @thurmon.

POSTED JANUARY 20, 2017

The Sabbath and the President“Y eah, we observe the Sabbath,” says Ivanka Trump. “From Friday to Saturday we

don’t do anything,” the new U.S. President’s daughter shared in a 2015 VogueInterview with Jonathan van Meter.1 She and her Orthodox Jewish husband, Jared

Kushner, detailed for the journalist some of the ways they celebrate this weekly day of rest on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.

“So for Friday, she’ll make dinner for the two of us, and we turn our phones off for 25 hours. Putting aside the religious aspect of it; we live in such a fast-paced world,” says Jared.

“It’s an amazing thing when you’re so connected,” Ivanka says, “to really sign off.”

Ivanka’s father, sworn in as 45th President of the United States today, has gotten used to not being able to reach Ivanka or Jared via text, phone or email from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.

Ivanka grew up in a Presbyterian home, but converted to Judaism, and thus Sabbathkeeping, when she married her Jewish husband.

The couple is described by many observers as very influential in the incoming Trump administration. Jared was recently named senior advisor to the President. Both he and Ivanka have stepped down from their respective business roles and are moving to D.C. to focus on new duties. Some pundits believe that the couple may have played a pivotal role in helping Ivanka’s father get elected.

Why does any of this matter? To students of Bible prophecy, it’s always instructive to trace the connections between national leaders and the God-given freedom to exercise one’s religion according to the dictates of conscience. In the long and often painful story of Judaism, we can see moments of crisis when those who put God first didn’t have the freedom to worship on the day He instructed.

The same Bible reminds us that even powerful statesmen and advisors such as the Hebrew prophet Daniel were sometimes unable to prevent laws that restricted their own religious freedom and that of others. Proximity to power doesn’t always ensure the ability to influence the way that power is used, especially when the rights of religious minorities are concerned.

Celebrating the Biblical Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week, or Saturday, is one of those minority religious experiences in our world that needs and deserves protection. Even the largest group of Sabbathkeepers in the world—Seventh-day Adventists—numbering 19 million global members, are less than one percent of the worldwide Christian population. Judaism in all its branches adds another 15 million Sabbathkeepers to the total.

Seventh-day Adventists have historically understood their mission to call attention to the Biblical Sabbath of the Ten Commandments, and to invite others to join them in worshipping on the day the Bible describes as a weekly memorial of God’s creative activity. They are also acutely aware of the pressures toward conformity for religious minorities in any society, and particularly one in which the large majority of Christians worship on a different day. That’s why Adventists have for decades been vigorous defenders of the rights of religious minorities of all kinds. They believe that the freedoms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights belong to all men and women, and that faithfulness to God is a higher duty than even loyalty to one’s country. History can only repeat itself if citizens forget the hard-won freedoms designed to protect those who, when called to choose, “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Sabbathkeepers everywhere can hope—and pray—that those like Ivanka and Jared Kushner, who cherish the Biblical Sabbath, remain influential in the life of the new leader of the free world.

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1. http://www.vogue.com/11739787/ivanka-trump-collection-the-apprentice-family/

As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.Content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.Unless identified as created by “Adventist Review” or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content.

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The Sabbath and the President1Movie Story of Desmond Doss, Adventist Medal of Honor Recipient, Gets Six Oscar Nominations2Praying for Our 'Kings'3Adventist 'Lineage' Videos Link Movement's Past to Christian History4Ellen White and Depression5When Fake News Becomes “Alternative Facts”6

Despite Cold Weather and Flu Epidemic, Adventist Lectures in Serbia Draw CrowdsFive-day ‘Quest for the Meaning of Life’ Series Held in Novi Sad

Volunteers Construct Adventist Church in Dominican RepublicMaranatha group spends Christmas time serving others

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POSTED JANUARY 26, 2017

Praying for Our 'Kings'The Bible lists not a single caveat nor even one exception clause

I want to be both politically neutral and correct in making an assertion. In my lifetime (my dear mother named me after a general soon-to-become president named Eisenhower and a preacher named Moody) I do not recall a more contentious build-up

to a new president and his administration than the one we witnessed this time around. On January 20, Donald John Trump took the oath for the office of President of the United States, and a new chapter in this nation’s history has begun. How shall we respond?

The Bible lists not a single caveat nor even one exception clause in its profound advocacy to pray for political leaders in power: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4). Be reminded that when the apostle Paul wrote this call to prayer, Nero was the reigning monarch in the Roman Empire.

And please note this is not simply a call to intercede for our new president. It is also an appeal to give “thanksgiving” for our leaders. Clearly Paul commands no begrudging prayers, but rather fervent thanksgiving prayers. And given the political climate in the empire when Paul wrote this admonition, it is just as clear that he cannot be describing a “thank God my political views have won” sort of congratulatory prayer either.

Why would Paul issue such a clarion call to pray for our kings?

Why would Paul issue such a clarion call to pray for our kings? He is quick to list the reasons: (1) that we may live peaceful lives; (2) that we may live quiet lives; (3) that we may live in godliness and holiness; (4) because such praying is good and pleases God; so that (5) all people might be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. Five compelling reasons why you and I should fervently pray for the new President.

Thus, it matters not how the political fortunes of this nation and the nations of the world may yet twist and turn. The imperative is unmistakably clear: Pray for your king. And so, in obedience to the Lord of Lords and King of kings (and, if you prefer, the President of presidents), let faith communities lift up our collective and private voices in intercession to Him who “deposes kings and raises up others . . . [who] knows what lies in darkness” (Daniel 2:21-22). Let us pray for our kings, for the sake of our Lord’s saving mission, for the sake of yet reaching the people of this nation and world with the glad tidings: “The King is coming.”

Amen.

—Dwight K. Nelson is pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church, a Seventh-day Adventist congregation on the campus of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.Content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.Unless identified as created by “Adventist Review” or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content.

News & FeaturesCurrent Adventist NewsDownload The Adventist World Week of Prayer EditionOnline ExclusivesGracenotesEvents

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ResourcesContactFree NewsletterPhoto SubmissionsDownloadsSunset CalendarChurch LocatorRSS Feed

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©Copyright 2017, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

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The Sabbath and the President1Movie Story of Desmond Doss, Adventist Medal of Honor Recipient, Gets Six Oscar Nominations2Praying for Our 'Kings'3Adventist 'Lineage' Videos Link Movement's Past to Christian History4Ellen White and Depression5When Fake News Becomes “Alternative Facts”6

Adventist Health’s Reiner Cited As a “Leader to Know” by Becker’s Hospital ReviewTrade publication said CEO is one of 125 who top the field

On January 25 (1/25 — Get It?), Southern Adventist University Kicks Off Anniversary YearRestored tractors, snack invented in 1892, hayrides are all part of the fun

SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

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Gerald A. KlingbeilAssociate Editor, Adventist Review

Of Course They Are Lying, But I Don’t CareOf Post-truth, Prophecy, and Postmodernism

, associate editor, Adventist ReviewT wo months ago, The Washington Post reported that “post-truth” was named the 2016 international Word of the Year by the venerable Oxford University Press English dictionary.1 The dictionary defined “post-truth” as “relating to or denoting

circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” In a year rife with many surprises (remember Brexit or the U.S. presidential elections?), the editors of the dictionary noted a more than 2,000 percent increase in the use of the term in public discourse.

Columnists, pundits, and opinion makers—they all agree that facts (= truth) have been less influential in the minds of politicians and voters alike in 2016. Emotions and personal opinions seem to have won out over verifiable facts. Fake news, spreading like wildfire on social media, has often replaced hard news. “Truth” has become relative—and the speed at which it has occurred is deeply troubling.

Adventist Christians, reading both the Word and the New York Times (or Der Spiegel or any other news source of your preference) have long known that truth has been under siege for millennia. The term “post-truth” may not be part of Scripture’s vocabulary in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, but we can clearly see the same approach to facts and figures in some of the Bible’s most chilling stories.

Take the Fall narrative for example. The question of the cunning serpent “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1) offers a perfect example of mixing truth and error in a convenient package that serves the agenda of the speaker. The attack of the serpent continues more directly in verse 4 with no regard to truth or fact: “You will not surely die.” If that’s not the most blatant post-truth, I don’t know what is!

Here’s another example of biblical post-truth pushed by powers aligned against the Creator. Daniel 8 describes a disturbing vision of a ram and a goat and a number of increasingly stronger horns. A little-horn power is reaching up to heaven trying to redefine truth. It “exalts” itself to equal the Prince of peace (notice the capital P); it “takes away” the sacrificial system, including the daily sacrifice, established by God at Sinai; and, most importantly, it “casts down truth” (Dan. 8:9-12).

If we take the Bible seriously, it seems, after all, that we have been living in a post-truth era for a long time. Instead of paying attention to God’s facts, many have decided to build their own little kingdoms on misinformation, mistrust, and the misuse of power. Some have opted to manipulate (even news), to control (the data), to frighten, to scare, and to reinterpret the facts so that they work for the advantage of the teller.

Politicians, editors, writers, scientists, preachers, teachers, and anybody else out there hawking an opinion in the public square—we all may have been guilty of perpetuating post-truth when it suited our needs. The end has not only justified the means since the formal introduction of situational ethics. Throughout history, the church has also been guilty of these slight “re-alignments” or “re-interpretation” of facts and figures.

Postmodernism has done its share of the damage. When objective data, absolute values, and truth claims disappear from our radar, we open ourselves up for guzzling up post-truth out of the hand of media, demagogues or opinion-makers.

What to do? First, post-truth is nothing new. We may lament its blatant resurgence or be overwhelmed by its surprising presence. Yet, ultimately, we need to rely on a system of truth that resides outside of ourselves and our sculpted ideas.

Second, the increasing occurrences of “cast down truth” and the description of this trend in Scripture’s prophetic texts (particularly in the Book of the Apocalypse) should encourage us to pay closer attention to the prophetic word that, like a light, “shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

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Finally, when we see the dark shadows of post-truth covering our path and making our hearts tremble, it’s time to look straight to the Morning Star (2 Pet 1:9), the Source of all truth. Post-truth really cannot darken that light. After all, we have the promise that He will rise in our hearts.

1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/16/post-truth-named-2016-word-of-the-year-by-oxford-dictionaries/?utm_term=.dab092151a02

News & FeaturesCurrent Adventist NewsDownload The Adventist World Week of Prayer EditionOnline ExclusivesGracenotesEvents

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AboutIssue ArchivesOur Roots and MissionStaffWriter's GuidelinesAdvertising KitAdventist World

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©Copyright 2017, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Andrew Garfield stars as ‘Desmond Doss’ in HACKSAW RIDGE, and has been nominated for an Academy Award as "Best Actor" for that performance. Photo Credit: Mark Rogers

The Sabbath and the President1Movie Story of Desmond Doss, Adventist Medal of Honor Recipient, Gets Six Oscar Nominations2Praying for Our 'Kings'3Adventist 'Lineage' Videos Link Movement's Past to Christian History4Ellen White and Depression5When Fake News Becomes “Alternative Facts”6

Adventist Health’s Reiner Cited As a “Leader to Know” by Becker’s Hospital ReviewTrade publication said CEO is one of 125 who top the field

On January 25 (1/25 — Get It?), Southern Adventist University Kicks Off Anniversary YearRestored tractors, snack invented in 1892, hayrides are all part of the fun

SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

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Mark A. KellnerOnline Content Editor

POSTED JANUARY 24, 2017

Movie Story of Desmond Doss, Adventist Medal of Honor Recipient, Gets Six Oscar Nominations‘Hacksaw Ridge,’ showing a ‘conscientious cooperator,’ draws votes for Best Picture, Actor and Director, among others

“H acksaw Ridge,” the 2016 film drama telling the story of Desmond T. Doss, Sr., the first conscientious objector to receive the United States of America's highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, has been nominated for a total

of six Academy Awards, known as “Oscars,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said January 24.

He refused to carry a weapon, citing the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist from Lynchburg, Virginia, volunteered to serve in the United States Army during World War II as a medic. He refused to carry a weapon, citing the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” For that stance, he earned the derision of his comrades and was nearly court-martialed. But Doss won the right to serve as “conscientious cooperator,” and later, without firing a shot, saved 75 lives on a hilltop in Okinawa, Japan. For that bravery, he was presented with the Medal of Honor by then-President Harry Truman.

Doss for many years was congregant in the Georgia-Cumberland Conference and shared his story with young Adventists, particularly Pathfinders, a group in which Doss learned knot-tying skills that helped him save lives. Doss passed to his rest at age 87 in 2006, after “The Conscientious Objector,” a documentary by fellow Adventist Terry Benedict, was released to wide acclaim.

Along with a Best Picture nomination, the film’s major award nominations include Best Actor for Andrew Garfield, who portrayed Doss, and Best Director, for Mel Gibson. An actor and filmmaker whose life saw personal issues in the past decade that ostracized him from many in Hollywood, Gibson’s nomination — his first since 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ” — was seen as a sign of redemption in the industry.

The Associated Press said Gibson’s “unexpected” nomination was a “strong boost of support for Mel Gibson, who had long been shunned in Hollywood” because of an incident in which he spouted anti-Semitic words to a police officer. Gibson has since apologized for the comments.

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“Hacksaw Ridge” was also nominated for three Academy Awards in more technical categories: Best Film Editing; Best Sound Editing; Best Sound Mixing.

The six nominations for “Hacksaw Ridge,” a film that took years to find a producer and then the screen, were dwarfed by the 14 nominations given movie musical “La La Land,” an homage to Hollywood’s golden era.

The film’s Oscar nominations are not the first industry honors for the drama. “Hacksaw Ridge” was nominated for three Golden Globe awards, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association earlier this month, but did not win its categories. It did receive two Critic’s Choice awards, for “Best Action Movie,” while Garfield won for “Best Actor in an Action Movie.” The Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts gave the film five awards, including “Best Picture.” Much of the film was shot in Australia, where Gibson's family moved when he was 12.

The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will honor the best films of 2016 and will be held Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards presentation will be broadcast globally.

As the oldest publishing platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Review (est. 1849) provides inspiration and information to the global church through a variety of media, including print, websites, apps, and audio and video platforms.Content appearing on any of the Adventist Review platforms has been selected because it is deemed useful to the purposes and mission of the journal to inform, educate, and inspire the denomination it serves.Unless identified as created by “Adventist Review” or a designated member of the Adventist Review staff, content is assumed to express the viewpoints of the author or creator of the content.

News & FeaturesCurrent Adventist NewsDownload The Adventist World Week of Prayer EditionOnline ExclusivesGracenotesEvents

Subscriber AccessSubscriptionsRenew AccountForgotten PasswordReport TroubleUpdate Mailing Address

AboutIssue ArchivesOur Roots and MissionStaffWriter's GuidelinesAdvertising KitAdventist World

DepartmentsReader ResponsePhoto GalleriesPrayer RequestsPartners

ResourcesContactFree NewsletterPhoto SubmissionsDownloadsSunset CalendarChurch LocatorRSS FeedAdvertising Questions

©Copyright 2017, Adventist Review. All rights reserved worldwide.

Andrew Garfield stars as ‘Desmond Doss’ in HACKSAW RIDGE. Photo Credit: Mark Rogers

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Ellen White, right, with her twin sister, Elizabeth, 1878

The Sabbath and the President1Movie Story of Desmond Doss, Adventist Medal of Honor Recipient, Gets Six Oscar Nominations2Praying for Our 'Kings'3Adventist 'Lineage' Videos Link Movement's Past to Christian History4Ellen White and Depression5When Fake News Becomes “Alternative Facts”6

Adventist Health’s Reiner Cited As a “Leader to Know” by Becker’s Hospital ReviewTrade publication said CEO is one of 125 who top the field

On January 25 (1/25 — Get It?), Southern Adventist University Kicks Off Anniversary YearRestored tractors, snack invented in 1892, hayrides are all part of the fun

SUBSCRIBE+NEWSLETTER+IN THIS ISSUE+NEWS+ARCHIVES+READER RESPONSE+MEDIA PARTNERS+SCREENING ROOM+GRACENOTES+PHOTO SUBMISSIONS

Login Search Subscribe Menu

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Ellen White and Depression“Perplexed, but not in despair”

C hristians will not be mournful, depressed, and despairing.”1 Really? When I have feelings of despondency, have I lost my Christianity? Some would say so. Is that what Ellen White implies?

As we look at her writings it’s important to remember that Ellen White used the common language of her day to describe emotional health. She was not diagnosing mental states as a licensed psychiatrist might do today after a patient’s thorough examination. And the counsel she offered to those she described as suffering with depression may not be fully applicable to every individual who is challenged by what is currently called major or clinical depression.

In her autobiographical accounts, Ellen White frequently describes times of depression and melancholy. Many were merely a passing sadness over present conditions, but others were extended periods of gloom and discouragement. She often attributed her depressed spirits to physical ill-health, which she suffered throughout her life, in part a result of the life-threatening accident she experienced at age 9.

In 1859 Ellen White candidly informed church members, “For years I have been afflicted with dropsy [edema] and disease of the heart, which has had a tendency to depress my spirits and destroy my faith and courage.” She described having felt “no desire to live,” and being unable to muster enough faith even to “pray for my recovery.”2 During this time she confided in her diary, “Oh, why is it that such gloom rests upon everything? Why can I not rise above this depression of spirit? . . . I have no health and my mind is completely depressed.”3

Understanding Her Own EmotionsBut even in healthier times Ellen White knew from experience that emotions can turn inexplicably. “I have had a very depressed state of feelings today, unaccountably sad,” she wrote to her husband, James. “I could not explain why I felt so exceedingly sad.”4

“Oh, why is it that such gloom rests upon everything? Why can I not rise above this depression of spirit?”

On other occasions Ellen White knew exactly why she felt as she did. As the Lord’s messenger, she was uniquely sensitive to the spiritual deficiencies of individuals and the church generally. Both she and James carried the state of the church continually upon their hearts: “Our happiness has depended upon the state of the cause of God. When God’s people are in a prospering condition, we feel free. But when they are in disorder and backslidden, nothing can make us joyful. Our whole interest and life has been interwoven with the rise and progress of the third angel’s message. We are bound up in it, and when it does not prosper, we experience great suffering of mind.”5

Ellen White recognized that there are a variety of causes for depression beyond physical illness, including diet, genetics, guilt, inactivity, and the weather.6 She knew the darkness of losing children and even one’s life companion to death. Recalling the bereavement of her 3-month-old son John Herbert, she wrote, “After we returned from the funeral, my home seemed lonely. I felt reconciled to the will of God, yet despondency and gloom settled upon me.”7

Finding Hope in the BibleEllen White found hope in the biblical accounts of spiritual giants who experienced periods of deep discouragement, yet who were not abandoned by God: individuals such as Elijah, David, and Paul. Even Jesus, she noted, was not free from such feelings.8 Of Elijah she wrote, “If, under trying circumstances, men of spiritual power, pressed beyond measure, become discouraged and desponding, if at times they see nothing desirable in life, that they should choose it, this is nothing strange or new. . . . Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by the Holy Spirit to do a special work, will frequently feel a reaction when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves.”9

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Writing to her son Edson, who had a tendency to “look on the dark side” of things, Ellen White reminded him that “with the continual change of circumstances, changes come in our experience; and by these changes we are either elated or depressed. But the change of circumstances has no power to change God’s relation to us. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and He asks us to have unquestioning confidence in His love.”10

Counsel From Ellen WhiteWhat counsel did Ellen White give to those suffering under depression, and how did she herself cope with such feelings? She learned that support from family and friends can be invaluable. Often it was the prayers of close associates that broke the spell of darkness.11

Recalling the feelings of overwhelming despair that followed her childhood accident, Ellen White reflected, “I concealed my troubled feelings from my family and friends, fearing that they could not understand me. This was a mistaken course. Had I opened my mind to my mother, she might have instructed, soothed, and encouraged me.”12

Ellen White also recommended the benefits of outdoor activity, gardening, enjoying nature, and simply praising God.13 She counseled to go “right along, singing and making melody to God in your hearts, even when depressed by a sense of weight and sadness.” “I tell you as one who knows,” she added, “light will come, joy will be ours, and the mists and clouds will be rolled back.”14

While Ellen White acknowledged the reality of such emotions, it was her practice not to give voice to negative feelings and thereby spread an atmosphere of gloom among others. She was determined that faith conquer feeling. When one reads of her experiences, almost invariably what turned the tide was a deliberate and purposeful decision on her part not to succumb to such troubled states of mind through a firm reliance on God’s love in spite of His apparent absence.

Hope in JesusBut the victory was by no means easily obtained. Typical of her resolve to break through the darkness is this description written after a long period of excruciating physical pain with its negative emotional effects:

“It is not a common thing for me to be overpowered, and to suffer so much depression of spirit as I have suffered for the last few months. I would not be found to trifle with my own soul, and thus trifle with my Savior. I would not teach that Jesus has risen from the tomb, and that He is ascended on high, and lives to make intercession for us before the Father, unless I carry out my teaching by practice, and believe in Him for His salvation, casting my helpless soul upon Jesus for grace, for righteousness, peace, and love. I must trust in Him irrespective of the changes of my emotional atmosphere. I must show forth the praises of Him who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.”15

Will Christians be “mournful, depressed, and despairing”? Ellen White recognized through Scripture and by personal experience that faithful believers are not exempt from these emotions, but neither should they characterize the life. With Paul we can say, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair. . . . We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:8-18).

1. Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Apr. 15, 1884. See also Ellen G. White, Child Guidance (Nashville: Southern Pub. Assn., 1954), p. 146.

2. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 1, p. 185.

3. Ellen G. White manuscript 6, 1859, in The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts With Annotations (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 2014), vol. 1, pp. 632, 633.

4. Ellen G. White letter 7, 1876, in Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases (Silver Spring, Md.: Ellen G. White Estate, 1990-1993), vol. 7, p. 278.

5. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts (Battle Creek, Mich.: James White, 1860), vol. 2, p. 297.

6. For examples, see Ellen G. White, Mind, Character, and Personality (Nashville: Southern Pub. Assn., 1977), vol. 2, pp. 482-496, 807-812.

7. E. G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, p. 296.

8. Matthew 26:38; John 12:27; Ellen G. White, The Spirit of Prophecy (Battle Creek, Mich.: Seventh-day Adventist Pub. Assn., 1878), vol. 3, p. 94: “[Jesus’ disciples] had frequently seen him depressed, but never before so utterly sad and silent.”

9. Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1917), pp. 173, 174.

10. Ellen G. White letter 150, 1903, Ellen G. White, In Heavenly Places (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1967), p. 120.

11. For example, see E. G. White, Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 185.

12. Ellen G. White, Life Sketches of James White and Ellen G. White (Battle Creek, Mich.: Seventh-day Adventist Pub. Assn., 1880), p. 135.

13. Ellen G. White letter 147, 1904, in E. G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, pp. 255, 256; Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times, Dec. 30, 1903.

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14. Ellen G. White letter 7, 1892, in Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1958, 1980), book 2, pp. 242, 243.

15. Ellen G. White, in Signs of the Times, July 25, 1895.

Tim Poirier is vice director of the Ellen G. White Estate in Silver Spring, Maryland.

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“From Friday to Saturday we don’t do anything,” the new U.S. President’s

daughter shared in a 2015 Vogue Interview with Jonathan van Meter. She and

her Orthodox Jewish husband, Jared Kushner, detailed for the journalist some

of the ways they celebrate this weekly day of rest on Saturday, the seventh day

of the week.

“So for Friday, she’ll make dinner for the two of us, and we turn our phones off

for 25 hours. Putting aside the religious aspect of it; we live in such a fast-

paced world,” says Jared.

“It’s an amazing thing when you’re so connected,” Ivanka says, “to really sign

off.”

Ivanka’s father, sworn in as 45th President of the United States last week, has

gotten used to not being able to reach Ivanka or Jared via text, phone or email

from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown...

Read Now

A weekly GraceNote from Adventist Review editor Bill Knott

“Forgiveness, like every other skill of grace, requires practice—difficult, demanding

practice. None of is naturally a born forgiver: we make our entrances and exits filled

with the self-importance of self-will. We tell ourselves we shouldn’t grovel when we

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3

are in the wrong, and we don’t want seem too easy when someone begs our

pardon. We spend our lifetimes making half-apologies and offering but half the grace

once given us. It’s time to practice all the love that daily saves us from ourselves—

from anger, violence, and greed. The grace we give will never match the grace we’re

given, but still the Great Forgiver bids us practice. So stay in grace.”

-Bill Knott

Movie Story of Desmond

Doss, Adventist Medal of

Honor Recipient, Gets Six

Oscar Nominations

‘Hacksaw Ridge,’ showing a...

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Praying for Our 'Kings'

On January 20, Donald John Trump

took the oath for the office of

President of the United States, and a

new chapter in this nation’s history

has begun. How shall we respond?

Read more

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4

Ellen White and Depression

Christians will not be mournful,

depressed, and despairing.” When I

have feelings of despondency, have

I lost my Christianity? Is that what

Ellen White implies?

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Of Course They Are Lying, But

I Don’t Care

Two months ago, The Washington

Post reported that “post-truth” was

named the 2016 international Word

of the Year by the venerable...

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Coconut Layer Cake

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Ingredients

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup canola oil

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Frosting:

¼ cup non-hydrogenated margarine, room temperature

¼ cup coconut, soy, or almond milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans and dust with

flour.

Make the cake:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and

salt.

In a separate bowl mix together oil, coconut milk, vanilla, almond extract

and sugar. Pour into the dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Stir in 1 cup of the shredded coconut. Pour into prepared cake pans.

Bake until the cake is slightly golden and an inserted toothpick comes

out clean, about 25 minutes.

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Let the cakes sit for 10 minutes then remove from pans and place on a

cooling rack.

Make the Frosting:

Cream together margarine, coconut milk, vanilla extract, almond extract,

and sugar with a handheld mixer until smooth.

Add the unsweetened coconut and mix.

Frost the two-layer cake when completely cool. Sprinkle additional

coconut flakes on top with a few berries for color, then cut into slices and

serve.

Ready in about 1 hour

Makes 16 servings

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