Testimonies for the Church Volume 5

Testimonies For The Church

by Ellen Gould White

This volume of Testimonies to members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church spans the years from 1882-1889. During this eventful decade, two new advanced schools (in Massachusetts and California, respectively) were added to educate future workers for the church. The volume addresses many of the challenges-from discipline to choosing curriculum-attending the educational work.
The 1880's were a prolific time in terms of publishing for the growing church. In addition to "Testimonies for the Church Volume 5, books written by Ellen White included "A Sketch of the Christian Experience and Views of Ellen G. White," "Spiritual Gifts Volume One," and "Sketches from the Life of Paul."
"The Great Controversy," which was also finished during this time period, was published in 1884 and immediately sent forth, through colporteurs, to many thousands of homes. During those years, the denominational headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, along with the publishing house and sanitarium there, continued to prosper and grow. To staff these institutions, large numbers of Adventists moved to Battle Creek. The challenges of so many Adventists gathering in one center, with the inevitable tendency to become complacent and worldly, are addressed in the early part of this volume. The dangers that the work would lose its initial simplicity is also addressed, while the virtues of economy, industry, and alertness are emphasized.
Messages of warning and encouragement were also penned to the growing number of members in the Pacific Northwest. Many settlers and pioneers in the push westward, with their energy, daring, and rugged individuality, accepted the call of the Advent message. These energetic pioneers needed the strong, molding influence of the Spirit of God in the development of Christian character, together with warnings against the love of money and worldly ambitions.
Counsel on building solid church edifices, against lightly regarding pledges to God's cause, and many other problems arising from the new territories are also included in this volume.
While the work in Europe continued to grow, the church was also challenged by a leading evangelist who lost his way. Two communications written by Ellen White to try to save this man from the plunge he eventually took are found in this volume. Criticisms of the prophetic gift are also addressed. Towards the close of the time span covered by volume 5, the simple message of salvation through righteousness by faith was proclaimed more fully in the 1888 General Conference session held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The spiritual revival resulting from those meetings was quickly followed by a crisis in the United States in the form of a proposed national Sunday law. As a result, the topic of liberty of conscience-together with the appropriate roles of church and state-are also discussed in this volume.
Because of the practical nature of its timely warnings and counsels, volume 5 is still of great value to the church today. Its pages include solemn statements about the preparation needed for the impending conflict and the nearness of the end. Executives are admonished, physicians counseled, parents instructed, teachers warned, and all are called to deeper consecration. When released, the counsel of Testimonies volume 5 exerted a steadying, sobering influence upon Adventists as they launched into greater lines of endeavor. They exert the same influence today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion

624 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

In brief, Ellen Gould Harmon White was a woman of remarkable spiritual gifts who lived most of her life during the nineteenth century (1827-1915), yet through her writings she is still making a revolutionary impact on millions of people around the world. During her lifetime she wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books; but today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Her writings cover a broad range of subjects, including religion, education, social relationships, evangelism, prophecy, publishing, nutrition, and management. Her life-changing masterpiece on successful Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been published in more than 140 languages. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was more than a gifted writer; they believe she was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world's attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ's second advent. From the time she was 17 years old until she died 70 years later, God gave her approximately 2,000 visions and dreams. The visions varied in length from less than a minute to nearly four hours. The knowledge and counsel received through these revelations she wrote out to be shared with others. Thus her special writings are accepted by Seventh-day Adventists as inspired, and their exceptional quality is recognized even by casual readers. As stated in Seventh-day Adventists Believe ... , “The writings of Ellen White are not a substitute for Scripture. They cannot be placed on the same level. The Holy Scriptures stand alone, the unique standard by which her and all other writings must be judged and to which they must be subject” (Seventh-day Adventists Believe ... , Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Washington D.C., 1988, p. 227). Yet, as Ellen White herself noted, “The fact that God has revealed His will to men through His Word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our Saviour to open the Word to His servants, to illuminate and apply its teachings” (The Great Controversy, p. vii). The following is a more detailed account of the life and work of this remarkable woman who, meeting all the tests of a true prophet as set forth in the Holy Scriptures, helped found the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Reviews

[Eva Seyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a very, very long book. NINETY-ONE CHAPTERS. I really enjoyed it, though.

[Gillmour Tunhira · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best Testimonies

[Saki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im interested to read thi book

[Darwin Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Views of Ellen White on how the Seventh-Day Adventists came to be and what they should believe and how they should act. So much of it is the product of late 19th and early 20th century culture (and the "bugaboos" of the period) that it is difficult to find much that is worthwhile for today. The so-called "Red Books" of Ellen White contain dated teaching and "prophecies" about what was worrisome at the time (such as "Blue Laws" and a potential "Sunday Law") that the Seventh-Day Adventist denomination today is looking back over its shoulder at challenges long since gone away, while missing those of today (cf., the Papal Encyclical on The Environment, or before that, on Nuclear Proliferation), because she is considered as "the last prophet before the end" and she is long since dead! At least the Catholics and the Mormons continue to have a contemporary prophetic voice! Still, Ellen White was a wonderful Christian woman. It has been said, however, that the SDA denomination "is as it is" today because of her; yet it "is" today, because of her husband, James White!

[Esteban Rojas soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start reading from 1885's testimonies

[Canny Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals with many important topics regarding last-day events.