Sunday, February 12, 2012

Specific EGW denials of being influenced by other people

I put these (along with other general statements) in another note, but I'm compiling them here since I just came across some more directly from the White Estate official website. As I've stated in the past, I don't really care about the legal implications, but what does interest/concern me is the ethical/moral implications. The church admits to her literary borrowing, and yet she herself denies doing it. It's not just that she neglected to give credit where credit was due - she specifically said she didn't do it...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"My views were written independent of books or of the opinions of others." (Manuscript 7, 1867)

"And here I would state that although I am dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in marks of quotation." (Review and Herald, Oct. 8, 1867)

"I have not been in the habit of reading any doctrinal articles in the paper, that my mind should not have any understanding of anyone's ideas and views, and that not a mold of any man's theories should have any connection with that which I write." . (Letter 37, 1887, p. 1. To E. J. Waggoner and A. T. Jones, Feb. 18, 1887; 3SM p. 63.)

You think individuals have prejudiced my mind. If I am in this state, I am not fitted to be entrusted with the work of God. Letter 16, 1893, p. 1. (To W. F. Caldwell, June 11, 1893.) {1MR 29.4}

What if you had said ever so much, would that affect the visions, that God gives me. If so, then the visions are nothing. . . .What you or anyone else has said is nothing at all. God has taken the matter in hand. . . . What you have said, Sister_____, influenced me not at all. My opinion has nothing to do with what God has shown me in vision. Letter 6, 1851, pp. 1, 2. (To Brother and Sister Loveland, April 1, 1851.) {1MR 29.5}

That which I have written in regard to health was not taken from books or papers. As I related to others the things which I had been shown, the question was asked, "Have you seen the paper, The Laws of Life or the Water Cure Journal?" I told them No, I had not seen either of the papers. Said they, "What you have seen agrees very much with much of their teachings." I talked freely with Dr. Lay and many others upon the things which had been shown me in reference to health. I had never seen a paper treating upon health. {3SM 282.2}

After the vision was given me, my husband was aroused upon the health questions. He obtained books, upon our Eastern journey, but I would not read them. My view was clear, and I did not want to read anything until I had fully completed my books. My views were written independent of books or of the opinions of others.--Manuscript 7, 1867. {3SM 282.3}

I did not know that such works existed until September, 1863, when in Boston, Massachusetts, my husband saw them advertised in a periodical called the Voice of the Prophets, published by Elder J. V. Himes. My husband ordered the works from Dansville and received them at Topsham, Maine. His business gave him no time to peruse them, and as I was determined not to read them until I had written out my views, the books remained in their wrappers.--RH, Oct. 8, 1867. {2BIO 82.1}

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.