海角视频

A previously undocumented letter penned by Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has been discovered in the archives at 海角视频. Last week, several scholars reviewed the letter and confirmed the incomplete document was indeed in Ellen White鈥檚 handwriting. 

鈥淛udging from the scholarly stir that followed, I would say that is a significant historical find,鈥� says Katharine Van Arsdale, PUC鈥檚 official archivist and the document鈥檚 discoverer.

Four years ago, Van Arsdale found what appeared to be a letter from Ellen G. White in a small metal cabinet designed to store maps. She noted the letter, dated May 9, 1882--one month after PUC began officially holding classes--was incomplete and lacked a signature, although someone had written in pencil the author was Mrs. White.

鈥淚 regularly took that letter with me into classes as one of several artifacts illustrating the history of PUC and the stores of its archives,鈥� Van Arsdale says. 鈥淚 would show it to the students as something 鈥榩robably鈥� written by Ellen White.鈥�

Last week, Van Arsdale presented to a class of freshmen for James Wibberding, associate professor of applied theology and biblical studies. During the class, she asked Wibberding if he happened to know, from the course of his studies, if it was actually an Ellen White letter.

鈥淗e immediately took a picture of it and sent it off via text to Michael Campbell, a friend of his at Southwestern Adventist University, who is widely read in Mrs. White鈥檚 correspondences,鈥� Van Arsdale says. This move proved to be instrumental in authenticating the letter; Campbell, associate professor of religion at SWAU, immediately recognized the Adventist leader鈥檚 distinctive style, penmanship, and spelling.

鈥淲ithin 24 hours, the newly recovered letter was being analyzed, transcribed, and even discussed in classes across the country,鈥� reported Eric Anderson, professor emeritus of history and director of PUC鈥檚 Walter C. Utt Center for Adventist History, which is collecting significant historical materials relating to the history of the college. Scholars were quick to notice the larger context of this letter, addressed to Adventist evangelist and missionary John Orr Corliss. White was discussing criticism of her life and writings among Seventh-day Adventists, and she wrote at a time when she faced several significant challenges, including a debate about whether her 鈥渢estimonies鈥� to church members could be corrected or revised.

 Scholars who confirmed the document include Ronald Graybill, retired professor, formerly of the White Estate, and author of several books about Ellen White; Kevin Morgan, pastor and Ellen White author; and Tim Poirier of the White Estate. 

鈥淲ithin recent years, historians have been showing significant interest in this 鈥楢merican prophet,鈥欌�� Anderson says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be an Adventist to be fascinated by a nineteenth-century woman who accomplished so much.鈥� In 2014, the Smithsonian Institute named Ellen White one of the in the 鈥淩eligious Figures鈥� category. She was one of only 22 women on the list.

A display featuring the newly discovered letter, among other related artifacts from the PUC archives, is available for viewing in the Maxwell Reading Room of the Nelson Memorial Library on the campus of 海角视频. For library hours, visit . For additional information about the letter itself, contact Van Arsdale at kvanarsdale@puc.edu.

See a scan of the original document.

View Letter