A few have wondered about certain expressions Ellen White used in some
letters to her children in the early 1860s. In her tender love, she appealed to
their souls in many ways. In 1860 she was speaking to children between ages 6
and 13. Trying to make the big picture clear in simple language, this
33-year-old mother used language at times that was more like theological
shorthand, especially when she wrote that the Lord loves children "who try to
do right" but "wicked children God does not love." [1]
Just as we must consider some difficult Biblical texts within the total
Biblical context, we must do the same with Ellen White. For example, in
Deuteronomy 7:9, 10, we note that God "repays those who hate Him to their face,
to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him
to his face. Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the
judgments which I command you today, to observe them." In Psalm 11:5 we read,
"The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence
His soul hates." By themselves such statements sound harsh, but when placed in
the context of the whole Bible (including such texts as Isa. 1:18-20; Jer.
31:3; John 3:16, 17; John 14-17) their true meaning becomes clear.
Note the larger context of Ellen White's counsel to parents (1892):
"Jesus would have the fathers and mothers teach their children . . . that God
loves them, that their natures may be changed, and brought into harmony with
God. Do not teach your children that God does not love them when they do wrong;
teach them that He loves them so that it grieves His tender Spirit to see them
in transgression, because He knows they are doing injury to their souls. Do not
terrify your children by telling them of the wrath of God, but rather seek to
impress them with His unspeakable love and goodness, and thus let the glory of
the Lord be revealed before them." [2]
In other circumstances, she clearly made a difference between God's
loving a person and endorsing what that person may be doing.
[3] In clear theological
terms, she set forth the fact that character determines destiny. Even a loving
God will not refashion people's character after their death in order to redeem
them. [4]
Yet, how much theology can a six-year-old understand? God had the same
challenge when He instructed the recently freed Israelites after their exodus
from Egypt. He used kindergarten language and methods--including the sandbox
illustration of the desert sanctuary service--for that was the only language
level they could understand. Sometimes the threat of disapproval and punishment
can get the attention of six-year-olds and recently delivered Israelites when
"love talk" would have no impact.
Ellen White used both methods when dealing with her boys, apparently
with good effect. The record contains numerous instances in which she talked to
her sons about a friendly God, on many occasions praying with them about their
spiritual growth. If young Ellen were to be confronted with a possible
misunderstanding of her words, she would quickly say what, in substance, she
would later write out more completely: "What I meant--and I believe what the
boys understood--was that God will not condone disobedience, even though He
always loves little boys and girls, good or bad. Disobedience has tough
consequences, and God, in love, doesn't want them to experience the costs of
disobedience." [5]
Ellen White did not always express her thoughts perfectly in her first
attempt, and her later statement indicates that she found a better way to
present both God's displeasure and His love.
[1] An example of
letters from Ellen White to young, six-year-old Willie revealed her motherly
attempts to keep him focused on cheerful obedience: "You must be a good, sweet,
little boy, and love to obey Jenny [Fraser] and Lucinda [Hall]. Give up your
will, and when you wish to do anything very much, inquire, Is it not selfish?
You must learn to yield your will and your way. It will be a hard lesson for my
little boy to learn, but it will in the end be worth more to him than gold."* "Learn, my dear Willie, to be
patient, to wait others' time and convenience; then you will not get impatient
and irritable. The Lord loves those little children who try to do right, and He
has promised that they shall be in His kingdom. But wicked children God does
not love. He will not take them to the beautiful City, for He only admits the
good, obedient, and patient children there. One fretful, disobedient child,
would spoil all the harmony of heaven. When you feel tempted to speak impatient
and fretful, remember the Lord sees you, and will not love you if you do wrong.
When you do right and overcome wrong feelings, the Lord smiles upon you.
"Although He is in heaven, and you cannot see Him, yet He loves you when
you do right, and writes it down in His book; and when you do wrong, He puts a
black mark against you. Now, dear Willie, try to do right always, and then no
black mark will be set down against you; and when Jesus comes He will call for
that good boy Willie White, and will put upon your head a wreath of gold, and
put in your hand a little harp that you can play upon, and it will send forth
beautiful music, and you will never be sick, never be tempted then to do wrong;
but will be happy always, and will eat of rich fruit, and will pluck beautiful
flowers. Try, try, dear boy, to be good. Your affectionate Mother." [*"By the blessing of God and
his mother's instruction, Willie has overcome the impatient spirit which he
sometimes manifested when quite young, and he now possesses a most
affectionate, amiable, and obedient disposition."--A.P.P.] (Ellen G.
White,An Appeal to the Youth, pp. 62-63). A careful look at the whole
letter (and her total writings on child guidance) suggests strongly that when
Ellen White wrote that "wicked children God does not love," she meant that
ultimately children who continue to be "wicked" will not be taken to
heaven.
[2] Signs of
the Times, February 15, 1892; "His [Jesus'] heart is drawn out, not only to
the best behaved children, but to those who have by inheritance objectionable
traits of character. Many parents do not understand how much they are
responsible for these traits in their children. . . . But Jesus looks upon
these children with pity. He traces from cause to effect" (The Desire of
Ages, p. 517).
[3] See
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, pp. 558-565, for a sensitive letter
to an indulged teenager.
[4] Christ's
Object Lessons, pp. 74, 84, 123; Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2,
pp. 355, 356.
[5] See previous
footnotes, citing Signs of the Times, Feb. 15, 1892, and The Desire
of Ages, p. 517.
[Adapted from Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord: the
Prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press
Publishing Association, 1998), pp. 59, 60.]