A Gift of Light (by Roger W. Coon 1983)

This book is an apologetic for Ellen White being a true prophet of God. The author, an associate secretary for the Ellen G. White Estate, explains what a prophet does, how Ellen White was chosen, gives several direct examples from the life of Ellen White showing that she must have been inspired from God, and ends with several examples of non-SDAs who admitted that Ellen White had more than human inspiration to arrive at some of her writings.

It is interesting, and probably well-suited for someone who desires to learn about Ellen White to know if they can believe what she wrote is from God or not.

God’s first choice for choosing a prophet to carry his words in the 1840’s was not Ellen White. First was William Foy, then second was Hazen Foss. But both of these men refused to carry the message, having some idea it seems of the super-responsibility involved. So God chose the “weakest of the weak”, the better to display his mighty power.

One of the experiences quoted is a first-hand account. This young unbelieving man in Australia went to listen to Ellen White speak. She got up on the platform, and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She looked around the room, and then again the same thing happened. This time she looked intently at everyone, and then turned to look at those seated on the platform behind her. She saw one man and said “What is this man doing on the platform with me?” He hurriedly left. The young man in the audience later learned that the man who left had problems with money, spiritualism, and loose morals. The Holy Spirit had not allowed her to speak until this man’s presence was off the platform and out of the meeting place. The young man who went to listen was convicted forever of the truth that she was a prophet from God, and happy to say, the man who was rebuked also later repented.

The only problem with the book is the same as in nearly all works regarding inspiration: Almost nobody believes that the prophet gets the words from God. The author here lists 3 options to communicate the message (parentheses in original): “She could quote the divine messenger; she might use the writings of another author (the Bible writers often resorted to this method); or she might phrase the message of God in words of her own composition.” Perhaps i could suggest a 4th option? – that would be – The Holy Spirit so infilled her that the words she wrote were exactly the words that God had for her. This is why she can truthfully say (2SG): “I am just as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or writing a vision, as in having the vision.”

What struck me most in reading this small book(let), is how greatly the example of the leaders affects the whole organization. With humble, self-denying leaders, the movement will be strong in the truth and God can work mightily for it. But when the leaders are self-serving and indulgent, you can expect the members to display similar traits. This is what has happened to the Seventh-day Adventist church – the pioneer leaders were very close with God, but more recent leaders are more and more like the world, until now (2009) we have a General Conference President who even got one of his degrees from the same university that pope Benedict XVI did! No wonder that the Spirit of God is mostly helpless to work in God’s own church now.