Mrs. White's Revelations

Healdsburg Enterprise, March 20, 1889

Editor's Note: This article appeared in the Healdsburg California newspaper in 1889. It is written by a reporter who attended Elder Canright's lecture in Healdsburg in 1889. It reveals that Ellen White fabricated "visions" on demand.


In his lecture on Mrs. White and her visions, the Rev. Mr. Canright related the circumstances connected with three of her revelations to prove that her sources of inspiration were not divine, but of the earth, earthly.

He once requested an interview with her in the house of Mr. A.W. Smith, of Worcester, Mass., and made certain statements to her regarding several persons in the S.D.A. Church. A day or two later, Mrs. White wrote a testimony, or revelation, which Mr. Canright says was evidently based upon the facts recently related to her by him.

Another time an elder was needed in one of their churches in Maine. Mr. Canright thought a certain man was just the one for the office, but found it difficult to persuade him that he ought to take it. Very well, there is a way to convince him. Mr. Canright went to Mrs. White and laid the matter before her. He told her this was just the man for the office, but that he needed more confidence, needed to feel that God loved him. Sabbath morning she rose very solemnly in the congregation to make known a revelation. She pointed out the young man Mr. Canright had designated shortly before, and gave the message, "God had shown her that he was a precious child of God, and He wanted him to take the office." God calls his servants to their work, but this man was "called" of Canright and holds office through a lying message...

Sometime later Mr. Canright tells us he was carrying on a great meeting and having great success in pulling down a Baptist church. But a Mr. Fargo, who, I think he stated was president of the conference, was a very cautious man and did not supply the needed assistance, and Mr. Canright was obliged to stop the work. Then he says he sat down and wrote to Sister White in Basel, Switzerland. Why did he write to her unless he expected her to forward a "revelation" that would convince Mr. Fargo that he was wrong and Mr. Canright was right? The result justified his expectations. Four weeks later they sat in general conference listening in silence, with bowed heads to a letter from Mrs. White. God had shown her that Brother Fargo was not energetic enough in the work of the Lord and he was rebuked. "Mr. Fargo was a very conscientious man," says Mr. Canright, "and he wept and was greatly distressed when he heard that he had displeased God."

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