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xxvi
Early Writings
The Two Ways Out of the Perplexity
Mrs. White then speaks of how the two groups of Advent be-
lievers related themselves to the experience of the disappointment
of October 22, 1844:
“The passing of the time in 1844 was followed by a period of
great trial to those who still held the Advent faith. Their only relief,
so far as ascertaining their true position was concerned, was the light
which directed their minds to the sanctuary above. Some renounced
their faith in their former reckoning of the prophetic periods, and
ascribed to human or Satanic agencies the powerful influence of
the Holy Spirit which had attended the Advent movement. Another
class firmly held that the Lord had led them in their past experience;
and as they waited and watched and prayed to know the will of God,
they saw that their great High Priest had entered upon another work
of ministration, and following Him by faith, they were led to see also
the closing work of the church. They had a clearer understanding of
the first and second angels’ messages, and were prepared to receive
and give to the world the solemn warning of the third angel of
Revelation 14
.”—
Ibid
.,
The Great Controversy, 431, 432
.
Certain references occur in this work, on pages 42-45, to the
“open door” and the “shut door.” This is correctly understood only in
the light of the background of the experience of our early believers
.
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Not too long after the Disappointment the pioneers saw that
while there were those who through the definite rejection of light
had closed the door to their salvation, there were many who had not
heard the message and had not rejected it, and these might benefit
from the provisions made for man’s salvation. By the early 1850’s
these points stood out clearly. Then too, avenues for the presentation
of the three angel’s messages were beginning to open up. Prejudice
was dying away. Ellen White, looking back to their experience
following the Disappointment wrote:
“‘It was then next to impossible to obtain access to unbeliev-
ers. The disappointment in 1844 had confused the minds of many,
and they would not listen to any explanation of the matter.’”—
The
Review and Herald, November 20, 1883
.
But in 1851 elder white was able to report: “‘Now the door
is open almost everywhere to present the truth, and many are pre-