xxvi
Counsels for the Church
growth of this great movement. The task of presenting to all concerned
the messages God gave her was never laid down.
Her writings aggregate about 100,000 pages. The messages from
her pen reached the people through personal communication, week-by-
week articles in our denominational journals, and in her many books.
The subjects dealt with relate to Bible history, everyday Christian
experience, health, education, evangelism, and other practical topics.
Many of her books are printed in the leading languages of the world,
and millions of copies have been sold. The book Steps to Christ
[19]
alone from 1892 to 1990 sold an estimated 50,000,000 copies in 127
languages.
At the age of eighty-one Mrs. White crossed the American con-
tinent for the last time to attend the General Conference session of
1909. The remaining six years of her life were spent in completing
her literary work. Near the close of her life she penned these words:
“whether or not my life is spared, my writings will continually speak,
and their work will go forward as long as time shall last.”
With undaunted courage and in full confidence of her Redeemer,
she died at her California home, July 16, 1915, and was laid to rest
by the side of her husband and children in the Oak Hill Cemetery in
Battle Creek, Michigan.
By her fellow workers, the church, and the members of her family,
Mrs. White was esteemed and honored as a devoted mother and as an
earnest, tireless, religious worker. She never held official church office;
by the church and by herself it was known that she was “a messenger”
with a message of God for his people. Never did she ask others to look
to her, nor did she ever use her gift to build herself up financially or in
popularity. Her life and all that she had were dedicated to the cause of
God.
On her death, the editor of a popular weekly magazine, The In-
dependent, in the issue of August 23, 1915, closed his comments on
her fruitful life with these words: “she was absolutely honest in her
belief in her revelations. Her life was worthy of them. She showed no
spiritual pride, and she sought no filthy lucre. She lived the life and
did the work of a worthy prophetess.”
A few years before her death, Mrs. White created a board of
trustees, made up of church leaders, to whom she left her writings
with the charge that they should be responsible for their care and