and gives me the assurance that He is with His min-
istering servants in the home field and in distant lands. I
am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of
Israelis still guiding His people, and that He will continue
to be with them, even to the end.”—
Selected Messages
2:406
.
These expressions of confidence make clear that the moral prob-
lems dealt with in the letters quoted in this volume were not general
or widespread. Nevertheless, since contemporary moral problems are
similar to those of past decades, we believe that many letters written
by Ellen White a century ago contain warnings and appeals that need
to be heard today. Concerning the use of her letters, Ellen White said:
“I am endeavoring by the help of God to write letters
that will be a help, not merely to those to whom they are
addressed, but to many others who need them.”—
Letter
79, 1905
.
The present compilation is not designed to serve as a manual of
rules for dealing with immorality, infidelity, or unscriptural divorce and
remarriage. No manual could cover every possible moral irregularity.
When W. C. White was asked for an authoritative statement from his
mother that would serve as a standard by which to settle all cases of
unscriptural marriage, he replied:
“After reading the documents I sent you today, you
will say, well, he has not given me anything authoritative
from Sister White that directly answers the question. But
I think you will see from what I am sending you that it
was Sister White’s intention that there should not go forth
from her pen anything that
[7]
could be used as a law or a rule dealing with these
questions of marriage, divorce, remarriage, and adultery.
She felt that the different cases where the devil had led
men into serious entanglements were so varied and so