The following pages demonstrate Ellen White’s copying. These brief samples are taken from just one chapter in two of her books. To verify this evidence simply turn to the page numbers and compare what Ellen White wrote in the hard cover editions of The Desire of Ages and Sketches From the Life of Paul, to William Hanna’s The Life of Christ and Conybeare and Howson’s Life and Epistles of Saint Paul. These books are still available at large public libraries. Remember Ellen White also copied from many other authors — for extensive evidence, read The White Lie by Walter Rea. I have placed notes in the margin to indicate the authors, books, and dates of publication as follows:
- CH/LEP 1852 = Conybeare and Howson’s Life and Epistles of Saint Paul, written in 1852
- WH/LC 1863 = William Hanna’s The Life of Christ, written in 1863
- EGW/SLP 1883 = Ellen White’s Sketches From the Life of Paul written in 1883.
- EGW/DA 1883 = Ellen White’s The Desire of Ages written in 1883.
1. Brief examples of Ellen White copying from Conybeare and Howson.
CH/LEP 1852 “The temple of Jupiter was a conspicuous object.” — p. 168.
EGW/SLP 1883 “The temple of Jupiter occupied a conspicuous position there.” — p. 55.
CH/LEP 1852 “He addressed them in Greek.” — p. 169.
EGW/SLP 1883 “Paul addressed them in the Greek language.” — p. 55.
CH/LEP 1852 “St. Paul observed a cripple.” — p. 169.
EGW/SLP 1883 “Paul … perceived a cripple.” — p. 56.
CH/LEP 1852 “Paul said before his idolatrous audience at Lystra, ‘Stand upright on thy feet.’” — p. 169
EGW/SLP 1883 “In the presence of that idolatrous assembly, Paul commanded the cripple to stand upright upon his feet.” — p. 56.
CH/LEP 1852 “The lame man sprang up ... and walked like those who had never experienced of infirmity.” — p. 169.
EGW/SLP 1883 “… he who had been a cripple walked and leaped as though he had never experienced an infirmity.” — p. 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “Such a cure …, so sudden and so complete, …” — p. 170.
EGW/SLP 1883 “… the cure was so complete.” — p. 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “The news of a wonderful occurrence …”— p. 170.
EGW/SLP 1883 “The news of the miraculous cure …” — p. 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “… paying due honor to their heavenly visitants …garlands …” — p. 170.
EGW/SLP 1883 “… prepared to do the apostles honor, as visitants from the courts of heaven … garlands …” — p. 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “… that supernatural powers were present …” — p. 170.
EGW/SLP 1883 “... that supernatural power attended ...” — p. 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “ … they exclaimed that the gods had again visited them in the likeness of men.” — p. 170. EGW/SLP 1883 “… they cried out with great enthusiasm that the gods had come down to them from Heaven in the likeness of men.” — 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “They identified Paul with Mercury, because (of) his eloquence … Barnabas with Jupiter.” — p. 170.
EGW/SLP 1883 “Paul … they believed to be Mercury; for Paul was… eloquent with words. Barnabas was believed to be Jupiter.” — p. 57.
CH/LEP 1852 “They … were filled with the utmost horror. They ‘rent their clothes,’ and rushed out … and met the idolaters.” — p. 171.
EGW/SLP 1883 “… they were filled with indignation and horror. They rent their clothing, and rushed in among the multitude.” — p. 58.
CH/LEP 1852 “They listened impatiently.” — p. 171.
EGW/SLP 1883 “The people listened to the words of Paul with manifest impatience.” — p. 58.
CH/LEP 1852 “The crowd reluctantly retired, and led the victims away without offering them in sacrifice.” — p. 172.
EGW/SLP 1883 “… the people were reluctantly led to give up their purpose … and led away the sacrificial beasts.” — p. 58.
CH/LEP 1852 “They would say that it had been accomplished, not by Divine agency, but by some diabolical magic; as once they had said at Jerusalem, that He who came ‘to destroy the works of the Devil’ cast out devils ‘by … the prince of the devils.’“ — p. 172.
EGW/SLP 1883 “They denied that God had any part in it, and claimed that it was accomplished through the demons whom these men served. The same class had formerly accused the Savior of casting out devils through the power of the prince of devils.” — p. 59.
CH/LEP 1852 “… St. Stephen, the memory of whose death must have come over St. Paul at this moment with impressive force.” — p. 173.
EGW/SLP 1883 “The martyrdom of Stephen was brought vividly to his mind.” — p. 61.
CH/LEP 1852 “... dragged through the city–gate, and ...”—p. 173.
EGW/SLP 1883 “... dragged ... through the gates of the city, and ...” — p. 61.
CH/LEP 1852 “… the disciples stood about …” — p. 173.
EGW/SLP 1883 “The disciples stood around …” — p. 61.
CH/LEP 1852 “… sudden resurrection.” — p. 173.
EGW/SLP 1883 “ … suddenly lifted his head, … resurrection.” — p. 61.
CH/LEP 1852 “Timothy … was converted by St. Paul himself, … was a witness of St. Paul’s injurious treatment.” — p. 174.
EGW/SLP 1883 “Timothy had been converted through the ministration of Paul, and was an eye-witness of the sufferings of the apostle upon this occasion.” — p. 62.
CH/LEP 1852 “… second Epistle to Timothy reminds him of his … personal knowledge of the sufferings he had endured.” — p. 174.
EGW/SLP 1883 “In one of the epistles of Paul to Timothy he refers to his personal knowledge of this occurrence.” — p. 62.
2. Brief examples of Ellen White copying William Hanna.
WH/LC 1863 “Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary carried the infant up to Jerusalem.” — p. 32
EGW/DA 1898 “About forty days after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem.” — p. 50.
WH/LC 1863 “... a lamb of the first year for a burnt–offering, and a young pigeon or a turtle-dove for a sin-offering.” — p. 32.
EGW/DA 1898 “... a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering.” — p. 50.
WH/LC 1863 “But the king’s haughty answer to the demand was: ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?’“ — p. 33.
EGW/DA 1898 “… but the proud king’s answer was, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?’“ — p. 51.
WH/LC 1863 “A man and woman in Galilean dress ...” — p. 34.
EGW/DA 1898 “… a man and woman dressed as Galileans …” — p. 52.
WH/LC 1863 “… the new name of Jesus in the roll of the firstborn…” — p. 35.
EGW/DA 1898 “… the name ‘Jesus’ on the roll of the firstborn.” — p. 52.
WH/LC 1863 “greater than Moses … was in his arms.”— p. 35.
EGW/DA 1898 “One greater than Moses lay in the priest’s arms.” — p. 52.
WH/LC 1863 “… true High Priest over the house of God, … unchangeable priesthood, …”— p. 35.
EGW/DA 1898 “… true ‘high priest over the house of God,’ the head of ‘an unchangeable priesthood,’ …” —p. 52.
WH/LC 1863 “He enters the temple courts; he notices a little family.” —p. 36.
EGW/DA 1898 “As Simeon enters the temple, he sees a family.” — p. 55.
WH/LC 1863 “… infant dedicated to the Lord … is … the Consolation of Israel.” — p. 36.
EGW/DA 1898 “… infant being presented to the Lord is the Consolation of Israel …” — p. 55.
WH/LC 1863 “... the spirit of prophecy imparted … “ — p. 37.
EGW/DA 1898 “The spirit of prophecy was upon ... “ — p. 55.
WH/LC 1863 “Joseph and Mary stand lost in wonder.” — p. 37.
EGW/DA 1898 “Joseph and Mary stood by, wondering.” — p. 55.
Even in this brief presentation the evidence is clear: Ellen White not only copied thoughts, but also copied entire phrases from other authors. As you present this type of evidence to Seventh-day Adventists you may be brushed off as “quibbling over minutia.” Do not be side- tracked by SDA rhetoric! Keep the following facts in mind (page numbers are referencing the printed edition):
- Ellen White claimed what she wrote came from God (see pages 6–8). The evidence is most of what she wrote she knowingly copied from other authors without permission and without giving credit.
- Ellen White denied that she ever copied anything (see pages 8-9). The evidence is she was untruthful.
- Ellen White’s husband and her associates denied that she ever copied anything (see pages 8-9, 20, 92). The evidence is they knew she copied, helped her copy, and covered up for her.
- In 1919 the Seventh-day Adventist church leadership knew beyond any doubt Ellen White copied (see pages 11-12, 18), but they were afraid to tell the truth.
- In 1988 the Seventh-day Adventist church’s own official Veltman research team concluded:
a. Ellen White consciously and intentionally copied and was untruthful in denying she copied (see pages 8-9).
b. Ellen White’s associates knew she copied, but they also denied she copied (see page 9).
c. The majority of what appears in The Desire of Ages was copied (see page 9).
d. There is no general category of content or catalog of ideas in The Desire of Ages that is unique to Ellen White (see page 9).
e. All of this information strikes directly at the heart of Ellen White’s honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness (see page 9). - In 1990 Robert Olson, then head of the White Estate stated:
a. The Veltman study was valid (see page 10).
b. Ellen White contradicted herself (see page 10).
c. Ellen White copied (see pages 10-11).
d. Ellen White made mistakes and revised both her writings and her theology (see page 11).
e. The White Estate is not responsible for pointing out Ellen White’s mistakes and errors: you must make those decisions for yourself (see page 11).
Answering the SDA Defense of Ellen White’s Plagiarism
The evidence shows beyond question Ellen White was a plagiarist — and yet the myth of her divine inspiration continues. The Church defends her plagiarism by claiming it was common for writers of the 1800s to copy from one another without crediting sources. That defense is totally without merit for three reasons:
First, Conybeare and Howson warned they would bring a lawsuit against Ellen White for copying so extensively from their book, Life and Epistles of Saint Paul. Their threat was significant enough for Ellen White to immediately withdraw her plagiarized book, Sketches From the Life of Paul, from circulation. Certainly there would have been no ground for a lawsuit and no reason for Ellen White to fear if it was common for writers in the 1800s to copy without crediting sources.
Second, a brief look at the books of well-known authors of Ellen White’s time reveals they religiously credited their sources. For example, William Hanna’s book The Life of Christ, lists four pages of “authorities used in this book.” Alfred Edersheim’s book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah lists five-and-a–half pages of “authorities chiefly used in writing this book.” Cunningham Geikie’s The Life and Words of Christ lists three pages of “authorities used in this book.” The facts are these well-known authors of the 1800s thought it a matter of integrity to list their sources — something Ellen White lacked and the Seventh-day Adventist defense chooses to misrepresent.
Third, Ellen White herself demanded writers give credit to her when copying from her works. In 1905 Dr. Paulson asked if he could copy from Ellen White and received a letter granting him permission on the condition he “give the proper credit.” Here is a portion of that letter:
“Mother instructs me to say to you that you may be free to select from her writings short articles for the Life Boat. Or you may make extracts from these Mss and from similar writings, in your articles, in each case giving the proper credit.” – Willie C. White, on behalf of Ellen White, in a letter to Dr. David Paulson, Feb. 15, 1905.
Would Ellen White demand “proper credit” if it truly was a common practice for writers of her time to copy and not credit their sources? Are you comfortable that she freely plagiarized others but then demanded “proper credit” when others copied from her? The fact is both Ellen White and the Church’s defense are simply without integrity.
White Washed. Copyright © 2011 by Sydney Cleveland. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2011. Revised and enlarged 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2011. All Scripture quotations—except where otherwise noted—are from Holy Bible, New International Version, © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Life Assurance Ministries, Inc.
White Washed is a comprehensive look at Ellen White’s prophecies, practices and publications. Sydney Cleveland examines her claims of inspiration, her dreams and visions, the doctrines she endorsed, her personal practices which opposed her teachings, and the effects of her claims on the Seventh-day Adventist church. This book is a well-documented overview of the little-known reality about Ellen White and her long service to Adventism.
- White Washed - July 1, 2021
- 13. A Word to Aspiring Prophets - October 8, 2020
- Appendix B – SDA Jewelry and Dress - October 8, 2020