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It is evident that Ellen White saw more
in this situation than did most of the people. False issues were
confounding the real message that was needed because some of the
brethren were cherishing a particular belief concerning the law in
Galatians. One can see how Smith would be bound to interpret this letter
by thinking that if Sister White was endorsing Waggoner on the
covenants, then it would seem that she was also accepting Waggoner's
view in Galatians. This, he would feel would bring the church down.
In March of 1890, there was a meeting
called in Battle Creek to discuss the current theological disputes and
to clear the air of the mounting personal conflicts caused by the
polarizing of the different groups. Dan Jones wrote to the brethren
around the nation about it.
We had a meeting in the General
Conference office a few evenings ago. About twenty-five were present
including all the leading brethren in Battle Creek. Sister White came
in. The meeting lasted about five hours. The Minneapolis matter and
other things that have come in since that were talked over freely.
They made some explanations that relieved the minds of some of the
brethren considerably, among others, my own mind. It seems from what
has been said that brethren White,
Waggoner, and Jones, did not have any preconcerted plan when they came
over from the Pacific Coast to the Minneapolis meeting to lay their
views before the brethren at that time, and have not been attempting
to carry through any such plans since. Sister White has come out a
little stronger in favor of Dr. Waggoner, but yet has not committed
herself definitely as to the points of doctrine in his exposition of
the two covenants. She says that she has been shown that he had light
on the covenant question, but was not shown as to what that light was.
At least that is the way I understand it at the present time.65
Well, the minister's school is almost
over. The investigation on the covenant question closed up with no
better satisfaction that before it begun … For a time it was thought
that she (Ellen White) fully endorsed Dr. Waggoner's position on the
covenant question, and as so reported to be when I returned from
Tennessee … but later developments show that such was not the case.
It turns out now that the doctrinal points in the matter have (not?)
been the real issue. It is the spirit alone that has been manifested
to which she has objected, and to which Eld. Waggoner takes exception.
Both Sister White and Dr. Waggoner stated that the doctrinal points
were not the points at issue. So that removes the real point that was
in my mind all the time. I understood that it was the bringing in of
new doctrines that were not approved by the denomination, that was the
real point at issue. But if I have been mistaken in that matter I am
glad to be corrected. I have thought all the time that Sister White
did not mean to say that Dr. Waggoner was correct on the covenant
question as far as doctrine is concerned; because (it) was so
manifestly wrong that I could not at all be reconciled to the idea
that she would give it her unqualified approval. I think we have been
consuming time and labor on points that are not of the most importance
at the present time, and have been striving about these doctrines when
we ought to have been putting our shoulders to the burden and pushing
along the car of truth. As far as I am concerned I am willing to drop
the whole question, if others will do the same, and put my thought and
labor toward the advancement of truth. I think, however, some good
points will be gained by this investigation this winter. Perhaps both
parties will respect each other more than they have in the past, and
there will be more counsel in reference to introducing any points of
doctrine in the future, than there has been in the past. This has been
a very unpleasant winter to me …"66
Based upon these accounts, one would be
inclined to believe that the covenant question, as well as the law in
Galatians were two peripheral issues that were distracting the church
from its real mission. Any personal clashes would seemed to have been
resolved. However, there are some disturbing questions that arise when
the situation is observed as a whole, beginning from 1888 to the turn of
the century.
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