After reading these statements from the testimonies of Ellen G. White, one can begin to sense something of the problem faced by the authors of 1888 Re- examined. On the one hand, Movement of Destiny, with General Conference endorsement, calls from us “an explicit confession” to the Church apologizing for saying that there was a leadership rejection of the very message which was intended by the Lord to prepare a people for His coming eighty years ago. On the other hand, our conscience is bound by the clear testimony of the Spirit of Prophecy.
Common sense forces the conclusion that if “we” had accepted the 1888 message for what it truly was, the “beginning” of the Latter Rain and Loud Cry, we would not be in this world today. The Church would not be faced with an ever- expanding world task as yet unfinished.
Ellen G. White does not contradict her own testimony. No word has been found in her published works nor will such in the future be found in any of her unpublished writings that contradicts the plain import of the statements cited in this paper. Such does not exist. The authors of Through Crisis to Victory, and Movement of Destiny have thoroughly combed the collection of unpublished writings in the Vault, and have found nothing. This is now obvious from reading their exhaustive treatises on the subject.
At the same time both the authors of Movement of Destiny and Through Crisis to Victory affirm their honesty and objectivity. The author of the former says of his own work:
There is nothing like it in all our annals—or any other annals for that matter. … There is no hiding of facts, no build-up of fanciful fictions—just the simple truth. … It neither shields nor slants, but tells the facts as they are. … Faithfully factual. … The inside story … is now set forth in fulness for the first time. … Forthrightly told. … Provides the inner meaning behind the outward facts. … An expedition in quest of all the facts. … The bounden obligation to report it to the Church … has been my constant burden. … A faithful fuller history. … Extraordinary care has been taken to provide an accurate, faithful, balanced presentation of the Gift [the Spirit of Prophecy] .—The Fascinating Story of Movement of Destiny, pages 3-11.
We as authors, are conscience bound by what is evident to us in the abundant Spirit of Prophecy testimony. This testimony declares that the post-1888 and post-1901 Church leadership did not truly appreciate and accept the gracious message that should have finished the work in their generation. The only possible conclusion is to recognize that the Lord calls for denominational repentance and humbling of heart today. Our position as authors is portrayed as follows:
Persistence of charges sheer stubbornness— … One can only come to the conclusion that persistent clinging to such a charge is sheer stubbornness, based on a personal stance that has been taken and that must be maintained irrespective of the actual evidence and the testimony of facts that persuade all others.—Movement of Destiny, page 686.
We earnestly inquire, “Where is the Ellen G. White ‘testimony’ that persuades ‘all others’? “ Any “testimony” mat contradicts Ellen G. White’s own clear words is a fiction. As authors we do not want to be guilty of “sheer stubbornness.” We choose to be loyal to Christ and His truth. The publication of Movement of Destiny has placed before us, a dilemma completely unprecedented in Seventh- day Adventist history.