A Letter Relative to Mrs0 White*8

Statements Concerning Shakespeare

Ellen 0* White Estate

General Conference
Washington 12, D* C.
April 19* 1961

Dear Sistert

lour letter came to our office during the Spring Council of the
Qeneral Conference Committee* This Is my first opportunity to deal
with the questions vhich you have asked*

These questions are ones that many of our teachers have asked and
are asking* for it has a major bearing on the presentation of certain
courses in our schools0 The present Index makes no reference to Shake*
speare0 The new Index which is in preparation now and will be published
next year will carry 'one reference to a statement made by Sister White
relative to Shakespeare* The statement appears in the book Counsels to
Writers and Editors which was published many years after the did Yridex
was printed*" The Signs of the Times which was published at the PaciA'c
Press had Included an article 'which*"extolled Shakespeare and his works
and along with that article thiris was a picture of his birthplace*
Sister White wrote to the publishers of the paper concerning the print­
ing in our journals of articles of this character. Here are the essen­
tial parts of what Sister White wrote to the publishing house on this
matter t

"I was greatly pained to see on the first page of a

recent issue of the 'Signs* a picture of the birthplace of
Shakespeare* accompanied b y an article on Shakespeare* Hay
the Lord pity our discernment if we have no better food
than this to give the flock of Qod0 it greatly distresses
me to see those in positions of trust* who should d
gaining a rich experience, placing such matter befa
people o
.UL be

"Behold the tabernacle of God is with men* and He gra-

ciously^oondescends to dwell among them* Let those who are
representing the truth for this time pray earnestly for
clear spiritual discernment* Let them be sincerely jealous
for the honor of the Lord God of hosts* Let them see the
sinfulness of exalting such men as Shakespeare* calling the
attention of people to those who did not in their lives
honor God or represent Christ.

"The men in responsible positions in God's work need

to be renewed in the spirit of their mindo Let them lift
their voices against the worship of human beings* giving
honor to’whom honor is duso The men who edit our papers
need the divine touch* They need the unction of the Holy
Spirit*
 •»»*•<«* *.* 1.x »

Mrs® White's Statements Concerning Shakespeare— 2

"I felt griered and heartsick as X looked at the repre­

sentation on the first page of the 'Signs' to which I have
referred* Z asked myself, eyfhat do these things mean?' I
was so distressed in mind that I became sick in body* I wait
to bed at eight o'clock, and slept for a short time, about
an hour, IdtMnk. Then I seemed to be standing before those
in responsible positions in the Pacific Press, bearing them
ji message* The Spirit of God came upon me. and I could not
forbear speaking* I caanot now write all that I said* I
asked, 'Where is your spiritual discernment or your good
judgment, that you should thus sow tares among the wheat?
Nothing is to appear in our literature that does not repre­
sent truth and righteousness*f

ewe have put forth earnest efforts to direct the minds

of our young people in Oakland into right channels* At .
times they nave been severly rebuked for yielding to pleas­
ure loving, deporting from the straightforward course of
action that Heaven approves* But what can I say when our
papers pass such encomiums on men who did not glorify God
in jJLfe or character? Think you that such representations
will help the youth to walk in the narrow path of holiness?

•Seme things of great importance have been presented

to me, bat 1 have not tha strength to write them this morn­
ing* When I attempt to do this, such an intensity of feel­
ing comes over me that I am obliged to stop.

•We need, 0 so greatly, keen discernment, clear

spiritual eyesight* Our eyes need to be anoited with the
heavenly eye-salve, that we may see ail things clearly*
The great and solemn truths far this time are to be pro­
claimed through our papers, and into these papers we are
to bring all the spiritual power that we can*"— Counsels
to Writers and Editors, pp. 172-175. ‘

Sis tor White also mentioned this matter in a talk which she gave at
the St. Helena Sanitarium to the executive committee of the California
Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association* It runs along the same
line* The record of that talk as we have it in our files does not add
a great deal to that which was published in Counsels to writers and
Editors* ~~*“

She speaks of the picture and of the article concerning Shakespeare

and she emphasises that we are not to extol men who did not serve Qod0
She refers to the fact that in early years reproof was given to those
who advocated the reading of even such books as U n d e Ten's Cabin,
Fables, and Robinson Crusoe* (See Testimonies Vol* 5, pp. 516-
"hese she pointed out often"created an appetite for novels* She
spoke of how the reading of enticing stories resulted in a rapid loss of
spirituality tod was one of the principal causes of a d e d i n e of spirit­
uality in our youtho
Mrs* White's Statements Conoeming Shakespeare— 3

You will observe from the item which you have just read above, that
Sister White was distressed because in one of our papers, Shakespeare had
been glorified. She was not discussing his literature as suoh* The ques­
tion which comes to our educators relates of course to Shakespeare in the
literary field and as we face this question, we must do so in the light
of what Sister White wrote concerning the kind of test whioh we would
apply to the literature we would read and encourage our young people to
read. There are portions of Shakespeare's writings that are flotion suoh
as his plays and they would certainly be condemned just as other works of
fiction are condemned in the Spirit of prophecy. There might be some
portions of poetry from whioh we could learn some lessons, but the problems
arise at once as to the wisdom of leading young people, when their minds
are very susceptible, into channels of this character. You are, of course,
familiar with what Sister White has written concerning various authors,
and you have read what she has written about drama and concerning fiction.
These are the counsels whioh must guide us as we deal with a matter o f t h i e
character.

I Think at the moment of the letter which Sister White wrote to

Brother and Sister Canright at a time when Canri^ht was one of our ministers
and he had written an article for the Review andfHerald in which he recon-
mended certain literacy Works as Uncle Tom's Cabin. Robinson Crusoe, eto.
You will find Sister White's letter in Testimonies for the Church. Vol. 5,
pp. 516-520.

It is not strange that the parents of some of our teen-age children

who are familiar with the Spirit of prophecy counsels which have suoh a
bearing upon the type of reading matter which is placed before our young
people should be concerned and raise some question. It is most unfortunate
when the young people in our schools are placed in a position where they must
deeide between following the counsel of a teacher and what they understand;
to be the oounsel of the Lord which has been given to us through the Spirit
of prophecy. To face such a problem when in the teens has a much larger im­
pact than to face such a problem when one is an adult, and I shall never
forget the impact which was made upon the minds of my teen-age boys when
in our academy, their English teacher led them into the reading of materials
of a type which are counseled against in the Spirit of prophecy. It did
something to those boys which we have never been able to undo. As a parent,
all I could do was just sit by and watch the results.

I am always pleased to see an English teacher handle this matter of

Shakespeare in such a way as to give the students information concerning
this great literary character and then outline the overall scope of his
work and call the attention of the young people to some choioe passages,
but in the overall presentation, refrain from requiring the students to
read Shakespeare. As those entrusted with the education of our youth, we
have a tremendous responsibility and it seems to me we should weigh very
carefully the far-reaching influence of our attitudes towards questions of
this kind as they are manifested in the classroom and of the reading on the
part of our younr people of that type of literature whioh is not the most
desirable. I repeat again, that as adults the impact is quite different
than that on the minds of teen-age children.

It is interesting to observe that of the two thousand visions given

Sister White, the last vision which was given to her had to do with the type
of reading which was pursued by our young people. You will find this
recorded in the last article in Fundamentals of Chrisljian Education.
Mrs

I believe that the Lord will bless you as you give study to the close
application of the Spirit of Prophecy counsels on the question of the litera­
ture courses in our schools, and that you will find a real blessing in molding
the work in suoh a way that students and parents will see that you are en­
deavoring to handle this rather far-reaohing problem in a way on which you
know Heaven can plaoe its approval. May the Lord bless you as you work in
these lines.

Sincerely your brother,

Arthur L. White, Secretary

ELLEN G. WHITE PUBLICATIONS

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