Here is an answer concerning the idea that Ellen White had an obelisk on her grave, from the White Estate:
Subject: Obelisk on Ellen G. White's Grave? Sep. 15th, 2008
? Question
Good day,
I am a SDA and have been told that Ellen White and her husband each have an obelisk over there
grave. Is this true, and if it is, could you tell me the history of it or direct me to some
sources so i can reasearch it myself?
-----------
! Answer
Dear Brother _______,
Thank you for contacting the Ellen G. White Estate. There is indeed an obelisk on the family plot
where Mrs. White and her husband are buried, though it is not the tombstone for either of them,
but rather serves as the family marker in the center of the plot. Some people have expressed
surprise and concern to find an obelisk on the White family plot because of the obelisk's
connection to pagan worship in Egypt and to other questionable associations. Evidently, however,
many people in the 19th century didn't think this was a problem. Adventists of that era seem to be
among them. While looking for something else, we recently found correspondence relating to this
question among the letters of George I. Butler, who was General Conference President when James
White died in 1881 and for a number of years after. On February 12, 1884, Elder Butler wrote to
Mrs. White,
"The dark colored granite monument at B.C. [Battle Creek] which you looked at I ordered for your
husband's grave last week at your son Willie's invitation. He told me to have it charged to you. I
regret to do this while the money lies in the office which his friends contributed to show him
respect for his memory. Will desired me to have this money put in the European Mission Board, but
I don't feel that I am authorized to do that without their consent. There is about $170 now in the
office for that purpose and more that is subscribed which would be paid in if called for."
This indicates that Mrs. White had seen the monument, and perhaps her son W. C. White had as well.
W. C. White gave Elder Butler approval for its purchase. A letter from Elder Butler to W. C. White
on February 10 of that year discusses the cost of the monument "with the headstone and other
stones" and says that it "will be erected as soon as you send on the inscription." It is clear
that the White family was involved in the selection of the monument.
Twenty years later, in 1904, Mrs. White wrote about a different suggestion for James White's
monument:
After my husband had been laid away in the grave, his friends thought of putting up a broken shaft
as a monument. "Never!" said I, "never! He has done, singlehanded, the work of three men. Never
shall a broken monument be placed over his grave!" ... {1SM 105.1}
We can only guess, but it may be that in contrast to that suggestion, she was quite pleased to
have such a well-formed, symmetrical monument placed on the family plot.
Some have asked about the obelisk and its supposed connection to Freemasonry. Seeing the obelisk
on the family plot, a few have even supposed that Mrs. White must have been involved herself in
the Masonic movement. This is an unwarranted conclusion. Mrs. White was an outspoken opponent of
Freemasonry. While she was in Australia, she was even shown two secret signs of high-ranking
Masons, which she made in the presence of an Adventist worker who was deeply entangled in
Freemasonry. She urged him to sever his connection with it. She also counseled others not to be
involved with Masonic orders.
So why the obelisk? Evidently she did not regard it as inherently a Masonic or pagan symbol,
regardless of the fact (whether known to her or not) that Masons and sun worshipers had used it.
Symbols mean what people take them to mean. The cross itself was once an abhorrent symbol of Roman
oppression and cruelty, but today Christians around the world hold it as a symbol of our
redemption through Christ. Symbols may change their meaning. I remember being shocked once to see
in an old synagogue a symbol that I would call the swastika. Nazi Germany gave that symbol a
certain meaning, but evidently it had not always had that meaning. When James White began to
publish the Review as a bi-weekly publication(it became weekly in September of 1853), along with
the date of publication he soon gave the standard name for the day of the week on which it was
published, whether Monday or Thursday (the day of publication varied some in those days).
Soon, however, he made a change. The issue published "Thursday, May 12, 1853," was followed two
weeks later by the one published "Fifth-day, May 26, 1853." For several decades the paper
designated its publication day variously as "Fifth-day" and "Third-day" (for Tuesday), apparently
out of concern over the days' having been named for pagan gods. By the January 1, 1880, issue,
however, the practice returned to using the standard names. Apparently our pioneers decided by
then that the use of those names carried no compromise of their faith. No one using those names
today makes any devout reference to the pagan gods. The names simply don't symbolize those gods
for people today, regardless of whatthey may once have meant. Similarly, whatever occult meaning
may once have been communicated by an obelisk, as far as I know, by the 19th century at least,
this meaning seems no longer to have been operative for people generally, though it did have
continued mystic significance for Freemasons. Clearly, though, Mrs. White did not hold such
beliefs.
I hope this helps. Thank you for writing, and God bless!
William Fagal
Associate Director
Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: 301 680-6550
FAX: 301 680-6559
E-mail:
[email protected]
Web:
www.WhiteEstate.org
My husband was leaning toward Wicca when I met him, and in fact was a stated agnostic. I still felt confident he was the man for me. We've been together 7 years (completion!!). I have taken inspiration from the widow looking for justice, and have brought my cause before the judge again and again in prayer. My husband began keeping the Shabbat with me, and now says he needs to participate in preparing us for it on Friday, since I work that day now. He is now talking about how he needs to learn more about the Bible. Last night, we spent two hours discussing the book of Daniel.
