Was Mrs. White a Prophet?
There are Adventists who ask: Seeing that Mrs. White did not claim to be a prophet, why should we claim she was? This question is based on a statement she made at a meeting in Battle Creek, Michigan, October 2, 1904, when she said: “I do not claim to be a prophetess.” But does that prove that she was not? Or does it, perhaps, simply prove her innate reserve and humility? John the Baptist did not claim to be a prophet, or to be the Elias that was to come. He said he was simply “the voice of one crying in the wilderness” (John 1:23). But regarding him, Christ said to the multitude: “But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet” (Matthew 11:9). Now listen to Mrs. White tell why she did not claim to be a prophetess: “Because in these days many who boldly claim that they are prophets are a reproach to the cause of Christ; and because my work includes much more than the word ‘prophet’ signifies.”—Selected Messages 1:32.WBEGW 108.2