Ellen G. White on the Question of Influence

In 1893, one of our brethren wrote to Sister White. He thought she did not understand a certain matter, and he was going to straighten her out. She wrote back to him and said, “You think individuals have prejudiced my mind. If I am in this state, I am not fitted to be entrusted with the work of God.” Selected Messages 2:63.EGWW 84.2

On one occasion back in 1850, one of our sisters told Sister White about one of the ministers and some of the things he had done that he should not have done. It was not long after she related these facts to Ellen White that a testimony arrived for this minister. When the sister who had reported to Sister White heard about this testimony she felt chagrined and said to herself, “I shouldn’t have told Sister White those things.” She then sat down and wrote a letter to Ellen White and told her she was sorry she had said anything and thought she shouldn’t have told her all those things.EGWW 84.3

Ellen White wrote as follows:EGWW 85.1

What if you had said ever so much, would that affect the visions, that God gives me? If so, then the visions are nothing.... God has shown me the true state of Brother------[the erring minister]. I know from the vision that his influence has been bad. ... What you or anyone else has said is nothing at all. God has taken the matter in hand.... What you have said, Sister------, influenced me not at all. My opinion has nothing to do with what God has shown me in vision.—Letter 1, 1851.EGWW 85.2