School Debts and Ellen White's Gift

The American mails had brought to Ellen White a letter from Battle Creek seeking counsel as to the erection of another building there in the headquarters city. She wrote in her diary of her answer and of the outcome:4BIO 404.3

The letter was answered. The light given me of God for them was given them distinctly that not a brick should be laid to incur additional debt, and close investigation should be made to ascertain the reason for so heavy a debt already existing.4BIO 404.4

But the counselors in Battle Creek, notwithstanding, concluded that the testimony coming to them did not mean what it said. The appearance was that they must have more buildings and they did build, following the imagination of their own hearts, and now they are involved in embarrassment.... They went directly contrary to the light God gave them, and the counsel of men was accepted, for it looked so wise to them to make additions that they imagined they must have.4BIO 404.5

There will be every excuse made for men to follow their strong imagination, and the instruction the Lord—who knows the end from the beginning—gives is cast aside as a mistake.... If men will refuse light they shall have trouble. The yoke of perplexity which they have chosen for their own necks always galls when this is the case. But how much might be saved if those who claim to believe the testimonies [would accept those] the Lord has sent them rather than to cast them aside and crowd forward their own human decision which costs heavily in the end. This is the work that is now being done.—Manuscript 89, 1900.4BIO 405.1