| Author | Message | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 450 Registered: 10-2006 |
Hello Everyone! I wrote to the Library of Congress a few days ago asking whether or not they have ever endorsed DA as the best book ever written on the life of Jesus Christ. Here is the letter I wrote and the answer. Dear Librarian, I was recently told at a Seventh-day Adventist prophecy seminar that the Library of Congress has selected and currently endorses Desire of Ages written by Ellen Gould White as the best book on the life of Christ. Has the Library of Congress made this endorsement? Does the Library of Congress currently endorse any book as the best book written on the life of Jesus Christ? I understand the initial reason for the Seventh-day Adventist church's claim was a private letter written by Walter Bement, a LOC librarian in 1946. Could you please clarify the Library of Congress' position on this matter? Do you currently endorse Desire of Ages, the Holy Bible or any other book as the best book written on the life of Jesus Christ? Seventh-day Adventists are passing out copies of this book stating your endorsement. I am simply checking to see if this is indeed the case. I am looking forward to your response. Please feel free to call or e-mail me regarding this important matter. I will be happy to share the reason this is so important in future correspondence if necessary. Thank you so much! Here is the answer I received today: Ms. Joyfulheart, Good morning. I wanted to give you a fuller reply to your inquiry. The Library of Congress often receives questions concerning the book, The Desire of the Ages, by Ellen G. White. There are claims that the Library of Congress has endorsed it is as best or most profound, or most beautifully written, or sometimes, the most requested book on the life of Christ. These statements are not true. The Library of Congress does not endorse books, nor do we keep records of how many times a book is requested from the stacks. With the advent of the Internet the occurrence of these claims has increased, but these statements remain false. The letter you mention is often seen on the Internet. It may have been written by an employee of the Library of Congress, but not one who has worked here in any recent memory. Since we do not make statements about one book being preferred or esteemed over another, I can only conclude that this was a letter stating Mr. Bement’s personal feelings. I hope that this information is helpful. Cheryl Adams Reference Specialist, Religion Main Reading Room Humanities and Social Sciences Division Library of Congress 101 Independence Ave, SE Washington, DC 20540-4660 cada@loc.gov 202-707-8476 _______________________________________________ My follow up question is going to be: Does the Seventh-day Adventist church know that the book has not been endorsed by the LOC? Has the LOC ever asked the SDA church to stop making these false claims? | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 105 Registered: 8-2008 |
If the LoC was endorsing a specific book on the life of Christ, I'm sure the ACLU would have gotten up-in-arms about it a long time ago. | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 451 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yes, I agree. My former SDA church is still passing out DA with the claim that the LOC endorses it as the best book ever written on the life of Christ. I want to show them that they are lying to the people. I plan to share this answer with lots of people. Maybe it won't make a dent of difference. Maybe it will make people at least start to think that at least not everything they've been taught by the elders they love is true. If THAT wasn't true - maybe other stuff is not. This was actually one of the things that helped me believe (for a short time) that Ellen White was a trustworthy prophet. I heard people saying they wanted that book after the elder said those glowing things about it. I know they won't make the leap to: Ladies and Gentleman, this book was written by a false prophet named Ellen White. It contains statements that are blatantly false and contradicts the Bible scores of times. Anyone want it? I AM hoping to get the church to admit they have been making a false claim and stop claiming the endorsement. I may go as far as a certified letter to the GC. This is a hot topic for me for lots of reasons. We'll see... | ||
| Freedom55 Registered user Username: Freedom55 Post Number: 17 Registered: 3-2008 |
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I had not heard of this claim before, but I'm not surprised. It seems the SDA Church will go to any lengths to prop up their claim that EGW was a prophet, even to the point of fabrication. If the Desire of Ages has any good, it must be because of the work of all the other authors that EGW copied from! Keep up the good work & please keep us posted. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9295 Registered: 12-2003  |
Joyfulheart, way to go! I'm so proud of you for pursuing this! I've also heard these claims, and they sound much the same as those claims that EGW held that Bible up for 40 minutes (a story the church admits now was false). Good for you! Colleen | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 1665 Registered: 10-2002  |
Could this letter & response go on the FAF/LAM site along with that letter from the Waldenses?  | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 452 Registered: 10-2006 |
I would love to see this response circulated. I still am fighting the need to stay anomymous here, but will certainly forward the original e-mail to Colleen who can vouch for its authenticity if you want to post it. Please remove my name if you post it. There were two typos that I corrected here that were not corrected when I sent the original letter - just to be completely honest. I was just a little too anxious to get it sent I guess. I did e-mail the follow up question to the librarian. I would like to know what - if anything they have told the church. If not anything - why not? By the way, I have officially been accused of "doing the work the work of Dale Ratzlaff." For the record - and I know some of my SDA friends are reading this (Hi friends! I still love you and want so desperately for you to live in the freedom Christ brings. I DO love you and Jesus! He is my everything! I want to spend eternity with you.) Dale has NEVER mentioned or suggested anything of the kind to me. We talked on the phone twice a few years ago (one time was to order books). That's it! | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 4009 Registered: 9-2006  |
Joyfulheart, Congratulations on reaching the big time of being mentioned as one of Dale's helpers. You have been acclaimed this fame alongside Gilbert. A claim by some SDA who provoked a flurry of proof texting by his own little fingers. I forgot to book mark his web site so I know not where to go to get a giggle when I feel I need one. Oh, woe is me. At any rate I tip my hat to you dear girl, may you have many mentions in the annuls of the famous Dale Ratzlaff. River | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9298 Registered: 12-2003 |
Joyfulheart, Thank you! That's a great idea, Ramone. We'll do it! Colleen | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 55 Registered: 10-2008 |
Great work!!! I often wished I had the time to do primary research the way you did with the LOC. Enoch | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 453 Registered: 10-2006 |
Hi everyone! I received an answer to my follow-up question today. Here it is: Dear Ms. Joyfulheart, Although I have answered this question many, many times, I'm not sure that we've really known how this information is being spread - whether through some official channel or through individuals, and so I think that the answer is no - we haven't asked the Seventh-day Adventists to stop. We're not sure who to talk with. If you have a specific example of a central source I could forward it on to our Director of Communications. Thanks, Cheryl I'm thinking this should go to the GC President, Jan Paulsen. I'm thinking he should be asked to forward this information to every state conference president. State conference presidents should be asked to inform every pastor and elder in the church that the information is untrue and should not be shared again. Pastors should be asked to inform all members that this information is not now nor has ever been true. The Library of Congress has never endorsed The Desire of Ages as the best, most beautifully written, most profound or most requested book on the life and or ministry of Jesus Christ. What do you all think? Any other channels you would suggest? How should this be approached? | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 632 Registered: 11-2007  |
That definitely needs to be stopped! Way to go. I vaguely remember hearing that claim, but never gave it any serious thought. So great you got to the bottom of that, and hope the church will stop its false advertising! I would start with the GC and all the publishing houses. Sondra | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 6370 Registered: 3-2004  |
That is an old, old story as I heard it as a kid in Southern California where I grew up. Diana L | ||
| Snowboardingmom Registered user Username: Snowboardingmom Post Number: 518 Registered: 11-2005 |
Awesome, Joyfulheart! I had always heard this claim too--in fact, because I believed it, I used it when I was a colporter during a summer in Academy! Good job. Urban legends are one thing. But when these urban legends become a method for proving credibility, it's just dark!! Grace (Message edited by snowboardingmom on January 22, 2009) (Message edited by snowboardingmom on January 22, 2009) | ||
| Jdpascal Registered user Username: Jdpascal Post Number: 127 Registered: 10-2003 |
I went looking for instances where this supposed library of congress endorsement was posted on the internet and the first listing was the truthorfables website. When I clicked to go there, Google sent me a warning that it was distributing malware. I tried another access from one of Gilbert's sites and got the same. If anyone knows how to contact truthorfables webmaster, please do. I would suspect a hacker has compromised the site to prevent searching SDA's from accessing it........ | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 6371 Registered: 3-2004 |
I was able to go on the truth or fables website from here on the links page. Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9302 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hey, everyone--I'm delighted to tell you that Joyfulheart's correspondence with the librarian at the Library of Congress is now online under "Studies" at LifeAssuranceMinistries.org. You can access the article here: http://www.lifeassuranceministries.org/studies/desireofages.html While you're there, don't miss the other studies online by some of our own forum members. Here's the link to the "studies" page: http://www.lifeassuranceministries.org/studies/index.html Colleen (Message edited by Colleentinker on January 22, 2009) | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 109 Registered: 8-2008 |
I am no lawyer, but maybe if you could find enough people who bought the book under the auspices that it was endorsed by the LoC, when in fact it wasn't, you could have the basis for a class-action lawsuit. | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 1666 Registered: 10-2002 |
Just double-checking, but was the permission of Cheryl Adams (from the LOC) secured to use her letter and name on the website? | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 454 Registered: 10-2006 |
Oh no! I blew it! I'll e-mail her right now! | ||
| Schasc Registered user Username: Schasc Post Number: 91 Registered: 10-2004 |
Can anyone tell me where I can find the source for the SDA church admitting that EGW did not hold up a Bible for 40 mins? I often heard about this event growing up. | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1587 Registered: 4-2000  |
D. A. Delafield, from the White Estate, used to haul the big Bible around the country in the trunk of his car--notably to Academies. He would ask for the most muscular boy to come forward during chapel to hold the Bible up. Of course, even the strongest Academy boy was unable to repeat what Ellen supposedly did. The alleged feat by Ellen White was only supported by one testimony--a faithful devotee whose exaggerations (hyperbole)were widely known. I think it was Loughborough, not sure. Anyway, without any clear evidence, the White Estate decided to keep the Bible in their office instead. My wife and I saw the big Bible at the White Estate in 1970. Times have changed in this information age, and kids are not as gullible as they used to be. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9312 Registered: 12-2003 |
Schasc, I actually don't know where their admission is. I've been told (but cannot personally prove) that the docents at Elmshaven admit this to be false, although they may still tell it. I do know that in his book More than a Prophet, which is not published by an "official" Adventist publishing house [Biblical Perspectives in Berrien Springs] and has incurred the disagreement of the White Estate even though MANY Adventist apologists use his arguments, Australian Graeme Bradford has a section in chapter 7 where he makes the case that physical manifestations are not true tests of a prophet. He doesn't directly mention "the Bible", but he dispels the idea of strange or super-human manifestations being tests of a prophet. Colleen |
