Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, a compilation from the writings of Ellen G. White, 271 pages. Published by the Ellen G. White Estate, 1989.

The White Estate has produced another compilation of Ellen G. White’s writings that includes (page 119) the heading “Homosexuality,” while homosexuality is not mentioned or discussed in the writing captioned. Mrs. White did not use the word or supply the heading; the Estate did. It appears the Estate merely selected for publication five passages that make reference to the biblical city of Sodom—and then created the leap to homosexuality.

Three years ago I argued with the White Estate over a similar heading in the EGW compilation, Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol. 1. After a year of correspondence the Estate conceded that the heading was inappropriate and its board “agreed unanimously that the title of that particular paragraph should be changed.” The board instructed the publisher (the Review and Herald) to make the change in that book. But the new compilation includes the same passage that was erroneously captioned before, and it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with anything sexual, much less homosexuality!

There is no excuse today for the Estate not to be careful and aware of these issues. The passages they claim are talking about homosexuality could as easily be said to condemn heterosexuality, which is absurd. Anyone who reads these passages and Ellen White’s chapter, “The Destruction of Sodom” can see how unconscionable this heading is in implying that the selected passages are all about homosexuality.

I am obtaining copies of the original works to see how many of the passages are taken out of context. She often used terms like “morals” in reference to things totally unrelated to sexual behaviors.

According to its preface, the book was “prepared especially for the benefit of church administrators and other ministers who must deal with questionable or immoral conduct.” It is “not intended for general circulation, and its compilers advise against using it as a manual of rules.”

That much is understandable. The book includes Ellen White’s statements about masturbation, which she says causes various diseases, such as “affection of the liver and lungs, neuralgia, rheumatism, affection of the spine, diseased kidneys, and cancerous humors [and often] death is the result... catarrh, dropsy, headache, loss of memory and sight, great weakness in the back and loins, affections of the spine, the head often decays inwardly. The mind is often ruined, and insanity takes place.”

Other topics include separation and grounds for divorce, licentiousness and adultery, counsels to various individuals with moral problems, remarriage of widows and widowers, marriage to an “unbelieving” spouse, and a “mutilated” spouse.... “Homosexuality” is listed under “Other Sexual Evils,” along with “sexual excess” within marriage, petting, premarital sex, masturbation and child abuse. So long as the White Estate still thinks masturbation causes often-fatal diseases, it might be a little much to expect it to recognize a distinction between “homosexuality” and homosexual sex.

Most of the selected passages in this new compilation are taken from private letters.

...And they knew it was wrong!