Ellen Gould White (née Harmon) November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915

“Make Christ first and last and best in everything. Constantly behold Him, and your love for Him will daily become deeper and stronger.” Ellen White wrote countless gems like this and many others during her lifetime. In December 1844 at the age of 17, while praying earnestly with friends, Ellen Harmon received her first vision, a supernatural view of God’s people on their spiritual journey to the city of God. Throughout her ministry she continued to have hundreds of visions from God. The counsels and insights she was shown have been preserved in more than 100,000 pages of books, articles, and manuscripts, all written throughout her 70 year span of ministry.

Nineteenth-century women were rarely counted as leading religious figures. Neither were those with a shortened grade school education expected to become best-selling authors. However, Ellen White is known as the world’s most-widely published woman on religious topics. For a woman of her times, she was indeed remarkable, traveling and preaching throughout America, Europe, and Australia. Ellen White wrote dozens of divinely inspired and insightful books on such topics as Scripture, health, relationships, marriage, parenting, education, evangelism, and many other important themes. Her love for Jesus shines through all her writings, especially in her classics, Steps to Christ, The Desire of Ages, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, and Christ’s Object Lessons. Her works have changed millions of lives to become healthier, happier, and dedicate themselves to God. Ellen White was a gifted nineteenth-century religious writer, author, and renowned speaker. Her life’s a living testament to what it means to be wholly led by God.

— The Ellen G. White Estate