The Heavenly Trio

So far we have seen the evidence that Ellen White knew about Dr. Kellogg's trinitarian sentiments, and we have seen how she responded to it. She always uplifted the truth on the presence and the personality of God, and called to come back to the foundation of our faith—Fundamental Principles. However, when Adventist scholars discuss the doctrine of the Trinity and Ellen White, they do not approach it in the same manner as Ellen White did. The Fundamental Principles together with the doctrine on the personality of God is downplayed, and the twisted story is presented that Ellen White was trinitarian and responsible for the church's acceptance of the Trinity doctrine into our ranks. We want to challenge this twisted story by looking at the evidence that is often used to support this false narrative.

One of the most prominent quotations to support the claim that Sister White was responsible for accepting the Trinity doctrine into our ranks is her writings and comments on Matthew 28:19¹. The most prominent quotation to stand out in defense of the Trinity doctrine is “the Heavenly Trio” quotation:

Ellen G. White:

There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ...

Ev 615.1; 1946

To reiterate, this quotation is often cited to argue that Sister White defended and advocated the Trinity doctrine. But, if we take a look at this quotation in its literary context, we see that within the quotation itself she actually refuted this doctrine and exalted the truth on the personality of God. To some this is a ludicrous claim, but we invite you to make your judgment based on presented data. Let us examine the context of this quotation.

Ellen G. White:

I am instructed to say, The sentiments of those who are searching for advanced scientific ideas are not to be trusted. Such representations as the following are made: ‘The Father is as the light invisible; the Son is as the light embodied; the Spirit as the light shed abroad.’ ‘The Father is like the dew, invisible vapor; the Son is like the dew gathered in beauteous form; the Spirit is like the dew fallen to the seat of life.’ Another representation: ‘The Father is like the invisible vapor. The Son is like the leaden cloud. The Spirit is rain fallen and working in refreshing power.’

Ms21-1906.8; 1906

What sentiments are not to be trusted? The data suggest that those sentiments are trinitarian ideas of one God in three persons. How do we know that? We see in the literary context of the representations Sister White was quoting. Contrary to the popular belief that she was referencing the “false” trinity expressed by Dr. Kellogg,² she was actually referencing trinitarian idea of three living persons of one living God, advocated by William Boardman, in his book “Higher Christian Life”, which she quoted. The context matters. The context of the quotations she quoted, shows that the representations of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are serving to illustrate the sentiment of three living persons of one God. That is the sentiment we have been clearly instructed by God, not to trust. Let the data be its own interpreter.

The Higher Christian Life, William Boardman

Ellen White owned William Boardman's book “Higher Christian Life.” It was a good book about Christian sanctification, but in it there was trinitarian sentiment, which Sister White was particularly instructed by God to call out. This is another instance of evidence where we see that Ellen White was familiar with the trinitarian stance, and she was addressing it directly. Let's get familiar with the trinitarian sentiments promoted by William Boardman.

Speaking of Triune God, William Boardman writes:

Quotation:

And then, again, the Father is the author and planner of salvation through faith in his Son; and when we trust in his Son we honor the Father, because we accept of his plan of salvation for us, justify his wisdom, and act in accordance with his will in the matter. A glance at the official and essential relations of the persons of the Holy Trinity to each other and to us, may throw additional light upon our pathway. Upon this subject flippancy would border upon blasphemy. It is holy ground. He who ventures upon it may well tread with unshod foot, and uncovered head bowed low.

William Boardman, The Higher Christian Life, p. 99; 1858

Brother Boardman wants us to take a glance at the official and essential relations of the three persons of the Holy Trinity. He asserts that God is one but also three–Triune–by presenting official and essential relations of the persons of the Holy Trinity. His fundamental statement and outline for his thesis is as follows:

Quotation:

The Father is fullness of the Godhead invisibly, without form, whom no creature hath seen or can see.
The Son is the fullness of the Godhead embodied, that his creatures may see him, and know him, and trust him.
The Spirit is the fullness of the Godhead in all active workings, whether of creation, providence, revelation, or salvation, by which God manifests himself to and through the universe.

William Boardman, The Higher Christian Life, p. 100

This statement is foundational to his following statements and illustrations. In the following paragraphs, William Boardman gives the biblical motives to illustrate the official and essential relations of the Holy Trinity—that is, God being one, but yet three. He writes:

Quotation:

Another of the names of Jesus will give the same analogies in a light not less striking - The Sun of Righteousness.
All the light of the sun in the heavens was once hidden in the invisibility of primal darkness; and after this, the light now blazing in the orb of day was, when first the command when forth, Let light be! and light was, at most only the diffused haze of the gray dawn of the morn of creation out of the darkness of chaotic night, without form, or body, or centre, or radiance, or glory. But when separated from the darkness and centered in the sun, then in its glorious glitter it became so resplendent that none but the eagle eye could bear to look it in the face.
But then again its rays falling aslant through earth’s atmosphere and vapors, gladdens all the world with the same light, dispelling the winter, and the cold, and the darkness; starting Spring forth in floral beauty, and Summer in vernal luxuriance, and Autumn laden with golden treasures for the garner. The Father is as the Light invisible.
The Son is as the Light embodied.
The Spirit is as the Light shed down.

William Boardman, The Higher Christian Life, p. 101,102

This illustration of the Sun of Righteousness shows that God the Father, who is the fullness of the Godhead invisible, can be symbolically illustrated as a Light that was once hidden in the invisibility of primal darkness. The Son, who is the fullness of the Godhead embodied, is like a Light that is embodied in the morn of creation. The Holy Spirit, who is the fullness of the Godhead in all active workings, is like a Light shed down. William Boardman gives us another similar illustration to clarify the official relations of the persons of the Godhead:

Quotation:

One of the similies for blessed influences of the Spirit, while giving the self-same official relations of the persons of the Godhead, to each other and to us, may illustrate them still further,—The Dew,—The dew of Hermon - the dew on the mown meadow. Before the dew gathers at all in drops, it hangs over all the landscape in visible vapor, omnipresent but unseen. By and by as the light wanes into morning, and as the temperature sinks and touches the dew point the invisible becomes the visible, the embodied; and, as the sun rises, it stands in diamond drops trembling and glittering in the sun’s young beams in pearly beauty upon leaf and flower, over all the face of nature.
But now again, a breeze springs up, the breath of heaven is wafted gently along, shaking leaf and flower, and in a moment the pearly drops are invisible angina. But where now? Fallen at the root of herb and flower to impart new life, freshness, vigor to all it touches.
The Father is like the dew in invisible vapor.
The Son is like the dew gathered in beauteous form.
The Spirit is like the dew fallen to the seat of life.

William Boardman, The Higher Christian Life, p. 102,103

The Father, who is the fullness of the Godhead invisible, is illustrated by the dew in invisible vapor. The Son, who is the fullness of the Godhead embodied, is illustrated by the dew gathered in beauteous form. The Spirit, who is the fullness of the Godhead in all active works, is illustrated by the dew fallen to the seat of life. The next illustration that exemplifies the official relations of the three personalities of one God is by another Bible likening—the Rain.

Quotation:

Yet one more of these Bible likenings – by no means exhausting them – will not be unwelcome, or useless, - the Rain.
Rain, like the dew, floats in invisibility, and omnipresence at the first, over all, around all. Seen by none. While it remains in its invisibility, the earth parches, clods cleave together, the ground cracks open, the sun pours down his burning heat, the winds lift up the dust in circling whirls, and rolling clouds, and famine gaunt and greedy stalks through the land, followed by pestilence and death. By and by, the eager watcher sees the little hand-like cloud rising far out over the sea. It gathers, gathers, gathers; comes and spreads as it comes, in majesty over the whole heavens: - But all is parched and dry and dead yet, upon earth.
But now comes a drop, and drop after drop, quicker, faster – the shower, the rain – sweeping on, and giving to earth all the treasures of the clouds – clods open, furrows soften, springs, rivulets, rivers, swell and fill, and all the land is gladdened again with restored abundance.
The Father is like to the invisible vapor.
The Son is as the laden cloud and falling rain.
The Spirit is the Rain – fallen and working in refreshing power.

William Boardman, The Higher Christian Life, p. 103,104

Let's give William Boardman a fair hearing. He is not saying that the Father is invisible vapor; rather, he uses a metaphor of rain and invisible vapor to illustrate his main point that the Father is the invisible fullness of the Godhead. So it is with the Son, who, just like rain manifested in leaden clouds, is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. To ensure his sentiments are not potentially misrepresented, William Boardman clarified his sentiment. This was the very sentiment that Ellen White was instructed by God not to trust:

Quotation:

These likenings are all imperfect. They rather hide than illustrate the tri-personality of the one God, for they are not persons but things, poor and earthly at best, to represent the living personalities of the living God. So much they may do, however, as to illustrate the official relations of each to the others and of each and all to us. And more. They may also illustrate the truth that all the fulness of Him who filleth all in all, dwells in each person of the Triune God.
The Father is all the fulness of the Godhead INVISIBLE.
The Son is all the fulness of the Godhead MANIFESTED.
The Spirit is all the fulness of the Godhead MAKING MANIFEST.
The persons are not mere offices, or modes of revelation, but living persons of the living God.

William Boardman, The Higher Christian Life, p. 104,105

It is crucial to emphasize that when Boardman uses these Bible likenings from nature, he speaks of the illustrations, and not reality. These representations are illustrating his sentiments. In his own admission, that was the sentiment of three living personalities of the living God. Though these illustrations are imperfect, they may illustrate the official relations of the tri-personality of the one God and the truth that all the fullness of Him who filleth all in all dwells in each person of the Triune God. One God in three persons is the sentiment in question, and that sentiment is common to all types and versions of the trinity doctrine—including our current trinitarian stance in the second point of the Fundamental Beliefs.³

In this brief look at William Boardman's sentiments, it is clear that the sentiments in question which Ellen White was instructed by God to call out, were the sentiments of the Triune God, or three living persons in the Trinity. With that data in mind, let's examine Ellen White's response.

Ellen White on William Boardman’s sentiment

With the Heavenly Trio quotation, it has been asserted that Ellen White was trinitarian. This is done by ignorantly or sometimes purposely ignoring the context of this valuable quotation. When reading Ellen White’s response, in which she defends our perceptions of God, try to recognize whom she is addressing when she speaks of God. Was the God she defended the Trinity or the Father? Referencing William Boardmans illustrations she said:

Ellen G. White:

All these spiritualistic representations are simply nothingness. They are imperfect, untrue. They weaken and diminish the Majesty which no earthly likeness can be compared to. God cannot be compared with the things His hands have made. These are mere earthly things, suffering under the curse of God because of the sins of man. The Father cannot be described by the things of earth. The Father is all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and is invisible to mortal sight.

Ms21-1906.9; 1906

By observing the context, it is obvious that Sister White follows Boardman’s line of reasoning and corrects the mistakes. For better comparison, let us look at their writings side by side:

In this comparison, it is clear who God is for William Boardman, and who He is for Sister White. For Boardman, God is the Triune God, a tri-personality of the one God. For Sister White, God is the Father. For Boardman, these representations are imperfect because they rather hide than illustrate the tri-personality of the one God, and for Sister White these representations are imperfect because The Father cannot be described by the things of earth. For Boardman, God is the Triune God; for Sister White, God is the Father.

Boardman’s only point that Ellen White affirms is that these representations are imperfect. Surely, William Boardman would not agree with Ellen White that these representations are spiritualistic and untrue. On the contrary, he believes that these illustrations illustrate the truth that all the fulness of Him who filleth all in all, dwells in each person of Triune God. To say that Ellen White agreed with such sentiment is gross misrepresentation.

The context of this important quotation prompts important questions. Why does the prophet of God refer to the representations that illustrate the tri-personality of the one God as spiritualistic representations, which illustrate the sentiment that is not to be trusted? Or why does the prophet of God refer to the representations that represent the living personalities of the living God as spiritualistic representations? Or why does the prophet of God, when referring to the representations that illustrate the truth that all the fullness of Him who filleth all in all, dwells in each person of Triune God, refer to them as spiritualistic representations? All of these spiritualistic representations illustrate the sentiment that is not to be trusted. This sentiment is clearly the trinitarian sentiment.

Sister White continues to follow Boardman’s line of reasoning and corrects the error.

For Boardman, the Father does not have a form nor body and is invisible to all creatures. For Sister White, the Father has a form and body and is invisible only to mortal human beings.⁴

This quotation is one of the most direct quotations regarding the personality of God. The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily⁵.

It might be confusing to someone that the Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily because in Colossians 2:9, when referring to Jesus, it is written that in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Scripture does not contradict itself. Colossians 2:9 does not exclude the Father to be all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Various places in the Bible describe the Father having a body (a form: Daniel 7:9,10; Revelation 4:2,3; 1 Kings 22:19-22; a shape: John 5:37). He has the appearance of a man (Ezekiel 1:26-28). He has a face (Exodus 33:20; Matthew 18:10; Revelation 22:3, 4). However, the Bible is completely silent about the nature of its substance. The Bible teaches us that The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this lawDeuteronomy 29:29. It is revealed to us that the Father has body, He is all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Also, it is revealed that in Jesus also dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, because it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwellColossians 1:19. This is not a contradiction whatsoever because the Son is the express image of His personHebrews 1:3.

Sister White focused on the personality of God, which is the personality of the Father. In Christ, who is begotten in the express image of the Father’s person⁶, is shown the personality of the Father. In the same way that Jesus is a person, so is the Father. The quality or state of Christ being a person is the same quality or state of the Father being a person. As Christ is a personal being, so is the Father. Just as all the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Christ, so it does in the Father, because Christ is begotten in the express image of the Father’s person. In Him is shown the personality of the Father. These simple conclusions have been asserted by Scripture in John 3:16 and Hebrews 1:3.

Does the same reasoning, of the personality of the Father and Son, apply to the Holy Spirit? Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Sister White continues:

Ellen G. White:

The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fulness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour.

Ms21-1906.11; 1906

Sister White draws a distinction between Father and Son who are, individually, all the fullness of the Godhead, and the Spirit that is in all the fullness of the Godhead. This is a marked contrast to William Boardman’s reasoning, where all three are the fullness of the Godhead. Sister White does not follow this trinitarian fashion. The explanation is simple in light of the personality of God and of Christ. The Holy Spirit is a spirit, and the spirit dwells in the flesh/body. The Holy Spirit is in all the fullness of the Godhead⁷.

Finally, the quotation continues to its most renowned part:

In light of the context of William Boardman’s book, we see a marked contrast between three living persons of one living God, which is the trinitarian sentiment, and the three living persons of the heavenly trio, which is in accordance with the truth on the personality of God.

The word ‘trio’ simply indicates the group of three. The “heavenly trio” is represented by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But, contrary to popular assumption, they do not make one living God. Three-in-one and one-in-three are concepts that do away with the personality of God. This is why Sister White referred to trinitarian sentiments as sentiments that are not to be trusted⁸.

Sister White never followed any trinitarian fashion—neither in words and expressions, nor in sentiments. There is an almost effortless research endeavor we encourage you to take: in the writings of Ellen White, search for standard trinitarian terms like “three are one,” “one are three,” “one in three,” “three in one,” or any of the permutations possible. In her impressive oeuvre you will not find a single occurrence of any of these, let alone the word ‘trinity’ describing our God⁹. She never used these phrases that are necessary to explain the trinitarian sentiment. Examining the following quote, we can see why she never said that God is trinity.

Ellen G. White:

The subject of speculation regarding God’s personality we will not venture to express, except in the language of the Word which represents His personality. There is to be no discussion over this question lest God would give unmistakable revelation of what He is that would extinguish the one who dares venture on the holy ground in his speculative theories, as some ventured to do in opening the ark to see what was in it as its power and how God was manifested. The men were slain for their curiosity science.

17LtMs, Ms 223, 1902, par. 16

Did you catch that? There is to be no discussion over the question of what God is, lest God would give unmistakable revelation of what He is. To say “God is _______”, the blank must be filled with the language of the Word which represents His personality. The Bible clearly teaches that God is a personal, spiritual being—a truth confirmed by Christ Himself in His revelations to Ellen White. This fits within the biblical language that describes God’s personality. However, according to above statement, can we say “God is trinity?” No! That is not the language of the Word which represents His personality. Therefore, within explored context, we can safely conclude that, the Trinitarian view of God is part of speculative theories of what He is.

This being said, the phrase Heavenly Trio is not a definition of what God is. Our God is the Father—not the Heavenly Trio. The term Heavenly Trio does not serve as a replacement for the Trinitarian idea of three living persons of one God. This becomes obvious, when we examine the context. Ellen White was instructed to warn us against Trinitarian sentiments, not to trust them. She was not endorsing them.

Although the illustrations Ellen White quoted were not from Dr. Kellogg, it seems that Kellogg's proponents, if not Kellogg himself, were defending him with William Boardman's sentiments. We do not have direct data to confirm this, but we do know that Dr. Kellogg raised the theological side of questions of the trinity and all that sort of things.Interview, J. H. Kellogg, G. W. Amadon and A. C. Bourdeau, October 7th 1907 held at Kellogg’s residence The last three paragraphs in the heavenly trio manuscript (Ms21-1906; 1906) reveal the connection with Dr. Kellogg, which is another “smoking gun” of Dr. Kellogg's trinitarian stance.

Ellen G. White:

I write this because any moment my life may be ended. Unless there is a breaking away from the influence that Satan has prepared, and a reviving of the testimonies that God has given, souls will perish in their delusion. They will accept fallacy after fallacy and will thus keep up a disunion that will always exist until those who have been deceived take their stand on the right platform. All this higher education that is being planned will be extinguished; for it is spurious. The more simple the education of our workers, the less connection they have with the men whom God is not leading, the more will be accomplished. Work will be done in the simplicity of true godliness, and the old, old times will be back when, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, thousands were converted in a day. When the truth in its simplicity is lived in every place, then God will work through His angels as He worked on the day of Pentecost, and hearts will be changed so decidedly that there will be a manifestation of the influence of genuine truth, as is represented in the descent of the Holy Spirit.

Ms21-1906.18; 1906

Ellen G. White:

The Holy Spirit never has and never will in the future divorce the medical missionary work from the gospel ministry. They cannot be divorced. Bound up with Jesus Christ, the ministry of the Word and the healing of the sick are one.

Ms21-1906.19; 1906

Ellen G. White:

The fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah contains instruction for today. ‘Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sin.’ God does not accept Dr. Kellogg as His laborer, unless he will now break with Satan. The work would not have been hindered, as it has been for the past several years, if Dr. Kellogg were a converted man. ‘Come,’ I call, ‘come ye out and be separate from him and his associates whom he has leavened.’ I am now giving the message God has given me, to give to all who claim to believe the truth, ‘Come ye out from among them, and be separate,’ else their sin in justifying wrongs and framing deceits will continue to be the ruin of souls. We cannot afford to be on the wrong side. We cannot afford to cover the truth with scientific problems. We urge that decided changes be made and no more stumbling blocks be placed before the feet of the people of God. Let every soul put on the gospel shoes. Let every soul pray and work, placing their feet upon the foundation Christ laid in giving His life for the life of the world.

Ms21-1906.20; 1906

The heavenly trio quotation was part of Kellogg's controversy. This is evidence that Kellogg’s controversy included the Trinity doctrine. We are told to break away from the influence of Satan and to revive the testimony that God has given us, or else our souls will perish in delusions. These influences and delusions come from trinitarians such as William Boardman and Dr. John H. Kellogg. She is pointing us back to place our feet upon the foundation that was built by the Masterworker.¹⁰

We hope that this context exposes the false narrative of Ellen White's endorsement of the Trinity doctrine, propagated by our Adventist scholars. Dr. Kellogg was in apostasy for stepping off from the foundation of our faith, and the Trinity doctrine was his justification. With such data in mind, one must ask: If the Trinity was true, and Ellen White endorsed it, and this “true” Trinity was mixed with Dr. Kellogg's error, we should expect her to separate the Trinity from error. But this is not what she did. Instead, she consistently pointed us back to the foundation of our faith, where we had a clear teaching on the presence and the personality of God. But for the case of Trinity, she faithfully bore the message from Heaven: “I am instructed to say, the sentiments of those who are searching for trinitarian ideas are not to be trusted.”