Bro. Will Ross now deceased was a personal friend of mine for about 45 years. In our church fellowship we very often spent Sabbath afternoons discussing his experience in the message, and his conversations with Mrs. Ellen G. White.
About 1908, while living in Loma Linda near Sister White, he frequently accompanied her in her walks, and would discuss the message and future events. On one of these occasions, while waiting at the railroad depot, in company with Sister McInterfer and Elder D. E. Robinson, her granddaughter’s husband, Sister White related to the three of them about the storm of persecution that was to come upon Seventh-day Adventists. Brother Will related it to me as follows:
“Sister White told us as we three stood there on the depot platform, that a terrible storm of persecution was coming like a windstorm that blew down every standing object. There was not a Seventh-day Adventist to be seen. They, like the disciples, forsook Christ and fled. All who had sought positions were never seen again. After the storm there was a calm, then the Adventists arose like a great flock of sheep, but there were no shepherds. They all waited in earnest prayer for help and wisdom, and the Lord answered by helping them to choose leaders from among them who had never sought positions before. They prayed earnestly for the Holy Spirit which was poured out upon them making them fully ready for service. They then went forth ‘fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners,’ to give this message to the world. “I was astonished, and asked if that applied to Loma Linda, as we were looking in that direction. Sister White replied to my question by stating that it applied to the entire denominational world. It so stunned me that I did not ask any more questions.” — Will Ross, Boulder, Colorado.
In the year 1943 when Elder D. E. Robinson was visiting the churches in Colorado, I was serving on the platform the Sabbath that Elder Robinson visited the Boulder Church, having with him the large Bible which Sister White held in her hand and leafing through during one of her visions.
At the close of the service Brother Ross spoke with Elder Robinson about when he, Sister Mcinterfer and Sister White were standing on the depot platform visiting together, and Sister White related to him about the terrible storm of persecution that was coming to Seventh-day Adventists. Elder Robinson replied, “Yes, Brother, Ross, I remember it.”
So I documented this reply January 15, 1946, not wishing to forget this important narration related to me by Brother Ross. I frequently discussed it with him in later years, and his statement never varied. – [signed] Elmer M. Johnson.
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