Here is the quote in question:
“The COMFORTER that CHRIST PROMISED TO SEND after He ascended to heaven, is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour. HERE ARE THE LIVING THREE PERSONALITIES OF THE HEAVENLY TRIO; [Ellen White did NOT write: 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.” — (E.G. White, Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, pp. 62, 63. Ev 615.1)
Cherry picking statements from Ellen White’s writings that could fit a Trinitarian concept of God while ignoring the tens of thousands of statements from her that do not fit the Trinitarian concept is a dishonest way to use her writings.
To understand correctly what God has revealed through Ellen White, and find out what her beliefs were on this topic, it is necessary to quote all that she wrote on this subject, not just be selective in what we quote to suit our own agenda. That would be tantamount to deception.
SO LET’S LET ELLEN WHITE TELL US WHO SHE CALLED THE TRIO.
Note that Ellen White wrote “Heavenly Trio,” not “Heavenly Trinity!” The Trinity teaches 3 co-equal, co-eternal gods that are not 3 gods but one God! But a trio just three of something. So the Trio of course is simply the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I hope we all agree who the Father and Son are. So what we need to know is who Ellen White says the Holy Spirit is, and hence who she says is third in the Heavenly Trio? She wrote those words so ONLY she knows what she meant. Let SOP explain SOP. Do not assume!
“The HOLY SPIRIT is the SPIRIT of CHRIST, which is sent to all men to give them sufficiency,” — (E.G. White, 14MR 84.3)
“We want the HOLY SPIRIT, which is JESUS CHRIST.” — (E.G. White, Lt66, April 10, 1894)
“but it is the leaven of the SPIRIT of JESUS CHRIST, which is sent down from heaven, called the HOLY GHOST,” — (E.G. White, Ms36-1891)
There is no mistaking that Ellen White says the HOLY SPIRIT is the SPIRIT OF CHRIST.
Therefore, she has to be saying that the “Heavenly Trio” is the FATHER, SON and the SPIRIT OF CHRIST or she will be contradicting herself. There is no other option but denial which the deceived often choose because they have been so indoctrinated with Satan’s lie.
Not only that, but Ellen White did in fact write those exact words proving beyond any doubt this is who she called the Trio.
She wrote:
“They have ONE God and ONE Saviour; and ONE Spirit–the Spirit of Christ—is to bring unity into their ranks.” — (E.G. White, 9T 189.3, 1909)
So the third in the Trio = ONE + ONE + ONE = “THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST.”
What many fail to understand is that the “Spirit of Christ” can function like a person separate to Himself so it is like it is “another” person, though not a literal person of course. So we do have a heavenly Trio, but NOT a heavenly Trinity!
That is twice we have just proven that Ellen White said the SPIRIT OF CHRIST is the third in the Heavenly Trio with unmistakable confirmation. But let’s prove it three more times, not that it should be necessary.
Ellen White also wrote in the quote, “The COMFORTER that CHRIST PROMISED TO SEND after He ascended to heaven.”
The COMFORTER of course is the HOLY SPIRIT which is third in the Heavenly Trio. So whose Spirit does Ellen White say Christ sent?
“We cannot be with CHRIST in person, as were His first disciples, but HE HAS SENT HIS HOLY SPIRIT to guide us into all truth, [John 16:13 quoted]” — (E.G. White, Ms30, June 18, 1900)
One more time:
“CHRIST came to our world, but the world could not endure His purity. He has gone to His Father, but HE HAS SENT HIS HOLY SPIRIT to REPRESENT HIM in the world till He shall come again.” — (E.G. White, Ms1, Jan 11, 1897)
Thus Christ sent HIS SPIRIT. It was not Christ physically but HIS Spirit which can function like a person though is not a literal person of course. So His Spirit is like “ANOTHER” person and why she wrote Heavenly Trio!
Therefore, it should also require no explanation that the Comforter is not Christ physically but His Spirit.
“This refers to the omnipresence of the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, called the COMFORTER.” — (E.G. White, 14MR 179.2)
So the Spirit that was sent to be our Comforter and is the third in the Heavenly Trio is the SPIRIT OF CHRIST. Why would we expect anything else since she wrote:
“We want the HOLY SPIRIT, which is JESUS CHRIST.” — (E.G. White, Lt66, April 10, 1894)
And last, Ellen white wrote “THREE GREAT POWERS—the FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
We know the Father and Son are great powers, and since Ellen White wrote the HOLY SPIRIT is the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, who do you think the third great power is? There is only one possible answer.
“CHRIST has given HIS SPIRIT as a divine POWER.” — (E.G. White, RH, Nov 19, 1908)
Trinitarians conclude that the third power is another being. But there is NO other POWER in you apart from CHRIST ABIDING IN YOUR HEART by His Holy Spirit in you!
“There is NO POWER in you APART from CHRIST, but it is your privilege to have CHRIST ABIDING IN YOUR HEART by faith, and He can overcome sin in you,” — (E.G. White, OHC, 76.5)
How easily we can be deceived if we do not let SOP explain SOP and just assume with a Trinitarian mindset as so many do.
So she was not saying that there is a third god as per the satanic doctrine of the Trinity at all.
This is one of the quotes a Jesuit used to deceive the SDA Church and bring the Trinity doctrine into the Church after the death of Ellen White and the pioneers.
Also, the original handwriting reveals it should have been published as “here are the living three personalities” and not persons. Ellen White often borrows from other writers and borrowed from Trinitarian W. Boardman here. He wrote “three persons” and she changed it to “the living three personalities.” Note the insertion of the word “the” and “persons” changed to “personalities.”
Hence someone did not type what she actually wrote. So one might also ask why the need for dishonesty?
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NOTE: God raised the Adventist Church as non-Trinitarian. The Trinity doctrine was slowly brought into the Adventist Church long AFTER the death of Ellen White and the pioneers by a suspected Jesuit who is also a known Freemason.
The idea of the Holy Spirit as another being was Satan’s idea so he could get worship for his creation.
The real truth is that the “Holy Spirit” is the power and presence of God and of Christ which can function independently of themselves like a third (but not a literal third) and is how “They” represent “Themselves” where they are not personally present.