Kellogg Files

John Harvey Kellogg Files

Following links are a compilation of original letters and statements regarding Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, primarily in connection with his book, The Living Temple.

Click each entry to view the original letter or the statements in its entirety.

1897-02-19 General Conference Daily Bulletin Vol. I No. 5, Article “God In Man—No. 1” See pgs. 76 – 80 (Kellogg presented an article that contains the basis of the Living Temple teaching)

1897-02-19 General Conference Daily Bulletin Vol. I No. 6, Article “God In Man—No. 1” (Article from the 1897-02-19 GCB Vol. 1 No. 5. continued; See pgs. 81- 84)

1899-11-10-Letter, Ellen G. White to John Harvey Kellogg (“You are in great danger, in great peril, of becoming just what the enemy desires you to be, —unbalanced in mind.”) Published in Review and Herald, November 12, 1970, pg. 10

1902-4-17-Article called, “The Mystery of Life” by J. H. Kellogg was published in Present Truth-London pp. 252, 253 (E.J. Waggoner was the editor of the publication at this time). In this article Kellogg articulates his pantheistic sentiments.

“Says one, ” God may be present by His Spirit, or by His power, but certainly God Himself cannot be present everywhere at once.” Let us inquire. How can power be separated from the source of power ? Where God’s Spirit is at work, where God’s power is manifested, God Himself is actually and truly present.
“Said an objector, ” God made the tree, it is true, just as a shoemaker makes a boot, but the shoemaker is not in the boot; God made the tree, but He is not in the tree. The shoemaker makes the boot, but he is not in the boot simply because he makes it, neither is God in the tree because He makes the tree.
“The objector evidently overlooked the fact that the process of tree-making in the living tree is never complete so long as the tree is alive. As the tree grows, it does not create itself ; the creative power is constantly going forward. The tree puts forth leaves from within — does the tree create them ? Acorns are put forth from within the tree, each of them a little tree, which when planted, may grow into an oak as large as the parent tree. Does the tree create the acorn ? Can a tree make trees ? If so, then every plant, every shrub, every insect, is a creator—and man is a creator.”

1902-12-31-Letter, Ellen G. White to J. Edson White (“After breakfast, or just at breakfast, Sara has told me the terrible news, that a telegram is received by the Sanitarium that the Battle Creek Publishing House is burned to the ground. O I am feeling so sad, because it is the—that the Lord has permitted this, because His people would not hear His warnings”)

1903-The Living Temple by John Harvey Kellogg (book)

1903-04-08-Francis McLellan Wilcox Letter to John Harvey Kellogg

“I am not at all surprised that there is a feeling on the part of some at the Conference against our medical work. I have observed during the last few years, and especially since the general council at Battle Creek last fall, that the feeling of two or three men in prominent positions permeates all the evangelical branch of the work. In fact I have come to observe that the feelings of the Colorado Conference toward our Sanitarium is a good index and thermometer of the feelings of the ministerial leaders of the General Conference toward the medical work as a whole. I am very much surprised at the position Prof. Prescott has assumed of late. Two years ago he stood professedly in full harmony and sympathy with this work and I regarded him as one of our chief supporters. I am very glad that the medical work has some staunch supporters in the persons of Jones, Wag[g]oner, Magan and several others.” (Letter-F. M. Wilcox to J. H. Kellogg, April 8, 1903)

1903-01-06-Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (The Review and Herald printing plant fire)

1903-05-22-G. I. Butler Letter to E. G. White & W. C. White (Kellogg’s speech showed “inferences and influences in opposition really to the Testimonies, as I understand them, doubt and uncertainty, if not even ridicule, in some instances, being cast upon them.” Emotional reconciliation between Kellogg and his opposers; Efforts to uphold the Testimonies by Butler and the GC)

1903-06-16-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to W. C. White (Short letter sent w/ copy of The Living Temple)

1903-08-04-Leaders In Our Medical Work (Letter 216)

“The doctor is ensnared in a net of specious deception. He is presenting as of great worth things that are turning souls from the truth into bye and forbidden paths; things that lead human agents to act in harmony with their own inclinations, and to work out their unsanctified purposes; things that result in destroying the dignity and power of God’s people, obscuring the light that would otherwise come to them from God through His appointed agencies.” {Lt216-1903.2}

1903-08-27-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to A. T. Jones (pg.4 Responds to Daniells and Spicers’ “circular letter” regarding their Living Temple objections)

1903-08-31-Letter, John Harvey Kellogg to David Paulson ( pg. 4 “The living temple gospel renders useless a whole lot of their old Flint muskets and their stale ammunition, and they have not yet learned how to handle this new fire. I thank the Lord it is not ‘strange fire,’”)

1903-09-22-Ellen White Letter to Teachers in Emmanuel Missionary College (Letter 211)

“I have some things to say to our teachers in reference to the new book The Living
Temple. Be careful how you sustain the sentiments of this book regarding the personality of God. As the Lord presents matters to me, these sentiments do not bear the endorsement of God… But since the claim has been made that the teachings of this book can be sustained by statements from my writings, I am compelled to speak in denial of this claim. There may be in this book expressions and sentiments that are in harmony with my writings. And there may be in my writings many statements which when taken from their connection, and interpreted according to the mind of the writer of Living Temple, would seem to be in harmony with the teachings of this book. This may give apparent support to the assertion that the sentiments in Living Temple are in harmony with my writings. But God forbid that this opinion should prevail. {Lt211-1903.1}

1903-09-29-Letter, A. G. Daniells to W. C. White (“I am in the fullest harmony with you on this point”; “we should take this bull by the horns.” cites Kellogg’s GENERAL CONFERENCE BULLETIN of 1897. page 83 statements)

1903-09-30-Letter, W. W. Prescott to W. C. White (“In his advertisement of the book he [Kellogg] says: ‘It is the clearest as well as the latest statement which has been made of the principles which together constitute what has come to be widely known as the Battle Creek idea.’ Now it seems to me that the time has come to repudiate publicly this teaching, as being a plain perversion of gospel truth,”) bracket supplied

1903-09-30-Letter, J.H. Kellogg to G.I. Butler (“Do not imagine I am a pantheist. The pantheist believes God is in a tree, and then concluded the tree is God and bows down and worships the tree. In believing in the universal presence of God, the pantheist is right, but when he looks at it that he should worship everything he is wrong. I assure you I have not the slightest disposition to pose as an apostle of any new doctrine, and in writing my book, “The Living Temple.” I did not dream that such a thing would be suspected of me, for I have put nothing into it which has not been expressed publicly by prof. Prescott, Elder Jones, and many others, as well as myself, for many years…”

1903-10-02-Letter, G. I. Butler to W. C. White (“In the letters which you kindly enclosed to me there were one or two statements that were of deep interest, concerning your mother’s examination of the book, “Living Temple”; “I know that Elder Haskell views it in fully as strong a light, from what he wrote me, to the effect that the Doctor’s view knocks out all the leading pillars of our faith, and sets the Seventh-Day Adventist temple on shifting sand.”)

1903-10-08-Letter, A. G. Daniells to W. C. White (Daniells and W. C. White, Prescott accused of creating war and division; Pg. 5: “Dr. Paulson acknowledged freely that it was a new movement, [Kellogg’s philosophy] and that we ought not to be surprised if new light has come. He holds that there is a human element in the Testimonies and in the Bible itself, and that God dwelling in us gives us a knowledge and a teaching that makes us judges of both the Bible and the Testimonies of what is truth divine and what is human and fallible.” (bracket supplied)

1903-10-18-Letter, John Harvey Kellogg to E. G. White (Living Temple Revision)

1903-10-18-Letter, G. I. Butler to John Harvey Kellogg (Pgs 2, 3) Butler says, “As to the personality of the Holy Ghost: I do not know that I am quite settled in regard to that point. I believe there is a “Third Heaven where God resides and surveys the universe, imparting His power through His Spirit. I believe in the active power of God, working through His universe by His Spirit, probably just as much as you can, but I do not believe He is personally and actively present, working and creating in every human being, or in every beast, bird, or reptile, or wherever there is life.”

1903-10-20-Letter, A. G. Daniells to E. G. White (pg. 1 “It came at just the right time exactly…your clear, clean-cut, beautiful message came and settled the controversy”)

1903-10-22-Article, “Teach the Word,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, pg. 8; Ellen G. White (“I have some things to say to our teachers in reference to the new book, “The Living Temple.” Be careful how you sustain the sentiments of this book regarding the personality of God.”)

1903-10-22-G. I. Butler Letter to E. G. White (pg. 2, 3 regarding Living Temple, “How such men as A. T. Jones, E. J. Waggoner, Brother Prescott and our good brethren at Berrien Springs, and many very sensible, wise men, as we have supposed, could be befogged in that hindooism, Buddhism, Christian Science, Confucianism, etc., etc. is almost beyond comprehension As I have viewed it, and as your Testimonies plainly teach, this is one of Satan’s peculiar wiles to entrap multitudes of intelligent, highly educated people.”)

1903-10-23-A. G. Daniells to W. C. White (Greatful for the Testimonies against Kellogg’s teaching; Testimonies B 216, 113, 114, “Lessons from the Past,” No. 211 dealing with the Living Temple cited)

1903-10-24-John Harvey Kellogg to E. G. White (Pg. 2 “I think I see where the trouble is… I see why it is not proper to speak of God being in the tree.”)

1903-10-24-John Harvey Kellogg to W. C. White (I Have been greatly misunderstood)

1903-10-25-John Harvey Kellogg to W. W. Prescott (Living Temple Revision)

1903-10-25-W. W. Prescott to John Harvey Kellogg (“I have now gone through ‘The Living Temple’ page by page with a view suggesting such changes as it seemed to me to be necessary”)

1903-10-28-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to G. I. Butler (not a good copy of the original but you can still make out the words)

“As far as I can fathom, the difficulty which is found in ‘The Living Temple’, the whole thing may be simmered down to the question: Is the Holy Ghost a person? You say no. I had supposed the Bible said this for the reason that the personal pronoun ‘he’ is used in speaking of the Holy Ghost.
“Sister White uses the pronoun ‘he’ and has said in so many words that the Holy Ghost is the third person of the Godhead. How the Holy Ghost can be the third person and not be a person at all is difficult for me to see.” (John Harvey Kellogg Letter to G. I. Butler, Oct 28, 1903)

1903-10-28-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to W. C. White (“I have been studying very carefully to see what is the real root of the difficulty with the Living Temple, and as far as I can see the whole question resolves itself into this: Is the Holy Ghost, a person?”)

“I have been studying very carefully to see what is the real root of the difficulty with the Living Temple, and as far as I can see the whole question resolves itself into this: Is the Holy Ghost, a person? I had supposed it was thoroughly recognized that the Holy Ghost was a person, since the Bible uses the pronoun he in speaking of the Holy Ghost, and I got the impression also from what your mother has written and from the way the brethren speak when they remark, ‘The Lord is here,’ speaking of His presence in the prayer-meeting. The prevailing idea seems to be that such expressions refer to the Spirit of the Lord, and that this is not a person but a principle of some sort. Now, I am not going to set myself up as a theologian and start a controversy over this thing, but will accept your mother’s statement about it, that it is not proper to speak of God himself as being in the tree. So long as this mode of expression confuses and offends people, certainly it ought to be avoided.” (John Harvey Kellogg Letter to W. C. White, October 28, 1903)

1903-10-28-Percy Magan Letter to Ellen G. White (Waggoner’s move to Berrien Springs; Efforts to help Waggoner to place his feet on solid ground; Magan clears up his relations with Kellogg and reaches out to Kellogg. Cites Kellogg’s admission of wrong on Living Temple; Efforts of reconciliations between GC committee and Kellogg)

1903-10-28-Stephen N. Haskell Letter to John Harvey Kellogg (“We promised you when you were here to look over the ‘Living Temple,” and write you what we thought of it. When I first saw the book I looked it through, and wrote you what I thought of it, saving that the trend of it never would be received by Seventh-Day Adventists…”)

1903-10-28-W. W. Prescott Letter to John Harvey Kellogg (“I think I must state more explicitly my view in regard to the revision of this book”)

1903-10-29-A. G. Daniells Letter to W. C. White (Kellogg’s Trinitarian confession)

“He [Kellogg] then stated that his former views regarding the trinity had stood in his way of making a clear and absolutely correct statement: but that within a short time he had come to believe in the trinity, and could now see pretty clearly where all the difficulty was, and believed that he could clear the matter up satisfactorily. He told me that he now believed in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; and his view was that it was God the Holy Ghost, and not God the Father, that filled all space, and every living thing.” (bracket supplied)

1903-10-29-A. G. Daniells Letter to W. C. White (Concerns over E. G. White’s endorsement of Brethren Sutherland and Magan when they were supporters of Kellogg in the past)

1903-11-01-A. G. Daniells Letter to W. C. White (“Dr. Paulson’s attitude after receiving that wonderful Testimony from your mother. This brought the Doctor to a halt.”)

1903-11-4-W.C. White Letter to A. G. Daniells (W. C. White responds to A. G. Daniells’ Oct 29, 1903 letter):

“Mother and I have just read your letter of October 29 in which you speak of the various plans that have been proposed for the revising and reproduction of ‘The Living Temple’. . . I think she will write to you soon expressing her views regarding this. . . “I believe it will be necessary to issue a special Testimony soon, and this must contain a very full and clear statement on the positive side of this question, as well as articles pointing out the errors in the teaching of those who have departed from the truth through fascinating and deceptive theories”

1903-11-15-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to E. G. White (I blundered greatly-Living Temple revison)

1903-11-20-Elle G. White Letter (Letter 253) to John Harvey Kellogg

About Letter 253: On October 29, 1903, A. G Daniells (then General Conference president) wrote a letter to W. C. White wherein Daniells related his concerns regarding Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s proposal to revise and republish his book, The Living Temple. Letter 253 is a response to the letter A.G. Daniells wrote to W. C. White (Nov. 1, 1903). And based on Wille White’s responding Letter to Daniells (Nov. 4, 1903), Ellen White also read the same letter and that she would respond to Daniells letter shortly. She writes, “I must tell you that your ideas in regard to some things have been decidedly wrong. I would that you could see your errors. The book Living Temple is not to be patched up, a few changes made in it, and then advertised and praised as a valuable production.”

1903-11-27-W. C. White Letter to A. G. Daniells

“Mother has no special light for him and has sent him a message to that affect… With this I shall send you copy of a letter written to Mother by Prof. P.T. Magan, October 28, which gives a very confidential, hopeful view regarding the change made by Dr. Kellogg in his attitude and plans. I also send you copies of Dr. Kellogg’s letters to Mother, of November 12 and 15. These are certainly intensel
y interesting and very encouraging. I believe that Dr. Kellogg means what he says, and I pray earnestly that the Lord will give him grace to walk in the light that it may shine more and more unto the perfect day.” (pg. 3)

1903-11-27-W. C. White Letter to G. C. Tenney

“Mother feels that it is a matter of great importance at this time when the Lord is moving upon Dr. Kellogg’s heart and is opening his eyes to see the dangerous position in which he has been standing, that his associates shall heave wisdom from above that they shall say no word to hinder him in the work of repentance and change of attitude, but that they shall have that wisdom that they may help him forward at every step in the right direction.”

1903-12-06-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to W. C. White (“physiological part of ‘Living Temple’ shall be published under another title”; “I have selected for the new title of the book, “The Miracle of Life.”)

1903-12-07-G. I. Butler Letter to Ellen White

“I want to assure you of the deep gratitude I feel in my heart for the steps you have taken in reference to the General Conference Association cause; Doctor Kellogg’s book; the Medical Missionary Work, etc. They have met my mind exactly. It has been the greatest matter of astonishment to me that such men as Elder Jones and Elder Waggoner, and many, many others, for the thing has been very extensive, could not see the bearing of those doctrines of the Doctor’s in ‘Living Temple.’” (pg. 6)

1903-12-15-W. C. White Letter to John Harvey Kellogg (“It has always been a mystery to me that Mother delayed so long writing anything about ‘Living Temple’… I suggested several times that she examine it and write to you about it, but some way she seemed to be restrained from doing this…”)

1903-12-30-W. W. Prescott Letter to W.C. White (This latest move to push the sale of ‘The Living Temple’ is bringing confusion to many minds”)

1903-12-31-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to W. W. Prescott

“The committee talked it over, and decided that the proper thing to do with this would be to cut out the pages which discussed the personality of God. This was accordingly done, and other matter of a strictly scientific nature substituted. I wrote W. C. White with reference to this matter, and he stated that he could see no objection to it, and that he would ask his mother to write us if she had any objection. Hearing nothing from her we have gone ahead to do this.” (pg. 2)

1904-The Miracle of Life by John Harvey Kellogg

1904-01-06-The New York Indicator “Living Temple”

“CIRCULAR letters have been sent out to many regarding the sale of the book ‘Living Temple’ to aid in relieving the debt on the new Battle Creek Sanitarium. Inquiries are being made as to whether the books are on sale at this office, or not. It may not be out of place to state here that we have none of these books in stock, and until it is revised (which we understood was to be done before being placed on sale) we shall not get in a supply of this… By recent letters from the author of this book we gathered that it was his desire to eliminate from the work the theological teaching which to many minds is very questionable, to say the least…”

1904-01-11-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to M. C. Wilcox (16 questions in responds to Living Temple Objections; mentions E. G. White’s book, Education, chapters, ”God In Nature” and “Science and the Bible)

1904-01-13-W. C. White Letter to John Harvey Kellogg (Willie White expresses his concern for Kellogg’s revised book, “The Miracle of Life,” quotes several of his mother’s pointed testimonies against any revision of The Living Temple; Also includes his earlier correspondents with Kellogg as another reminder)

1904-01-16-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to W. W. Prescott (Living Temple controversy; seeks peace)

1904-01-28-G. I. Butler to Ellen G. White (Butler discloses Arthur White’s “secret” opinion of Kellogg)

“There was a strong feeling in the direction of taking hold of your new book, ‘The Ministry of Healing,’ and we hope to help very much in building up our sanitarium work all through the Conference by its use. There seemed to be a genuine enthusiasm to take hold of that, on the terms Brother W. C. pointed out, for the purpose of establishing Sanitariums in various places, building up the medical missionary work. I am so glad it is that book instead of Doctor Kellogg’s book.” (Pg. 8)
“I hope it will not be a violation of confidence in the disclosing of secrets on my part if I refer to Arthur’s opinion of Doctor Kellogg, etc. I sought to ascertain his views, and he told them to me very freely and fully. Somehow I cannot quite look at it as he does. He does not seem to have one particle of confidence in Doctor Kellogg at all – indeed, so far as I could gather, he thinks him to he a very wicked man. . . I cannot quite think that he is Jesuitical in his notions, as it is stated to me that he is.” (pg. 9)
“Of course, new light has been discovered, which I hope ever to accept, but will not accept any of those destructive doctrines which have been taught by leading men among us,- even brother Prescott for a while; Brother Jones, Brother Waggoner; the Doctor, and many others.” (pg. 9)
“It seems difficult for him to grasp really the facts as stated in the Testimonies, and the danger of this new doctrine of the ‘Living Temple.’” (pg. 9)

1904-02-06-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to E. G. Whit
e (Kellogg says “I feel abused and persecuted”)

1904-02-12-G. I. Butler Letter to Ellen White (This letter (starting Pg. 5) covers Butler’s feelings on his own son, Hiland, being influenced by Kellogg)

“Another perplexity is my own boy Hiland… He has drank quite deeply of this ‘Living Temple’ doctrine, that God is personally in everything. It looks so grand to him. He is tinctured already with the vague idea that these new doctrines are going to be the salvation of this people… He is in the very closest intimacy with the Doctor personally. Indeed, I much doubt if there is any one whom the Doctor is more intimate with, than with Hiland. The doctor knows just how to bring things around slick and plaisible [plausible]…”

1904-02-21-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to G. I. Butler (Kellogg rejects being a pantheist; original letter not available)

“I believe this Spirit of God to be a personality you don’t. But this is purely a question of definition. I believe the Spirit of God is a personality; you say, No, it is not a personality. Now the only reason why we differ is because we differ in our ideas as to what a personality is. Your idea of personality is perhaps that of semblance to a person or a human being.” (Letter: J H Kellogg to G I Butler. Feb 21. 1904; original letter not available currently)

1904-04-05-G. I. Butler letter to J. H. Kellogg (Only the Page 7 of the original letter available)

“God dwells in us by His Holy Spirit, as a Comforter, as a Reprover, especially the former. When we come to Him we partake of Him in that sense, because the Spirit comes forth from Him; it comes forth from the Father and the Son. It is not a person walking around on foot, or flying as a literal being, in any such sense as Christ and the Father are – at least, if it is, it is utterly beyond my comprehension of the meaning of language or words.” — (Letter: G I Butler to J H Kellogg. April 5. 1904; original letter not available currently)
“So far as Sister White and you being in perfect agreement, I shall have to leave that entirely between you and Sister White. Sister White says there is not perfect agreement; you claim there is. I know some of her remarks seem to give you strong ground for claiming that she does. I am candid enough to say that, but I must give her the credit until she disowns it of saying there is a difference too, and I do not believe you can fully tell just what she means.” (Letter: G I Butler to J H Kellogg. April 5. 1904)

1904-04-07-W.A. Colcord Letter to Ellen White (Relates Kellogg’s influence in Battle Creek and shows concerns for Elder Tenney)

“It seems almost impossible for any of our people to go and live in Battle Creek and not be more or less influenced. This has been made apparent to me by letters which I have received from a number of people living there, some from my own relatives. A week or two ago I received a letter from Elder Tenney, in which he made what seemed to me to be a sort of special plea for Doctor Kellogg and “Living Temple.” He thought the Doctor was misunderstood, and had done all that could be asked of any man.”
Concord cites portion of Tenney’s letter he received: “I have to say honestly and candidly that I do not see where the heresy in Doctor Kellogg’s teachings is. I am of the opinion that the matter is a case of misunderstanding.”
“In another place in his [Tenney’s] letter he says,’Doctor Kellogg absolutely repudiates the change of pantheism.’ These quotations are sufficient to show you the general trend of the letter which was quite a long one.”

1904-05-12-G. I. Butler Letter to Ellen White (Butler relates Kellogg’s public sentiments within the church)

“Doctor Kellogg has written nothing in public on these questions, so far as I know, since that time. My memory may be at fault, but I can recall no such instance, but there has been a terrible pressure upon him, which has seemed to me to be uncalled for. I do not refer to anything you have said, for I most heartily endorse every word you have said concerning Doctor Kellogg, so far as I have seen it in print anywhere. Views of Doctor Kellogg have been held by leading brethren that I cannot endorse. They have been talked to me personally, and to others, as I well know, in various places. He has been represented as a man devoid of principle; a liar a hypocrite, and a Jesuit in disguise, whose word can, in no sense, be trusted. I cannot endorse such ideas as have been disseminated in regard to him… I regret, in a manner that I cannot express, the impression and line of cleavage that seems to be coming into our body. I know, full well, that these feelings concerning Doctor Kellogg, and representations of him in public are turning the sympathies of some of our very best brethren, and cautious, earnest, devoted, and faithful believers of the truth, into more or less sympathy for him. (pg. 3)
“I love all my leading brethren, Brother Daniells, Brother Prescott, Brother Spicer, and Doctor Kellogg. I would not stand up for one in a wrong more than for another. But these high tides of pressure I do not, for one, feel like entering upon. I have been a victim of them sometimes myself…”
“I am fully satisfied, in my own mind, that years of the valuable life of dear Brother Smith were cut off, because of the influences brought to bear upon him from the time Brother A. T. Jones became Editor of the ‘Review’ and onward, and especially when the change was made and Brother Prescott was put in Business Manager. Brother Smith was nearly broken hearted before his death, as I have this from his own pen; and when the news came to him of what had been done, he wrote me himself that he awoke unable to speak. A physician was summoned, and ice was kept at the back of his head, and ice cloths over his heart, for days. He never recovered from it; (pg. 4)
“And now the pressure is pouring in upon Doctor Kellogg. He is made responsible for many things that others are just as responsible for as he is. I am not speaking of you. I cannot endorse these things. In my article I studied carefully to reflect on nobody, but I did give people to understand that I could not endorse the course things were taking. (pg. 4)
I regret exceedingly if I am adding to your burdens, but I tell you, Sister White, if this pressure continues, large numbers of our devoted people will feel that Doctor Kellogg has not been kindly treated, and I greatly fear results will add to your sorrows, so that your life will be endangered. (pg. 4)
“…In my letters to Doctor Kellogg, I h
ave clearly and pointedly shown him where I thought he was doing wrong. I have not one particle of faith in some of the sentiments expressed in ‘Living Temple.’ When he sent me proofs of some passages, away back a year ago last October, I told him at once that I had no faith whatever in such doctrines. I have held that position throughout, and when he has sometimes spoken slightingly of things you have said and done, I have told him, emphatically, that I had no faith in such talk; that I thought he was getting on to very dangerous ground;…” (pg. 4)
“If Doctor Kellogg strikes off on an independent track, I am the last man who will follow him an inch, but I greatly fear he will feel that he is driven off, under the pressure that has been pouring upon him for some months past. I am not speaking of anything you have said. (pg. 4)

1904-7-31-Ellen White Letter to Dr. A. J. Reed (Letter 277)

“I am given a message to bear to you and to the rest of our physicians who are connected with the Medical Missionary Association. Separate from the influence exerted by the book Living Temple; for it contains specious sentiments. There are in it sentiments that are entirely true, but these are mingled with error. Scriptures are taken out of their connection and used to uphold erroneous theories. {Lt277-1904.10}
“The thought of the errors contained in this book has given me great distress, and the experience that I have passed through in connection with the matter has nearly cost me my life. {Lt277-1904.11}
“I am instructed to speak plainly. “Meet it,” is the word spoken to me. “Meet it firmly and without delay.” But it is not to be met by taking our working forces from the field to investigate doctrines and points of difference. We have no such investigation to make. In the book Living Temple, there is presented the Alpha of deadly heresies. The Omega will follow and will be received by those who are not willing to heed the warning God has given.” {Lt277-1904.14}

1904-08-12-G. I. Butler to John Harvey Kellogg

Butler writes,
“Now, my good friend, if I understand your position, it is just this: While you believe in a personal God up in Heaven, which, by the way, I do not see as you have any need of, if he is personally present all through the universe at the same time, it seems to me you have adopted that feature to escape certain conclusions which the Bible presents, and you cannot very well get around, for certainly it is a great incongruity for you to represent a personal God is heaven, actually existent, as really as Christ was when he ascended up on high, and yet say that he is in he form of an essence all through creation…
“…I never could see any sense in some of the positions you advance… “Uncle Stephen” and I have talked over this subject at some little length; and so far as I know, we agree exactly in our positions. Both are absolutely opposed to some ideas you advance-so in one sense this may be considered a joint letter… I know that you can come as near making the worst appear the better reason as any man I ever knew… You have, virtually, as far as I am able to judge, taken the ground that “Living Temple” was all right… In taking such a position, you place yourself athwart the Testimonies, emphatically. Indeed, you come right out and say that Sister White is mistaken… You and your sympathetic Brethren are following on another tract…. They came through such philosophical minds as Elder E. J. Waggoner’s; and, as far as I know, Brother Jones has endorsed them, to a considerable extent, and a whole lot more…Now, the whole heathen world, and the Christian Scientist, and I think my dear Friend, Doctor Kellogg, are off on this idea that life is God, and that that life, wherever manifested, is a part of God. I do not believe that the Scripture maintain any such idea…
“…The spirit of God goeth forth from God. That is what the expression, “the spirit of God” really signifies. The “of” shows that it is something connected with or proceeding from God. The Scripture says, if the Greek was literally rendered, that that Spirit proceedeth or goeth forth from the Father and the Son…”

1904-08-22-John Harvey Kellogg Letter to G. I. Butler (Kellogg contends being misunderstood; rejects being a pantheist; affirms God as having a bodily form)

1904-10-21-W. C. White Letter to A. G. Daniells & W. W. Prescott

“Mother suggested that we should take great care not to publish in the “Review” or in any of our papers that which could be considered as thrusts against Dr. Kellogg. She also suggested that we could be active and earnest in our efforts to influence our brethren in the ministry not to make thrusts against Dr. Kellogg nor to condemn him or his associates regarding mistakes they have made…”

1906-01-09-Ellen White to Sanitarium, Cal “Come Out and Be Separate” (the link shows the first page of the originally typed manuscript). The entire manuscript was also published in SpTB07 – Testimonies for the Church Containing Messages of Warning and Instruction to Seventh-day Adventists and Ms 21, 1906

“I have not been able to sleep during the past night. Letters have come to me with statements made by men who claimed to have asked Dr. Kellogg if he believes the testimonies that Sister White bears. He declares that he does, but he does not. He sent a sensible letter to me while I was at Melrose, Mass., saying, “I have surrendered,” But he has not spoken or acted as a man who has surrendered…”

1906-04-15-G. I. Butler Letter to Ellen White

“At first I did have hope that I could be instrumental in helping the doctor to see certain points that would result in bringing him to a point where there could be union between him and the General Conference Committee…
“At times he seemed to fall in with what I said. Then in a week or two he would be as far away as ever I told him that I thought he ought to make confessions to you on quite a number of points. Where you had been working to get people to leave Battle Creek, and get away from that congested center, he was doing all he could to
hold them. While you had spoken in the strongest terms to get them away from Battle Creek, he was making every effort to get as many of them as he could under his influence…
“From what I can hear, he has said to others—he was quite guarded in the way he approached me, but I could readily see that he was drifting further and further away growth truth of God for this time, until recently he has take the ground that the sanitarium was wholly and undenominational institution… I became satisfied that he wasn’t dealing altogether frankly, but while professing to believe the testimonies, as he did all the while, and as he still does, I became satisfied that he did not believe them…

In order to counter Kellogg’s views, Butler proposes holding a camp meeting in Battle Creek to expose Kellogg’s teachings and the errors pursued by the medical fraternity: “Under all the instructions of the past I have come to believe that, when we have a battle between truth and error, it is best to meet it squarely, meet it with courage”

“While now Bro. Jones, [A.T. Jones] the great champion, is coming out and ridiculing your work, and trying his best to break down its influence among the young, when these things are squarely met, that influence will be broken upon many hearts…
“…The medical fraternity have come to think this way under the teaching of Dr. Kellogg, undermining the great structure of the truth which has been erected for the last thirty or forty years. In your testimonies away back thirty or forty years ago this great crisis in our work has been clearly brought to view, and your testimonies all the way along have illuminated the whole subject.
“The doctor is playing a shrewd game. He is posing as a believer in the testimonies, telling people he is a believer in the Testimonies, that he has not changed his religious views one particle, that he stands where he has always stood; and this kind of talk confuses a great many people. But it does not confuse me or you. We know the danger he is in and the probability of his utter ruin if he keeps on along this track. He has not come out publicly and taken his stand, but uses Bro. Jones to go ahead and break the ice before him. But really, as I believe , and I think you believe, he is the bottom agitator in this movement.”

1908-04-01-G. I. Butler Letter to W. C. White-Typed copy from the original letter (Butler expresses his concerns over Kellogg’s retaliation to the General Conference’s legal actions against Kellogg and the Sanitarium; Butler cites excerpts from Kellogg’s letter to)

“But since they have begun this suit against us (which they are of course now entirely at liberty to do because they have kicked me out of the church and I am no longer a member of the household of faith according to their interpretation and for this I thank the Lord most devoutly;: I have no disposition to be in the same household with them) I say since they have set the ball rolling and have begun suit against us it looks to me as though it were entirely proper for us to meet their challenge and show up to the fullest degree the sort of manipulation and maneuvering that has been going on in the campaign against this institution. (EXTRACTS FROM DR. KELLOGG’S LETTER TO ME, DATED BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, March 9, 1908, pg. 5 of Butler’s Letter to W. C. White)
“When we get into court it is probable a whole lot of things will come out. Our attorneys will insist upon utilising every resource available. We shall begin suit in Washington, D.C. and almost everybody among the leading people of the denomination will be in it, from Mrs. White down. There has been no small amount of fraud perpetrated in this thing. Lies without number have been told and even Sister White has been dropped into the thing in such a manner that I think it will be pretty difficult for her to show a clean record in a court of justice.” (EXTRACTS FROM DR. KELLOGG’S LETTER TO ME, DATED BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, March 9, 1908, pg. 5 of Butler’s Letter to W. C. White)
“By the way, I notice that Elder M.C. Wilcox is becoming a Pantheist. In the SIGNS OF THE TIMES of March 4 he writes as follows in reply to a question: “To the mind of the writer the Spirit is the life of God or better, the life of the Godhead common both to the Father and the Son. It is that which makes Deity everywhere present. … It is spoken of as a person because by the Spirit the Father and the Son come personally to us.” This is splendid Pantheism and of the sort that I believe in. Consistency is a rare jewel these days. The charge of Pantheism against us was a put-up job and there is abundant proof of this in the fact that Professor Prescott had published the same things in the REVIEW AND HERALD and even stronger things, and although the denomination was warned against me, and my book, no caution has ever been sent out in relation to those copies of the REVIEW AND HERALD in which Professor Prescott’s articles appeared, nor respecting Mrs. Henry’s book in which the same ideas appear, nor any explanation concerning Mrs. White’s articles in which the same doctrines were taught, nor any repudiation of the endorsement given my views by publishing in the General Conference Bulletin. . . I alone of all the guilty ones have been singled out and attacked solely for campaign purposes.” (EXTRACTS FROM DR. KELLOGG’S LETTER TO ME, DATED BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, March 9, 1908, pg. 6 of Butler’s Letter to W. C. White)

1908-08-06-Article, “Dangers in Speculative Study,” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, pg. 8; Ellen G. White

“The book ‘Living Temple’ is an illustration of this work, the writer of which declared in its support that its teachings were the same as those found in the writings of Mrs. White”

1908-09-18-G. I. Butler Letter to Ellen G. White

“I have wondered what you think about the Doctor’s ideas of the Deity. I think I know, but perhaps I don’t. I confess some of these things are strange to me. . . I am on the line of seeking for the old paths – the good old work as the pioneers taught it. That is the doctrine I embraced, and I have embraced no other. All true light is acceptable, but I am pretty particular as to what is light.” (pg. 7)
“Neither do I believe in a Deity that is everywhere in general and nowhere In particular, floating around through space, dwelling personally and actively in every man, good, bad and indifferent.” (pg. 8)

1914-05-01-W. C. White Letter to Unknown “Sister” (Ellen G. White Never Stated Dr. Kellogg’s Doom Was Sealed)

1941-11-05-D. H. Kress Letter to
Not sure if W. C. or Arthur L. White (“Recalls Lodi campmeeting where Loughborough said, “I believe at the resurrection, when Dr. Kellogg’s father rises, the first thing he will say will be, ‘Where is John?’ and I believe John will be there to greet him.”)

1956-07-07-Experiences With Ellen G. White by M. N. Campbell (With Emphasis on the Battle Creek Crisis With J. H. Kellogg; As Related at the Ohio Campmeeting Sabbath Afternoon, July 7, 1956)

1959-05-12-Arthur L. White Letter to Richard W. Schwarz (White’s Gave $1,000 for John Harvey Kellogg’s Medical Training)

1963-11-12-B. W. Brown Letter to White Estate regarding Kellogg and the Living Temple (Brown recalls elder Charles McReynolds showing Kellogg the Testimony from E. G. White rebuking the book; Kellogg’s face turned white but responded, “Charlie, are you going to listen to that old woman or can I sell my book?”)

1977-12-08-Review, “The Story of the Review and Herald Fire” by Arthur White

The Living Temple by John Harvey Kellogg

Reasons for Dropping John H. Kellogg from Church Membership by Arthur L. White (Date unknown)

The Relationship of the Whites and the Kellogg Families by W. C. White (Date unknown)

“The Kellogg Story” to be used for the Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8

Most of the Sources for this page were found in the links below:

https://ellenwhite.org/search?content_type=correspondence&corr_type=incoming_correspondence