Reply from W. C. White to H. W. Carr

April 30th 1935

Elder H. W. Carr
164 Saxton Street
Lockport
New York

Dear Brother Carr

I hold in my hand your letter of January 24. For some months I have been so heavily pressed with work connected with manuscripts which we were preparing for the printer that my correspondence has had to wait.

In your letter you request me to tell you what I understand to be my mother's position in reference to the personality of the Holy Spirit.

This I cannot do because I never clearly understood her teachings on the matter. There always was in my mind some perplexity regarding the meaning of her utterances which to my superficial manner of thinking seemed to be somewhat confused. I have often regretted that I did not possess that keenness of mind that could solve this and similar perplexities, and then remembering what Sister White wrote in "Acts of the Apostles," pages 51 and 52, "regarding such mysteries which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden," I have thought best to refrain from discussion and have endeavoured to direct my mind to matters easy to be understood.

As I read the Bible, I find that the risen Saviour breathed on the disciples (John 20:22) "and saith unto them, "receive ye the Holy Ghost." The conception received from this Scripture, seems to be in harmony with the statement in "Desire of Ages", page 669, also Genesis 1:2; with Luke 1:4; with Acts 2:4 and also 8:15 and 10:44. Many other texts might be referred to which seem to be in harmony with this statement in the "Desire of Ages."

The statements and the arguments of some of our ministers in their effort to prove that the Holy Spirit was an individual as are God, the father and Christ, the eternal Son, have perplexed me and sometimes they have made me sad. One popular teacher said "we may regard Him, (the Holy Spirit) as the fellow who is down here running things."

My perplexities were lessened a little when I learned from the dictionary that one of the meanings of personality, was characteristics. It is stated in such a way that I concluded that there might be personality without bodily form which is possessed by the Father and the Son.

There are many Scriptures which speak of the Father and the Son and the absence of Scripture making similar reference to the united work of the Father and the Holy Spirit or of Christ and the Holy Spirit, has led me to believe that the spirit without individuality was the representative of the Father and the Son throughout the universe, and it was through the Holy Spirit that they dwell in our hearts and make us one with the Father and with the Son.

My answer to your second question "Does Sister White's writings anywhere teach that prayer should only be addressed to the Father, or that we should not address Christ in prayer, only through the Father," is that I think not. I have not found such teachings in Ellen White's writings.

Your third question "Does she anywhere tell what the power is that "shall plant the tabernacle of His palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain?" I must answer in the same way, I think not. We have not found any statement regarding this in Sister White's writings nor do we remember any statement made orally in our presence.

Enclosed with this brief and unsatisfactory letter, you will find our News Letter of April 4.

I pray that you may have help from heaven in studying that which is necessary to be known and patience to wait for the revelation of that regarding which we are now in some uncertainty.

With kind regards, I remain,
Sincerely your brother,
W. C. White

Carr's main request (from our point of view) is:
"Will you kindly tell me what you understand was your mother's position in refference (sic) to the personality of the Holy Spirit."

Willie refers to this answer as "brief and unsatisfactory". At least one reason why it is unsatisfactory is that he didn't answer Carr's main question because:

1. Willie "never clearly understood her teachings on the matter".
2. Willie was somewhat perplexed by his mother's meaning
3. Willie superficially, thought his mother's meaning was confused.

I really appreciate this candour. Willie honestly did not know or understand what Mrs White taught on the Holy Spirit. But even more to be applauded is what he did with his perplexity... he "refrain(ed) from discussion" and "directed (his) mind to matters easy to be understood".

Rather than stirring up discussion and dissent on this confusing and confused issue, he concentrated on things where the Bible and Mrs White are very clear. I wonder if H.W. Carr followed his example.

I think this single private letter is the only reference we have from Willie on the Godhead after his mother's death. If so, it shows how well he followed his own resolve not to discuss the it.

In the letter, Willie, despite not being sure if his mother would have concurred, then goes on to tell of his own personal beliefs in this area:

1. the Holy Spirit is not an individual
2. the Spirit was denigrated when ministers, in an effort to make the Spirit an individual, call Him things like "the fellow who is down here running things".
3. Christ is the eternal Son,
4. "personality" can mean characteristics
5. the Father and Son have bodily form, the Holy Spirit doesn't
6. the Holy Spirit is the representative of Father and Son, throughout the universe and in our hearts

Modern antitrinitarians would probably agree with all these points. I disagree only with the first.

The letter finishes praying Carr heavenly help as he studies what is necessary to be known. I infer from this that Willie didn't intend to do any further study himself.

I will sum up in the next post.