I’ve heard that Ellen White used other literary sources—sometimes without credit—in her book The Great Hope. Is that true?
Yes. Regarding The Great Hope, Ellen White plainly stated in the book’s Introduction that she had made use of other published works: “In some cases where a historian has so grouped together events as to afford, in brief, a comprehensive view of the subject, or has summarized details in a convenient manner, his words have been quoted; but in some instances no specific credit has been given, since the quotations are not given for the purpose of citing that writer as authority, but because his statement affords a ready and forcible presentation of the subject. In narrating the experience and views of those carrying forward the work of reform in our own time, similar use has been made of their published works” (The Great Hope, p. xii). It is important to remember that Ellen White wrote during a time when less stringent literary standards were both common and acceptable. The fact that she urged her readers to get copies of some of the very books she made use of demonstrates that she was not
