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I was unable to find any texts in the provided documents that specifically address medical workers giving their Sabbath salary to the church. The documents provided don't contain Ellen White's counsel on this particular topic. This is a specific question about Sabbath observance and medical work that would require searching through her writings on health institutions, Sabbath keeping, and the tithe system. Ellen White did write extensively about medical missionary work and Sabbath observance, but those specific passages aren't included in the documents I have access to for this response. To find relevant counsel on this topic, you might want to search for: - Ellen White's writings on medical missionary work and Sabbath observance - Her counsel on necessary labor on the Sabbath (she did address works of necessity and mercy) - Her teachings on the tithe and offerings system - Specific guidance given to sanitarium workers and physicians --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about works of necessity and mercy on the Sabbath? • What counsel did she give about medical missionary work in general? • How did she address the relationship between tithe and supporting God's work? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=Find+me+texts+from+ellen+white+about+people+working+in+medical+field+on+sabbath+who+have+to+give++the+salary+of+that+day+to+the+church)

Ellen White gave clear and practical counsel about medical missionary work on the Sabbath, emphasizing that while works of necessity and mercy are appropriate, physicians and medical workers must still honor the sanctity of God's holy day. ## The Principle: Sabbath Observance in Medical Work Ellen White taught that "genuine medical missionary work is bound up inseparably with the keeping of God's commandments, of which the Sabbath is especially mentioned, since it is the great memorial of God's creative work" (GCB October 1, 1902, Art. A, par. 12). She made it clear that medical workers should not feel exempt from Sabbath observance simply because of their profession. She wrote, "Let no man, because he is a physician, feel at liberty to do those things which God has forbidden" (KC 60). ## Works of Necessity vs. Ordinary Work She distinguished between necessary Sabbath work and routine medical procedures. Ellen White explained that "it is right to relieve suffering on this day; but physicians and nurses should do no unnecessary work. Ordinary treatment, and operations that can wait, should be deferred till the next day" (MM 214). She counseled that when physicians are called to minister to the sick on Sabbath, "it is not a desecration of the Sabbath for physicians to travel upon it: but unimportant cases should be deferred" (KC 60). ## Planning and Personal Responsibility Ellen White placed responsibility on physicians to plan their work carefully. She wrote, "So far as possible, he should so plan his work that he can lay aside his ordinary duties" (CH 236.1). She warned that physicians who fail to respect the Sabbath are "in danger of becoming confused and of failing to see the elevated, holy influence which the Sabbath question is to exert on the work for this time" (MM 160.2). She cautioned that if a physician "seeks to embrace so many responsibilities, he will come to pay very little regard to the Sabbath. Such an influence will be a curse to the institution" (MM 160.2). ## Educating Patients and Staff Ellen White also counseled that medical workers should educate their patients about Sabbath observance: "Let the patients know that physicians must have one day for rest" (MM 214). She emphasized that "upon the men of responsibility in the medical missionary work rests the duty of giving instruction to physicians, nurses, and helpers in regard to the sanctity of God's holy day. Especially should every physician endeavor to set a right example" (CH 236.1). Her counsel was both practical and spiritual—medical workers should relieve genuine suffering on the Sabbath while avoiding routine work that could wait, and they should use their influence to uphold the sanctity of God's holy day. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about the connection between health reform and the third angel's message? • How did she counsel sanitarium workers to maintain their spiritual life while serving patients? • What specific examples did she give of works of necessity and mercy on the Sabbath? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=What+counsel+did+she+give+about+medical+missionary+work+on+sabbath%3F)

Yes, Ellen White clearly recognized that medical workers face unique Sabbath circumstances and provided specific guidance for them. She acknowledged that "often physicians and nurses are called upon during the Sabbath to minister to the sick, and sometimes it is impossible for them to take time for rest and for attending devotional services" (7T 106.2). She affirmed that relieving suffering on the Sabbath is appropriate, stating that "the Saviour, by His example, has shown us that it is right to relieve suffering on the Sabbath" (MM 214). ## The Exception: Works of Necessity and Mercy Ellen White made clear that "the needs of suffering humanity are never to be neglected" (7T 106.2). When physicians are called to minister to the sick on Sabbath, she wrote that it is not a desecration of the Sabbath for physicians to travel upon itwhen there is "real suffering to be alleviated" (KC 60). This represents a genuine exception based on necessity and mercy. However, she was careful to distinguish between necessary emergency care and routine medical work. She instructed that physicians and nurses should do no unnecessary workon the Sabbath, and that "ordinary treatment, and operations that can wait, should be deferred till the next day" (MM 214). She repeated this counsel elsewhere, stating that "unnecessary work, such as ordinary treatments and operations that can be postponed, should be deferred" (7T 106.2). ## Boundaries and Personal Responsibility Ellen White placed responsibility on medical workers to plan their schedules carefully. She counseled, "Let no man, because he is a physician, feel at liberty to do those things which God has forbidden. He should not travel on the Sabbath unless this is a necessity in order to relieve suffering humanity. He should plan his work so as to obey God's requirements" (KC 60). She also emphasized that patients should understand these boundaries: "Let the patients know that physicians must have one day for rest" (MM 214). Medical workers were to help their patients understand "that the workers fear God and desire to keep holy the day that He has set apart for His followers to observe as a sign between Him and them" (7T 106.2). ## The Principle Behind the Exception Ellen White warned that "physicians are inclined to feel justified in doing many things on the Sabbath which they should refrain from doing" (21MR 288.2). While the needs of suffering humanity are never to be neglected, she counseled that "as far as possible, all work should be laid aside on the Sabbath" (21MR 288.2). The exception for medical workers is real but limited—it applies to genuine emergencies and necessary care for the suffering, not to routine procedures that can wait. Medical professionals are called to honor the Sabbath while also fulfilling their duty to relieve human suffering when truly necessary. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about the fees physicians should charge for Sabbath work? • How did she counsel medical workers to balance Sabbath rest with emergency care? • What guidance did she give about planning work schedules to minimize Sabbath labor? --- 📚 **thousands of passages found** containing these search terms — [Explore in Full-Text Search](/advanced-search?q=Is+there+an+exception+for+medical+worker+to+work+on+sabbath+day+%3F)

Thank you for pointing me to that specific passage! You're absolutely right—this is exactly the text that directly addresses your original question about medical workers and Sabbath earnings. Ellen White wrote: "Physicians need to cultivate a spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice. It may be necessary to devote even the hours of the holy Sabbath to the relief of suffering humanity. But the fee for such labor should be put into the treasury of the Lord, to be used for the worthy poor, who need medical skill but cannot afford to pay for it" (MM 216). This counsel provides clear, practical guidance for physicians who must work on the Sabbath. While she acknowledges that relieving suffering on the Sabbath is sometimes necessary, she calls for a spirit of self-sacrifice by directing that any fees received for Sabbath medical work should go into the Lord's treasury—specifically to help those who need medical care but cannot afford it. ## The Broader Context of Self-Denial This instruction fits within Ellen White's larger emphasis on self-denial in medical missionary work. She taught that "the Lord calls for self-denial in His service, and this obligation is binding upon physicians as well as upon ministers" (2SM 199.1). She wanted physicians to work "not for the highest wages, but because of the great needs of God's cause" (2SM 199.1). The counsel about Sabbath fees represents a practical application of this principle—turning what could be personal gain into an opportunity to serve the poor and advance God's work. I apologize that my initial search didn't surface this specific passage. Thank you for helping me locate Ellen White's direct counsel on this important topic. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What other counsel did Ellen White give about physicians and the spirit of self-sacrifice? • How did she envision medical missionary work serving the poor? • What did she teach about the relationship between medical work and ministry?