Ellen Chat Conversation

Based on my search through Ellen White's writings, I can provide you with her guidance regarding swimming on the Sabbath, though she doesn't specifically mention swimming itself. Ellen White provides clear principles about Sabbath observance that would apply to swimming activities: **General Sabbath Principles:** Ellen White states that "no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that day" (DA 207.2). She emphasizes that we should not be "seeking their own pleasure in sinful, forbidden amusements" on the Sabbath (2T 584.2). The key principle is found in Isaiah 58:13, which she frequently quotes: "Turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable" (PP 307.3). **Appropriate Sabbath Activities:** However, Ellen White strongly encourages outdoor activities that connect us with God's creation. She writes: "We can walk out with them in the open air; we can sit with them in the groves and in the bright sunshine, and give their restless minds something to feed upon by conversing with them upon the works of God" (2T 584.2). She specifically states: "Since the Sabbath is the memorial of creative power, it is the day above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through His works... Happy is the family who can go to the place of worship on the Sabbath as Jesus and His disciples went to the synagogue—across the fields, along the shores of the lake, or through the groves" (Ed 251.1). **Application to Swimming:** While Ellen White doesn't specifically address swimming, her principles suggest that the appropriateness would depend on the spirit and purpose of the activity. Swimming purely for pleasure-seeking or recreation would not align with her counsel about avoiding "worldly pleasure" on the Sabbath. However, if swimming were connected to appreciating God's creation in nature (like walking "along the shores of the lake") and done in a spirit of worship and communion with God, it might be viewed differently. The key question would be whether the activity draws one closer to God and His creation or whether it's primarily for personal pleasure and recreation.

Based on my search through Ellen White's writings, I can provide you with her guidance regarding swimming on the Sabbath, though she doesn't specifically mention swimming itself. **Ellen White's Sabbath Principles:** Ellen White provides clear principles about Sabbath observance that would apply to swimming activities. She states that "all ordinary labor for a livelihood or for worldly profit was forbidden upon the seventh day" and that "all secular employment was to be suspended" (2SP 193). She emphasizes that the Sabbath should not be given to "pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment" (6T 355.3). The key principle is avoiding activities done purely for personal pleasure or recreation. **Appropriate Sabbath Activities:** However, Ellen White strongly encourages outdoor activities that connect us with God's creation. She writes: "Since the Sabbath is the memorial of creative power, it is the day above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through His works... Happy is the family who can go to the place of worship on the Sabbath as Jesus and His disciples went to the synagogue—across the fields, along the shores of the lake, or through the groves" (Ed 251.1). **Works of Mercy and Necessity:** Ellen White makes clear that "works of mercy and benevolence were in accordance with the purpose of the Lord. They were not to be limited by time nor place. To relieve the afflicted, to comfort the sorrowing is a labor of love that does honor to God's holy day" (2SP 193). She also notes that "the sick and suffering require care and attention upon the Sabbath" (1SP 226.1). **Application to Swimming:** While Ellen White doesn't specifically address swimming, her principles suggest that the appropriateness would depend on the spirit and purpose of the activity. Swimming purely for pleasure-seeking or recreation would not align with her counsel about avoiding worldly pleasure on the Sabbath. However, if swimming were necessary for health reasons or done in a spirit of appreciating God's creation in nature (like her reference to going "along the shores of the lake"), it might be viewed differently. The key question would be whether the activity draws one closer to God and His creation or whether it's primarily for personal pleasure and recreation. --- Regarding **compilations**, Ellen White had specific guidance about creating compilations from her writings: **Purpose of Compilations:** Ellen White wrote: "The articles that are printed in our papers are soon forgotten by the readers. They must be brought together, reprinted in book form, and placed before believers and unbelievers" (CW 145.4). **Her Authorization:** "Making compilations from her writings was one of the specific tasks that Mrs. White in her will gave to the Trustees of her estate. Beyond material she had already published, she intended that her manuscripts and letters of counsel would provide a widening range of service to the church" (3SM 9.4). **Standards for Compilations:** The goal in producing compilations is to "represent her thought accurately and without bias. Thus, in most cases, before any selection of material is made, the full range of her writings on a given topic is brought together... Where Ellen White has said much, much has been included. Where she has said little, little has been included" (PaM 14.1). She also cautioned about unauthorized use of her writings, stating concerns about those who would use her writings "to give force to certain subjects which they wish to present to the people" without proper authorization (1SM 58).

Ellen White did not specifically address surfing in her writings, as this sport was not widely practiced during her lifetime. However, her writings do contain relevant principles about ocean activities and Sabbath recreation that can help us think through this question. **Her Experience with Ocean Activities:** Ellen White clearly enjoyed being on the ocean and found it spiritually uplifting. She wrote about a sailing trip where "the waves ran high and we were tossed up and down so very grandly. I was highly elevated in my feelings, but had no words to say to any one. It was grand. The spray dashing over us" (7MR 281.1). She described watching "the waves running so high. The majesty of God and His works occupied my thoughts" (7MR 281.1). She also expressed her love for observing the ocean's power: "I love to watch the waves of the mighty ocean rolling up mountain high. I love to think of One who has power to say, 'Here shall thy proud waves be stayed'" (5MR 183.3). These experiences led her to contemplate God's creative power and His control over nature. **Applying Sabbath Principles:** Based on the conversation history about Sabbath activities, the key question would be whether surfing is done for "worldly pleasure" or as a way to connect with God's creation. Ellen White encouraged outdoor Sabbath activities that lead to worship and appreciation of God's works, but cautioned against activities pursued merely for personal recreation or pleasure-seeking. The determining factors would likely include: the spirit in which it's done, whether it leads to worship and contemplation of God, and whether it's appropriate for the sacred hours of the Sabbath. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about appropriate outdoor activities on the Sabbath? • How did she distinguish between recreation that honors God and mere pleasure-seeking? • What counsel did she give about 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+does+she+say+about+Surfing)

Based on the documents provided, Ellen White's references to the ocean primarily appear in the context of God's creative power and the Sabbath commandment. **The Ocean as Evidence of God's Creative Work:** Ellen White consistently points to the ocean as part of God's magnificent creation. She emphasizes that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" (GC 437.1). This reference to "the sea" appears repeatedly in her writings about the fourth commandment, highlighting the ocean as one of God's great creative works. When discussing the wonders God created, she writes that "the great Jehovah, when He had laid the foundations of the earth, had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty, and had filled it with things useful to man,—when He had created all the wonders of the land and the sea,—instituted the Sabbath day and made it holy" (4T 247.2). The ocean is presented as one of these "wonders" that demonstrate God's power and creativity. **The Ocean and the Sabbath Memorial:** The connection between the ocean and the Sabbath is significant in Ellen White's writings. The fourth commandment specifically mentions that God made "the sea, and all that in them is" (TM 135.2), making the ocean part of the memorial of creation that the Sabbath represents. She explains that the Sabbath commandment "designates God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth" (19MR 183.3), with the ocean being an integral part of that creation. This connects back to your earlier question about ocean activities on Sabbath—the ocean itself is meant to point us to the Creator and can be a means of worship and reflection on God's power, as Ellen White described in her personal experiences watching the waves. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about nature study as a form of worship? • How does the Sabbath commandment relate to the three angels' messages? • What counsel did she give about teaching children to appreciate God's creation?