Yes, Ellen White provides detailed explanations for both of these biblical scenarios. She explains the reasoning behind Jesus's use of parables and the context for God sending a "strong delusion." ### Jesus Speaking in Parables Ellen White explains that Jesus used parables for a dual purpose: to reveal truth to the sincere and to conceal it from those who would misuse it. **1. To Protect His Ministry from His Enemies:** Jesus was constantly followed by spies (scribes, Pharisees, and rulers) who were looking for a reason to accuse and condemn Him. Speaking in parables allowed Him to teach profound, cutting truths without giving them a direct statement to use against Him. > "In parables He rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would not have listened to His words, and would speedily have put an end to His ministry. But while He evaded the spies, He made truth so clear that error was manifested, and the honest in heart were profited by His lessons." (COL 22.1) > "One reason why he taught so much in parables was that the spies of the Jews were ever watching to find cause for complaint against him. Jesus designed to expose their hypocrisy and evil deeds without laying himself liable to the danger of being arrested and imprisoned by them, and thus cut off from the work which he came to do among the people." (2SP 236.1) **2. To Awaken Inquiry in the Honest Hearer:** The parables were designed to make people think and seek a deeper meaning. For those whose hearts were open, the stories would lead them to inquire further. > "Jesus desired to awaken inquiry. He sought to arouse the careless, and impress truth upon the heart. Parable teaching was popular, and commanded the respect and attention, not only of the Jews, but of the people of other nations. No more effective method of instruction could He have employed. If His hearers had desired a knowledge of divine things, they might have understood His words; for He was always willing to explain them to the honest inquirer." (COL 20.3) ### God Sending a Strong Delusion Regarding the "strong delusion" mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2, Ellen White clarifies that this is not an arbitrary act by God to deceive people. Instead, it is the direct consequence of people deliberately and persistently rejecting the truth. **1. It Is a Result of Rejecting Truth:** The delusion is sent to those who "received not the love of the truth." God honors their choice by withdrawing His Spirit, leaving them to the deceptions they have chosen. > "Especially solemn is the apostle's statement regarding those who should refuse to receive 'the love of the truth.' 'For this cause,' he declared of all who should deliberately reject the messages of truth, 'God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.' Men cannot with impunity reject the warnings that God in mercy sends them. From those who persist in turning from these warnings, God withdraws His Spirit, leaving them to the deceptions that they love." (AA 266.2) **2. It Is Believing a Lie That Justifies Sin:** The delusion allows people to believe falsehoods that make them comfortable in their unrighteousness. > "'And for this cause [not receiving the love of the truth] God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.'... And what stronger delusion could come upon them than that there is nothing displeasing to God in licentiousness and adultery?" (5T 144.3) In summary, Ellen White presents these instances not as God or Jesus unethically hiding truth, but as strategic and judicial actions. Jesus used parables to protect His mission while still reaching the teachable. God's "sending" a delusion is a consequence for those who have already rejected His truth, allowing them to fully embrace the lies they prefer.

Based on the principles discussed in the previous question, Ellen White elaborates on the idea that while truthfulness is a foundational virtue, wisdom and discretion sometimes require that information be concealed or withheld. The ethical reasoning is consistently tied to a higher purpose, such as protecting life, furthering God's work, or avoiding unnecessary harm. Here are the ethical reasons she provides for not always being completely open: ### 1. To Protect Life and God's Messengers The classic example is Rahab hiding the Israelite spies. Ellen White focuses not on the falsehood Rahab told, but on the faith that motivated her to protect the lives of God's messengers at the risk of her own. The higher ethical duty was to preserve life. > "When the spies had entered her house, the king of Jericho was told of it, and he sent officers to take them. But Rahab hid them, and when the officers came, she told them that the men had gone, and she urged the officers to pursue them quickly. After they had gone, she told the spies of the report that had come to the king, and that she and her family were in peril, for it was known that she had received them. She then made a solemn promise with them that as she had preserved their lives, they should, when they should take Jericho, preserve the lives of her family. **At the peril of her own life she had protected the messengers of the Lord**, and they in turn promised to protect her and her father’s household." (3SG 45.1) ### 2. To Avoid Prematurely Ending a Divine Mission As discussed previously with parables, Jesus deliberately veiled His message to avoid giving His enemies a direct pretext to arrest Him and stop His work before its time. The mission to teach and save humanity was the higher ethical priority. > "In parables He rebuked the hypocrisy and wicked works of those who occupied high positions, and in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character that had it been spoken in direct denunciation, they would not have listened to His words, and **would speedily have put an end to His ministry**." (COL 22.1) ### 3. To Practice Prudence and Avoid Causing Harm Ellen White counsels that it is not wise or required to speak every thought or piece of information one knows. Unwise disclosures can cause division, hurt feelings, and damage the cause of God. Discretion is a Christian virtue. > "We are not to say all that we know, for this would sometimes bring great confusion. I have been instructed that there are times when we are to hold our peace; there is a time to speak and a time to keep silent." (2T 69.2) > "It is not a virtue to speak your mind freely, to pour out all that is in your soul, to those who have no right to know these things. I was shown that in speaking of the faults of others, you have entered into temptation. These things have been a great injury to the cause of God." (2T 186.1) ### The Overarching Principle: Truthfulness is the Standard It is crucial to balance these exceptions with her overwhelming emphasis on absolute honesty. She condemns any form of deception or dishonesty that is motivated by selfishness, pride, or a desire to cover sin. > "Satan himself, when he was a holy angel, would not have believed that he could be guilty of the prevarication and falsehood by which he has since distinguished himself as the father of lies. When he first began to insinuate his doubts concerning the government of God, he did not himself see where these doubts would lead him." (ST, September 14, 1882) > "Every species of dishonesty is an abomination to God." (PP 309.1) In summary, the ethical framework presented by Ellen White is that **honesty is the unwavering standard.** However, in rare and specific circumstances, a higher ethical duty—such as protecting life, preserving God's mission, or preventing great harm—may require the prudent withholding of information. The motive is the key differentiator: concealment for a selfless, God-honoring purpose is distinct from deception for selfish gain or to cover wrongdoing.

Yes, Ellen White did counsel that in certain circumstances, it would be better for some women not to have children. Her counsel was not a general prohibition against childbirth but was based on two primary and distinct concerns: the difficulties of the "last days" and the health and well-being of the mother and family. ### 1. Counsel Regarding the "Last Days" Ellen White believed she was living in the last days of Earth's history, just before the "time of trouble" and the second coming of Jesus. She counseled that this was not an ideal time to be bringing children into the world, as they would have to face unprecedented trials. > "In this age of the world, as the scenes of earth's history are soon to close and we are about to enter upon the time of trouble such as never was, the fewer children to swell the number, the better it will be for them and for their parents." (Letter 48, 1876) > "There is a time coming when we shall be so perplexed to know what to do, that we shall be glad to have a place of refuge for our children. Woe will be to the mothers who are with child in these days of peril." (Manuscript 36, 1889) Her concern was for the suffering that both parents and children would endure during this final crisis. ### 2. Counsel Regarding the Mother's Health and Family Resources Beyond end-time events, Ellen White gave very practical counsel about family planning based on the health of the mother and the family's ability to properly care for children. She saw it as a sin to continue having children if the mother's health was failing or if the parents could not provide adequate care, training, and education. > "Parents should not increase their families any faster than they know that their children can be well cared for and educated. A child in the mother’s arms from year to year is a great injustice to her. It lessens, and often destroys, social enjoyment and increases domestic wretchedness. It robs their children of that care, education, and happiness which they ought to receive from their parents." (AH 160.3) She spoke strongly against bringing children into the world who would inherit poor health or be neglected due to overburdened parents. > "The mother who has a large family of little ones has a care-worn, anxious, and over-taxed mind. Her life is one of constant toil and drudgery... She has no time to devote to the improvement of her own mind, or to the cultivation of her spiritual nature... Is it not a sin to bring children into the world to be thus neglected?" (SA 8.1) > "The question to be settled by you is, 'Shall I bring children into the world to have no strength on my part or on the part of their father to properly train them and to give them the advantage of an education?'" (2SM 321.2) In summary, Ellen White's counsel to not have children was highly contextual. It was directed at those living in view of the final crisis and, more broadly, to parents whose physical, mental, or financial circumstances would prevent them from being effective and healthy caregivers. The underlying principle was one of responsible, prayerful stewardship over the sacred power of procreation.

Based on her writings, Ellen White's counsel was generally the opposite. While she strongly advocated for women to use their talents in God's service, she consistently taught that for a mother, the family was her first and most important mission field. She did not counsel talented women to forgo having children for the sake of church work; rather, she instructed them to see the raising of their children as their primary ministry. Here are the key principles from her writings on this topic: ### 1. The Family as the Primary Mission Field Ellen White was very direct in counseling mothers who felt a desire to do a "great work" for the church, reminding them that their most immediate and vital work was in their own homes. > "I have seen mothers of large families, who could not see the work that lay right in their pathway, just before them in their own families. They wanted to be missionaries and do some great work. They were looking out for themselves some high position, but neglecting to take care of the very work at home which the Lord had left for them to do." (2T 366.2) She elevated the role of the mother, describing it as a sacred and high calling, not a lesser duty to be set aside for public ministry. > "Woman is to fill a more sacred and elevated position in the family than the king upon his throne. Her great work is to make her life a living example which she would wish her children to copy." (3T 566.2) ### 2. Work for the Lord Should Enhance, Not Replace, Home Duties Ellen White encouraged women to engage in ministry, but she saw this as a way to bring strength and intelligence *to* their home duties, not as a reason to neglect them. She longed for women to be educated in helping others, which in turn would bless their own lives. > "I have so longed for women who could be educated to help our sisters rise from their discouragement and feel that they could do a work for the Lord. This will bring rays of sunshine into their own lives, which will be reflected into the lives of others." (6T 114.2) She believed that when women understood their "individual accountability to God," their home duties, "instead of being neglected, will be done much more intelligently." (6T 114) ### 3. The Context of Limiting Family Size As established previously, her counsel to limit family size was based on: * **The mother's health** and the family's ability to care for children properly. * The impending **"time of trouble"** in the last days. It was not framed as a strategy to free up talented women for full-time church employment. The well-being of the family unit was the paramount concern. In summary, Ellen White saw a woman's talents as assets to be used first and foremost in building a strong, godly family. While she herself was a mother who had an immense public ministry, her counsel to other women consistently prioritized the home as the foundational sphere of work and influence, ordained by God. A desire for a public mission was not to come at the expense of neglecting the children God had given them.