Ellen Chat Conversation

Ellen White explicitly states that the wearing of a marriage ring is unnecessary for Americans. She argues that because the custom is not considered obligatory in the United States, believers can simply explain their position rather than conforming to the practice (SpTA03). She expresses deep concern over a "leavening process" where church members feel pressured to follow worldly fashions and customs (TM 180). The primary concern is that resources should not be spent on a "circlet of gold" to testify to a marriage vow. Instead, she emphasizes that the true evidence of a Christian marriage is found in a holy character and the "golden link" that binds the soul to Christ (TM 180).

She maintains that the wearing of a ring does not actually provide evidence of one's faithfulness to their spouse (SpTA03). While she does not feel a burden to condemn those in other countries where the custom is legally or socially imperative, she maintains that for those in America, it should not be adopted (TM 180). She consistently identifies the wearing of gold ornaments and jewelry as a display of vanity that can dampen spiritual joy and divert funds from more important work (1T 20.2), (9MR 117).

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