Recomendaciones de la OIT

sure that you do not exalt men above God. If you can gain force and influence that will make your work more effective without tying yourselves to worldly men [which membership in an accrediting association would require], that would be right.”

J.A. Burden: “In planning our course of study, we have tried to follow the light in the Testimonies;

and, in doing so, it has led us away from the requirements of the world. The world will not recognize us as standing with them. We shall have to stand distinct, by ourselves.”

E.G. White: “You may unite with them in certain points that will not have a misleading influence,

but let no sacrifice be made to endanger our principles. We shall always have to stand distinct. God desires us to be separate; and, yet, it is our privilege to avail ourselves of certain rights [e.g. a charter secured on the right terms]. But rather than to confuse our medical work, you had better stand aloof and labor with the advantages that you yourselves can offer . .

“You must arrange this matter as best you can, but the principle that is presented to me is that you are not to acknowledge any power as greater than that of God. Our influence is to be acknowledged by God because we keep His commandments.”—John Burden interview with EGW,

September 20, 1909.

Ellen White said that it would be safe to obtain a State charter for a school, as long as it did not in any way influence how we carried on our training and work.

“In answer to specific questions by Elders J.A. Burden and W.C. White, Mrs. White, in this interview, stated without hesitation that we should ‘have a school of our own’ to educate physicians. She also agreed that it would not be a violation of principle to secure a charter. ‘If you can gain force and influence,’ she said, ‘that will make your work more effective without tying yourselves to worldly men, that would be right’ (EGW, Manuscript 71, 1909).”—D.E. Robinson, Story of Our

Health Message, p. 383.

On October 13, 1909, the General Conference Committee approved that action; and, on December 9, a charter was secured from the State of California to grant degrees in the liberal arts

and sciences, dentistry, and medicine.

The above statements explain the “some must be qualified” statements, which some stumble

over. Elder John Burden knew the Spirit of Prophecy counsel on the matter. Recall again his letter of 1908, quoted earlier, to W.A. Ruble at the General Conference. Here is a portion:

“Our understanding of the testimonies is, that while thousands are to be quickly qualified for thorough medical-evangelistic work, some must qualify to labor as physicians. We have been instructed again and again to make the school as strong as possible for the qualification of nurses and physicians.”—John Burden, letter to W.A. Ruble, April 13, 1908.

In later years, Dr. Owen S. Parrett wrote this:

“My wife recalls, ‘While we nurses were in training at Loma Linda, Elder Burden would often tell us, You should not desire to become registered nurses in the world’s way [see 1T 127; 6T 126-127;

MM 61-62; FE 534-536] for a superior ministry of healing. Repeatedly he reminded us that the College

of Medical Evangelists was established to provide a superior method of education and a superior method of practice for nurses and physicians, and that our legal recognition was to be for a superior order, unique and separate from the ‘regular’ training and recognition of the world’s medical fraternities. God did not want us to become ‘regular’ nurses and ‘regular’ doctors.”

“Burden’s collection of Loma Linda Messages contains several letters and interviews bearing this out. Repeatedly Elder Burden told us medical students, ‘Sister White tells me that the Lord will give us recognition when we are ready for it.’ ”—Owen S. Parrett, M.D., Recollection of experiences at

Loma Linda in 1909.

God’s plan was that the recognition would come, not as a result of seeking acceptance by accrediting agencies in accordance with worldly standards, but because our method of healing the sick would prove to be so much more successful, both immediately and in its long-term effects on the patients.

THE MEANING OF CERTAIN STATEMENTS

Ellen White had stated that we should provide a complete education in medical missionary

work for our students at Loma Linda. In many letters, some of which are quoted in this book, she repeatedly told what that education consisted of. The type of education she urged was quite

obvious. It included both medical and evangelistic training, without the use of medicinal drugs. In strong contrast, in order to be accepted by the worldly accreditation agencies, Loma Linda would be forced to add many things, including drug medication, with which we should not become involved.

Writing about the medical work, she earlier said:

“God does not at one time send a message of warning, and later another message encouraging a movement against which He had previously given warning. His messages do not contradict one another. Cautions have been given that should cause our brethren to stop and consider their course.”—EGW, October 2, 1905; Series B, No. 5, p. 45.

In 1932, Elder A.G. Daniells, in a Loma Linda chapel talk (quoted in Review, March 31, 1932), stated that years before, when he was president, he feared that Elder Burden was about to involve the denomination in serious financial difficulties in his efforts to start a medical school.

But, Elder Daniells continued, Ellen White had mentioned in one statement that a

“complete” medical school for training “missionary physicians” was needed—so, in 1910, as Daniells explained, he “assumed” that a regular medical college was what Ellen White wanted us to pursue.

Here is the quotation that Elder Daniells was referring to:

“We should have, in various places, men of extraordinary ability who have obtained their diplomas in medical schools of the best reputation, who can stand before the world as fully qualified and legally recognized physicians. Let God-fearing men be wisely chosen to go through the training essential in order to obtain such qualifications. They should be prudent men who will remain true to the principles of the message. These should obtain the qualifications and the authority to

conduct an educational work for our young men and our young women who desire to be trained for medical missionary work.

“Now while the world is favorable toward the teaching of the health reform principles, moves should be made to secure for our own physicians the privilege of imparting medical instruction to our young people who would otherwise be led to attend the worldly medical colleges. The time will come when it will be more difficult than it now is to arrange for the training of our young people in medical missionary lines.”—EGW, Manuscript 61, 1910 (quoted in The Medical Evangelist, June 1910).

What does this one statement mean? It is clear that it appears to run counter to repeated statements by Ellen White that we are not to accreditate Loma Linda. What is the meaning of

this statement, which Elder Daniells “ran with”?

Read the statement again. It does not say that any of our schools should be accredited. It

does not say that Loma Linda should seek accreditation. It does not repudiate any of her other

statements in regard to our health, healing, educational, and missionary work.

What it does say is that a few of our men, who have extraordinary ability, should attend

outside universities and obtain medical (M.D.) degrees, so they can be stationed, here and there, throughout our institutions (and at Loma Linda), so that the world cannot say that none of our men have the highest qualifications. —That is all it says. It does not say that Loma Linda

or any other of our schools should obtain institutional accreditation.

In order to initially staff our medical facilities, a few men had to have advanced training. But thereafter, they could train our own students who would become the teachers in our medical schools.

The statement, above, was quoted from Manuscript 61, 1910. Here are two other statements in

the same manuscript, just a few paragraphs earlier:

“It is not necessary that our medical missionaries follow the precise track marked out by the medical men of the world. They do not need to administer drug medication in order to have influence in their work. The message was given me that if they would consecrate themselves to the Lord, if they would seek to obtain under men ordained of God a thorough knowledge of their work, the Lord would make them skillful. Connected with the divine Teacher, they will understand that their dependence is upon God and not upon professedly wise men of the world.

“Some of our medical missionaries have supposed that a medical training according to the plans of worldly schools is essential to their success. To those who have thought that the only way to success is by being taught by worldly men and by pursuing a course that is sanctioned by worldly men, I would now say, put away such ideas. This is a mistake that should be corrected. It is a dangerous thing to catch the spirit of the world; the popularity which such course invites will bring into the work a spirit which the Word of God cannot sanction. The medical missionary who would become efficient, if he will search his own heart and consecrate himself to Christ, may be diligent in study, faithful in service, and learn how to grasp the mysteries of his calling.

“At Loma Linda, at Washington, at Wahroonga, Australia, and in many other sanitariums established for the promulgation of the work of the third angel’s message there are to come to the physicians and to the teachers new ideas, a new understanding of the principles that must govern the medical work. An education is to be given that is altogether in harmony with the teachings of the Word of God.”—EGW, Manuscript 61, 1910.

“Those who do not believe the Word of God cannot possibly present to those who desire to become acceptable medical missionaries the way by which they will become most successful. Christ was the greatest Physician the world ever knew; His heart was ever touched with human woe. He has a work for those to do who will not place their dependence upon worldly powers.

“God’s true commandment-keeping people will be instructed by Him. The true medical missionary will be wise in the treatment of the sick, using the remedies that nature provides. And then he will look to Christ as the true Healer of diseases. The principles of health reform brought into the life of the patient, the use of nature’s remedies, and the cooperation of divine agencies in behalf of the suffering, will bring success.”—Ibid.

There is a second comment by Ellen White that men have run with.

“Whatever our young people, preparing to be physicians need to know, that we must prepare to teach.”—EGW, statement made at Mountain View Conference, January 27, 1910; quoted in The

Medical Evangelist, October-November issue, 1911, p. 32.

Elder William C. White was well-acquainted with his mother’s concepts, and he provided this explanation of that statement:

“Our medical missionaries should be given the opportunity to know the very best things done by the allopaths [those following the system accredited by the AMA Council on Medical Education; Association of American Medical Colleges], the eclectics, the homeopaths, the osteopaths, and the water-cure doctors; but none of these systems should be adopted as ‘the sign of our order. Neither are our medical men to give the credit or honor of the results of their labors under God, to any man or group of men, or to any locality, or to any system.”—W.C. White, statement

quoted in The Medical Evangelist, October-November issue, 1911.

As we will learn shortly, it was only two years later that A.G. Daniells deeply regretted

having “assumed” that the college should push ahead toward accreditation. More on this later. Why did God permit this changeover, from 1910 to 1922, to occur? He tests men to see what they will do with the light shining upon them. The Spirit of Prophecy statements were clear,

very clear. And there were dozens of them, dating back to the 1860s. Her counsels had not changed.

But some men chose to grab at a pretext and run with it. It was because they did this that

later, in the early 1930s, our other colleges also demanded that they be permitted to apply for accreditation. (More on this later.) As a result, every one of our colleges are now accreditated—all because it was a few men who decided that Loma Linda must receive full worldly accreditation, in accordance with standards of instruction set by unbelievers.

There are definite instances in the Bible, and in church history, in which men have determined to have their way; and so the Lord let them do it. This is a warning to us,

individually, today.

When Owen S. Parrett decided to leave the University of Southern California Medical School, in 1907, and attend Loma Linda, the dean, Dr. Charles Bryson, was shocked that he would go to that “hayseed farm” for medical instruction.

“ ‘Just why then are you anxious to leave this university and go back to Loma Linda?’ he queried. “Because the College of Evangelists emphasizes the importance of proper diet, natural methods of treatment, practical outdoor exercise, temperance, and other laws of heath, which I need to know in order to best help the sick.

“ ‘Very well,’ he replied, ‘but it takes more than that to make a medical college.’ And truly it does. It take much trust in divine power to transform men’s lives. But USC did not have that attribute.”—Dr.

O.S. Parrett, undated statement.

1910 WAS THE YEAR OF TRANSITION

In April 1906, Warren E. Howell became the first president of the Loma Linda college; but, after

one year, this very staunch advocate of the blueprint was sent by leadership as a missionary to Greece. That occurred at a time when his help was deeply needed at Loma Linda.

In the spring of 1907, George Knapp Abbott, M.D., took his place. Abbott was also faithful to

the blueprint in regard to treatments; but, since he obtained his degree in an outside university, he was not as clear about accreditation.

From 1910, onward, Elder Burden, Ellen White’s most faithful friend at Loma Linda, was steadily pushed into the background and men trained in worldly universities gradually took control. Within four years, they had driven CME into heavy debt.

— THE PARRETT MEMOIRS —