Ellen claimed that angels hold a “golden card” to enter Heaven, had a vision of Enoch on another planet, and claimed the New Jerusalem will come to earth through the Orion nebula:

• “Then my attending angel directed me to the City again, where I saw four angels winging their way to the gate of the City, and were just presenting the golden card to the angel at the gate. ...All the angels that are commissioned to visit the earth, hold a golden card which they present to the angels at the gates of the City, as they pass in and out. Heaven is a good place. …The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the City to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes, they were noble, majestic and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place. I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was—“we have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth. There I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the City. The fruit of both looked beautiful; but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending angel said to me—“none in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat they would fall.” Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. Then I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated…I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said “it is not; but the City is my home, and I have come to visit this place.” He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said—“you must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000 shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handy work of God…December 16, 1848, the Lord gave me a view of the shaking of the powers of the heavens. I saw that when the Lord said “heaven” (in giving the signs recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke,) he meant heaven, and when he said “earth” he meant earth…Dark, heavy clouds came up, and clashed against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back, then we could look up through the open space in Orion, from whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space.” Present Truth, August 1 (1849)

 

Ellen reported having a dream that her deceased husband came to her. She then interpreted the words of her deceased husband in her dream as a message from God. Since God explicitly commanded human beings not to interact with the dead, would the same God then communicate with people in dreams using the image of people deceased? Do demons not have a history of appearing to people as loved ones? How many other dreams did she attribute to God when they were only dreams?

• “A few days since I was pleading with the Lord for light in regard to my duty. In the night I dreamed I was in the carriage, driving, sitting at the right hand. Father was in the carriage, seated at my left hand. He was very pale, but calm and composed. “Why Father,” I exclaimed, “I am so happy to have you by my side once more! I have felt that half of me was gone. Father, I saw you die; I saw you buried. Has the Lord pitied me and let you come back to me again, and we work together as we used to?” He looked very sad. He said, “The Lord knows what is best for you and for me. My work was very dear to me. We have made a mistake. We have responded to urgent invitations of our brethren to attend important meetings. We had not the heart to refuse. These meetings have worn us both more than we were aware…Now, Ellen, calls will be made as they have been, desiring you to attend important meetings, as has been the case in the past. But lay this matter before God and make no response to the most earnest invitations. Your life hangs as it were upon a thread. You must have quiet rest, freedom from all excitement and from all disagreeable cares…He looked at me appealingly and said, “You will not neglect these cautions, will you, Ellen?...I awoke. But this dream seemed so real. Now you can see and understand why I feel no duty to go to Battle Creek for the purpose of shouldering the responsibilities in General Conference. I have no duty to stand in General Conference. The Lord forbids me. That is enough.” Letter 17, p. 2-4 (1881)

 

Ellen condemned dancing, card-playing, chess, and checkers:

• “I was shown that it is not essential to our salvation, nor for the glory of God, for us to keep the mind laboring, even upon religious themes, constantly and excessively. There are amusements which we cannot approve, because Heaven condemns them,—such as dancing, card-playing, chess, checkers, &c. These amusements open the door for great evil. Their tendencies are not beneficial, but their influence upon the mind is to excite and produce in some minds a passion for those plays which lead to gambling, and dissolute lives. All such plays should be condemned by Christians. Something should be substituted in the place of these amusements. Something can be invented, perfectly harmless.” The Review and Herald, Oct 8 (1867)

 

Ellen condemned gatherings such as picnics:

• “Those among Sabbathkeepers who have been unwilling to make any sacrifice, but have yielded to the influence of the world, are to be tested and proved. The perils of the last days are upon us, and a trial is before the young which they have not anticipated. They are to be brought into most distressing perplexity. The genuineness of their faith will be proved. They profess to be looking for the coming of the Son of man, yet some of them have been a miserable example to unbelievers. They have not been willing to give up the world, but have united with them, have attended picnics and other gatherings of pleasure, flattering themselves that they were engaging in innocent amusement. Yet I was shown that it is just such indulgences that separate them from God and make them children of the world. God does not own the pleasure seeker as His follower. He has given us no such example. Those only who are self-denying, and who live a life of sobriety, humility, and holiness, are true followers of Jesus; and such cannot engage in and enjoy the frivolous, empty conversation of the lovers of the world. …Hoops, I was shown, are an abomination, and every Sabbathkeeper’s influence should be a rebuke to this ridiculous fashion, which has been a screen to iniquity, and which arose from a house of ill fame in Paris. Individuals were shown me who will despise instruction, even if it comes from heaven; they will frame some excuse to avoid the most pointed testimony, and in defiance of all the light given will put on hoops because it is the fashion, and risk the consequences.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol 1, ch. 56

 

Ellen taught that is was a sin for children to participate in play on the Sabbath:

• “The house of God is desecrated, the Sabbath violated by Sabbath believers’ children. They run about the house, play, talk, and manifest their evil tempers in the very meetings where the saints have met together to glorify God and worship Him in the beauty of holiness. The place that should be holy, and where a holy stillness reigns, and where perfect order, neatness, and humility should exist is made to be a perfect Babylon, and a place where confusion, disorder and untidiness reigns. These things shut out God from our assemblies, and cause His wrath to be kindled that He will not be pleased to go out with the armies of Israel to battle against our enemies. He would not give the victory in Oswego meeting. The enemies of our faith triumphed. God was displeased. God’s anger is kindled that His house should be made like Babylon…God despises our prayers for our children until we have done all on our part to save them. God corrects His children when they go astray from Him, and parents should correct their children when they disobey them. Correct their tempers. Above everything take care of them on the Sabbath. You may as well violate the Sabbath yourselves as to let your children do it. If you suffer your children to play upon the Sabbath, God looks upon you as Sabbath breakers, or commandment breakers. Your children should be made to mind you. Your word should be their law. Parents, take hold of this work, for the destroying angel is soon to pass around and slay utterly both old and young, men, women, and little children. O do not be found wanting when weighed in the balance.” Letters and Manuscripts, Manuscript1 (1854)