“If you are suffering from your intemperance in eating or in drinking, we that are around you, or associated with you, are affected by your infirmities. We have to suffer on account of the course you pursue, which is wrong. If it has an influence to lessen your powers of mind or body, we are affected by it.”

American author and religious leader

Ellen G. White was an American author and religious leader in the 19th century. She was a prophet and co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and her influence helped shape the movement’s early years. Working alongside other Adventist leaders, including Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she played a central role in the small group that grew into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She is also remembered as a leading figure in American vegetarian history, and the Smithsonian named her among its “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time.”