(sometimes called “1848 Conferences” because they began in April 1848). A series of meetings of “friends of the Sabbath” held in various places in New England and New York, during the formative period when James and Ellen White, Joseph Bates, and others began the work of “uniting the brethren on the great truths connected with the message of the third angel” (James White, in Review and Herald 3:5, May 6, 1852).
In more modern language, A. W. Spalding speaks of the “Sabbath conferences,” “which began to collect and bind together the believers in the Sabbath truth” (A. W. Spalding, Origin and History of Seventh-day Adventists , vol. 1, p. 191).
The “conferences” of those early days were meetings of believers and interested people who came together from varying distances for a weekend, sometimes for Friday and Sabbath, often Sabbath and Sunday, sometimes from Thursday to Monday. They were at first arranged by letter, later (from 1849 on) announced through the periodicals.
The first of this series, at Rocky Hill, Connecticut, is described by James White in a letter: “We arrived at this place about four p.m. In a few minutes in came Brn. Bates and Gurney. We had a meeting that evening of about fifteen in all. Friday morning the brethren came in until we numbered about fifty. They were not all fully in the truth. Our meeting that day was very interesting. Bro. Bates presented the commandments in a clear light, and their importance was urged home by powerful testimonies. The word had effect to establish those already in the truth, and to awaken those who were not fully decided” (quoted in 2SG 93).
The next conference was at Volney, New York. James White worked at mowing grass to earn money to attend. “There were about thirty-five present, all that could be collected in that part of the state” ( 2SG 97).
There were six conferences in 1848: Rocky Hill, Connecticut, in April; Volney and Port Gibson, New York, in August; Rocky Hill again in September; Topsham, Maine, in October; Dorchester, Massachusetts, in November. In 1849 there were also six conferences, at least three of which the Whites attended: Paris, Maine, September; Oswego and Centerport, New York, November. In 1850 there were 10 conferences, eight of which the Whites attended.
During some of these conferences, apparently, leading brethren—James White, Joseph Bates, Stephen Pierce, Hiram Edson, and others unnamed—took advantage of their opportunity to study the Bible together to settle questions on various points of doctrine. Speaking of the manner in which “the foundation of our faith has been laid,” Ellen White wrote of how they “searched for the truth as for hidden treasure. I met with them, and we studied and prayed earnestly. Often we remained together until late at night, and sometimes through the entire night, praying for light and studying the Word. Again and again these brethren came together to study the Bible, in order that they might know its meaning, and be prepared to teach it with power” ( 1SM 206).
This joint study took place “at important meetings” (Ellen White MS 135, 1903) in the early days—presumably the conferences beginning in the spring of 1848. Since conferences of that sort were held during many years thereafter, the duration of this period of study must be deduced from Mrs. White’s account: “During this whole time I could not understand the reasoning of the brethren. My mind was locked, as it were, and I could not comprehend the meaning of the scriptures we were studying. This was one of the greatest sorrows of my life. I was in this condition of mind until all the principal points of our faith were made clear to our minds, in harmony with the Word of God. The brethren knew that when not in vision, I could not understand these matters, and they accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given” ( 1SM 207).
This condition of mind continued until the time when she and her husband visited the Andrews’ home in Maine, at which time “Father” Andrews was healed by prayer. That event can be dated by two letters, the first written by Ellen White to Samuel W. Rhodes (Ellen White letter 6, 1850) shortly after a conference, evidently that at Paris, Maine, Nov. 23, 24, 1850 (see Review and Herald 1:16, December 1850), and the second written to the Lovelands (Ellen White letter 30, 1850), dated Dec. 13, 1850. Thus, the period of “two or three years” mentioned by Ellen White agrees well with the two years and eight months between April 1848 and December 1850, during which the aforementioned “important meetings” took place, and during which, accordingly, the principal points of faith must have been studied out.