Who Wrote Steps to Christ?
By Robert K. Sanders

There is no doubt that Steps To Christ contains many of EGW quotes that were made before Fannie Bolton went to work for EGW. I believe Fannie Bolton's claim that she made up the book Steps to Christ from the evidence that I have researched.   Fannie used quotes from EGW's files which would include her plagiarized material from uninspired authors. Fannie organized the book into chapter titles, and being college educated put the book into proper grammar and punctuation. Fannie tells Ballenger Mrs. White took the MSS and published it under her name in the letter below.

I am sure that Fannie Bolton wondered why after putting in hours of research, and making up the chapter names and putting the book together for publication, she felt that  her work and her sweat she should get the credit.

I wrote a letter to the White Estate, January 8, 1997 to Mr. Tim Poirier Associate Director/Archivist asking: "Why did Fanny Bolton claim to have written, "Steps to Christ"? Would you send me a copy of a page from Steps to Christ hand written by Ellen G. White?"

Mr. Poirier responded in a letter dated January 20, 1997, saying; "Fannie Bolton's claim re Steps to Christ: Fannie Bolton never made that claim, so far as I have ever seen. It was made by others after her death. Nor did Ellen White write the book by hand--so I cannot send you a handwritten page. It was compiled by her editorial assistants from her earlier writings. I've sent an example for your comparison, showing the source for the paragraphs on page 83. (Fannie first met Ellen White in 1887.)"

These editorial assistants would have to include Fannie Bolton.
"It has now been conceded that Ellen had much more help than the church members had been led to believe and that her helpers did indeed have great latitude in selecting and arranging material and m final editing. 8 Furthermore, in addition to the editorial assistants who are fairly well known-Marian Davis, Clarence C. Crisler, Dores E. Robinson, Mary Steward, Fannie Bolton, Mary H. Crisler, Sarah Peck, Maggie Hare, and H. Camden Lacey-a later release by Willie White calls attention to others less well known about: "From 1860 and onward, some of her manuscripts for publication, and some of her testimonies, were copied by members of her family." 9 Then he named such copyists as Lucinda Abbey Hall, Adelia Patten Van Horn, Anna Driscoll Loughborough, Addie Howe Cogshall, Annie Hale Royce, Emma Sturgis Prescott, Mary Clough Watson, and Mrs. J. L. Ings. There may well have been others." The White Lie! By Walter T. Rea
A Matter of Ethics Chapter 11, p. 199

Footnote 8 W.C. White, quoted by Robert Olson and Ronald Graybill. Tapes of seminar at Southern Missionary College in the fall of 1980.

Facts:

• Fannie went to work for Mrs. White in 1888. "Steps to Christ" was published in 1892.
• The comparison sent to me by Mr. Poirier is from Steps to Christ p. 83. "The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others. They may not know they are doing any special good, but by their unconscious influence they may start waves of blessings that will widen and deepen, and the blessed results they may never know until the day of final reward." This is to be compared with, Testimonies Volume 3, p. 246 published in 1872. "The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others. They may not realize they are doing any special good, but by their unconscious influence they may start waves of blessings that will widen and deepen, and the happy results of their words and consistent deportment they may never know until the day of final distribution of rewards."
• Because of the similarity of the wording of an earlier statement in 1872 found in "Testimonies" when compared to "Steps to Christ" 1892, Mr. Poirier would lead us to believe Fannie could not have written Steps to Christ.
• Mr. Poirier, states, "Nor did Ellen White write the book by hand--so I cannot send you a handwritten page. It was compiled by her editorial assistants from her earlier writings."
•  We also know Steps to Christ was not written by hand by Ellen G. White but by her editorial assistants. These editorial assistants would have to include Fannie Bolton.
• Fannie did claim to have written "Steps to Christ" to Edward S. Ballenger and Ballenger's letter is witnessed by Charles D. Willis.

There are "no steps to Christ"!

The idea of taking steps to Christ is not a Biblical teaching. For  2000 years Scripture have told us that salvation is all about grace and faith. Nothing about taking "steps to Christ". You cannot save yourself by works therefore you cannot be lost by works. Before you can be baptized and become a member of the Adventist Church you generally have to go through about two to three weeks of indoctrination and then take vows to accept the non biblical doctrines of the church.  http://truthorfables.com/Baptized_into_EGW.htm

Eph 2:8 - 9 (NIV) ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. 

 All you have to do is to believe in Christ/faith and you will be saved.
Acts 16:30 - 31, 33 (NIV) ³⁰He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”³¹They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”  ³³At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 

Philip baptized a eunuch after a brief teaching about Jesus. No weeks of indoctrination and taking vows and no "steps to Christ"!
Acts 8:34 - 39 (NIV) ³⁴The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”  ³⁵Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”  ³⁶As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” ³⁸And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.  ³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 

Acts 8:36 Some late manuscripts baptized?” ³⁷ Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Here are examples of plagiarism from "The White Lie," by Walter Rae, pp. 378,379, 388.

See Fannies confessions: also Kellogg to Ballenger.

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