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Writes D.E. Robinson:
"It was explained to Miss Bolton, as was made clear to other workers who shared a part in the copying and correcting of Mrs. White's writings for publication, that the matters revealed to Mrs. White in vision were not a word-for -word narration of events with their lessons, but that they were generally flashlight or panoramic views of various scenes in the experiences of men, sometimes in the past, and sometimes in the future, together with the lessons connected with these experiences. At times views were revealed to her of the actions of men in groups, of churches, conferences, and of multitudes in action, with a clear perception of their purposes, aims, and motives. Sometimes verbal instruction was given .... Miss Bolton learned that the things revealed to Mrs. White were sometimes written immediately after the vision, and that other things were not spoken or written out till a long time afterward.

"She was told that Mrs. White, ...was often led to repeat portions of the matter and also that grammatical construction of sentences were sometimes faulty, for in her haste in writing, she often paid little attention to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. She expected these imperfections to be carefully corrected by the copyist.

"It was made emphatic that only Mrs. White's thoughts were to be used, and also her own words as far as grammatically consistent in expressing those thoughts. In no case was the copyist given the privilege of introducing thoughts not found in Mrs. White's manuscripts."

Yet Miss Bolton had a problem. She thought that she was not being given proper credit for what she was doing. Again and again feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction swept over her that unfitted her for her assigned task.

She felt she was full of talent and "she desired to write herself, and could not consent that her talent should be buried up in the work of preparing" EGW articles. (Letter 88,1894) She was released from her work.

However, learning that Ellen White was to go to Australia, Fannie Bolton contacted her former employer, who reported:

"In Battle Creek, Fannie pleaded hard with tears to come with me to engage with me in the work of preparing articles for the papers. She declared she had met with a great change, and was not at all the person she was when she told me she desired to write herself. (Letter 88, 1894)

Rather reluctantly EGW agreed. Writing of the experience later EGW wrote:
"In order to help Fannie, I consented to make another trial after she had given me the assurance..that her feelings in regard to the work had wholly changed. ...I knew she was naturally unbalanced in mind, but thought that through the light given of God, the appeal constantly made presenting definite reproofs to some and general reproofs to others, she would learn the lessons that it was her privilege to learn, and become strengthened in character (Letter 7, 1894)

Unfortunately, after a short time the old feelings that she was not receiving proper acknowledgment of her contributions returned.

In 1893, during the last month of her stay in New Zealand, Ellen White was shown in vision Fannie Bolton. She wrote:

"We were gathered in a room of quite a company, and Fannie was saying some things in regard to the great amount of work coming from her hands. She said, "I cannot work in this way. I am putting my mind and life into this work, and yet the ones who make it what it is are sunk out of sight, and Sister White gets the credit for the work. A voice spoke to me, ‘Beware and do not place your dependence upon Fannie to prepare articles or to make books..she is your adversary.. She is not true to her duty, yet flatters herself she is doing a very important work." (Letter 59, 1894)

It was evident that Fannie was doing exactly that— complaining about her lack of recognition and telling people how she was making "great improvements" while belittling Ellen White's work.

Writing of this to W.C.White on February 6, 1894, Ellen White reports:

"I want not her life, or words, or ideas in these articles. And the sooner this bubble is burst, the better for all concerned...I have now no knowledge of how we shall come out, and what I shall do. I am afraid that Fannie cannot be trusted... If she has done this work, which she has represented to others has been as much her talent, her production of ideas and construction of sentences, as mine, and in "beautiful language", then she has done a work I have urged again and again should not be done. She is unworthy of any connection with this work."

Letter 59, 1894 Ellen writes of another vision. "Beware and do not place your dependence upon Fannie. She cuts out words that should appear, and places her own ideas and words in their stead, and because she had done this she has become deceived, deluded, and is deceiving and deluding others. She is your adversary."

Ellen White wrote to Fanny:
"Every time I find a word of yours, my pen crosses it out. I have so often told you that your words and ideas must not take the place of the words and ideas given me of God— (Letter 7, 1894)

"The writings given you, you have handled as an indifferent matter, and have often spoken of them in a manner to depreciate them in the estimation of others... I mean now for your own good that you shall never have another opportunity of being tempted to do as you have done in the past. ... You have come to think that you were the one to whom credit should be given for the value of the matter. I have had warnings concerning this, but could not see how I could come to the very point to say, "Go, Fannie," for then you plead, "Where shall I go?" And I try you again."

On receiving this letter from Ellen White, Miss Bolton wrote a humble confession in which she acknowledged: "The bottom of all my trouble has been self, and that is satanic. ...It is very clear that I did not have the exalted sense of its sacredness which I should have had. I have felt that I needed human sympathy and recognition, and this has led me to talk to others what I had to do to the work. This was self, of course, ...my faith in the testimonies is stronger today than ever, and I feel that I want to put my whole influence on the side of up building the faith of God's people in this great and sacred work (DF 445b, Feb 9, 1894, Fannie Bolton to EGW)

The staff encouraged Ellen White to give Fannie another trial. But it was short lived. This time Ellen White dismissed Fannie Bolton from her employ. In a letter to Marian Davis she wrote:

"Fannie represented that she, with Marian, had brought all the talent and sharpness into my books, yet you are both ignored and set aside, and all the credit came to me. She had underscored some words in a book, ‘Christian Temperance,' "Beautiful words" she called them, and said that she had put in those words, they were hers. If this were the truth, I ask, Who told her to put in her words in my writings? She has, if her own statement is correct, been unfaithful to me. Sister Prescott, however, says that in the providence of God that very article came to them uncopied and in my own handwriting, and that these very words were in that original article. So Fannie's statement regarding these words is proved to be untrue.... I am disconnected from Fannie because God requires it, and my own heart requires it. I am sorry for Fannie (Letter 102,189)

To her son Edson she wrote:
"Fannie Bolton is disconnected with me entirely. I would not think of employing her any longer. She has misrepresented me terribly.... She has reported to others that she has the same as made over my articles, that she has put her whole soul into them, and I had the credit of the ability she had given to these writings. .. It is something similar to the outbreak of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, only she has not those to unite with her because they know me and my work...(Letter 123a. 1895)

Again Fannie wrote a heartfelt confession to Ellen White of five pages closing with the appeal, "O do let me be a channel, if it be ever so hidden.. I do it with all submission to the will of God. I am not worthy to ask anything of the kind. (DF 445a)

Ellen White wrote:
"I am now relieved from this fitful, skyrocketed experience. She seems to swell up into such large measurements of herself, full of self-sufficiency, full of her own capabilities, and from the light God has been pleased to give me she is my adversary, and has been thus throughout her connection with me ...Oh, if I had only heeded the instruction given of God and let no other voice or influence come in to leave me in uncertainty, I might have been saved this last terrible, heart- sickening trial,, I hope the Lord will forgive me and have mercy upon me, but to try this matter again is out of the question. I have served my time with Fannie Bolton."(Letter 22a. 1895)

But this was not the end of the story.

Fannie became ill and over a period of one year was nursed back to health by Sara McEnterfer.

Then Ellen White was given a unique vision. Of this she wrote:
Friday, March 20, I arose early,....The question was asked: "What have you done with the request of Fannie Bolton? You have not erred in disconnecting with her. This was the right thing for you to do. She has been tempted, deceived, and almost destroyed. Notwithstanding her perversity of spirit, I have thoughts of mercy...take this poor deluded soul, surround her with a favorable influence if possible. If she separates from you now, Satan's net is prepared for her feet. She is not in a condition to be left to herself. (MS 12c, 1896)

So Fannie was taken in once more. There, with continued treatment, her health improved. She was given work, but then brought it back to Ellen White, telling her that she could not possibly do the work, and that she had decided to leave.

Ellen White wrote:
"I now see why I was directed to give Fannie another trial. There were those who misunderstood me because of Fannies' misrepresentations. These were watching to see what course I would take in regard to her. They would have represented that I had abused poor Fannie Bolton. In following the directions to take her back, I took away all occasion for criticism from those who were ready to condemn me. (Letter 61,1900)

THE HARVEST OF FANNIE

Ellen White wrote:
My Sister Fannie Bolton:
The work which you have done has yielded a harvest which is widespread...You claimed that it was your superior talent that made the articles what they were. I know this to be a falsehood, for I know my own writings... Brother McCullagh has reported your words of misinformation from house to house, saying that I have very little to do in getting out the books purported to come from my pen, that I had picked out all I had written from other books, and that those who prepared my articles, yourself in particular, made the matter that was published... You can see by this what a harvest your leaven of falsehood and misrepresentation have produced. ..You surely did not know what manner of spirit you were of. Satanic agencies have been working through Fannie Bolton. (Letter 25,1897)

Fannie replied"
"My eyes are open to the way in which I hurt your work, for my spirit was not right. The enemy had magnified my supposed difficulties, and though I did not realize what I was doing, he knew exactly what he intended to do through me, but by the grace of God he has lost his tool... DF 445a

This pattern of falsifications and subsequent confessions continued for a number of years, including statements that she had written "Steps to Christ." Such reports brought perplexity and concern to those unfamiliar with the facts in the case. The fears expressed by some who knew her well, that Fannie Bolton was unbalanced in mind, were confirmed when she was admitted to mental institutions on several occasions.

In conclusions Ellen White writes:

"Wherein do my articles in the papers now differ from what they were when Fannie was with me? Who is it that now puts in words to supply the deficiencies of my language, my deplorable ignorance? How was this done before Fannie Bolton had anything to do with my writings? Cannot people who have reason see this? If Fannie supplied my great deficiency, how is it that I now send articles to papers? (Letter 61a.1900.)