Ellen Gould White (née Harmon; November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was an American author, and was both the prophet and a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Along with other Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, she was influential within a small group of early Adventists who formed what became known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. White is considered a leading figure in American vegetarian history. Smithsonian named her among the "100 Most Significant Americans of All Time".
White's biographer and grandson, Arthur L. White, estimated that she reported receiving over 2,000 visions and dreams from God in public and private meetings throughout her life, many of which were observed by Adventist pioneers and the general public. She verbally described and published for public consumption her accounts of many of these experiences. The Adventist pioneers believed them to be examples of the Biblical gift of prophecy, as outlined in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10, which describe the testimony of Jesus as the "spirit of prophecy". Her Conflict of the Ages series of writings describes her understanding of the role of God in Biblical history and in church history. This narrative of cosmic conflict, referred to by Seventh-day Adventist theologians as the "Great Controversy theme", became foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology. Her book on successful Christian living, Steps to Christ, has been published in more than 140 languages. The book Child Guidance—a compilation of her writings about child care, training, and education—has been used as the foundation for the Seventh-day Adventist school system.