In 1980, something quietly historic happened in the Seventh‑day Adventist Church. It didn’t make global headlines, but inside Adventist circles it was one of the most significant moments since the denomination’s founding in the 1860s. At the General Conference Session in Dallas, Texas, delegates from around the world voted to adopt a fully revised version of their Statement of Faith — a document that still shapes Adventist identity today. The 1980 Statement of Fundamental Beliefs introduced 27 distinct beliefs, grouped into categories such as:
- God
- Humanity
- Salvation
- The Church
- Christian Living
- Last-Day Events
The narrative is looked upon as many doctrines that were articulated more clearly than ever before. None of these teachings were new — but the clarity and structure were. As I read through their official Statement of Faith as it stands in the year 2026, I must admit that it does appear to be that way. However, if you read a bit further than what meets the eye, you will see that there was a shift in what they stood for. There indeed had been a belief system that was incorporated, which differs from what our Pioneers taught all those years ago. In this blog post, I would like to have you compare and contrast what the Seventh-day Adventist Church taught in their earlier years as opposed to now. There is a document that is authored by a man named Neil C. Livingston that does a very nice job showing a side-by-side chart of what the earlier church affirmed and what the modern church now affirms. The changes are quite startling. He also documents what LeRoy Froom’s plans were for the church going forward after all the Pioneers passed away. I will not go through each change made to the Statement of Faith because that would make for a lengthy blog post. I just want to highlight a few of them so as to draw your attention to the fact that if the Seventh-day Adventist Church can change their own Statement of Faith, then they can pave the way for changing the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy. New books = new belief system.
Red = original
Purple = changed
The Bible
THE BIBLE – That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, contain a full revelation of His will to man, and are the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
THE BIBLE – The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary to salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, and the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.
The word “only” was omitted from the new Statement of Faith. This ties in very nicely with the next change that we’ll review. Notice what Sister White said about the authority of the Bible:
“God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority,—not one or all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain “Thus saith the Lord” in its support.” {4SP 413.2}
“When God’s word is studied, comprehended, and obeyed, a bright light will be reflected to the world; new truths, received and acted upon, will bind us in strong bonds to Jesus. The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed, the sole bond of union; all who bow to this holy word will be in harmony. Our own views and ideas must not control our efforts. Man is fallible, but God’s word is infallible. Instead of wrangling with one another, let men exalt the Lord. Let us meet all opposition as did our Master, saying, “It is written.” Let us lift up the banner on which is inscribed, The Bible our rule of faith and discipline.” {RH December 15, 1885, Art. A, par. 16}
“The Bible must not be interpreted to suit the ideas of men, however long they may have held these ideas to be true. We are not to accept the opinion of commentators as the voice of God; they were erring mortals like ourselves. God has given reasoning powers to us as well as to them. We should make the Bible its own expositor.” {GW92 126.2}
The Spirit of Prophecy
THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY - That the Spirit of God was promised to manifest itself in the church through certain gifts, enumerated in I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4; that these gifts are not designated to supersede, or to take the place of the Bible, which is sufficient to make us wise unto salvation, any more than the Bible can take the place of the Holy Spirit; that in specifying the various channels of its operation, that Spirit has simply make provision for its own existence and presence with the people of God to the end of time, to lead to an understanding of that word which it had inspired, to convince of sin, and work a transformation in the heart and life; and that those who deny to the Spirit its place and operation do plainly deny that part of the Bible which assigns to it this work and position.
THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY - One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White. As the Lord’s messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth and provide of the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.
The church’s 1980 statement effectively places the gift of prophecy into a single individual—much like the Mormon Church does with its declaration about Joseph Smith. By describing Ellen G. White’s writings as “a continuing and authoritative source of truth,” the church has elevated them to the level of an additional Scriptural authority, comparable to how the Mormon Church treats the Book of Mormon. In a letter to Elder D.M. Canright dated 1883, Uriah Smith stated that the prophetic gift of Mrs. White can be likened to that of the spiritual gifts in the Mormon Church. The following is an excerpt from that letter, dated March 22, 1883:
“It seems to me that the testimonies, practically, have come into that shape, that it is not of any use to try to defend the erroneous claims that are now put forth for them. At least, after the unjust treatment I received the past year, I feel no burden in that direction. Theoretically, the doctrine of Spiritual Gifts is clear enough, and I think all our people stand together on that. Bro. Littlejohn has preached on the subject here, treating it mostly from a theoretical standpoint. But that does not touch the question at issue among us at all. I presume you noticed in the Review of March 13 Bro. Waggoner’s extinguisher of the Mormon Gifts. But if the same reasoning will not apply somewhat to our own experience, I cannot see straight.” {Letter to D.M. Canright March 22, 1883}
In response to this, I must leave Mrs. White to defend herself on this matter. She evidently stated that the Testimonies lead to the Bible, not from it. Her writings are not an addition the Bible.
“I took the precious Bible, and surrounded it with the several Testimonies to the church, given for the people of God. Here, said I, the cases of nearly all are met. The sins they are to shun are pointed out. The counsel that they desire can be found here, which has been given for other cases similarly situated as themselves. God has been pleased to give you line upon line, and precept upon precept. But there are not many of you that really know what is contained in the Testimonies. You are not familiar with the Scriptures. If you had made God’s word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies.” {T20 43.2}
“It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves with God’s inspired Book that he has sought to reach you by simple, direct testimonies, calling your attention to the words of inspiration you had neglected to obey, and urging you to fashion your lives in accordance with its pure and elevated teachings. The Lord deigns to warn you, to reprove, to counsel, through the testimonies given, and to impress your minds with the importance of the truth of his word. The written testimonies are not to give new light; but to impress with vividness upon the heart the truths of inspiration already revealed. Man’s duty to God and to his fellow-man has been distinctly specified in God’s word; yet but few of you are obedient to the light given. Additional truth is not brought out; but God has through the testimonies simplified the great truths already given, and in his own chosen way brought them before the people, to awaken and impress the mind with them, that all may be left without excuse.” {T20 44.1}
The Man of Sin
THE MAN OF SIN – That as the man of sin, the papacy has thought to change times and laws (the law of God, Daniel 7:25), and has misled almost all Christendom in regard to the fourth commandment; we find a prophecy of a reform in this respect to be wrought among believers just before the second coming of Christ.
THE MAN OF SIN – No statement on the man of sin (the papacy) since 1914.
The term “Man of Sin” was omitted even as far back as 1931. At that time, the deadly wound was healed two years prior in 1929 with the sovereignty of the Vatican made official with the signing of the Lateran Treaty between dictator Benito Moussolini and Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Gaspari. From the horse’s mouth, let’s see what the Seventh-day Adventist Church has to say about their position on Rome:
“Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint, and the term, “hierarchy” was used in a pejorative sense to refer to the papal form of church governance, that attitude on the Church’s part was nothing more than a manifestation of widespread antipopery among conservative protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of the last, and which has been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned.” {Court Brief, EEOC v. PPPA, op. sit. Excerpts Legal Documents, Adventist Laymen’s Foundation, P.O. Box, 69, Ozone, Ar 72854 (page 41) footnote #2.}
“Shirley Burton, a spokesperson for the denomination [SDA], told the Indianapolis Star daily newspaper the tract was “trash.” The pamphlet, “United States in Prophecy,” calls Catholicism a pagan religion and refers to the pope as a beast. However, the main body of the Church has moved away from an anti-Catholic position. The new position of co-operation with the Catholic Church was exemplified by the invitation from the Seventh-day Adventists to the Vatican to send an official observer to the conference. Rev. Thomas J. Murphy, director of the Indianapolis archdiocesan office of ecumenism, acted as the Vatican observer. He addressed the conference July 10 [1990]. Herbert Ford, news director for the denomination, told the Indianapolis Star that Adventists who want to cling to the church’s historic anti-Catholic beliefs represent only about 1,000 of the church’s 750,000 North American members.” {Arkansas Catholic, July 29, 1990 (Page 8)}
The church has essentially lowered its defenses. She no longer firmly maintains that the Papacy is the Biblical Antichrist—an institution destined to gather the world under its influence and enforce its mark of authority: Sunday sacredness. By acknowledging cooperation between the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Rome, she is positioning herself to play a role in helping Rome extend its influence throughout the world. Did the Spirit of Prophecy warn us about this development? Absolutely. From her own pen, Mrs. White declared:
“I saw the nominal church and nominal Adventists, like Judas, would betray us to the Catholics to obtain their influence to come against the truth. The saints then will be an obscure people, little known to the Catholics; but the churches and nominal Adventists who know of our faith and customs (for they hated us on account of the Sabbath, for they could not refute it) will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those who disregard the institutions of the people; that is, that they keep the Sabbath and disregard Sunday.” {SpM 1.5}
What the church did in 1990 and what she is still doing today only makes the fulfillment of the above prophecy that much closer than we realize. What else did Mrs. White say about Rome?
“The Christian world will learn what Romanism really is, when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. Throughout the land she is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. She is stealthily and unsuspectedly strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is soon to be given her. In the near future we shall see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.” {4SP 397.2}
“The Romish Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of popery that existed in ages past exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The popery that Protestants are now so ready to embrace and honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up at the peril of their lives to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty, and slew the saints of the Most High.” {4SP 387.2}
Rome has not changed, and she never will. Although her power was broken in 1798, that loss did not end her efforts to regain influence. In 1929, her authority was restored, and she immediately resumed her work. Her long-standing aim has always been global dominance, and today she continues rebuilding her power behind the scenes. As part of this effort, she has placed ministers within various churches to clothe congregations in misleading prophecies. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is no exception. Sister White offers clear warnings about such ministers, stating:
“Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath. While professedly they receive Christ, they embrace Barabbas, and by their actions say, “Not this man, but Barabbas.” Let all who read these lines, take heed. Satan has made his boast of what he can do. He thinks to dissolve the unity which Christ prayed might exist in his church. He says, “I will go forth and be a lying spirit to deceive those that I can, to criticize, and condemn, and falsify.” Let the son of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories. Satan laughs at their folly; for he knows what truth is.” {SpTA11 7.2}
“Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much. “If thou hadst known,” said Christ, “even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” {SpTA11 8.1}
“Organizations, institutions, unless kept by the power of God, will work under Satan’s dictation to bring men under the control of men; and fraud and guile will bear the semblance of zeal for truth, and for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Whatever in our practice is not as open as day, belongs to the methods of the prince of evil. His methods are practised even among Seventh-day Adventists, who claim to have advanced truth.” {SpTA09 23.1}
NOTE – The above quotation in SpTA09 23.1 has been altered in 7T 180.4.
In Conclusion...
If you’d like to explore this topic further—examining the additional changes made to the newer Statement of Faith and understanding what LeRoy Froom intended for the restructured organization—be sure to read the document referenced in the introduction of this blog, which will be linked here: Seventh-day Adventist Statement of Faith Compared. I also hope to produce a study series in the near future on who LeRoy Froom was and why he played such a significant role in shaping the modern church.
There is much more that could be said, as this subject raises many important points of discussion. Yet the historical record, along with what Inspiration has recorded, speaks clearly for all who cherish the Truth and desire to see it upheld.
Jeremiah 6:16 - “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”
“God never contradicts Himself. Scripture proofs are misapplied if forced to testify to that which is not true. Another and still another will arise, and bring in supposedly great light, and make their assertions. But we stand by the old landmarks.” {LLM 150.4}
“In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” {LS 196.2}
I hope and pray that you were blessed by what has been shared today. God bless!