Hello I'm Shelley
Quinn and welcome again to
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Issues and Answers.
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You know the Bible says, in
Deuteronomy 8:18, "you shall
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"earnestly remember the
Lord your God for it is He who
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"gives you power to get
wealth that He may establish His
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"covenant which He swore
to your fathers as it is this
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"day." And today we are going
to talk about God giving us
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this wealth and making as
a channel of blessing to pass
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this wealth on to help
Him establish that covenant.
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I have two very special
guests with me today, it is my
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pleasure to introduce you to
Jeff Wilson, Jeff you are the
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Director For the Planned
Giving and Trust Services of the
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General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventist.
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- that's right! - how
long? - Uh, since 2000.
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Since 2000, and how
have you enjoyed living in
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Silver Springs Maryland?
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Well I am not up there a
lot of time, sort of all around
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the world, but we
enjoy the East Coast.
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Praise the Lord, praise the
Lord, we will hear more about
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your story and then
sitting next to you, is our own
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Director for the 3ABN Trust
Services, Leonard Westphal.
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Leonard, thank you so
much. - glad to see you.
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Well it is always a joy to
have you here. - thank you.
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This is going to be, I
think, an exciting topic.
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A topic that we really
do need to speak about.
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Today we're going to be
actually focusing in on some
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things that Ellen White
had to say about wills and how
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she handled her own finances,
I think you will find this
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very interesting.
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Jeff how did you get
involved in this ministry?
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Well it has been a long
course, I began as a Pastor in
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the previous century,
a long, long time ago.
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I've been a Youth Director,
I directed the Youth Department
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right here in Illinois
Conference for a number of years
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- praise God! Had a summer
camp quite close here down
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in Makanda Illinois
at little Grassy Lake.
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Then we have done development
work and public-relations
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work in various conferences
and various institutions of
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the Church including the Media
Center and Andrews University.
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But actually since 1999, I
came to the General Conference
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from Andrews University and
in the year 2000 I was elected
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as the Director
of the Department.
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What we are thrilled to
have you here and I know it is
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a great sacrifice of
time for you to come here.
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Leonard, how long have you
and Jeff known one another?
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Jeff is a dear friend of
mine, we are, I think, more than
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brothers and my
wife likes him very much.
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In fact she just told me
last night that this must be
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a holy man, the sacrifices
he made to be here and help us
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in talking about the very
subject we are talking about
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today is just immense.
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He left his wife there and
he was attending the Annual
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Council of the Seventh-day
Adventist church in Washington
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where all the leaders of
the world come, and yet Jeff
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took time off to come here.
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So I know him
probably 20, 25 years you know.
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I joined this department,
I was a Pastor-Evangelist for
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17 years and then I was called
into this ministry 28 years
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ago I didn't know I was
going to last one year because
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I thought it's not
my calling you know.
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Yet the Lord blessed and I
have been in it 28 years and am
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enjoying every day because
I believe the Lord leads and
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guides us in this work
bringing to us the right people
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who want to
help the Lord's work.
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So we thank the Lord everyday.
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We are just so thankful at
3ABN, we really appreciate the
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work that you and
your lovely wife Rita do.
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I know that you make a lot
of personal sacrifices as well.
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By the way I didn't tell
you that I have been with 3ABN
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10 solid years. -
yes, praise the Lord.
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- 10 solid years, I
haven't even seen the time pass.
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Well, when you're
having fun time passes quickly.
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Today we are going to
be talking about wills.
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You know money is such an
important topic, because money
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causes so many problems in
the families, it is the number
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one reason people get divorces.
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You can sometimes give
your children too much money and
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spoil them, but the Bible
says, it is the love of money
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that is the root of all evil.
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There is nothing evil
about money, and God often
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blessed, we find in the old and
New Testaments God often blessed
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people with wealth just
for the express purpose that
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they could help get His
work done here on Earth.
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We are going to be talking
about the importance of wills.
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I'm surprised personally Jeff,
how many people die without
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a will, what did Ellen White
have to say about this topic?
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Well Ellen White of course
was one of the founders of the
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Seventh-day Adventist church.
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She was born in 1827
and lived until 1915.
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Which was a miracle in
itself because as a young girl
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she suffered a serious
accident to her face and head,
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and had poor health
anyway and was not expected
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to live beyond her childhood.
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But she lived to the ripe
old age of 87 and actually
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traveled the world, it was
much more difficult to travel
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in her day then in ours.
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Months and months across
the ocean, she spent time in
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Europe as a missionary.
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Time in Australia and
New Zealand as a missionary.
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Established hospitals and
schools and gospel work all
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around the world.
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And one of our challenges
in our work that Leonard and
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I and about 325 other people
involved in this work in the
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world face, is the fact you
mentioned Shelley, the horrible
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low percentage of
people who even have the will.
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Some numbers are as low
as about one third of the
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people of the
general population as a will.
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The highest would be around
50%, so for a number of years
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I've used some statements
that Ellen White made about
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the importance of having a will.
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That a person should have a
will that withstand the test
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of law and that they
should remember of course their
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family, and those dependent
upon them, the Bible is clear
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on that 1 Timothy 5.
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But they should also remember
God's work and remember that
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God indeed is the one who
loaned them everything that
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they have and when we are
through with it we should return
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it to its rightful
owner which would be the Lord.
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Ah, but only recently did I
decide to study what did she
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actually do herself?
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That was a very
interesting study to do.
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In the General Conference
building in Silver Spring
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Maryland, everyday people
come there to do tours like they
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do here at 3ABN.
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Nobody ever asks to come
and see my office, but most
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people want to go down
into the basement where there is
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no windows, and they go
down there to a very intriguing
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place called the
Ellen G. White Estates Inc.
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there they can go into a
vault and see these original
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documents, they can see
the huge Bible that Ellen White
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held aloft for a
long period of time.
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Under a glass
they can see her will.
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You know I missed her will
when it was there, the thing
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that fascinated me
the most was her library.
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- yeah. - I wanted to
see what types of books.
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I actually got a copy,
you know I had them print off
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a copy of the
contents of her library.
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It is interesting for a woman
who really had to quit school,
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the grade school
because of her health.
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I'm sure you will enjoy
going to that list of books
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and finding some
that will be of real
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spiritual blessing to you.
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But of great interest is
that will under glass in which
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you can see what she wrote
down, her instructions in 1912,
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that's about 91 years ago,
well 91 years since she passed
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away, and her work is going
on today in the Ellen G. White
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Estates under the
authority of her will.
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There are trustees who,
the original ones were named by
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Ellen White, and then in
her will she provided that these
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persons could fill in any
vacancies that came along.
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So today you have the Ellen
G. White Estates trustees who
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go back to that will, and
the work they do in translating
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her writings into other
languages, producing new
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compilations, protecting
her works and spreading the
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gospel around the world
is a function of a will that
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she prepared in her later years.
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Now want to get back to
how she divided the assets, but
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I would like to bring up
this point, because that was her
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third will actually,
right? - fourth I think.
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The fourth will, okay. Some
people don't understand that
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wills, I can't believe
anyone who has children,
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if you don't have a will,
please listen to this program.
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Because some people think that
wills are only if you amassed
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a lot of assets
that you can then say how
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to divide these assets,
but as you have just said,
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she has given instruction
in how to appoint trustees,
00:10:03.72\00:10:07.36
how they should run
this trust that she has,
00:10:07.39\00:10:11.57
her foundation.
00:10:11.61\00:10:12.97
Parents can give instruction
as to who they would like
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to rear their children.
00:10:16.87\00:10:18.80
Please, if you will, take a
moment and tell us why it is
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so important to have a will.
00:10:22.48\00:10:23.86
Well it is extremely
important for anyone of any age,
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that is age of
majority 18 years and older.
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There are different
major changes in our lives,
00:10:31.95\00:10:35.10
when we get married, when
we are out of the nest at home
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first of all out of
our parents custody.
00:10:37.70\00:10:40.30
Then we get married, when
children come along, a very
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important time that
you just mentioned Shelley.
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Then when the children are
out of the nest and then when
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we get older and move
from place to place, or we lose
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a spouse, or
remarriage or whatever.
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But your point of young
couples who have small children
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at home often feel we
have more debt than we have
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assets so we don't need
a will, they are looking
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at only the money issue.
00:11:03.51\00:11:05.08
But a will is the only
legal document by which a person
00:11:05.12\00:11:10.98
can name surrogate parents,
guardians for minor children.
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If parents, God forbid
should lose their lives before
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their children are 18, and
they have no will, then the
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probate judge is going
to make a determination
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where to place those children.
00:11:29.14\00:11:30.79
He may place them in a Christian
home, he might not place
00:11:30.83\00:11:35.94
them in a Christian home.
00:11:35.98\00:11:37.38
One issue is, at least that
I have seen in a lot of young
00:11:37.41\00:11:40.94
couples, they may
be the only Christians
00:11:40.98\00:11:43.53
in their immediate family.
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They have siblings but
they are not in the faith.
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The judge probably
would put them with a sibling
00:11:47.88\00:11:50.51
who had the most money, we
might place them with a couple
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in the church that has
the same values that we have
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and we would know the
children would be in Sabbath
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School and church and
church school and pathfinders
00:12:02.46\00:12:05.14
and all these kind of things.
00:12:05.18\00:12:06.53
Have the diet that
we wanted them to have.
00:12:06.57\00:12:08.30
They would be raised for
the kingdom, not just the dollar
00:12:08.33\00:12:11.82
figure, the dollar figure
might not be the most important
00:12:11.85\00:12:16.34
for us, so that an extremely
important reason for people
00:12:16.38\00:12:20.81
even for people with not
many financial assets, but they
00:12:20.85\00:12:25.25
have human
assets, their children.
00:12:25.28\00:12:27.31
They have a stewardship
responsibility too as well.
00:12:27.35\00:12:30.84
You know I had a will when
I was single, and then when
00:12:30.87\00:12:34.33
I got married, within
two months after marriage
00:12:34.37\00:12:37.06
we sat down and redid our wills.
00:12:37.10\00:12:39.38
But for example, even in Ellen
White's own life, she had her
00:12:39.41\00:12:43.60
will and everything Leonard, she
had it all sewn up didn't she?
00:12:43.63\00:12:47.78
But now I understand that
James White died without a will.
00:12:47.81\00:12:52.43
When James White died, of
course he died prematurely in
00:12:52.47\00:12:57.05
1881, he died without a will.
00:12:57.08\00:12:59.23
So his estate was probated
in what we call in Testate.
00:12:59.27\00:13:03.26
Under the laws of the
State of Michigan, this is what
00:13:03.30\00:13:07.25
was going to happen.
00:13:07.29\00:13:09.05
Ellen White would get 50%,
James Edison, the son would get
00:13:09.09\00:13:14.11
25%, Willie the
other son will get 25%.
00:13:14.15\00:13:17.80
Well about all Ellen White
at that time was her little Elm
00:13:17.84\00:13:22.86
street house in Battle Creek,
so to provide for the probate
00:13:22.90\00:13:27.05
she would have had to sell the
house, because she didn't have
00:13:27.08\00:13:31.20
the other 50% to
buy the boys out,
00:13:31.24\00:13:33.34
she would have
essentially been homeless.
00:13:33.37\00:13:36.04
Well James Edison and
Willie said mother we will forgo
00:13:36.08\00:13:39.77
our inheritance,
you keep the house.
00:13:39.81\00:13:42.68
That is what I think most
people would want, if one or
00:13:42.72\00:13:46.16
the other of us passes away,
we want everything to go to
00:13:46.20\00:13:49.44
our surviving spouse and
when the surviving spouse passes
00:13:49.47\00:13:52.65
away then we distribute
to the children and so forth.
00:13:52.68\00:13:55.79
Because James White didn't
have a will, there was a crisis
00:13:55.82\00:13:59.59
there and if the boys said,
mother we want our money now
00:13:59.63\00:14:03.70
like the prodigal son did,
she could've been living in
00:14:03.74\00:14:07.78
a cardboard box or
something like that,
00:14:07.81\00:14:09.56
or a rented apartment somewhere.
00:14:09.59\00:14:11.60
So Ellen White remembered
that, and in her later years
00:14:11.63\00:14:15.39
she was generous with
her children in other ways,
00:14:15.43\00:14:19.12
remembering they forgone
their inheritance back in 1881.
00:14:19.15\00:14:23.74
Of interest that Ellen
White did, I think it is an
00:14:23.77\00:14:27.53
encouragement for other
people, she didn't wait until
00:14:27.56\00:14:31.28
she died to do all
her giving. - Amen!
00:14:31.32\00:14:34.65
She wanted to see the
blessing of it now, and so she
00:14:34.68\00:14:39.56
for example, to her
two granddaughters when
00:14:39.59\00:14:42.68
they got married,
she gave them $700 each.
00:14:42.72\00:14:45.61
Well that would be
quite a bit of money today,
00:14:45.64\00:14:48.85
to help them get
started out in their new homes.
00:14:48.89\00:14:52.03
Her 16-year-old twin grandsons,
when they were 16 years
00:14:52.06\00:14:56.86
old she gave him a plot
of land of her property there
00:14:56.90\00:15:01.63
in Elmshaven and they cleared
that land and sell it so that
00:15:01.66\00:15:06.19
the money could go to help them
with their college education.
00:15:06.22\00:15:10.71
Well I think that was
neat, she didn't just give them
00:15:10.75\00:15:13.22
a gift, she gave him a
gift that they had to work and
00:15:13.26\00:15:16.53
sweat a little bit and improve
the land and even get some
00:15:16.57\00:15:19.81
experience of how to
sell real estate and then,
00:15:19.85\00:15:22.78
of course not to spend
that frivolously, but to spend
00:15:22.81\00:15:25.83
it on their Christian education.
00:15:25.87\00:15:27.51
So she made a lot of
gifts along the way before
00:15:27.54\00:15:31.07
the final gift in her will.
00:15:31.10\00:15:33.81
I received a letter
from a man who said, if I can
00:15:33.84\00:15:37.42
remember how to quote
this, he said, I'm a given while
00:15:37.45\00:15:40.56
I'm liven so I
know-en where it's go-in.
00:15:40.60\00:15:42.78
He said, he wanted his
money, his point was he had two
00:15:42.81\00:15:47.40
very spoiled young children
and he said, they have been
00:15:47.43\00:15:51.98
spoiled all their life
and did not handle money
00:15:52.02\00:15:54.89
in a prudent fashion.
00:15:54.93\00:15:56.14
He was beginning to sell
off some assets to make sure
00:15:56.17\00:15:59.40
that it went to the ministries
he wanted to support and
00:15:59.43\00:16:02.63
that was supporting God's work.
00:16:02.66\00:16:04.61
I thought that
was quite impressive.
00:16:04.64\00:16:07.35
I just wanted to mention
that there is a lesson to learn
00:16:07.39\00:16:10.58
from what Ellen G. White did.
00:16:10.61\00:16:12.07
Many people, and we talked
a lot of people who says, oh
00:16:12.11\00:16:15.64
I have a will that was
done 20 years ago, 30 years ago.
00:16:15.67\00:16:19.15
But things have changed in
our lives, we don't know what,
00:16:19.19\00:16:22.72
maybe the spouse died, or
his son died, or a daughter.
00:16:22.75\00:16:26.36
Somebody who they are
remembering and they are gone.
00:16:26.40\00:16:30.33
So you must and should
really, up-date the will which
00:16:30.37\00:16:34.27
is done very simply.
00:16:34.30\00:16:35.45
You can have what is
called today a codicil,
00:16:35.49\00:16:38.12
which is merely an
amendment to the will.
00:16:38.15\00:16:40.72
Or you can make a new
will, it doesn't cost very much,
00:16:40.75\00:16:45.56
normally $75 where we are,
sometimes lawyers charge more.
00:16:45.59\00:16:50.37
It all depends what they
are talking about as far as
00:16:50.40\00:16:53.79
the estate is concerned.
00:16:53.83\00:16:55.11
But the beauty of what I
see here that Ellen G. White
00:16:55.14\00:16:58.56
updated her will, she
had four, that is something
00:16:58.59\00:17:01.94
we ought to remember because
if you don't the will, will not
00:17:01.98\00:17:06.19
do what we expected to
do. That is very important.
00:17:06.22\00:17:10.55
Also I would say that everybody
who is 18 or over should
00:17:10.59\00:17:15.72
have a will, the age of
maturity here is 18 right?
00:17:15.75\00:17:20.71
Do you think about these
kits that you can buy that are
00:17:20.75\00:17:23.77
quite inexpensive and you
can just prepare your own will.
00:17:23.81\00:17:26.80
Do you think it is
necessary to go to an attorney,
00:17:26.83\00:17:28.68
or will one of these kits work?
00:17:28.71\00:17:30.81
I have a question Jeff, of
course you have heard so many,
00:17:30.84\00:17:34.33
many times, but let me say this.
00:17:34.37\00:17:36.32
I think it ought to be
done by a professional attorney.
00:17:36.35\00:17:39.89
An attorney, a professional
because you may make mistakes
00:17:39.93\00:17:43.43
and then it may not be
valid in court you see.
00:17:43.47\00:17:45.80
So I would suggest to
spend $50, $75, $125 and have an
00:17:45.84\00:17:52.99
attorney do it
and then you are sure.
00:17:53.03\00:17:55.84
But then update
it, keep updating it.
00:17:55.88\00:17:58.63
I think it is wise to
get professional help.
00:17:58.66\00:18:04.08
It is amazing that people
who don't want to spend any
00:18:04.12\00:18:08.08
money to protect everything
they have, we drive an
00:18:08.11\00:18:12.00
automobile, but we spend money
on insurance to protect the
00:18:12.04\00:18:15.54
automobile and us should
we be involved in an accident.
00:18:15.58\00:18:19.05
We have accumulated a certain
amount of assets over our
00:18:19.09\00:18:22.02
life time, doesn't it
make sense that we should spend
00:18:22.05\00:18:24.95
some money to protect that?
00:18:24.99\00:18:27.35
The good news is, in the
church many of our conferences
00:18:27.39\00:18:32.10
and institutions, when the
church is being remembered,
00:18:32.14\00:18:36.47
will actually pick up even
those drafting charges from the
00:18:36.50\00:18:40.49
attorneys so a person can
get an estate plan at no cost.
00:18:40.52\00:18:43.98
But even if one should
spend several hundred, sometimes
00:18:44.01\00:18:47.43
with a trust it may
be thousands of dollars.
00:18:47.47\00:18:50.19
It is money well spent.
00:18:50.22\00:18:51.74
Now Ellen White in 1912
she engaged the services of an
00:18:51.78\00:18:57.47
attorney down in San
Francisco and his name was
00:18:57.50\00:18:59.21
Theodore A. Bell,
and she paid $25.85.
00:18:59.24\00:19:03.91
I try to calculate that out
and it would be equivalent to
00:19:03.95\00:19:07.90
around $550 today, so
she spent a lot of money.
00:19:07.93\00:19:11.56
Remember that hers was a
simple will, it not only passed
00:19:11.59\00:19:15.57
assets to children and
other family members, but it
00:19:15.60\00:19:19.51
established a corporation,
it established trustees and an
00:19:19.54\00:19:24.32
ongoing trust that would protect
her literary properties and
00:19:24.36\00:19:29.10
see them be printed,
spread and all that so it was
00:19:29.14\00:19:34.38
a complicated document.
00:19:34.41\00:19:36.87
What Ellen White did was,
she sought counsel from the
00:19:36.91\00:19:40.10
Lord, she prayed about it a
lot, she sought counsel from her
00:19:40.13\00:19:43.88
family, and from the church
leaders, and then she engaged
00:19:43.91\00:19:47.50
the services of a professional
attorney in San Francisco.
00:19:47.53\00:19:51.09
She probably could have
found one closer to home for
00:19:51.12\00:19:53.96
a little less money, but
she wanted an experienced
00:19:54.00\00:19:56.77
professional who could do
a good job, and he did a good
00:19:56.80\00:19:59.85
job because it has lasted
now for well over a 100 years.
00:19:59.88\00:20:02.53
There's two questions I want
to ask you because it occurs
00:20:02.56\00:20:05.32
to me that some of our
viewers may not know who Ellen
00:20:05.36\00:20:08.27
White is other than you
had established that she was
00:20:08.31\00:20:12.15
one of the founders of this
church, but also she was the
00:20:12.18\00:20:17.31
most published woman in
the world and how many literary
00:20:17.34\00:20:21.28
works did she do? And how
did she divide her assets?
00:20:21.31\00:20:25.21
Because the income
from these literary works,
00:20:25.25\00:20:28.26
What did she do with them?
00:20:28.30\00:20:29.50
Well I'm not sure how
many books she wrote, because
00:20:29.53\00:20:32.25
there are always new
compilations that are coming out
00:20:32.29\00:20:35.94
I know there are tens of
thousands of manuscripts that
00:20:35.97\00:20:39.59
she wrote, and I have a
picture of her grandson,
00:20:39.62\00:20:42.92
Arthur White, standing
beside a stack of her books that
00:20:42.96\00:20:46.27
is taller than he is, he
wasn't a tall man but still
00:20:46.30\00:20:49.58
they were taller than he is.
00:20:49.61\00:20:50.91
What Ellen White ended up
doing was dividing her estate
00:20:50.95\00:20:56.06
like this, 25% to
family, 75% to God's work.
00:20:56.09\00:21:02.85
Now I hasten to say that
is not inspired, that is not
00:21:02.88\00:21:07.02
what an example
that everyone should do.
00:21:07.06\00:21:10.24
Often people ask Leonard
and I, well how much do we leave
00:21:10.27\00:21:14.57
for God's work? And we
say, we can't tell you that.
00:21:14.61\00:21:17.39
Well what do other people
do? We can say we have seen
00:21:17.42\00:21:20.18
people leave nothing to
God's work, that makes us very
00:21:20.21\00:21:23.26
nervous. We've seen people
leave everything to God's work
00:21:23.29\00:21:26.30
and when there is family
around that makes us rather
00:21:26.34\00:21:28.40
nervous. And we seen
everything in between.
00:21:28.43\00:21:31.44
We've seen people who
lets say had three children,
00:21:31.48\00:21:34.49
so they left so they make
God's work a child and gave
00:21:34.53\00:21:37.84
25% to God's work and
25% for each three children.
00:21:37.87\00:21:41.11
That is a decision that
people need to make overtime and
00:21:41.14\00:21:44.62
with much prayer. - Amen!
- because for some children
00:21:44.65\00:21:48.21
to leave them resources
they are dependent on that,
00:21:48.24\00:21:52.15
they need that, others
it would be perhaps wasted,
00:21:52.18\00:21:56.05
and it's that good
use of stewardship?
00:21:56.09\00:21:58.23
That is the
question we need to ask.
00:21:58.26\00:22:00.34
For Ellen White, she made
a decision of 25% and 75%.
00:22:00.37\00:22:05.47
The 25%, she had two
sons, James Edison, and Willie.
00:22:05.50\00:22:10.53
She had people living in her
home who were her assistants,
00:22:10.56\00:22:14.19
who were family, they
weren't blood relatives but they
00:22:14.22\00:22:17.82
were family, they had
worked for a small stipend.
00:22:17.85\00:22:22.65
They lived in her home, so
she remembered them in specific
00:22:22.69\00:22:26.45
ways because she wanted to
help them along life's way.
00:22:26.49\00:22:30.22
They were indeed sort
of dependent upon her.
00:22:30.26\00:22:32.87
So in that 25% were her sons
plus these other individuals
00:22:32.91\00:22:37.33
that were, and
this is another point.
00:22:37.37\00:22:39.56
If a person dies
without a will, the judge will
00:22:39.60\00:22:43.42
distribute the
property to blood relatives.
00:22:43.45\00:22:47.20
If there are none it
would probably go to the state.
00:22:47.24\00:22:50.42
But you and I might have
someone that is not a blood
00:22:50.46\00:22:53.58
relative, but they are a loved
one, or a close friend, there
00:22:53.61\00:22:56.50
someone is dependent upon
us, or someone we want to leave
00:22:56.53\00:22:59.77
something to, without a will
it will not go to that friend
00:22:59.81\00:23:03.01
or loved one that is
not a direct family member.
00:23:03.05\00:23:06.80
Without a will there is a
hefty chunk that the state
00:23:06.84\00:23:10.25
actually takes out up
front as well, is that not true?
00:23:10.29\00:23:15.05
Well there would be probate
costs, and without a will
00:23:15.08\00:23:19.81
it is going to be
more expense, yes.
00:23:19.85\00:23:24.05
Let me hasten to add too,
some people, as Jeff was saying,
00:23:24.09\00:23:29.43
don't want to leave
anything to the children.
00:23:29.46\00:23:31.64
Nothing to the Lord's work, but
when they asked us for advice
00:23:31.67\00:23:37.14
what shall we do with our
estate? We do not give them
00:23:37.18\00:23:40.89
advice, we tell them that
it's between you and your spouse
00:23:40.93\00:23:44.35
and the Lord, you pray about
it, then have the Lord inspire
00:23:44.39\00:23:47.78
you about what to do.
That is what we tell everybody.
00:23:47.82\00:23:50.13
I just had a case of
a man, a wealthy man,
00:23:50.16\00:23:54.54
he's a millionaire and he
had two children and he wanted
00:23:54.57\00:24:03.01
to leave part of the
estate to the children.
00:24:03.04\00:24:06.12
But it was interesting that
the wife opposed and said no
00:24:06.16\00:24:10.21
I don't want to leave
anything to our children.
00:24:10.25\00:24:12.13
Anything to our children.
00:24:12.16\00:24:14.17
And that puts us in a very
bad situation because you see
00:24:14.20\00:24:18.61
when the parents are gone,
the children may say listen
00:24:18.64\00:24:23.01
the church or the
Ministry took our estate and
00:24:23.04\00:24:27.67
they become angry at the
parents and at the Ministry.
00:24:27.70\00:24:31.03
So I was able, with the
Lord's help, to convince them
00:24:31.06\00:24:33.90
they ought to remember
their children, and they did.
00:24:33.93\00:24:37.22
I am happy for that,
but that is how people are.
00:24:37.25\00:24:40.47
We are all different you
know, but it is very vital to
00:24:40.50\00:24:44.71
remember of course our
loved ones because I have seen
00:24:44.74\00:24:48.89
very sad cases throughout
my experience and the people
00:24:48.93\00:24:52.90
become so upset with the
mom and daddy and eventually
00:24:52.93\00:24:56.87
the church and the organization.
00:24:56.91\00:24:58.38
You have been through
those experiences Jeff too.
00:24:58.42\00:25:00.87
Well I do know that, in
planning your will and estate,
00:25:00.90\00:25:05.26
there are so many people
that are wealthy and they know
00:25:05.29\00:25:09.64
what their state taxes are
about to run, they can even get
00:25:09.68\00:25:12.97
life insurance that will
cover the cost of those estate
00:25:13.01\00:25:16.35
taxes there are many benefits,
but if you have nothing,
00:25:16.38\00:25:19.82
we all have treasured
possessions and we know somebody
00:25:19.86\00:25:23.26
that would like to have them.
00:25:23.30\00:25:25.01
Yes I think even people with
modest means know where they
00:25:25.04\00:25:30.37
would like their
things to go. - sure.
00:25:30.41\00:25:32.51
The other point is, we do
not know what our final estate
00:25:32.55\00:25:35.61
will be, we might be out
here on the highway and be run
00:25:35.64\00:25:38.90
over, and for younger people
the most common, would be an
00:25:38.93\00:25:42.15
accident in which
there might be wrongful death
00:25:42.19\00:25:44.33
settlements and the estate
could be much larger than they
00:25:44.36\00:25:46.88
had thought, and of course
if they have life insurance
00:25:46.91\00:25:49.39
that would be there too.
00:25:49.42\00:25:51.37
So for all those reasons,
we feel that even if a person
00:25:51.41\00:25:55.14
has a modest estate, they
need a will, even if they have
00:25:55.17\00:25:58.87
got a lot they need a
will. All those in between.
00:25:58.91\00:26:01.33
It's a part of our stewardship.
00:26:01.37\00:26:03.86
If I've borrow a tool from
you I have a responsibility to
00:26:03.90\00:26:08.53
return it when I
am through using it.
00:26:08.56\00:26:10.10
If I kept it for myself,
that would be stealing even
00:26:10.14\00:26:12.79
though I borrowed it from you.
00:26:12.83\00:26:14.88
Well everything we have
is loaned from the Lord and
00:26:14.92\00:26:18.00
we have ultimately a
chance to return it to the Lord.
00:26:18.04\00:26:20.53
That is so true. Now we
only have about a minute left
00:26:20.57\00:26:23.03
and there is two
things I want to ask you.
00:26:23.06\00:26:24.44
Number one, I understand
that none of her royalties go to
00:26:24.48\00:26:27.66
family members, that is
all going back into the work of
00:26:27.69\00:26:30.84
the Lord, is that
correct for the Ellen White?
00:26:30.88\00:26:32.73
- that's true. What
principles did she best exhibit,
00:26:32.77\00:26:37.42
or manifest in the way
she handled her estate?
00:26:37.45\00:26:41.18
She took time to
work out these details.
00:26:41.22\00:26:44.16
She sought
professional and family advice,
00:26:44.19\00:26:47.09
which was very important.
00:26:47.13\00:26:48.77
She remembered her loved
ones generously and she as
00:26:48.81\00:26:53.52
well remembered
God's work generously.
00:26:53.55\00:26:57.45
She remembered the broad
aspects of God's work, the
00:26:57.48\00:27:02.12
training of ministers and
teachers, our mission program,
00:27:02.15\00:27:05.83
our medical
work, all those areas.
00:27:05.86\00:27:10.69
The publishing work
were remembered in her will,
00:27:10.72\00:27:13.20
so she was broad in her
giving during her life time and
00:27:13.24\00:27:17.00
she was brought in
her giving after death.
00:27:17.04\00:27:19.68
And she did most of her
giving before she passed away.
00:27:19.71\00:27:24.29
And that follows right
along with 1 Timothy 5:8 too.
00:27:24.32\00:27:27.58
Take care of your
family while they are in need.
00:27:27.61\00:27:31.34
Well I hope you have
been blessed by this program.
00:27:31.37\00:27:34.61
I just want to thank you
Jeff, and thank you Leonard
00:27:34.65\00:27:37.86
for joining us today.
00:27:37.89\00:27:39.58
And for those of you at
home, please take this advice,
00:27:39.61\00:27:43.86
get a will, make a will
and now we just want to say we
00:27:43.90\00:27:47.48
hope that the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
00:27:47.51\00:27:50.87
the Father, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit will be
00:27:50.91\00:27:54.23
with you today and
every day throughout the rest
00:27:54.27\00:27:57.29
of your life. Thank
you for joining us, bye!
00:27:57.33\00:28:00.32