I have trouble w/some SDA beliefs (I’m SDA). Help?

I’ve been SDA all my life, and everyone in my immediate family is also SDA. Lately, I’ve been trying to understand scripture for myself, and I’ve come across loads of videos about the SDA being a cult. This doesn’t really bother me because if it’s the truth that’s causing all these people to call us a cult, I’ll happily take on that label and wear it with pride.

However, I’m having some trouble with some SDA beliefs, some of which have led others to call us a cult.

The beliefs:

1.  The Investigative Judgment - I honestly can’t say I fully get this one, but my trouble with it has to do with why God and His angels are judging us as we live our lives. Surely, God doesn’t need ages to judge us; one judgment at the end of time would be enough?

2.  The emphasis on us being “the remnant church.” This one I have a lot of trouble with. From my reading of scripture, a “church” isn’t the name attached to the denomination; it’s the body of Christ, made up of people who follow Christ regardless of their denomination. I struggle to see how, through the Bible alone, the SDA can be the remnant church, as I believe that the remnant would be made up of all the people who remain true to the teachings of Christ, regardless of denomination.

3.  Ellen White. I can’t speak much on her, as I have not even read a single book by her to completion. I just feel like the emphasis on quoting Ellen White over the Bible is really alarming. I know this isn’t reflective of the denomination as a whole, as not everyone does that. However, lately, I seem to skip sermons where every point is backed up by an EGW quote and not scripture.

A question for this point: Are all her prophecies in line with scripture, or does scripture support them? Or is it the case that her prophecies were additions to scripture? I ask this because I genuinely don’t know them all.

I’m really trying to understand my denomination and its beliefs, so any help is much appreciated.