Explanation of Early Statements
55
was given me through vision to encourage him to hope in God and to
give his heart fully to Jesus, which he did then and there.
An Unreasonable Conjecture
In another passage from the book A Word to the Little Flock, I
speak of scenes upon the new earth, and state that I there saw holy men
of old, “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Daniel and many like them.”
Because I speak of having seen these men, our opponents conjecture
that I then believed in the immortality of the soul and that having since
[65]
changed my views upon this point, I found it necessary to suppress
that passage. They are as near the truth here as in other conjectures.
In the year 1844 I accepted the doctrine we now hold, concerning
the nonimmortality of the soul, as may be seen by reference to
Life
Sketches, pages 170, 171
[1880 edition. See also 1915 edition, 49;
Testimonies 1:39, 40
], and I have never, by voice or pen, advocated any
other. Had we suppressed this passage on account of its teaching the
immortality of the soul, we would have found it necessary to suppress
other passages.
In relating my first vision, page 13 of Early Writings [1882 edition,
present edition, page 17], I speak of having seen brethren who had but
a short time previous fallen asleep in Jesus, and on page 14 [present
edition, pages 18, 19] I state that I was shown a great company who
had suffered martyrdom for their faith.
The immortality of the soul is no more taught in the “suppressed”
passage than in the two last cited.
The fact in the case is, that in these visions I was carried forward to
the time when the resurrected saints shall be gathered into the kingdom
of God. In the same manner the judgment, the second coming of
Christ, the establishment of the saints upon the new earth have been
presented before me. Does anyone suppose that these scenes have
yet transpired? My adversaries show the spirit by which they are
actuated in thus accusing me of deception on the strength of a mere
“conjecture.”