Nature and Influence of the “Testimonies”
589
on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and
from the wrath of the Lamb.’
“Presently an angel bade me rise, and the sight that met my eyes
can hardly be described. Before me was a company whose hair and
garments were torn, and whose countenances were the very picture of
despair and horror. They came close to me and rubbed their garments
upon mine. As I looked at my garments I saw that they were stained
[657]
with blood. Again I fell like one dead at the feet of my accompanying
angel. I could not plead one excuse and longed to be away from that
holy place. The angel raised me to my feet and said: ‘This is not your
case now, but this scene has passed before you to let you know what
your situation must be if you neglect to declare to others what the Lord
has revealed to you.’” [
Testimonies for the Church 1:73, 74
.] With this
solemn warning before me I went out to speak to the people the words
of reproof and instruction given me of God.
Personal Testimonies
The messages given me for different individuals I often wrote
out for them, in many cases doing this at their urgent request. As
my work extended, this became an important and taxing part of my
labors. Before the publication of Testimony 15 many requests for
written testimonies were sent me by those whom I had counseled or
reproved; but I was in a state of great exhaustion from wearing labor,
and I shrank from the task, especially since I knew that many of these
persons were very unworthy, and there seemed little hope that the
warnings given would work any decided change in them. At that time
I was greatly encouraged by the following dream:
“A person brought to me a web of white cloth, and bade me cut it
into garments for persons of all sizes and all descriptions of character
and circumstances in life. I was told to cut them out and hang them up
all ready to be made when called for. I had the impression that many
for whom I was required to cut garments were unworthy. I inquired if
that was the last piece of cloth I should have to cut and was told that it
was not; that as soon as I had finished this one, there were others for
me to take hold of. I felt discouraged at the amount of work before
me and stated that I had been engaged in cutting garments for others
for more than twenty years, and my labors had not been appreciated,
[658]