Chapter 1—A Vision of the Reward of the Faithful
My First Vision
While I was praying at the family altar, the Holy Ghost fell upon
me, and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the dark
world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could
not find them, when a voice said to me, “Look again, and look a little
higher.” At this I raised my eyes, and saw a straight and narrow path,
cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were
traveling to the city, which was at the farther end of the path. They had
a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path, which an
angel told me was the midnight cry. This light shone all along the path
and gave light for their feet so that they might not stumble. If they kept
their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to
the city, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city
was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then
Jesus would encourage them by raising His glorious right arm, and
from His arm came a light which waved over the Advent band, and
they shouted, “Alleluia!” Others rashly denied the light behind them
and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light
behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they
stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path
down into the dark and wicked world below. Soon we heard the voice
of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’
coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood
the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake.
When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and
our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God, as Moses’
did when he came down from Mount Sinai.
The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their fore-
heads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing
Jesus’ new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged,
and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison,
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