Chapter 31—Traveling the Narrow Way
While at Battle Creek, Michigan, in August, 1868, I dreamed
of being with a large body of people. A portion of this assembly
started out prepared to journey. We had heavily loaded wagons. As we
journeyed, the road seemed to ascend. On one side of this road was a
deep precipice; on the other was a high, smooth, white wall....
As we journeyed on, the road grew narrower and steeper. In some
places it seemed so very narrow that we concluded that we could no
longer travel with the loaded wagons. We then loosed them from the
horses, took a portion of the luggage from the wagons and placed it
upon the horses, and journeyed on horseback.
As we progressed, the path still continued to grow narrow. We
were obliged to press close to the wall, to save ourselves from falling
off the narrow road down the steep precipice. As we did this, the
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luggage on the horses pressed against the wall, and caused us to sway
toward the precipice. We feared that we should fall, and be dashed in
pieces on the rocks. We then cut the luggage from the horses, and it
fell over the precipice. We continued on horseback, greatly fearing, as
we came to the narrower places in the road, that we should lose our
balance and fall. At such times, a hand seemed to take the bridle, and
guide us over the perilous way.
As the path grew more narrow, we decided that we could no longer
go with safety on horseback, and we left the horses and went on foot,
in single file, one following in the footsteps of another. At this point
small cords were let down from the top of the pure white wall; these
we eagerly grasped, to aid us in keeping our balance upon the path. As
we traveled, the cord moved along with us. The path finally became so
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narrow that we concluded that we could travel more safely without our
shoes; so we slipped them from our feet, and went on some distance
without them. Soon it was decided that we could travel more safely
without our stockings; these were removed, and we journeyed on with
bare feet.
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