Chapter 6—My First Vision
It was not long after the passing of the time, in 1844, that my first
vision was given me. I was visiting Mrs. Haines at Portland, a dear
sister in Christ, whose heart was knit with mine; five of us, all women,
were kneeling quietly at the family altar. While we were praying, the
power of God came upon me as I had never felt it before.
I seemed to be surrounded with light, and to be rising higher and
higher from the earth. 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.” [See
Matthew
25:6
.] 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
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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.
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