| Other Visions |
| Visions reported by Mormons through 1839. See also Joseph's Visions and Joseph Sr.'s Visions. | ||||
| … as it respects the vision you speak of, we do not consider ourselves bound to receive any revelation from any one man or woman without their being legally constituted and ordained to that authority, and given sufficient proof of it. | Joseph to one of Jared Carter's brothers, April 17, 1833, Times and Seasons, vol. 5 no. 24, 752 | |||
| ¶ | I will inform you that it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves, therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them: but if any have a vision or a visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for their own benefit and instruction, for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the church is vested in the keys of the kingdom. | |||
| Before 1816 | Solomon Chamberlin | |||
| Hell,
three heavens, churches corrupt, restoration soon, angel 3 childhood visions |
From the time my father died, till I was 19 years of age I lived a very wicked life. About that time, I had a vision of hell, and which alarmed me very much, and I reformed and had another of three heavens, and their glories, and the third one, far exceeded the others. My visions so alarmed me, I was in sorrow and repentance for many days, on account of my sins, I thought I would give all the world if I could find a man that could tell me what I should do to be saved. I sought much, but could find none. … |
Short Sketch of Solomon Chamberlin Solomon Chamberlin (1788–1862) |
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| 1816 vision | [In 1816] … the Lord shewed me in a vision, that there was no people on the earth that was right, and that faith was gone from the earth, excepting a few and that all Churches were corrupt. I further saw in the vision, that he would soon raise up a Church, that would be after the Apostolic Order, that there would be in it the same powers, and gifts that were in the days of Christ, and that I should live to see the day, and that there would a book come forth, like unto the Bible and the people would be guided by it, as well as the Bible. … | In
his 1829 pamphlet Solomon refers to this as "a night vision."
He "descended down to the regions of the damned" and sees "them
blowing up the flames and preparing red hot iron to lay their faces on to
all eternity." Solomon trembles, "but to my great joy and surprise
a man came to me and said, you may go back to yonder world and have one
year longer to prepare." "Sketch
of the Experience," 131, 132 (BYU Studies text). The pamphlet records other pre-Mormon experiences such as "a dream or vision of the night" that leads him to the Reformed Methodist Church in Readsboro, Vermont (near the Massachusetts border) and their common-stock community in Shaftsbury, Vermont (near the New York border) in 1816. By 1819 he is living in Adams, Massachusetts, attending the Episcopal Methodist church, where, in the fall, the class leader rebukes him "for letting my light shine before the wrld, for said he, it will not do to preach up sanctification before unbelievers." Later he has a seven-day "exercise" that includes prayer, little food, the glory and "presence of Christ," the visitation of a deceased woman, and finally, "it appeared to me that I saw my Saviour stand before me with the bible in his and, and said to me this is the book—live in the spirit that this was wrote and you shall shine in the enternal [sic] world on high." |
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| Angel | This vision I received from an angel or spirit from the eternal world that told me these things. | |||
| Prompted to Palmyra | In the mid-1820s, Solomon is living at Lyons, about 20 miles east of Hill Cumorah. On one occasion, while traveling on the Erie Canal, "I felt as if some genie or good spirit told me to leave the boat" near Palmyra. "After leaving the boat, the spirit manifested to me, to travel a south course. I did so for about 3 miles." The angelic "guide" directs him to a farm house, where he spends the night. | |||
| Gold Bible | In the morning, the people of the house asked me if I had heard of the Gold Bible. When they said Gold Bible, there was a power like electricity went from the top of my head to the end of my toes. This was the first time I ever heard of the Gold Bible. I was now within half a mile of the Smith family where Joseph lived. … | |||
| Smth home | I soon made my way across lots, to Father Smith's and found Hyrum walking the floor. | |||
| As I entered the door, I said, "Peace be to this house." | ||||
| He looked at me as one astonished, and said, "I hope it will be peace." | ||||
| I then said, "Is there anyone here that believes in visions or revelations?" | ||||
| A visionary house | He said, "Yes, we are a visionary house." | |||
| Solomon's visionary pamphlet | I said, "Then I will give you one of my pamphlets, which was visionary, and of my own experience." | The text of Solomon's 1829 pamphlet is in an article by Larry C. Porter, BYU Studies vol. 37 no. 2 (1997–1998), 113–140. | ||
| Smiths, Whitmers gather | They then called the people together, which consisted of five or six men who were out at the door. Father Smith was one and some of the Whitmer's. | |||
| Hyrum effected | They then sat down and read my pamphlet. Hyrum read first, but was so affected he could not read it. He then gave it to a man, which I learned was Christian Whitmer, he finished reading it. | |||
| Solomon tells his vision | I then opened my mouth and began to preach to them, in the words that the angel had made known to me in the vision, that all churches and denominations on the earth had become corrupt, and no church of God on the earth, but that he would shortly raise up a church that would never be confounded nor brought down and be like unto the Apostolic Church. | |||
| Astonished | They wondered greatly who had been telling me these things, for said they we have the same things wrote down in our house, taken from the Gold record, that you are preaching to us. | |||
| I said, "The Lord told me these things a number of years ago." | ||||
| I then said, "If you are a visionary house, I wish you would make known some of your discoveries, for I think I can bear them." | ||||
| 1827 | Martin Harris | |||
| The Lord, future | [December 1827] …and because of [Martin Harris's] faith and this rightheous deed [assisting Joseph and Emma to move to Susquehanna] the Lord appeared unto him in a vision and shewed unto him his marvilous work which he was about to do and <he> imediately came to Suquehanna and said the Lord had shown him that he must go to new York City with some of the c<h>aracters and so we proceeded to coppy some of them | ¶ Joseph's 1832 History | ||
| 1829 | Oliver Cowdery | |||
| The Lord, Joseph's work | In 1832 Joseph writes that after the loss of the first 116 pages, the plates were taken from him, "and it came to pass after much humility and affliction of soul I obtained them again [the] Lord apppeared unto a young man by the name of Oliver Cowdry and shewed unto him the plates in a vision and also the truth of the work and what the Lord was about to do through me his unworthy servant." | ¶
Joseph's 1832 History D&C 6:22 |
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| 1831 | Lyman Wight | |||
| (Ezra Booth) | … declared with a loud voice, he saw the Savior … | Ezra Booth in ¶ Minutes of June 3–6, 1831 | ||
| (John Whitmer) | He saw the hevans opened, and the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the Father, Making intercession for his brethren, the Saints. | John Whitmer in ¶ Minutes of June 3–6, 1831 | ||
| (Levi Hancock) | … he then stepped out on the floor and said I now see God, and Jesus Christ at his right hand let them kill me, I should not feel death as I am now | Levi Hancock in ¶ Minutes of June 3–6, 1831 | ||
| (Philo Dibble) | Philo records only that Lyman "stepped into the middle of the room and bore record of the coming of the Son of Man," but later adds Joseph that "bore record of the opening of the heavens and of the coming of the Son of Man, precisely as Lyman Wight had done." | Philo Dibble in ¶ Minutes of June 3–6, 1831 | ||
| 1836 | Zebedee Coltrin | |||
| The Savior | January 26, 1836 following the organization of the Seventy in the house of the Lord, many spiritual manifestations are reported, including Zebedee Coltrin's vision of "the Savior extended before him, as upon the cross, and a little after, crowned with glory upon his head above the brightness of the sun." |
HC 2:387. |
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| 1836 | Zebedee Coltrin | |||
| The Lord's host | February 6, 1836 the "anointed" meet by quorum in the House of the Lord. Many visions are reported. Zebedee sees "the Lord's host." | HC 2:388. | ||
| 1836 | Frederick G. Williams, David Whitnmer | |||
| Angels at the Kirtland dedication | March 27, 1836 after Joseph delivers the dedicatory prayer for the Lord's House in Kirtland, he bears witness of the "administering of angels." Frederick G., Williams stands and testifies that while Sidney was praying "an angel entered the window" and sat down between himself and Joseph Sr., and remained through the prayer. David Whitmer also sees "angels in the house." | Joseph Smith "Ohio Journal, 1835–1836" in Papers 2:203. | ||
| 1836 | Oliver Cowdery | |||
| Glory of God, cloven tongues of fire | [March 27, 1836] I saw the glory of God, like a great cloud,
come down and rest upon the house…. I also saw cloven tongues like
as of fire rest upon many … while they spake with other tongues and
prophesied. |
Last entry in Oliver Cowdery's "Sketch Book," qtd. in "Oliver Cowdery's Kirtland," 426. | ||
| 1836 | Ebenezer Robinson | |||
| Apostate church as woman | [August 12, 1836] While my brother was thus at prayer I had an open vision. I saw a beautiful female, perfect in form and features, who seemed a little taller than the average female, standing erect, upon a platform elevated some eight or ten inches above the floor, but notwithstanding her beauty and perfect symmetry in form, she was full of sores from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. I marvelled and wondered within myself, is it possible the Church is so corrupted. | "Items of Personal Interest," 115. | ||
| 1837 | Wilford Woodruff | |||
| Satan in Kirtland House of the Lord | [April 7, 1837] … & when the shades of evening began to appear I repaired to the house of the LORD in company with Elders Milton Holmes, & Joseph B Nobles for the purpose of worshiping God. We entered one of the stands within the veils & fell upon our knees & Satan appeared also but not to worship god but to deprive us of the priviilege. Satan strove against us with great power by tempting & otherwis. He at one time drove me from my stand while I was striving with my brethren to enter into the visions of heaven. | WWJ 1:136–137. | ||
| 1837 | Authorized | |||
| High council | April 7, 1837 the high council of Zion authorizes Presidents David Whitmer, W. W. Phelps, and John Whitmer to "receive Revelations Visions &c." concerning the house of the Lord they are about to build. | ¶ Minutes of April 7, 1837 | ||
| 1838 | Wilford Woodruff | |||
| Victory, Satan, baptism of friends | [July1, 1838] I began to Cry unto God for my father & his houshold & the Lord Showed me in a night vision that a great victory was nigh. But the devil fell upon the whole household with great wrath & tempations. Some of the time one was ready to fall back & reject the gospel & then again annother. His power rested upon me at the same time as if to devour me at once. But after being confined to my bed for several hours under his grasp, in the name of Jesus Christ I with my friends birst the Powers of darkness. I went & stood before the people & declaired the gospel … assembled upon the bank of Farmington river whare there was much water & lead six of my friends into the waters of Baptism. | WWJ 1:264. | ||
| 1839 | Lucy Mack Smith | |||
| April 1839, before Joseph's return | The night before the return of her sons from Liberty Jail, Edward Partridge tells Lucy he is "perfectly discouraged" and fears they will never see the Prophet and Patriarch again in this world. | Lucy, 696–698. | ||
| Lucy assured | But, says Lucy, "an assurance entered my heart that my sons would be home by the following night and it filled my soul with such joy that I exclaimed aloud with tears Brother Pa[r]tridge I shall see my sons again before tomorrow night" | |||
| Edward doubts | [Edward replies:] … I always believed every thing you told me before but I have no faith in what you say <for> I cannot see any prospect of your prophecy being fulfilled but if it proves to be true I will never dispute you again while I live— | |||
| Vision of Joseph and Hyrum on the prairie | [697] … that night upon lieing down upon my bed to go to sleep I saw my sons in vision on the prarie in Misouri they appeared to be very tired and hungry they had but one horse and I saw them stop and tie the horse to the burnt Stub of a sapppling after which they laid down on the ground to rest themselves and as they lay there oh how pale and faint they looked | |||
| I sprang up in bed oh Father <I> said I see Joseph and Hyrum and they are so weak they can scarcly stand and now they are lying on the cold ground asleep Oh! how I want to give them something to eat | ||||
| Joseph Sr. doubts | Mr Smith begged me to be quiet saying I was nervous but it was impossible fore they were still before my eyes and I saw them untill they had lain there near 2 hours then one of them went away to try to get something to eat {and} but did not succeed and [698] they traveled on | |||
| Hyrum rides, Joseph walks | Hyrum rode at this time and Joseph walked by his side holding himself up by the stirrup leather I could see him almost reel with weakness and yet I could not help him | |||
| Lucy walks the floor | My soul was grieved and I could not sleep so I arose from my bed and spent the night walking the floor | |||
| Prepares reception | the next day I commenced making preparations for their reception as confidently as though I had received word that they would be there to supper … | |||
| Wheeler Baldwin brings news | in the afternoon near sunset I went up stairs to consult with Lucy about my cooking and as we came down she was before me and when she came to bottom of the stairs she screamed out there is Mr Baldwin this man had been in prison{ers] with my sons | Lucy
Smith (July 18, 1821– December 9,
1882) Wheeler Baldwin (1793–1887), an elder at the June 3–6, 1831 conference, had served on the high council in Zion. Member, Council of Fifty. Joined Alpheus Cutler's True Church of Jesus Christ in 1853 and the Reorganized Church in 1863. |
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| Oh my brothers said she where are they— | ||||
| Arrive soon | Mr Baldwin told us that Hyrum and Joseph were then on their way over the river and would soon be in Quincy | |||
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