1
I at length came to the determination to ask of God, concluding that if He gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.
2
So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt.
3
It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of 1820.
4
It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
5
¶ After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone,
6
I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God, calling upon the Lord for the first time with a fixed determination to obtain wisdom.
7
I had scarcely done so, or in other words I made a fruitless attempt to pray, my tongue seemed to be swollen in my mouth, so that I could not utter.
8
I heard a noise behind me like some person walking towards me, I strove again to pray, but could not.
9
The noise of walking seemed to draw nearer, I sprung up on my feet, and looked around, but saw no person or thing that was calculated to produce the noise of walking.
10
Immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak.
11
Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
12
¶ I kneeled again my mouth was opened, and my tongue liberated, and I called on the Lord in mighty prayer;
13
I cried unto the Lord for mercy, for there was none else to whom I could go and to obtain mercy and the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness.
14
Exerting all my powers I called upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction,
15
Not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being.
16
¶ Just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun.
17
This pillar of fire appeared above my head and descended gradually until it fell upon me, it rested down upon my head, and filled me with joy unspeakable.
18
It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound when the light rested upon me,
19
A personage appeared in the midst of this pillar of flame which was spread all around, and yet nothing consumed.
20
Then another personage soon appeared like unto the first.
21
Before me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.
22
¶ One of them spoke unto me, calling me by name, and said: Thy sins are forgiven thee.
23
He testified unto me that Jesus Christ is the son of God;
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He said, pointing to the other: This is my beloved Son, hear Him.
25
My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join.
26
No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, then I asked the personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right, and which I should join.
27
I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong,
28
And the personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in His sight: that those professors were all corrupt;
29
He said: They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
30
They teach for doctrines the commandments of men: having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.
31
He again forbade me to join with any of them.
32
And I saw many angels in this vision;
33
And many other things did He say unto me, which I cannot write at this time.
34
¶ When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven.
35
When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home.
36
And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was.
37
I replied: Never mind, all is well; I am well enough off.
38
I then said to my mother: I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.