DORCHESTER VISION

I call to mind a circumstance connected with Mrs. White’s first visit to Massachusetts, in the spring of 1845, as related to me by Bro. Otis Nichols. She first met with the company in Dorchester in the spacious rooms of the home of Mr. Otis Nichols. A company of Adventist believers was in Boston, about seven miles from Dorchester, and a larger company was at Randolph, eight or nine miles in the opposite direction. Mr. Nichols was anxious that Miss Harmon (now Mrs. White) should have an opportunity to speak to each company. He met two of the leaders of the Boston company, Sargent and Robbins, who professed a great desire to hear Miss Harmon. Arrangements were made, and they promised to have the whole company together in Boston “the next sabbath” [Sunday] to hear her speak.PGGC 58.1

At family worship Saturday night Miss Harmon was shown in vision that there would be no meeting in Boston the next day; that the men who had expressed so strong a desire to hear her had made no appointment for her, but were going with their whole company to Randolph, and that she must go to that place, and meet both companies at the same time. It was also revealed to her that the Lord would manifest His power in their midst, and all present would have an opportunity to learn that the visions were of the Lord. Accordingly, she went early Sunday morning to Randolph, arriving just as the opening hymn was being sung. Great was the astonishment of that company when Mr. and Mrs. Nichols and Miss Harmon entered the room.PGGC 58.2

In the season of prayer, at the opening of the meeting, Miss Harmon was taken off in vision, while in a kneeling posture. Sargent and Robbins arose and declared her vision to be false, and from Satan, and said that if an open Bible were laid on her breast, it would at once bring her out of the vision. Mr. Thayer, the owner of the house, placed a large quarto, ten-pound Bible open upon her chest. Immediately after the Bible was laid upon her, she arose upon her feet, and walked into the middle of the room, with the Bible open upon her left hand, and lifted as high as she could reach, with her eyes steadily looking upward, and not upon the Bible. She continued for a long time to turn over the leaves with her other hand, and place her finger upon certain passages, and correctly utter their words with a solemn voice. Many present looked at the passages where her finger pointed, to see if she spoke them correctly; for her eyes at the same time were looking upward and not toward the book. She continued thus in vision all the afternoon until almost sunset,—over six hours,—the longest vision she has ever been known to have.PGGC 59.1

In exposing the schemes of Satan against the Lord’s work, this vision was in character like the one referred to above, in the days of Elisha and the king of Israel.PGGC 59.2