promise which he had received in the former vision. While he thus continued to pour out his desires before the Father of all good, endeavoring to exercise faith in his precious promises, " on a sudden, a light like that of day, only of a purer and far more glorious appearance and brightness, burst into the room — indeed the first sight was as if the house were filled with consum- ing fire. This sudden appearance of a light so bright, as must naturally be expected, occasioned a shock or sensation that extended to the extremities of the body. It was, however, followed with a calmness and serenity of mind and an overwhelming rapture of joy that sur- passed understanding, and in a moment a personage stood before him." Notwithstanding the brightness of the light which previously illuminated the room, "yet there seemed to be an additional glory surrounding or accompanying this personage, which shone with an in- creased degree of brilliancy, of which he was in the midst ; and though his countenance was as lightning, yet it was of a pleasing, innocent, and glorious appear- ance—so much so that every fear was banished from the heart, and nothing but calmness pervaded the soul." " The stature of this personage was a little above the common size of men in this age; his garment was per- fectly white, and had the appearance of being without seam." This glorious being declared himself to be an angel of God, sent forth by commandment to communi- cate to him that his sins were forgiven, and that his prayers were heard ; and also to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel concerning their posterity' was at hand to be fulfilled — that the great preparatory work for the second coming of the IMessiah was speedily to commence — that the time was at hand for the Gospel in its fulness to be preached in power to all nations, that a people might be prepared with faith and righteousness for the mil- lennial reign of universal peace and joy. He was in- formed that he was called and chosen to be an instru- ment in the hands of God to bring about some of his marvellous purposes in this glorious dispensation. It was also made manifest to him that the '"American In- dians" were a remnant of Israel; that when they first emigrated to America they were an enlightened people, possessing a knowledge of the true God, enjoying his favor and peculiar blessings from his hand; that the prophets and inspired writers among them were required to keep a sacred history of the most important events transpiring among them, which history was handed down for many generations, till at length they fell into great wickedness. The greatest part of them were de- stroyed, and the records (by commandment of God to one of the last prophets among them) were safely de- posited to preserve them from the hands of the wicked who sought to destroy them. He was informed that these records contained many sacred revelations per- taining to the gospel of the kingdom, as well as proph- ecies relating to the great events of the last days ; and that to fulfil his promises to the ancients who wrote the records, and to accomplish his purposes in the restitu- tion of their children, etc., they were to come forth to the knowledge of the people. If faithful, he was to be the instrument who should be thus highly favored in bringing these sacred things to light. At the same time he was expressly informed that it must be done with an eye single to the glory of God — that no one could be intrusted with those sacred writings who should en- deavor to aggrandize himself by converting sacred things to unrighteous and speculative purposes (see Book o/MoiTiion, ch. iv, § 2, p. 510). After giving him many instructions concerning things past and to come, which would be foreign to our purpose to mention here, he disappeared, and the light and glory of God with- drew, leaving his mind in perfect peace, wliile a calm- ness and serenity indescribable pervaded his soul. But before morning the vision was twice renewed, instruct- ing him further and still further concerning the great work of God about to be performed on the earth. In
MORMONS
620
MORMOXS
the morning he went out to his work as usual, but soon the vision was renewed — the angel again appeared, and having been informed by the previous visions of the night concerning the place where those recorils were de- posited, lie was instructed to go immediatel}'^ and view them.
Accordingly he repaired to the place, a brief descrip- tion of wliich was best given by Oliver Cowdery [Jo- seph Sinitii's scribe and lirst follower by baptism], who shortly afier this event visited the spot :