Writing in 1887, Alfred Douglas Young (1808-1889) wrote the following, based on a vision he had, of the Parousia. What is striking is that he never once mentions any belief Jesus would come in 1890/91 to usher in the Parousia (on this, see Did Joseph Smith Predict that the Second Coming would happen in 1890/91?):
The Sign of the
Coming of the Son of Man
Before them, over the
water, I saw a personage in a pillar of light. It was made manifest to me that
it was John the Revelator. I saw the waters under and around him heave up and
roll away to the North, and the land come up, and connected the land on which
the ten tribes were with the land upon which I stood. I saw the multitude come
on to the land on which I stood.
The vision closed and
it was not made known to me where the multitude went. I became excited at the
sight, and raise my hands toward heaven, and glorified God.
Still continuing in
vision, I saw a great multitude of Saints gathered in one place and dressed in
white. At that time I knew noting about the robes of the Priesthood, but since
I became acquainted with these matters, it appears to me as though they were
dressed in the robes of the Priesthood. The angel said again to me, “Look.” I
looked and saw a light in the east, and was made manifest to me that it was the
sign of the coming of the Son of Man. The light grew gradually larger as it
approached the earth. The Saints appeared to have upon them a spirit of great
expectation. I saw them several times go forth in the form of an escort with
the apparent expectation that the Savior would arrive.
The Second Coming
At last, I saw the
whole multitude, both small and great, go forth dressed in white, with white
coverings on their heads and with palms in their hands, whiter than the purest
snow. They went towards that East, as they had before done. The Savior
approached the earth. There was with him an innumerable multitude of angels and
Saints. They appeared to be upon a cloudy, mistry element; it might have been a
planet. I cannot tell. As they approached, the Saints who were upon the earth
came forward, and threw down the palms that were in their hands, covering the
earth with them for the reception of the Savior and his retinue. They bowed
before him, and praised him.
I saw at the same
time many of the wicked bow before him, and acknowledge that he was the Christ,
and give up the ghost. (Benson Knowles, ed., The Refiner’s Fire: An
Autobiographical Account of the Visions, Miracles and Trials of Mormon Pioneer
Alfred Douglas Young [GDP Consulting Inc., 2020], 40-41)
Interestingly, Young also gave this
description, based on his visionary experience, of the Millennial Temple (cf.
Ezek 40-47):
The Millennial Temple
The angel said to me,
“Draw near to the temple.” I did so, and he accompanied me. He conducted me
into its lower courts, where I saw twelve baptismal fonts and the twelve
foundations, which were of different and beautiful materials; but as [a] whole,
they were the solid foundation of a grand and beautiful temple.
The angel conducted
upwards on the next floor of the temple, above the baptismal fonts. This part
of the Temple was constructed of different material from the lower courts. It
was beautiful beyond my capacity describe. There, I was shown all the various
rooms or departments for the different grades of the priesthood.
From this place, the
Angel conducted me up the stairway to what appeared to be the upper or highest
story of the temple. It far exceeded in beauty and richness anything that I had
before seen. I can only compare it to be very clear, pure glass mingled with
gold. All these departments had suitable accommodations for the uses for which
they were designed, including seats for those receiving endowments and for
those administering therein or for people who might gather together for
instruction and etc. I saw in the upper court a seat or throne especially
fitted up for the sitting of Jesus Christ and of his Father. I also saw before
the thrown two altars, one about three feet high and the other about eighteen
inches, or half the height of the other.
Up to this time, I
had seen no person in this temple but the angel who conducted me. He said to me
again, “Look.” As I looked, the walls of the upper court of the Temple were so
transparent, as the purest glass. I saw many people come up around the Temple,
and fall down and worship God. Afterwards, they went into the lower courts of
the Temple, and were baptized, I saw them pass through all the various grades of
the Priesthood, from one floor to another, until they came into the upper
court. They appeared to have some kind of offering in their hands. What it was,
was not clearly manifest to me. This [offering] they laid on the highest altar,
and bowed on their knees on the lesser altar, and there made their final covenants
before the throne of God. After this, they received and inheritance on the new
earth. (Ibid., 43-45)
