Monday, November 30, 2020

Alfred Douglas Young's Visions of the Parousia and the Millennial Temple

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)