[In January 1818] I had another daughter born. When she
was about six months old I had a vision of the damned spirits in hell, so that
I was filled with horror more than I was able to bear, but I cried to the Lord day
and night until I got an answer of peace and a promise that I should be saved
in the Kingdom of God that satisfied me. That promise had been with me through
all the changing scenes of life ever since.
When I was getting ready for bed one night I had put my
babe into the bed with its father and it was crying. I dropped down to take off
my shoes and stockings. I had one stocking in my hand. | There was a light dropped down on the floor before
me. I stepped back and there was another under my feet. The first was in the
shape of a half moon and full of little black spots. The last was about an inch
long and about a quarter of an inch wide. I brushed them with the stocking that
was in my hand and put my hand over one of them to see if it would shine on my
hand. This I did to satisfy others, as for myself, I knew that the lights were
something that could not be accounted for and for some purpose. I did not know
what until I heard the Gospel preached in its purity. The first was an emblem
of all the religions then on the earth. The half moon that was cut off was the
spiritual gifts promised after baptism. The black spots were the defects you
will find in every church throughout the whole world. The last light was the Gospel
preached by the Angel flying through the midst of Heaven and it was the same
year and the same season of the year and I don’t know but the same day that the
Lord brought the glad news of Salvation to Joseph Smith. It must have been a
stirring time among the Heavenly hosts, the windows of Heaven having so long
been closed against all communication with the earth, being suddenly thrown
open. Angels were wending their way to earth with such a glorious message—a message
that concerns every one, both in heaven and earth. I passed through all this
and not a neighbor knew anything of it, although I prayed so loud that my
husband was afraid they would all hear me. (“History of Sarah Sturdevant
Leavitt,” April 19, 1875, copied from her history by Juanita Leavitt Pulsipher,
June, 1919, p.p. 3-4, comment in square brackets added for clarification)
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