VISIONS — A Heavenly Manifestation
Shared by President Heber J. Hale, President of the Boise Stake of Zion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1920
It is with a very humble and grateful spirit that I attempt to relate, on this occasion and by request, a personal experience which is very sacred to me. I must, of necessity, be brief. Furthermore, there were certain things made known to me which I do not feel at liberty to share here. Let me say, by way of preface, that between the hours of twelve and seven-thirty on the night of January 20, 1920, while alone in a room at the house of my friend W. F. Rawson in Carey, Idaho, this glorious manifestation was vouchsafed me.
I was not conscious of anything that transpired during the hours mentioned except that I experienced this manifestation. I did not turn over in bed nor was I disturbed by any sound, which is indeed unusual for me. Whether it be called a dream, an apparition, a vision, or a pilgrimage of the spirit into the world of spirits, I know not. I care not. i know that I actually saw and experienced the things related in this Heavenly Manifestation and that they are as real to me as any experience of my life. For me, at least, this is sufficient.
Of all the doctrines and practices of the Church, the vicarious work for the dead had been the most difficult for me to comprehend and wholeheartedly accept. I consider this vision as the Lord’s answer to the prayer of my soul on this and certain other questions. I passed but a short distance from my body through a film into the world of spirits. This was my first experience after going to sleep. I seemed to realize that I had passed through the change called death and I so referred to it in conversation with the immortal being with whom I came immediately into contact. I readily observed their displeasure at our use of the word ‘death’ and the fear which we attached to it. They use another word in referring to the transition from mortality, which word I do not recall and I can only approach its meaning as the impression was left on my mind by calling it ‘newborn’.
My first visual impression was the nearness of the world of spirits, to the eyes of a spirit novice. Many enjoyed unrestricted freedom as to both vision and action. The vegetation and landscape were beautiful beyond description, not all green as here, but filled with varying shades of pink, orange,and lavender, as the rainbow. A sweet calmness pervaded everything and the people I met there I did not think of as spirits, but as men and women, self-thinking and self-acting individuals going about important business in a most orderly manner. There was perfect order there and everybody had something to do, and they seemed to be about their business. That the inhabitants of the spirit world are classified according to their subservience to the Father’s will was subsequently made apparent. Particularly was it observed that the wicked and unrepentant are confined to a certain district by themselves, the Confiner of which is defiantly determined and impossible. The line marking the division of the physical from the spiritual world is a mere film but impossible to pass until the person himself has changed. This world of spirits is the temporary abode of all spirits, pending the resurrection from the dead and the final judgement.
There was much activity within the different spheres, and appointed ministers of salvation were seen coming from the higher to the lower spheres in pursuit of their missionary assignments. i had a very pronounced desire to meet certain of my kinsfolk and friends, but I was at once impressed with the fact that I had entered a tremendously great and extensive world, even greater than our earth and more numerously inhabited. I could only be in one place at a time and could only do one thing at a time. I could only look in one direction at a time and accordingly, it would require many, many years to search out and converse with all those I had known and those whom I desired to meet unless they were specifically summoned to receive me. All worthy men and women were appointed to special and regular services under a well organized plan of action, directed principally toward preaching the gospel to the unconcerned, teaching those who seek knowledge, establishing family relationships, and gathering genealogies for the use and benefit of mortal survivors of their respective families, that the work of baptism and sealing ordinances may be vicariously performed for the departed in the temples of God upon the earth. The authorized representation of families in the world of spirits have access to our Temple records and are kept fully advised of the work done therein, but the vicarious work done does not become automatically effective there. The recipients must first believe, repent, and accept baptism and confirmation, then certain consummation ordinances are performed, effectualizing those saving principles in the lives of these regenerated beings, and so the great work is going on. They do work there, necessarily, which we cannot do here and we do a work here which cannot be done there, each complimenting the other. This bridge is the salvation of all of God’s children who elect to be saved.
I was surprised to find there no babies in arms. I met the infant son of Orson W. Rawlings, my first counselor. I immediately recognized him as the baby who died a few years ago, and yet he seemed to have the intelligence, and in certain respects, the appearance of an adult, and was engaged in matters pertaining to the family and its genealogy. My mind was also contented on the point that mothers will again receive into their arms their children who died in infancy and will be fully satisfied, but the fact remains that entrance into the world of spirits is not an inhibition of growth but the greatest opportunity for development. Babies ae adult spirits in infant bodies.
I presently beheld a mighty multitude of men, the largest I had ever seen, gathered in one place, whom I immediately recognized as soldiers, the millions who had been slaughtered and rushed so savagely into the world of spirits during the great World War. Among them moved, calm and majestic, a general of supreme command. As I drew nearer I received the kindly smile and generous welcome of that great loving man, General Richard W. Young. Then came the positive conviction to my soul that of all men living or dead, there is not one person who is so perfectly fitted for the great mission into which he had been called. He commands immediately the attention and respect of all the soldiers. He is at once a great general and a great High Priest of God. No earthly field of labor to which he could have been assigned can compare with it in importance and extent. I passed from this scene to return later. When I found General Young, his vast army of men completely was organized with officers over successive divisions, and they were seated. He was preaching the gospel of God in great earnestness to the people.
As I passed forward I soon met my beloved mother. She greeted me most affectionately and expressed surprise at seeing me there and reminded me that I had not completed my allotted mission on earth. She seemed to be going somewhere and was in a hurry and accordingly, she took her leave with saying that she would see me again. I moved forward, covering an appreciable distance, and consuming considerable time viewing the wonderful sights of landscapes, parks, trees, and flowers, meeting people, some of whom I did not recognize as acquaintances, but many of whom I did know. I presently approached a small group of men standing in a path lined with shrubbery, all of a gold hue, making the approach to a beautiful building. Th group was engaged in earnest conversation. One of their number parted from the rest and came towards me, walking down the path. I at once recognized my esteemed President Joseph F. Smith. He embraced me as a father would a son and after a few words of greeting he quickly remarked, “You have not come so stay”, which remark I understood more as a declaration than as an interrogation.
For the first time I became fully conscious of my uncompleted mission on earth and as I wanted to remain, I at once asked President Smith if I might return. “You have expressed a righteous desire”, he replied, “and I shall take the matter up with the authorities and let you know later.” We then turned and he led me toward the little group of men, from whom he had just separated. I immediately recognized President Brigham Young and the Prophet Joseph Smith.” I was surprised to find the former both shorter and heavier built than I had expected to find him. Both they and President Smith were possessed of a calm and holy majesty which was at once kind and kindly. President Smith introduced me to the others, all of whom greeted me warmly. We then traced our steps and President Smith took his leave, saying he would see me again. From a certain vantage point I was permitted to views this earth and what was going on here. There were no limitations to my vision, and I was astonished at this. I saw my wife and children at home. I saw President Heber J. Grant at the head of this great Church and Kingdom of God, and felt the divine power that radiated from God, giving it light and truth and guiding its destiny. I beheld this nation, founded as it is upon correct principles and designed to endure. I saw that there were evil and sinister forces that sought to lead men astray and to thwart the purposes of God. I saw thousands of cities. The sins and wickedness of men and women were also visible to me. I saw vessels sailing upon the oceans and I scanned the battle-scarred fields of France and Belgium. I beheld the world, as it were, as a panorama passing before my eyes. Then there came to me an unmistakable impression that this earth and its scenes and persons upon it were open to the vision of the spirits only when special permission is given or when they are assigned to special services here on earth. This is particularly true of the righteous who are busily engaged in the services of the Lord, and cannot be engaged in two fields of activity at the same time. The wicked and unrepented spirits have, like the other spirits, their free agency, and they were applying themselves to no useful or wholesome undertaking. The sought pleasure in their old haunts and exulted in the sin and wretchedness of degenerate humanity. To this extent, they are still tools of Satan. It is their idle, mischievous, and deceptive spirits who appear as miserable counterfeits at spiritualistic scenes, table rappings, and Ouija board operations. The noble and great ones do not respond to the call of the mediums and to every group of meddlesome inquiries. They would not do it in mortality, and they certainly would not do it in their increased state of knowledge in the world of immortality. Those wicked and unrepentant sp[ritis, as allies of Fatan and his hosts, operate through willing mediums in the flesh. These three forces constitute an unholy trinity upon the earth and are responsible for the wickedness, distress, and misery among men and nations.
I moved forward, feasting my eyes upon the beauty of everything about me and glorying in the indescribable place, and happiness that sounded in every body and through everything. The further I went the more glorious things appeared. While standing at a certain vantage point, I beheld, just a short distance away, a wonderful and beautiful Temple. It was caped with golden domes, and a small group of men emerged, all dressed in white robes, and they paused for a brief conversation. These were the first that I had seen thus clad, as the millions that I had previously seen were dressed in various clothings. The soldiers, for instance, were in uniforms. In this little group of holy men, my eyes rested upon one more splendid and holy than all the rest. While I gazed, President Joseph F. Smith parted from the others and came to my side. He asked, “Do you know him?” I quickly answered “Yes, I know him.” My eyes beheld my Lord and Savior. it is truly said that my sold thrilled with rapture and unspeakable joy filled my soul. President Smith informed me that I had been given permission to return and complete my mission upon the earth which the Lord had appointed me to fill, and then, with his hand on my shoulder, he uttered these memorable and significant words, “Brother Heber, you have a great work to do. Go forward with a prayerful heart and you shall be blessed in your ministry. From this time on never doubt that God lives and that Jesus Christ is His son and Savior of the world, that the Holy Ghost is a God of spirit and the messenger of the Father and the Son. Never doubt the resurrection of the dead, the immortality of the soul, or that the destiny of man is eternal progress. Never doubt that the mission of the Latter-day Saints is to all the world and to all mankind, both living and dead, and that the great work in the Holy Temple for the salvation of the dead has only become known. Never doubt that Joseph Smith was sent of God to usher in the gospel dispensation of the fullness of times, which is the last unto mortals upon the earth. His successors have all been called and approved of God. President Heber Y. Grant is at this time the recognized and ordained head of the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. Give him your confidence and support. What you have seen and heard here is not to be repeated when you return.” Thus saying, he bade me goodbye and God bless you.
Quite a distance through various scenes and passing through innumerable people, I traveled before I reached the sphere I had first entered. On my way i was greeted by many friends and relatives, certain of whom sent word of greeting and counsel to the dear ones here on earth. My mother was one of them. I will mention one other. I met Brother John Adamson, his wife, his son James, and his daughter Isabelle, all of which were killed by the band of foul assassins in Carey, Idaho, on the evening of October 29, 1915. They seemed divine. I was on my way back to mortality. Brother Adamson said, “Tell the children that we are very happy and that they should not mourn our departure or worry their minds over the manner by which were were taken. There is a purpose in it and we have a work here to do which requires our collective effort and which we could not do individually. I was at once made to know that the work referred to was that of Genealogy on which they were working in England and Scotland.
One of the grandest and most sacred things in heaven is family relationships. The establishment of a complete chain without any broken links brings a fullness of joy. Links wholly bad are dropped out and other new links welded together. Men and women throughout the world are moved upon to bring together the genealogies of their dead ancestors. These are the links for the chain. The ordinances of baptism, endowment, and sealing performed in the temples of God by the living for the dead are the welding of the links. Ordinances are performed in the spirit world, effectualizing in the individual recipients the saving principles performed there. As I was approaching the place where I entered, my attention was attracted to a small group of women preparing what appeared to be wearing apparel. Observing my inquiring countenance, one of the women remarked, “We are preparing to receive Brother Phillip Worthington soon.” [Note – This good brother died on January 22. President Hale was advised by telegram, returned to Boise, and preached a funeral sermon on January 23rd.] As I grasped his name, I was admonished, “If they knew the joy and glorious mission that awaits him here, they would not ask to have him detained any longer on earth.” Then, flooding through consciousness came this awful thought, that the will of the Lord can be done on earth as it is in heaven, but only when we resign completely to His will and let his will be manifest in us and through us. On account of the selfishness of men, on the ascension of the personal will contrary to God’s will, many persons who might otherwise have been taken in innocence and peace have been permitted to live and have passed a life of suffering and misery, or debauchery and crime, and have lived to their own peril. Men and women and children are often called to missions of great importance on the other side and some respond gladly while others refuse to go and their loved ones will not give them up. Also, many persons die because they have not faith to be healed. Others will live long and pass out of the world of mortals without any special manifestation or action of the divine will. When a man is stricken ill, the question of prime importance is not is he going to live or die, but what matters is whether the will of the Father is done. Surely we can trust him with God.
Herein lies the special privilege and duty of administration by the Holy Priesthood. The elders of the Church, who are given the power to discern the will of God, should know concerning the will of the Father in regards to the person upon whom they have laid their hands. If for any reason they are unable to presage the Father’s will, then they should continue to pray in faith for the afflicted one, humbly conceding supremacy to the will of God, then His will shall be done both in earth and in heaven. To a righteous person, birth is a glorious privilege and blessing. The great spirits in the family of the Father have not usually been permitted to carry on longer in the flesh than to perform a certain mission. They are then called to the spirit world where the field is great and the workers few. This earthly career therefore may be longer or shorter as the Father desires.
I exited where I had entered the world of the spirits and immediately my body was quickened and I arose to ponder over, and record the many wonderful things I had seen and heard. Let me here and now declare to the world that irrespective of what others may think and say, I do know of my own positive knowledge and from my own personal experience that God is the Father of all the spirits of men and the He lives. I know that Jesus Christ is His Son and the Savior of the worlds. I know that the spirits of men do not die but survive after the change we call death. The spirits go to a world of spirits, and the world of spirits is upon or near us.
Click here to return to the Uplifting Stories Menu page
Click here to return to the Scriptural Jokes Menu page
Click here to return to the Main Menu page