It was not long after the passing of the time in 1844 that my first vision was given me. I was visiting a dear sister in Christ, whose heart was knit with mine; five of us, all women, were kneeling quietly at the family altar. While we were praying, the power of God came upon me as I had never felt it before. I seemed to be surrounded with light, and to be rising higher and higher from the earth. I turned to look for the advent people in the world, but could not find them, when a voice said to me: “Look again, and look a little higher.” At this I raised my eyes and saw a straight and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the advent people were traveling toward the city. Behind them, at the beginning of the path, was a bright light which an angel told me was the midnight cry. This light shone all along the path, that their feet might not stumble. Jesus Himself went just before His people to lead them forward, and as long as they kept their eyes fixed on Him, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising His glorious right arm, from which came a light that waved over the advent band; and they shouted: “Alleluia!” Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below. {1T 58.4}

Ikke længe efter, da tiden var gået i 1844, fik jeg mit første syn. Jeg besøgte en kær søster i Kristus, hvis hjerte var forenet med mit. Vi fem, alle kvinder, knælede stille ved familiealteret. Mens vi bad, kom Gud's kraft over mig på en måde, som jeg aldrig før havde oplevet det. Jeg syntes at være omgivet af lys og blev hævet højere og højere op fra jorden. Jeg vendte mig om for at se efter adventfolket i verden, men jeg kunne ikke finde dem. Da sagde en stemme til mig: "Se igen, og (59) se lidt højere op." Ved dette vendte jeg blikket opad og så en lige, snæver sti, hævet højt over verden. På denne sti vandrede adventfolket mod staden. Ved stiens begyndelse bag dem var der et strålende lys, som en engel fortalte mig var midnatsråbet. Dette lys oplyste hele stien, så deres fødder ikke skulle snuble. Jesus selv gik lige foran sit folk for at lede dem frem, og så længe de holdt blikket fæstnet på ham, var de trygge. Men nogle blev snart trætte og sagde, at staden var langt væk, og at de havde forventet at komme ind i den noget før. Da opmuntrede Jesus dem ved at hæve sin herlige højre arm, hvorfra der udgik et lys, som bølgede hen over adventskaren, og de råbte: "Halleluja!" Andre fornægtede ubesindigt lyset bag dem og sagde, at det ikke var Gud, der havde ledt dem så langt. Lyset bag dem gik ud og efterlod deres fødder i fuldstændigt mørke, og de snublede og mistede synet af målet og af Jesus og faldt fra stien ned til den mørke og onde verden nedenunder.