Early Impressions . Four years previous to this, on my way to school, I had picked up a scrap of paper containing an account of a man in England who was preaching that the earth would be consumed in about thirty years from that time. I took this paper home and read it to the family. In contemplating the event predicted, I was seized with terror; the time seemed so short for the conversion and salvation of the world. Such a deep impression was made upon my mind by the little paragraph on the scrap of paper, that I could scarcely sleep for several nights, and prayed continually to be ready when Jesus came. {LS 20.3}

Tidlige indtryk
For fire år siden, på vej til skole, havde jeg taget en papirlap op om en mand i England som forkyndte at jorden ville fortæres om tredive år fra det tidspunkt. Jeg tog dette papir med hjem og læste det for familien. Da jeg tænkte over de begivenheder der stod foreskrevet, blev jeg grebet med rædsel; tiden virkede så kort til at omvende og frelse verden. Dette lille afsnit på papirlappen gjorde så dybt (21) indtryk på mit sind, at jeg knapt nok kunne sove i flere nætter, og bad hele tiden at være parat da Jesus kom.