Descriptions of Mrs. White in Vision

With this as a background, let us look briefly at some accounts that Mrs. White and others have given concerning certain of her visions. Of her first vision, which, as we have mentioned, was in Portland in December, 1844, she writes:WBEGW 84.1

“I was visiting Mrs. Haines at Portland, 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.WBEGW 84.2

“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 to the city which was at the farther end of the path.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 64.WBEGW 84.3

Then follows this description of her experience after she had come out of vision:WBEGW 84.4

“An unspeakable awe filled me, that I, so young and feeble, should be chosen as the instrument by which God would give light to His people. While under the power of the Lord, I was filled with joy, seeming to be surrounded by holy angels in the glorious courts of heaven, where all is peace and gladness; and it was a sad and bitter change to wake up to the realities of mortal life.”—Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 68.WBEGW 84.5

In another account of this first vision, she declared that when it closed, the angel who had attended her and spoken to her during the vision, declared:WBEGW 84.6

“‘You must go back to the earth again and relate to others what I have revealed to you.’ Then an angel bore me gently down to this dark world. Sometimes I think I can stay here no longer; all things of earth look so dreary. I feel very lonely here, for I have seen a better land. Oh, that I had wings like a dove, then would I fly away and be at rest!WBEGW 84.7

“After I came out of vision, everything looked changed; a gloom was spread over all that I beheld. Oh, how dark this world looked to me. I wept when I found myself here, and felt homesick. I had seen a better world, and it had spoiled this for me.”—Early Writings, 20.WBEGW 85.1