The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

Elder Bates Accepts the Visions as from God

In the month of November, 1846, a conference was held in Topsham, Maine, at which Elder Bates was present. At that meeting Mrs. White (Miss Harmon’s marriage to Elder James White has been previously noticed) had a vision which was the cause of Elder Bates’s becoming fully satisfied as to their divine origin. He was a man who had followed the sea for fifty years, filling all positions from cabin-boy up to master and owner of vessels. His understanding of astronomy was such that, as he told me, he could tell very nearly where he was upon the sea, as to latitude and longitude, by his observation of the celestial bodies. Such a one would naturally be interested in talking about astronomy. GSAM 257.2

In conversation with him, he told me how he became convinced of the divine origin of the visions. He said he tried to talk with Mrs. White one day about the stars, but he soon found she knew nothing about astronomy; in fact, as she told him, she did not know as she had ever looked into a book treating on that subject. She had no inclination to converse upon that topic, and turned the conversation by talking about the new earth, and what had been shown her in vision respecting it. GSAM 257.3