The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

William Miller

First we will note the case of William Miller, who was so prominent in the advent movement in the United States that with many the movement is only known as “Millerism.” GSAM 118.1

William Miller was born in Pittsfield, Mass., in February, 1782. In his early childhood, marks of more than ordinary intellectual strength and activity were manifested. A few years made these marks more and more noticeable to all who were in his society. He possessed a strong physical constitution, an active and naturally well-developed intellect, an irreproachable moral character. He had enjoyed the limited advantages of the district school but a few years before it was generally admitted that his attainments exceeded those of the teachers usually employed. GSAM 118.2

Mr. Miller married in 1802, and settled in Poultney, Vt. The men with whom he associated from the time of his removal to Poultney, and to whom he was considerably indebted for his worldly favors, were deeply affected with skeptical principles and deistic theories. They were not immoral men, but as a class were good citizens, and generally of serious deportment, humane, and benevolent. However, they rejected the Bible as the standard of religious truth, and endeavored to make its rejection plausible with such aid as could be obtained from the writings of Voltaire, Hume, Volney, Paine, Ethan Allen, and others. Mr. Miller studied these works closely, and at length avowed himself a deist. He has stated himself that his deistical life covered a period of twelve years, beginning about 1804. GSAM 118.3

Receiving a captain’s commission, he entered the army in 1810. On his return from the army, he moved his family to Low Hampton, N.Y., to begin there the occupation of farming in 1812. As a farmer, he had more leisure for reading. He found that his deistical views gave him no assurance of happiness beyond the present life. Beyond the grave all was dark and gloomy. To use his own words: “Annihilation was a cold and chilling thought, and accountability was sure destruction to all. The heavens were as brass over my head, and the earth as iron under my feet. Eternity!—what was it? And death!—why was it? The more I reasoned, the further I was from demonstration. The more I thought, the more scattered were my conclusions. I tried to stop thinking, but my thoughts would not be controlled. I was truly wretched, but did not understand the cause.... Soon after, suddenly the character of the Saviour was vividly impressed upon my mind. It seemed there might be a being so good and compassionate as to himself atone for our transgressions, and thereby save us from suffering the penalty of sin. I immediately felt how lovely such a being must be; and imagined that I could cast myself into the arms of, and trust in the mercy of such an one.” GSAM 118.4