This article was shared with me by my friend Brett Garrett. I had never read this before and I appreciate Brett sharing it with all of us.
A Vision, As Seen by Newman Bulkley
In Springville, Utah, January 8, 1886.
Bloomington, Utah: Printed at the Union Office. 1886.
A Vision as seen by Newman Bulkley, on the night of the 8th of January, 1886, in Springville, Utah—as related by himself.
“I retired to rest about 9 o’clock in the evening. In a short time I drowsed off to sleep, and it seemed as if the spirit of my dead wife was hovering round about me. Suddenly I awoke, and sleep departed from me, and the vision of my mind was opened, and I beheld the members of the Senate of the United States, and while in session, they were hurled from the Hall by an unseen power. They rallied again, and the second time were thrown from the Hall. They rallied the third time, and were again thrown from the Hall with such violence, that a great number of them were killed. All those that remained alive
had the name of Edmunds printed in their foreheads.
Next I saw a whirlwind commence in the centre of the House of Representatives, which increased until it frightened all the members out of the House, and they then scattered to various parts of the United States, and the inhabitants of the City of Washington became frightened, and scattered, until the City became almost desolate.
Then I saw a great tumult commence all over the United States, which ended in a great deal of blood being shed, and a great many of the people that had heard our Elders preach, and had believed what they had heard, but had not had the courage to embrace the Gospel when they heard it, gathered up what little effects they could take with them, and came to this people in the mountains.
Then I saw many thousands of women and children take refuge in the timber, hazel rough, or any place where they could conceal themselves from the turmoil that was going on in the States, and when the word reached this people, of their situation, there were hundreds of the Seventies called upon to go and hunt them up, and bring them to this people in Utah.
Then the Government of the United States patched up their difficulty, and elected a new Congress, which assembled again to do business. The crusade still continued against the Latter-day Saints. Our enemies attributed all their troubles to the Saints, and the crusaders raised such a howl and sent forth their petitions to Congress, that the first business they done, was to order one hundred thousand of the best and most able-bodied men that could be obtained, to come against us.
When this became known to the Saints, instructions were sent forth, for all the inhabitants of the Territory to gather into valleys, as near as possible to the Temples; and the people gathered into Salt Lake, Cache, Utah and Sanpete Counties, and to St. George, until there was a family to nearly every acre of land, and all the country around was filled with our people; and water broke forth, where before there had been no water, so that all the land could be cultivated. I saw also, that all the old men who had honored their priesthood, became spry and young again.
I also saw that the greater number of those that had gone into polygamy for the principle thereof, had to go to prison, while those who had embraced it for lust, escaped, as the officers appeared to care nothing about them. I saw no preparation of any warlike demonstration in the midst of the Saints, but all appeared to have the spirit of peace and contentment; and when the soldiers came near our borders, then the United States officers and all the Gentiles were seized with fearfulness, and left in haste by night and day, until they all got outside of the borders of this people, and united with the soldiers.
Then the army surrounded this people on every side, and there was no possible way of escape. They then raised their standard and sent forth a proclamation, to all who wished to save their lives to come to them for protection. About one third of our men, and as many women as they could persuade to follow them, went over to the army and joined it.
Then I saw the preparations commence for the entire destruction of the Saints, which consisted in their gathering together all the combustible material they could obtain, making a complete wall all around this people. It looked to me to be some fifty feet high, and from six to ten rods wide on the bottom.
During the time of their gathering this combustible material, our people were laboring in the Temples, endowing men with the fullness of the blessings of the Priesthood, setting them apart, and placing them along the borders of the Saints for their protection; and when the enemy had fired their combustibles, these men, endowed with the Holy Priesthood, walked along, like sentinels on their posts, and waved their hands, and the flames, smoke and ashes that were intended for the destruction of the Saints, turned
upon our enemies, and when this combustible matter was consumed and the fire and smoke had cleared away, lo! and behold! the enemies of this people were not to be found.
During all this time, our people were laboring in the Temples day and night, endowing the Elders of Israel with the fullness of the blessings of the Holy Priesthood, until they got the number of fifty thousand endowed. During this time, the Temple in Salt Lake City had been completed, and in one of the rooms situated in one of the towers, Jesus and Joseph, with their council, were setting.
Then preparations were made for the fifty thousand to go down to the Centre Stake of Zion, with Jesus and Joseph at their head, riding in their Chariots of fire. They seemed to be somewhere about from six to ten rods above the earth. While all these scenes had been transpiring, the remnants of the land had gathered in, from all quarters east of the Rocky Mountains, and some had came from South America.
When our brethren passed down to the Centre Stake of Zion, the remnants went forth and redeemed the land of Zion. I saw the foundation of the Temple laid there, which had the appearance of a bright lustre. The Chariots or Pillar of fire, went over the Temple Block and remained above it, shedding forth its light to those below.
When my attention was drawn back again to the mountains, I saw that the young men and middle-aged had been called away upon different missions, and the old men and women and children had to do all the farm work; and all those who were laboring to build up the City of Zion in Jackson County, had to be sustained from these Valleys, with the exception of the remnants of the house of Jacob. The buffalo and other game had returned upon the plains, to feed them until they could be taught the art of
agriculture.
The earth in the Valleys was sanctified and cleansed, so that it brought forth in its strength, and instead of its bringing from 15 to 40 bushels of grain, per acre, it brought forth from 100 to 200 bushels. The water broke forth in parched ground, and all these Valleys were filled with Saints of the Most High, which had gathered in from the Nations of the earth, to be schooled in the Temples that are now built and that will yet be built, to prepare them to go forth to the Centre Stake of Zion.
I saw all this pass before the eyes of my understanding, and when it had passed once, it was repeated again, which occupied about the whole of the night. I turned over and tried to sleep, but sleep had fled from me, and soon it was daylight. I was not asleep, but was awake during the whole time, and I arose, filled with the glory of what I had seen, resting upon me.”
When Newman Bulkley was born on 18 August 1817, in Tioga, New York, United States, his father, Noah Summers Bulkley, was 41 and his mother, Nancy Ann Newman, was 38. He married Jane Draper on 7 January 1844, in Hancock, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 5 daughters. He died on 13 September 1893, in Springville, Utah, Utah, United States, at the age of 76, and was buried in Springville City Cemetery, Springville, Utah, Utah, United States. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KWJX-HBF/newman-bulkley-1817-1893