Vision of Brother Praying and Spirit of Understanding Opens Bible

“"About nine or ten years later than this, after a fatiguing day's labor, I returned home one evening, and having partaken of my supper, turned my back to the fire, as my custom was, and leaned, with my head on my arms, on the chair top to rest myself and dry my clothes . . . Thus left alone, I was musing on things generally, but not particularly on any religious subject, when a vision of my brother, who had died some fourteen or fifteen years previous, appeared before me, praying. I heard his voice clearly and distinctly, and listened attentively. In the course of his prayer, he referred to a great work to be done on the earth during the last days, quoting several scriptures. I did not, however, fully comprehend the meaning of them, until, coming into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, years after, I saw the applicability of his words to the views of that people, with regard to the restoration of the gospel gifts, the great work of gathering the Saints of all nations in the last days, and the fullness of the Latter-day glory, for he particularly prayed for the hastening of these things. Soon he disappeared from my view, when suddenly, to use a scripture phrase, a sound, as of a rushing mighty wind, with some accompanying influence, seemed to fill the house and myself, and I heard a voice saying–'This is the spirit of understanding.' An open Bible appeared before me, so peculiarly placed, that I could see portions of several books of the prophets and apostles at once."”

— Benjamin Brown, in his autobiography, recounting the vision of his deceased brother praying for the great work of the last days, and the spirit of understanding that opened the scriptures to him on his New York farm