Sarah Studevant Leavitt Receives Divine Vision of Heavenly Lights and Latter-day Restoration
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When Sarah Studevant was a young woman in Canada, having only a daughter, she had a remarkable vision. While preparing for bed one night after putting her baby to bed with its father, she saw strange lights drop down on the floor before her. When she stepped back, another light appeared. The first light was in the shape of a half-moon and full of little black spots. The second was about an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide. She brushed them with her stocking and put her hand over one to see if it would shine on her hand—she did this to satisfy others, for she herself knew these lights were supernatural and for a divine purpose. Later, when she heard the gospel preached in its purity, the meaning was revealed to her: The first light, the half-moon cut off with black spots, represented all the religions then on earth—the half-moon symbolizing the spiritual gifts promised after baptism that were cut off from all existing churches, while the black spots represented the defects in every church throughout the world. The second light was the gospel preached by the angel flying through the midst of heaven (referencing Revelation 14:6), and it was revealed to be the same year and season that the Lord brought the glad news of salvation to Joseph Smith. Sarah did not know at the time that the heavens had been opened and angels were being sent to earth with the message of restoration, yet she witnessed it spiritually. This vision stood as a testimony throughout her life of the divine restoration of Christ's true church.
In Their Own Words
“"When I was getting ready for bed one night, I had put my babe into the bed with its father and it was crying. I dropped down to take off my shoes and stockings; I had one stocking in my hand. There was a light dropped down on the floor before me. I stepped back and there was another under my feet. The first was in the shape of a half moon and full of little black spots. The last was about an inch long and about a quarter of an inch wide. I brushed them with the stocking that was in my hand and put my hand over one of them to see if it would shine on my hand. This I did to satisfy others; as for myself, I knew that the lights were something that could not be accounted for and for some purpose. I did not know what until I heard the gospel preached in its purity. The first was an emblem of all the religions then on the earth. The half moon that was cut off was the spiritual gifts promised after baptism. The black spots were the defects you will find in every church throughout the whole world. The last light was the gospel preached by the angel flying through the midst of heaven and it was the same year and the same season of the year and I don't know but the same day that the Lord brought the glad news of salvation to Joseph Smith."”
— Sarah Studevant Leavitt, in her autobiography (written 1875), recounting the vision of lights she received as a young mother in Hatley, Quebec, whose meaning was revealed to her years later when she heard the restored gospel
Sources & References
Sarah Studevant Leavitt, History of Sarah Studevant Leavitt (autobiography dated April 19, 1875), edited and published by Juanita Leavitt Pulsipher in 1919 ; Sarah Studevant Leavitt, History of Sarah Studevant Leavitt (autobiography dated April 19, 1875), as published on Doctrine and Covenants Central, https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/history/sarah-studevant-leavitt/
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