Edward Hunter's Testimony of the Truthfulness of Mormonism

Prior to joining the Church in 1840, Edward Hunter was a prominent Quaker gentleman residing in Chester County, Pennsylvania. As a public-spirited landowner, he had constructed the West Nantmeal Seminary, which he mandated be available for use by all denominations. When two Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived in 1839 and were refused access to the building by local residents, Hunter intervened, threatening to repossess the facility to ensure the elders were granted a fair hearing. His defense of the missionaries and his subsequent exposure to their teachings occupied his thoughts deeply. One evening, after a day of advocating for them, Hunter retired to bed but found himself unable to sleep, overwhelmed by contemplation of the missionaries' message. In the profound sincerity of his heart, he appealed to heaven, asking the question: 'Are these men the servants of God?' He received an immediate and powerful answer to his prayer; a glorious, brilliant light appeared before him, so intense that he was forced to hide his face. This miraculous manifestation served as his first testimony of the divinity of the work. Following this spiritual experience and the personal preaching of Joseph Smith, who visited the region in 1840, Edward Hunter and his wife, Ann, were baptized by Orson Hyde later that same year.