John Taylor's French Hearers Recognize Him from Dreams Before His Arrival — 'You Are the Man I Dreamed About' (France, 1850s)
Published September 28, 2026 at 8:39 AM
During John Taylor's missionary labors in France, people repeatedly came to him who had never seen him before, telling him, 'God bless you! You are the man I dreamed about.' The French people had seen the missionary in dreams before his arrival — a spiritual preparation that went before the Lord's servants and opened the way for conversions. Taylor retold these experiences as evidence that 'the Spirit of the Lord goes before his servants' and prepares honest hearts to receive the gospel.
In Their Own Words
“I had men come to me and say, "God bless you! You are the man I dreamed about." That is the kind of feeling that operates upon the people in those parts, as well as in other parts of the world. The Spirit of the Lord goes before his servants. — John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 6:258-261”
Sources & References
Journal of Discourses, Volume 6 (pages 258-261), discourse 47. https://journalofdiscourses.com/6/47 (extracted verbatim from source text; research confidence: high)
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