Joseph Holbrook Dreams of Fleeing a City and Crossing a Flooded River — A Prophetic Vision of His Conversion and Pioneer Journey

“In December [1832] one night, I dreamed I was in a certain city where people were engaged in their various business matters, when all of a sudden a voice was heard from the heavens saying, "Up, get ye out of this city for behold I will destroy this people, and flee ye into the west." The people all heard the voice and they halted and looked amazed for a moment and then pursued their course as before. Shortly the voice was heard the second time, saying, "Up, get ye out of this city for behold I will destroy this people, and flee ye into the west." The people were alarmed less than before and again the voice was heard speaking the same words with the same warning, but the people paid no attention to it; so I stopped and marveled and said I am not going to stay here; so I started out of the city to the west. I traveled until I came to a river. It was both wide and deep and there appeared no way to cross the river. Some said let's go up the river and others said let's go down the river, but I said we were commanded to go to the west. I am going right straight into the river. I plunged into the river and immediately I was on the other side. A voice said, "You are now baptized." I then saw three roads leading up a high hill. Two of them wound around the hill and one went straight up. My companions said, "Let us take the easy roads," but I said, "No, I will take the straight road." I started up the straight road and reached the top. I looked back and saw that nearly all who had taken the winding roads were lost, wandering in increasing darkness with no road, and it would take them thousands of years to return to the base of the hill. At the top a voice said to me, "Few there be that will ever come to the top of the hill, few there are that will be saved." I looked to see if my wife was coming, saying, I think she will be along soon, as she at this time didn't fully believe Mormonism; and I saw the city I had left given over to destruction of every kind by the judgments of God and the wickedness of the people, and lo and behold I awoke.”

— Joseph Holbrook, Autobiography (1806–1846)