Rev. Mr. Kidder's Visionary Recognition of His Deceased Mother
Published October 19, 2026 at 12:10 PM
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Young Woman's Journal Research
The Reverend Mr. Kidder, having recently experienced a confrontation with a young Mormon Elder and his own congregation at a sewing circle, was feeling a mixture of shame and anger. Upon returning home, he felt giddy and fell prostrate across his bed. He was then visited by a vision of his deceased mother, who appeared to him in a pillar of dazzling glory. She held an open book toward him, upon which glowing letters formed the words of the Book of Mormon, urging him to repent of his false teachings. This experience led to his immediate change of heart and public confession of faith.
In Their Own Words
“Suddenly he was aroused by a flash of vivid light: it blinded him at first, but the longer he looked the clearer it grew. Very soon some one entered his room. He closed his eyes for a moment to shut out the blazing light. Then he opened them again and beheld his own mother, bending over him, with such a look of sorrow on her sweet face. He stirred fitfully and exclaimed with bated breath, ‘Why, mother, is that you? Why are you here? I thought I—why—mother. They all—think—you—are—dead.’ ‘My son,’ came a voice, soft and low, ‘my dearly beloved son, You have been misguided by men. Receive no more of their false teachings; see, I bring you tidings of joy and truth. Look up and behold!’ — The Young Woman's Journal 21:8”
Sources & References
The Young Woman's Journal, vol. 21 no. 8 (August 1910). L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University digital collections. https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/YWJ/id/16987 (account extracted verbatim from the collection's page-level OCR; research confidence: high)
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