W. A. Morton’s vision of the afterlife

“Some weeks after this, while lying in bed one Sunday morning meditating on the works and ways of God, I suddenly felt the Holy Spirit rest upon me, and the next moment I was taken up (whether in or out of the body I cannot tell), and privileged to look upon the world beyond the tomb; and as I now reflect upon that scene—the beauties of which it has never yet entered into the heart of anyone to conceive who has not been so privileged—I cannot refrain from thanking the Lord for what the world terms “Mormonism.” I saw the spirits of the departed; I saw the mansions which the Lord has prepared for those who love Him and keep His commandments; I saw the glory of the celestial kingdom, and I felt a peace that passeth all understanding. I saw the Prophet Joseph Smith, and I saw the Prophet Brigham Young, and many others who have laid down their lives for the truth. They were happy, and they were busy. I saw that the work of the Lord is not confined to this earth, but that it is being carried on in the spirit world with even greater power than it is here. I saw that the gospel is being preached to the spirits in prison, and that the work of redemption is going on. I saw that the Lord is indeed mindful of His children, and that He has not left them without a witness of His love and power. When I returned to my body, I felt as though I had been in the presence of the Almighty, and the memory of that vision has been a source of strength and comfort to me ever since. It has given me a testimony of the truth of the gospel that no power on earth or in hell can shake.”

— W. A. Morton, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star