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"LETTERS OF OLIVER COWDERY"
Letter No. 1
Norton, Medina Co., Ohio,
Sabbath Evening, September 7th, 1834.
To W. W. Phelps; Dear Brother:
. . . The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble . . .condescended to manifest to us his will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of
the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the vail was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the gospel of repentance. What
joy! what wonder! what amazement . . .
our eyes beheld - , our ears heard, as in the blaze of day; yes, more, above the glitter of the May sunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature. Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the
center, and his words, "I am thy fellow servant," dispelled every fear. We listened – we gazed – we admired. 'Twas the voice of the angel from glory; 'twas a message from the Most
High. And as we heard we rejoiced, while his love was enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapped in the vision of the Almighty. Where was room of doubt? No where; uncertainty had fled; doubt had
sunk, no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever.
But, dear brother, think, further think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his
hand the holy priesthood, as he said: "Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer this priesthood and this authority, which shall remain upon the earth, that the sons of Levi may yet offer an
offering unto the Lord in righteousness."
I shall not attempt topaint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me whn I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of
time, can begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this earth power to give the joy, to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was contained
in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Man may deceive his fellow man, deception may follow deception . . . till nought but fiction feeds the many, . . . but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word
from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind. The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel; the certainty that we
heard the voice of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me past description, and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior's goodness with
wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry, and in those mansions where perfection dwells and sin never comes, I hope to adore in hat day which shall never cease . . .
O. Cowdery
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