[some time in late winter / early spring 2001]
This past Sunday evening in our Patriot Saints
gathering we were treated to be able to hear Joseph...'s account of the visions she has had
regarding this Sanpete Valley.
To get the full effect, you would really want to hear her tell it to you herself. She has quite
the spunky personality and a way of saying things that is at once humorous and profound.
The story really begins a couple of dozen years ago when her spiritual journey began in
earnest. She had come out of a very abusive marriage to one of the top dudes in the state of
Michigan. As things became very difficult for her, one night she let it all out in a fit of
rage against God. She knew there had to be truth on earth and she wanted to find it.
"Where is it?" she demanded of him, swearing. As she was in the depths of her
pleading, she was suddenly filled with a peace that ran through her whole body, comforting her
that everything would be okay.
The next morning, very early, a couple of sister missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints knocked on her door. They had been on the way to a meeting and one of
the sisters felt impressed to stop and go to her door, to the protest of her companion.
Joseph... opened the door, saying "tell me what you know and what I need to do."
In the mission their they called her the golden of the golden contacts.
She became a vibrant member of the local ward there, enjoying the fellowship of the saints but
yearning for Zion where people "really" live the gospel and where the gifts of the
spirit are manifest abundantly, not just on rare occasions.
It was then (about twenty years ago) that one day she was told by the Lord that she was to move
to "Manti." She had never heard of Manti and didn't know where it was -- maybe in
Hawaii.
Not only was she directed in how to get here, the Lord being her compass, but she was enabled
to drive alone, something that medically she shouldn't have been able to do.
She was so excited when she found out that Manti was in the heart of Utah, where there are so
many fellow members of the faith. She thought that now she was finally going to be able to
live amongst a Zion people. Little did she realize at the time what a rude awakening awaited
her as the members and leaders shunned and scorned and ridiculed her and tried to drive her out of
town.
In the first Sacrament meeting she attended here, a fast and testimony meeting, she got up and
shared with the members the "prophecy" she had been given regarding the destiny of this
valley.
In her innocent zeal she shared with them that she was a forerunner in helping to prepare for the
calamities that will be coming down, when this valley will become a place of refuge for many, many
thousands. She said that there would later be a "medium sized group" of people
that would move into the town in preparation for the calamities to come. Then would come the
final influx of people seeking refuge once the calamities had hit. These would come with
just what they could carry under their arms.
She saw tents strewn from one end of the valley to the other. Another gentleman in our
little gathering here Sunday, who lives down near Richfield, said he was given a daylight
vision. Looking out the window of his house he saw more homes, but tents were the primary
feature, stretching North as far as he could see.
Joseph... commented several times while sharing various things with us, how nice it was to
finally be finding her "brothers [and sisters]."
It is just this sort of sharing and bolstering one another in our faith that spurs me on to
know that like-minded people need to meet together often.
Continuing with the account of the "prophecy" she had been given, Joseph... said that
this valley was "one of the most strategic places on earth for the preservation of the Lord's
people." She was shown in vision that the canyon entrances to the valley would be blown
shut, creating a sort of protective "wall" to keep the enemy out, while still allowing
entrance to the upright in heart. She was shown that there would be men of sufficient
righteous discernment that would stand as sentinels at the places of entrance. She was also
shown that there would be a cloud-like protection surrounding the valley, like the children of
Israel had, which would bar the enemies and their destroying elements from entering the valley.
We have another friend who has been shown very similar visions for this valley. These are
written up under the title "Chris' vision"
She was one of the first to move to Manti for reasons of preparing for the dark days ahead in
the world. Twenty years ago she came, having been told by the Spirit that she was moving to
"Manti." She didn't know where Manti was.
