5 Fascinating Near Death Experiences in Early Church History (#s 1 & 2 Happened to Prophets!)


Near-Death experiences are best taken with a great big grain of salt. Just because someone claims them doesn’t mean they happened. That said, with so many reported, certainly some of them have probably happened. Some Latter-Day prophets have claimed the experience – others have been closely associated with second party NDEs. Non-prophets have also had some. And one of them in this list featured two people dying, crossing over, conversing and then both coming back!

As it happens, there are dozens if not hundreds (if not thousands) of Near-Death experiences in Church history. Here are five good ones:

In the last blog post about how impressive ol’ B. Young was, what with the slave-freeing and angelic visitors and all, a near death experience was also mentioned. He only talked about it in passing. Here are more details on it:

1)    Brigham Young

“I was bolstered up in my chair, but was so near gone that I could not close my eyes, which were set in my head—my chin dropped down and my breath stopped. My wife [Mary Ann], seeing my situation, threw some cold water in my face, that having no effect, she dashed a hand full of strong camphor in my face and eyes, which I did not feel in the least, neither did I move a muscle. She then held my nostrils between her thumb and finger, and placing her mouth directly over mine, blew into my lungs until she filled them with air. This set my lungs in motion, and I again began to breathe." While this was going on I was perfectly conscious of all that was passing around me: my spirit was as vivid as it ever was in my life, but I had no feeling in my body. “ 

And what exactly did Brigham see while he was perfectly conscious and vivid? He never exactly said. But he did hint:

“Describing conditions in the spirit world, he remarked, “My spirit is set free, I thirst no more, I want to sleep no more, I hunger no more, I tire no more, I run, I walk, I labor, I go, I come, I do this, I do that, whatever is required of me, nothing like pain or weariness, I am full of life, full of vigor, and I enjoy the presence of my heavenly Father, by the power of his Spirit.” Looking beyond the spirit world, he described the possibilities for the righteous: “All those who are counted worthy to be exalted and to become Gods, even the sons of God, will go forth and have earths and worlds like those who framed this and millions on millions of others.”” (http://mormonhistoricsites.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mhs2.2Cannon.pdf)

In the days before modern medicine, death was always lurking around the corner. Even temporary death. Lorenzo Snow got horribly sick during all the relocations. So sick, according to this, that he slipped out of his body and had quite an experience. It’s not widely known:

2)    Lorenzo Snow

“I assisted in chopping and putting up Brother Pratt’s House logs and about that time was taken sick with the fever 25th of May. I never had such a severe fit of sickness before since my recollection. My friends and family had given up most all hopes of my recovery. Father Huntington, the president of the place, called on his congregation to pray for me. He also with Gen. Rich and some others clothed themselves in the garments of the priesthood and prayed for my recovery…

““…My spirit seems to have left the world and introduced into that Kolob. I heard a voice calling me by name saying “he is worthy, he is worthy, take away his filthy garments.” My clothes were then taken off piece by piece and a voice said “let him be clothed, let him be clothed.” Immediately I found a celestial body gradually growing upon me until at length I found myself crowned with all it’s glory and power. The ecstasy of joy I now experienced no man can tell, pen cannot describe it. I conversed familiarly with Joseph, Father Smith and others, and mingled in the society of the Holy One. I saw family all saved and observed the dispensations of God with mankind until at last perfect redemption was effected, tho’ great was the sufferings of the wicked, especially those that had persecuted the saints. My spirit must have remained I should judge for days enjoying the scenes of eternal happiness.”” (https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/iowa-journal-lorenzo-snow)


Now we’re heading into non-prophet territory. Leading the charge is Phoebe Woodruff, beloved wife of Wilford. She got sick, as was a sign of the time, and crossed over.

And then came back:

3)    Phoebe Woodruff

“In 1838, Phoebe Woodruff, the wife of Mormon apostle Wilford Woodruff, became seriously ill and apparently died. Wilford recounted:

““The sisters gathered around her body, weeping, while I stood looking at her in sorrow. The spirit and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her sickness, faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead.”

“Woodruff then recounts how he anointed her with oil in the name of the Lord and “rebuked the power of death” and commanded her to be made alive. “Her spirit returned to her body, and from that hour she was made whole.” Later Phoebe related to her husband and those present that as she was being anointed with oil, “her spirit left her body, and she saw it lying upon the bed, and sister weeping. She looked at them and at [Wilford], and upon her babe, and while gazing upon this scene, two personages came into the room… One of these messengers informed her that she could have her choice: she might go to rest in the spirit world, or, on one condition she could have the privilege of returning to her tabernacle and continuing her labors upon the earth. The condition was, if she felt that she could stand by her husband, and with him pass through all the cares, trials, tribulation and afflictions of life which he would be called to pass through for the gospel’s sake unto the end. When she looked upon the situation of her husband and child she said: ‘Yes, I will do it!'” At that moment “her spirit [again] entered her tabernacle.”

The choice to stay or go is a strong theme in NDEs. This next one is similar to the one just above – what with the priesthood and all. In fact, they both showed up here in a list of 8 priesthood holders who raised the dead. Here we see the stereotypical floating up by the ceiling and watching the commotion over the recently deceased:

4)    William Huntington

“About the month of August, 1856, William D. Huntington and I went into Hobble Creek Canyon to get a tree or log suitable for making drums. After we had finished our labor and started for home, both of us riding on the log, our conversation naturally turned upon the doctrines of the Church and experiences of the past, when the life and labors of the Prophet Joseph were touched upon. This subject aroused into more than usual earnestness the mind and conversation of my associate.

“He said that in Nauvoo he lived in the family of and worked for Joseph Smith at the time the Prophet had such a wonderful time with the sick, when nearly everybody was stricken down and he himself was among the afflicted, and was one of those who were healed by Joseph. He said he had been sick some weeks and kept getting weaker, until he became so helpless that he could not move. Finally he got so low he could not speak, but had perfect consciousness of all that was passing in the room. He saw friends come to the bedside, look at him a moment and commence weeping, then turn away.

“He further stated that he presently felt easy, and observing his situation found that he was in the upper part of the room near the ceiling, and could see the body he had occupied lying on the bed, with weeping friends, standing around as he had witnessed in many cases where people had died under his own observation.

“About this time he saw Joseph Smith and two other brethren come into the room. Joseph turned to his wife Emma and asked her to get him a dish of clean water. This she did; and the Prophet with the two brethren accompanying him washed their hands and carefully wiped them. Then they stepped to the bed and laid their hands upon the head of his body, which at that time looked loathsome to him, and as the three stretched out their hands to place them upon the head, he by some means became aware that he must go back into that body, and started to do so. The process of getting in he could not remember; but when Joseph said “amen,” he heard and could see and feel with his body. The feeling for a moment was most excruciating, as though his body was pierced in every part with some sharp instruments.

“As soon as the brethren had taken their hands from his head he raised up in bed, sitting erect, and in another moment turned his legs off the bed.

“At this juncture Joseph asked him if he had not better be careful, for he was very weak. He replied, “I never felt better in my life,” almost immediately adding, “I want my pants.”
“His pants were found and given him, which he drew on, Joseph assisting him, although he thought he needed no help. Then he signified his intention to sit in a chair at or near the fireplace. Joseph took hold of his arm to help him along safely, but William declared his ability to walk alone, notwithstanding which, the help continued.

“Astonishment had taken the place of weeping throughout the room. Every looker-on was ready to weep for joy; but none were able or felt inclined to talk.

“Presently William said he wanted something to eat. Joseph asked him what he would like, and he replied that he wanted a dish of bread and milk.

“Emma immediately brought what he called for, as one may easily comprehend, every hand was anxious to supply the wants of a man who, a few moments before was dead, really and truly dead! Brother Huntington ate the bowl of bread and milk with as good a relish as any he ever ate.

“In a short time all felt more familiar, and conversation upon the scene that transpired followed. William related his experiences, and the friends theirs.

“Joseph listened to the conversation and in his turn remarked that they had just witnessed as great a miracle as Jesus did while on the earth. They had seen the dead brought to life.

“At the close of his narrative to me William Huntington remarked:

“Now I have told you the truth, and here I am a live man, sitting by the side of you on this log, and I testify that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God.” (https://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/REC-JS.html)

This next one is in the third person, but may be the most interesting one of them all. That’s because it has two people who knew each other dying on the same night. And then hanging out in heaven. And then coming back.

I’ll let you read it:

5)    W. W. Merrill

“W. W. Merrill the father of apostle Joseph F. Merrill, had an extremely unusual near-death experience. When Elder Merrill visited the spirit world, he saw a woman to whom he’d recently given a priesthood blessing. At that time, she had expressed a desire to die so she could be with her mother, whom she desperately missed. This account was related by Apostle Rudger Clawson and written by J. Berkley Larsen.

“Although W. W. Merrill was elderly and ill when asked to administer to the sick young woman, he did not hesitate but got up from his sick bed and went to her home.

““When he reached the young woman’s bedside, she said ‘Now Brother Merrill, I haven’t anything to live for. My parents are gone, I don’t have any close friends, I am all alone. I don’t want you to bless me to live; I want you to bless me to die.’

““Brother Merrill said, ‘That is a strange request for a beautiful young woman like you to make. You are just budding into womanhood with all of your life before you. You have the prospects of a husband and home, everything a young woman could hope for. Why in the world should you want such a blessing?’

“President Clawson said, “I have forgotten the type of blessing he gave her; I’m not sure I did know, but at any rate Brother Merrill went back to his bed, and both he and the young lady died.

““They went over to the Other Side, and as Brother Merrill was walking down a sidewalk with some brethren, he met this young lady who said, “this is my mother; this is one of the reasons I wanted to come.’

““Well, it just so happens they both came back. They saw each other over there. They conversed together. They met other people they knew and talked to, then came back and both remembered the incidents. President Clawson said, ‘That is one of the most singular instances of this type in the history of the Church.’” (Gaze Into Heaven Near-Death Experiences In Early Church History, Marlene Bateman Sullivan, P. 37-38)

Two people having a cross-over/simultaneous NDE may sound strange, but it has been reported before – it is rare though! 

Other people’s experiences in the great beyond are nothing on which you can hang your hat. But if it happened to you, by all means hang it! And then tell me about it! 

Please tell me about it!

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