Conversion of Solomon Chamberlain

Conversion of Solomon Chamberlain

Chamberlain, Solomon

Jones, Christopher

Internal conversion

Admitted to membership

Methodist Episcopal Church

1807

CT

Following the death of his father, Chamberlain experienced two visions, one of hell and another of three heavens. He prayed to God for forgiveness, and heard a voice tell him that his sins were forgiven. He shortly after joined the Methodist Episcopal Church.

"From the time my father died, till I was 19 years of age I lived a very wicked life. About that time, I had a vision of hell, and which alarmed me very much, and I reformed and had another of three heavens, and their glories, and the third one, far exceeded the others. My visions so alarmed me, I was in sorrow and repentance for many days, on account of my sins, I thought I would give all the world if I could find a man that could tell me what I should do to be saved. I sought much, but could find none. ... As all others had failed I thought I would go to God and plead for mercy, and if I went to hell, I would go praying, and I cried unto the Lord night and day, for the forgiveness of my sins. Like Enos of old, till at length the Lord said, 'Solomon, thy sins are forgiven thee. Go in peace and sin no more.' My heart then leaped for joy unspeakable, I now joined the Methodist Order, and thought they were the rightest of any on the earth."

From Solomon Chamberlain's manuscript autobiography, written in 1858.

Solomon Chamberlain, “Autobiography, 1788–1850,” L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Transcript available online at <http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/SChamberlain.html>