Zebedee Coltrin's Visions in Kirtland

Zebedee Coltrin was born in 1804 in New York. He joined the Church in January 1831, and was a part of many of the early events in Church history such as Zion's Camp. He was ordained a seventy by Joseph Smith in 1835, and was one of the first seven presidents of the Seventy.
Later, Brother Coltrin was part of the first company to come to Utah with Brigham Young in 1847. He settled with his family in Spanish Fork, and was ordained a patriarch in his later years.

In 1883, Brother Coltrin met with the "School of the Prophets" in Salt Lake City and related to them some of his remembrances of the Prophet Joseph:

"Once Joseph gave notice to the school for all to get up before sunrise, then wash themselves and put on clean clothing and be at the school by sunrise, as it would be a day of revelation and vision. They opened with prayer. Joseph then gave instructions to prepare their minds. He told them to kneel and pray with uplifted hands."

Brother Coltrin then gave an account of the appearance of the Father and Son as given in the minutes of the meeting of the 3rd inst:
Jesus was clothed in modern clothing, apparently of gray cloth. When he saw Him in the Kirtland Temple, on the cross his hands were spiked to the wood and he had around him what appeared like a sheet.
Coltrin had also seen Joseph giving revelation when he could not look on his face, so full was he (Joseph) of the glory of God, and the house was full of the same glory.


About the time the school was first organized some wished to see an angel, and a number joined in the circle and prayed. When the vision came, two of the brethren shrank and called for the vision to close or they would perish; they were Brothers Hancock and Humphries. When the Prophet came in they told him what they had done and he said the angel was no further off than the roof of the house, and a moment more he would have been in their midst.

Once after returning from a mission, Zebedee Coltrin met Brother Joseph in Kirtland, who asked him if he did not wish to go with him to a conference at New Portage. The party consisted of Presidents Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery and [Zebedee Coltrin. Next morning at New Portage, he noticed that Joseph seemed to have a far off look in his eyes, or was looking at a distance and presently he, Joseph, stepped between Brothers Cowdery and Coltrin and taking them by the arm, said, 'Let's take a walk.' They went to a place where there was some beautiful grass and grapevines and swampbeech interlaced. President Joseph Smith then said, 'Let us pray.' They all three prayed in turn -- Joseph, Oliver, and Zebedee. Brother Joseph then said, 'Now brethren, we will see some visions.' Joseph lay down on the ground on his back and stretched out his arms and the two brethren lay on them. The heavens gradually opened, and they saw a golden throne, on a circular foundation, something like a light house, and on the throne were two aged personages, having white hair, and clothed in white garments. They were the two most beautiful and perfect specimens of mankind he ever saw. Joseph said, 'They are our first parents, Adam and Eve.' Adam was a large, broad-shouldered man, and Eve as a woman, was large in proportion."


(From "Zebedee Coltrin Minutes, SLC School of Prophets," 11 Oct 1883, pp. 66-67; see also _Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah_, p. 816; and Jenson, _LDS Biographical Encyclopedia_, 1:190, 4:697)

Compiled and written by David Kenison