I was racked with eternal torment,
for my soul was harrowed up
to the greatest degree
and racked with all my sins.
Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities,
for which I was tormented with the pains of hell;
yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God,
and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
Yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities,
that the very thought of
coming into the presence of my God
did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and
become extinct both soul and body,
that I might not be brought
to stand in the presence of my God,
to be judged of my deeds.
And now, for three days and for three nights
was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
And it came to pass that
as I was thus racked with torment,
while I was harrowed up
by the memory of my many sins,
behold, I remembered also
to have heard my father prophesy unto the people
concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God,
to atone for the sins of the world.
Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought,
I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God,
have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness,
and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
And now, behold, when I thought this,
I could remember my pains no more;
yea, I was harrowed up
by the memory of my sins no more.
And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold;
yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
Yea, I say unto you that there could be nothing
so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains.
Yea, and again I say unto you that on the other hand,
there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
And I stood upon my feet,
and did manifest unto the people
that I had been born of God.