Charles L. Walker Account (1893)
As told by John Alger
2nd Feb Thurs [1893] Cold and chilly. Attended Fast Meeting. Bishop Wm Gardener spoke very well for a short time, on the Elders magnifying their calling. Tho not called to the Nations of the Earth to preach, they could save souls at home by reclaiming them from the error of their ways, and lead them to God, and their Joy would be great in this as tho they had been out in the ministry preaching the Gospel. Br John Alger said while speaking of the Prophet Joseph, that when he, John, was a small boy he heard the Prophet Joseph relate his vision of seeing The Father and the Son, That God touched his eyes with his finger and said “Jospeh this is my beloved Son hear him.” As soon as the Lord had touched his eyes with his finger he immediately saw the Savior. After meeting, a few of us questioned him about the matter and he told us at the bottom of the meeting house steps that he was in the House of Father Smith in Kirtland when Joseph made this declaration, and that Joseph while speaking of it put his finger to his right eye, suiting the action with the words so as to illustrate and at the same time impress the occurence on the minds of those unto whom He was speaking. We enjoyed the conversation very much, as it was something that we had never seen in church history or heard of before.