The Millerite Movement

    Learning about the Millerite movement revealed the heartbreaking consequences of putting all of your trust in someone and being let down. The followers of this movement truly believed William Miller when he told them that Christ’s second coming would take place on October 22, 1844. When Christ did not come on this date, many people were left homeless and disappointed. I can’t imagine the pain and betrayal that these people felt when they realized that they had been fooled.

    William Miller was able to gain immense support by using the Bible and lengthy calculations to convince others that the date he selected was correct. I think that people believed him because the way he explained his process used methods that people were familiar with. A lot of his evidence came from the Bible. During this time period, people were extremely religious, meaning that if the origin of this date could be traced to the Bible, they were likely to trust it. Unfortunately, this date came and went with no sign of Christ.

The event made me upset because these people had changed their entire livelihoods, trusting that they would leave this world and ascend on that day. They had sold their houses, keepsakes, and other valuable personal belongings. Some may have even made other drastic changes to their lives in preparation for Christ’s return. When they did not ascend, these people were forced to rebuild their lives from nothing. These people had put all of their trust and support in Miller, making the disappointment even more devastating when his prediction did not come true. 

Learning about this mass religious movement reminded me of several others that were arguably more tragic. Although the Millerite movement changed the lives of all the people involved, it didn’t directly result in their death. Several other movements such as Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate resulted in the deaths of many followers. Hearing of all these tragedies makes me question how people are convinced to alter their lives for these movements. Looking back, it’s easy to say I would never have fallen for it, but how can I be sure?

The only solution I’ve come to is to verify everything you believe based on your own understanding and beliefs. These religious groups can use fear to draw people into their movements. They might also paint pictures that seem too good to be true to get people behind their cause. Either way, it’s important to realize that they can’t promise anything, and their claims should not be automatically accepted as true. Tragic religious movements, such as the Millerite movement, showcase the importance of individual thought, especially when it comes to giving up your livelihood.