Must I Not Rather Obtain for Myself?

The Prophet Joseph Smith

Respected Uncle Silas,

It is with feelings of deep interest for the well fare of mankind which fills my mind on the reflection that all were formed by the hand of him who will call the same to give an impartial account of all their works on that great day to which you and myself in common with them are bound, that I take up my pen and seat myself in an attitude to address a few though imperfect lines to you for your perusal.

I have no doubt but that you will agree with me that men will be held accountable for the things which they have and not for the things they have not or that all the light and intelligence communicated to them from their benifficen [beneficent] creator whether it is much or little by the same they in justice will be judged, and that they are required to yield obedience and improve upon that and that only which is given for man is not to live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds [p. 228] out of the mouth of God

Seeing that the Lord has never given the world to understand by anything heretofore revealed that he had ceased forever to speak to his creatures when saught unto in a proper manner why should it be thought a thing incredible that he should be pleased to speak again in these last days for their salvation Perhaps you may be surprized at this assertion that I should say for the salvation of his creatures in these last days since we have already in our possesion a vast volume of his word which he has previously given 

But you will admit that the word spoken to Noah was not sufficent for Abraham or it was not required of Abraham to leave the land of his nativity and seek an Inheritance in a strange land Country upon the word spoken to Noah but for himself he obtain ed promises at the hand of the Lord and walked in that perfection that he was called the friend of God Isaac the promised seed was not required to rest his hope upon the promises made to his father Abraham but was priviledged with the assurance of his approbation in the sight of Heaven by the direct voice of the Lord to him 

If one man can live upon the revelations given to another might not I with propriety ask why the necessity then of the Lord speaking to Isaac as he did as is record ed in the 26 chapter of Genesis for the Lord there repeats or rather promises again to perform the oath which he had previously sworn unto Abraham and why this repet[it]ion to Isaac Why was not the first promise as sure for Isaac as it was for Abraham. Was not Isaac Abraham's son And could he not place implicit confidence in the word of his father as being a man of God.

Perhaps you may say that he was a very peculiar man and different from men in these last days consequently the Lord favored him with blessings peculiar and different as he was different from men in this age I admit that he was a peculiar man and was not only peculiarly blessed but greatly bless ed. But all the peculiarity that I can discover in the [p. 229] man or all the difference between him and men in this age is that he was more holy and more perfect before God and came to him with a purer heart and more faith than men in this day.

The same might be said on the subject of Jacobs history Why was it that the Lord spake to him concerning the same promise after he had made it once to Abraham and renewed it to Isaac why could not Jacob rest contented upon the word spoken to his fathers When the time of the promise drew nigh for the deliverance of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt why was it necessary that the Lord should begin to speak to them The promise or word to Abraham was that his seed should serve in bondage and be afflicted four hundred years and after that they should come out with great substance Why did they not rely upon this promise and when they had remained in Egypt in bondage four hundred [years] come out without waiting for further revelation but act entirely upon the promise given to Abraham that they should come out.

Paul said to his Hebrew brethren that God b[e]ing more abundantly willing to show unto the heirs of his promises the immutability of his council [“]confirmed it by an oath.” He also exhorts them who throug[h] faith and patience inherit the promises.

[“]Notwithstanding we (said Paul) have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us which hope we have as an an chor of the soul both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the vail.” Yet he was careful to press upon them the necessity of continuing on untill they as well as those who inherited the promises might have the assurance of their salvation confirmed to them by an oath from the mouth of him who cannot could not lie for that seemed to be the example anciently and Paul holds it out to his brethren as an object attainable in his day and why not[?] 

I admit that by reading [p. 230]the scriptures of truth saints in the days of Paul could learn beyond the power of contradiction that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had the promise of eternal life confirmed to them by an oath of the Lord but that promise or oath was no assurance to them of their salvation but they could by walking in the footsteps continuing in the faith of their fathers obtain for themselves an oath for confirmation that they were meet to be partake[r]s of the inheritance with the saints in light.

If the saints in the days of the Apostles were priviledged to take the saints for example and lay hold of the same promises and attain to the same exhalted priviledges of knowing that their names were writen in the Lambs book of life and that they were sealed there as a perpetual memorial before the face of the most high will not the same faithfulness the same purity of heart and the same faith bring the same assurance of eternal life and that in the same manner to the children of men now in this age of the world[?]

I have no doubt but that the holy prophets and apostles and saints in ancient days were saved in the Kingdom of God. Neither do I doubt but that they held converse and communion with them while in the flesh as Paul said to the corinthian brethren that the Lord Jesus showed himself to above 500 saints at one time after his resuretion [resurrection]. Job said that he knew that his Redeemer lived and that he should see him in the flesh in the latter days. I may believe that Enoch walked with God I may believe that Abraham communed with God and conversed with angels. I may believe that Isaac obtained a renewal of the covenant made to Abraham by the direct voice of the Lord. I may believe that Jacob conversed with holy angels and heard the word of his Maker. that he wrestled with the angel until he prevailed and obtained a blessing I may believe that Elijah was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire with fiery horses I may believe that the [p. 231] saints saw the Lord and conversed with him face to face aft er his resurection I may believe that the Hebrew Church came to Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an inumerable company of angels. I may believe that they looked into Eternity and saw the Judge of all, and Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant; but will all this purchase an assurance for me, or waft me to the regions of Eternal day with my garments spotless, pure, and white? Or, must I not rather obtain for myself, by my own faith and dilligence, in keeping the commandments of the Lord, an assurance of salvation for myself And have I not an equal priviledge with the ancient saints? and will not the Lord hear my prayers, and listen to my cries, as soon [as] he ever did to their’s if I come to him in the manner they did or is he a respecter of persons?

I must now close this subject for the want of time; and I may say with propriety at the begining; we would be pleased to see you in Kirtland and more pleased to have you embrace the New Covenant. I remain.

Yours affectionately

Joseph Smith

JS, Letter, Kirtland, OH, to Silas Smith, Stockholm, NY, 26 Sept. 1833; in Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, pp. 228–232; handwriting of Martha Jane Coray; CHL. (see here)

Joseph Smith Paper's Link

Why the Halfling?

Gandalf Teaches Galadriel an Important Lesson

Galadriel: Mithrandir, why the halfling?

Gandalf: I do not know. Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I've found. I've found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay; simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.

Galadriel: Do not be afraid, Mithandir. You are not alone. If you should ever need my help, I will come.

In His Bright and Fiery Eye

The Man from Snowy River


There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from Old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses - he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.
All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are,
And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight.

There was Harrison, who made his pile when Pardon won the cup,
The old man with his hair as white as snow;
But few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly up —
He would go wherever horse and man could go.
And Clancy of the Overflow came down to lend a hand,
No better horseman ever held the reins;
For never horse could throw him while the saddle girths would stand,
He learnt to ride while droving on the plains.

And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast;
He was something like a racehorse undersized,
With a touch of Timor pony — three parts thoroughbred at least —
And such as are by mountain horsemen prized.
He was hard and tough and wiry — just the sort that won't say die —
There was courage in his quick impatient tread;
And he bore the badge of gameness in his bright and fiery eye,
And the proud and lofty carriage of his head.

But still so slight and weedy, one would doubt his power to stay,
And the old man said, "That horse will never do
For a long and tiring gallop - lad, you'd better stop away,
Those hills are far too rough for such as you."
So he waited sad and wistful — only Clancy stood his friend —
"I think we ought to let him come," he said;
"I warrant he'll be with us when he's wanted at the end,
For both his horse and he are mountain bred."

"He hails from Snowy River, up by Kosciusko's side,
Where the hills are twice as steep and twice as rough,
Where a horse's hoofs strike firelight from the flint stones every stride,
The man that holds his own is good enough.
And the Snowy River riders on the mountains make their home,
Where the river runs those giant hills between;
I have seen full many horsemen since I first commenced to roam,
But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen."

So he went; they found the horses by the big mimosa clump,
They raced away towards the mountain's brow,
And the old man gave his orders, "Boys, go at them from the jump,
No use to try for fancy riding now.
And, Clancy, you must wheel them, try and wheel them to the right.
Ride boldly, lad, and never fear the spills,
For never yet was rider that could keep the mob in sight,
If once they gain the shelter of those hills."

So Clancy rode to wheel them — he was racing on the wing
Where the best and boldest riders take their place,
And he raced his stockhorse past them, and he made the ranges ring
With the stockwhip, as he met them face to face.
Then they halted for a moment, while he swung the dreaded lash,
But they saw their well-loved mountain full in view,
And they charged beneath the stockwhip with a sharp and sudden dash,
And off into the mountain scrub they flew.

Then fast the horsemen followed, where the gorges deep and black
Resounded to the thunder of their tread,
And the stockwhips woke the echoes, and they fiercely answered back
From cliffs and crags that beetled overhead.
And upward, ever upward, the wild horses held their way,
Where Mountain Ash and Kurrajong grew wide;
And the old man muttered fiercely, "We may bid the mob good day,
No man can hold them down the other side."

When they reached the mountain's summit, even Clancy took a pull -
It well might make the boldest hold their breath;
The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full
Of wombat holes, and any slip was death.
But the man from Snowy River let the pony have his head,
And he swung his stockwhip round and gave a cheer,
And he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed,
While the others stood and watched in very fear.

He sent the flint-stones flying, but the pony kept his feet,
He cleared the fallen timbers in his stride,
And the man from Snowy River never shifted in his seat —
It was grand to see that mountain horseman ride.
Through the stringy barks and saplings, on the rough and broken ground,
Down the hillside at a racing pace he went;
And he never drew the bridle till he landed safe and sound,
At the bottom of that terrible descent.

He was right among the horses as they climbed the farther hill
And the watchers on the mountain standing mute,
Saw him ply the stockwhip fiercely; he was right among them still,
As he raced across the clearing in pursuit.
Then they lost him for a moment, where two mountain gullies met
In the ranges - but a final glimpse reveals
On a dim and distant hillside the wild horses racing yet,
With the man from Snowy River at their heels.

And he ran them single-handed till their sides were white with foam.
He followed like a bloodhound on their track,
Till they halted cowed and beaten, then he turned their heads for home,
And alone and unassisted brought them back.
But his hardy mountain pony he could scarcely raise a trot,
He was blood from hip to shoulder from the spur;
But his pluck was still undaunted, and his courage fiery hot,
For never yet was mountain horse a cur.

And down by Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges raise
Their torn and rugged battlements on high,
Where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze
At midnight in the cold and frosty sky,
And where around the Overflow the reed -beds sweep and sway
To the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide,
The man from Snowy River is a household word today,
And the stockmen tell the story of his ride.

You Can't Call Back Your Words

Will Carleton

Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds;

You can call back your kites, but you can’t call back your words.

“Careful with fire” is good advice, we know;

“Careful with words” is ten times doubly so.

Thoughts unexpressed will often fall back dead. 

But God Himself can’t kill them, once they are said!

(see also here)

Frank and Loquacious to All Men

Orson Spencer

"I firmly avow, in the presence of God, that I believe Mr. Joseph Smith to be an upright man, that seeks the glory of God in such a manner as is well pleasing to the Most High God. Naturally he is kind and obliging; pitiful and courteous; as far from dissimulation as any man; frank and loquacious to all men, friends or foes. He seems to employ no studied effort to guard himself against misrepresentation, but often leaves himself exposed to misconstructions by those who watch for faults. He is remarkably cheerful for one who has seen well-tried friends martyred around him, and felt the inflictions of calumny—the vexation of lawsuits—the treachery of intimates—and multiplied violent attempts upon his person and life, together with the cares of much business. His influence, after which you inquire, is very great. His friends are as ardently attached to him as his enemies are violently opposed. Free toleration is given to all opposing religions, but wherever he is accredited as a prophet of the living God, there you will perceive his influence must be great. That lurking fear and suspicion that he may become a dictator or despot, gradually gives place to confidence and fondness, as believers become acquainted with him." 

- Orson Spencer, Letters

Who is the Captain?

William Earnest Henley

"Invictus" 

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from Pole to Pole,

I thank whatever gods may be,

For my unconquerable soul. 

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud,

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid. 

It matters not how straight the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

Orson F. Whitney

"The Soul's Captain" 

Art thou in truth?

Then what of him who bought thee with his blood?

Who plunged into devouring seas

And snatched thee from the flood 

Who bore for all our fallen race

What none but him could bear--

The God who died that man might live

And endless glory share. 

Of what avail thy vaunted strength

Apart from his vast might?

Pray that his light may pierce the gloom

That thou mayest see aright. 

Men are as bubbles on the wave,

As leaves upon the tree,

Thou, captain of thy soul! Forsooth,

Who gave that place to thee? 

Free will is thine--free agency,

To wield for right or wrong;

But thou must answer unto him

To whom all souls belong. 

Bend to the dust that “head unbowed”,

Small part of life’s great whole,

And see in him and him alone,

The captain of thy soul.

(see also here)

How Do You Think That Mother Guessed?

Which Loved Best?

"I love you, Mother," said little John;

Then, forgetting his work, his cap went on,

And he was off to the garden-swing,

And left her the water and wood to bring.

"I love you, Mother," said rosy Nell —

"I love you better than tongue can tell;"

Then she teased and pouted full half the day

Till her mother rejoiced when she went to play.

"I love you, Mother," said little Fan;

"To-day I'll help you all I can;

How glad I am school doesn't keep!"

So she rocked the babe till it fell asleep.

Then, stepping softly, she fetched the broom

And swept the floor and tidied the room;

Busy and happy all day was she,

Helpful and happy as child could be.

"I love you, Mother," again they said,

Three little children going to bed.

How do you think that mother guessed

Which of them really loved her best?

- by Joy Allison

Not a Matter of Opinion

Spencer W. Kimball

"This true way of life is not a matter of opinion. There are absolute truths and relative truths. The rules of dietetics have changed many times in my lifetime. Many scientific findings have changed from year to year. The scientists taught for decades that the world was once a nebulous, molten mass cast off from the sun, and later many scientists said it once was a whirl of dust which solidified. There are many ideas advanced to the world that have been changed to meet the needs of the truth as it has been discovered. There are relative truths, and there are also absolute truths which are the same yesterday, today, and forever—never changing. These absolute truths are not altered by the opinions of men. As science has expanded our understanding of the physical world, certain accepted ideas of science have had to be abandoned in the interest of truth. Some of these seeming truths were stoutly maintained for centuries. The sincere searching of science often rests only on the threshold of truth, whereas revealed facts give us certain absolute truths as a beginning point so we may come to understand the nature of man and the purpose of his life." 

- Spencer W. Kimball, "Absolute Truth"

Nothing this Truth Can Dim

My Life is But a Weaving

“My life is but a weaving

Between my God and me.

I cannot choose the colors

He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;

And I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper

And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas

And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

In the weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;

Nothing this truth can dim.

He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice to Him.”

― Anonymous

Savior, Redeemer of My Soul

Orson F. Whitney

Savior, Redeemer of My Soul

Savior, Redeemer of my soul,

Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,

Whose wondrous pow’r hath raised me up

And filled with sweet my bitter cup!

What tongue my gratitude can tell,

O gracious God of Israel.

Never can I repay thee, Lord,

But I can love thee. Thy pure word,

Hath it not been my one delight,

My joy by day, my dream by night?

Then let my lips proclaim it still,

And all my life reflect thy will.

O’errule mine acts to serve thine ends.

Change frowning foes to smiling friends.

Chasten my soul till I shall be

In perfect harmony with thee.

Make me more worthy of thy love,

And fit me for the life above.

- Orson F. Whitney

(click here for a musical rendition)

Compact Society is Absolutely Necessary

The Prophet Joseph Smith

"As intelligence is the great object of our holy religion, it is of all things important, that we should place ourselves in the best situation possible to obtain it. And we wish it to be deeply impressed on the minds of all, that to obtain all the knowledge which the circumstances of man will admit of, is one of the principle objects the saints have in gathering together. Intelligence is the result of education, and education can only be obtained by living in compact society; so compact, that schools of all kinds can be supported, and that while we are supporting schools, we, without any exception, can be benefited thereby.

It matters not how advanced many who embrace the gospel, be in life, the true object of their calling, is to increase their intelligence; to give them knowledge and understanding in all things which pertain to their happiness and peace, both here and hereafter.— And it is therefore required, that they place themselves in a situation accordingly.

Vain are the hopes of those who embrace the gospel, and then suppose, like the ignorant sectarians of the day, they have nothing more to do, but hold on to what they have gotten. Oh indeed! they think, or at least some of them do, that it is very well to have their priest educated, as well as they can; but for the people, they can serve God as well in ignorance as any other way: they can say their prayers, whether there is sense in them or not; and sing Psalms, it matters not whether they are suited to their condition or not; and thus in the most profound ignorance, with a learned blockhead, at their head, blunder on, until they blunder into heaven. But this stupid ignorance cannot exist among the saints.— It will do well enough, for creatures that know not God, and have not obeyed the gospel. But for saints it will not do. The great God when he began to work for his name’s glory, never thought of doing so, by raising up a society of ignoramuses, but of men and women of intelligence; of first intelligence. Of intelligence as high as human nature was susceptable; and by this means glorify himself.

One of the principal objects then, of our coming together, is to obtain the advantages of education; and in order to do this, compact society is absolutely necessary: it cannot be obtained without it, at most only by the few, to the exclusion of the many; which is a principle, at war with the principles of the church of Christ; for the principle of the church is, that what one has, all have; and equal privileges must be granted to all, or else it is not the church of Christ. And if those, on whom the important duty of regulating this matter devolves, should neglect to do their duty in this matter, they will be found transgressors.

We wish the saints then to be apprised of this, that in order to obtain [t]he ends of their calling, they will find [i]t, unavoidably, necessary that they should be gathered into the cities, in as compact order as possible."

- The Prophet Joseph Smith, Elders’ Journal, August 1838

A Pair of Scissors

C.S. Lewis

"Handing everything over to Christ does not, of course, mean that you stop trying. To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. 

Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.

Christians have often disputed as to whether what leads the Christian home is good actions, or Faith in Christ. I have no right really to speak on such a difficult question, but it does seem to me like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most necessary. A serious moral effort is the only thing that will bring you to the point where you throw up the sponge. Faith in Christ is the only thing to save you from despair at that point: and out of that Faith in Him good actions must inevitably come."

- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

(see also the analogy of the woodpile)

I Walked a Mile

“I walked a mile with Pleasure;

She chatted all the way;

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow;

And ne’er a word said she;

But, oh! The things I learned from her,

When Sorrow walked with me.”

― Robert Browning Hamilton

The Voice Like Music Fell

Orson F. Whitney

In solemn council sat the Gods; 

From Kolob's height supreme, 

Celestial light blazed forth afar 

O'er countless kokaubeam; 

And faintest tinge, the fiery fringe 

Of that resplendent day, 

'Lumined the dark abysmal realm 

Where earth in chaos lay.

Silence self-spelled; the hour was one 

When thought doth most avail; 

Of worlds unborn the destiny 

Hung trembling in the scale. 

Silence o'er all, and there arose, 

Those kings and priests among, 

A Power sublime, than whom appeared 

None nobler 'mid the throng.

A stature mingling strength with grace, 

Of meek though Godlike mien, 

The love-revealing countenance 

Lustrous as lightning sheen; 

Whiter his hair than ocean spray, 

Or frost of alpine hill. 

He spake;--attention grew more grave, 

The stillness e'en more still.

"Father!"--the voice like music fell, 

Clear as the murmuring flow 

Of mountain streamlet trickling down 

From heights of virgin snow. 

"Father," it said, "since one must die," 

Thy children to redeem, 

Whilst earth, as yet unformed and void, 

With pulsing life shall teem;

"And thou, great Michael, foremost fall, 

That mortal man may be, 

And chosen Saviour yet must send, 

Lo, here am I--send me! 

I ask, I seek no recompense, 

Save that which then were mine; 

Mine be the willing sacrifice, 

The endless glory, Thine!

"Give me to lead to this lorn world, 

When wandered from the fold, 

Twelve legions of the noble ones 

That now thy face behold; 

Tried souls, 'mid untried spirits found; 

That captained these may be, 

And crowned the dispensations all 

With powers of Deity.

"A love that hath redeemed all worlds, 

All worlds must still redeem; 

But mercy cannot justice rob-- 

Or where were Elohim? 

Freedom--man's faith, man's work, God's grace-- 

Must span the great gulf o'er; 

Life, death, the guerdon or the doom, 

Rejoice we or deplore."

Silence once more. Then sudden rose 

Aloft a towering form, 

Proudly erect as lowering peak 

'Lumed by the gathering storm! 

A presence bright and beautiful, 

With eye of flashing fire, 

A lip whose haughty curl bespoke 

A sense of inward ire.

"Give me to go!" thus boldly cried, 

With scarce concealed disdain; 

"And hence shall none, from heaven to earth, 

That shall not rise again. 

My saving plan exception scorns; 

Man's agency unknown; 

As recompense, I claim the right 

To sit on yonder throne!"

Ceased Lucifer. The breathless hush 

Resumed and denser grew. 

All eyes were turned; the general gaze 

On one common magnet drew. 

A moment there was solemn pause; 

Then, like the thunder-burst, 

Rolled forth from lips omnipotent-- 

From Him both last and first:

"Immanuel! thou my Messenger, 

Till time's probation end. 

And one shall go thy face before, 

While twelve thy steps attend. 

And many more, on that far shore, 

The pathway shall prepare, 

That I, the First, the last may come, 

And earth my glory share.

"Go forth, thou chosen of the Gods, 

Whose strength shall in thee dwell! 

Go down betime and rescue earth, 

Dethroning death and hell 

On thee alone man's fate depends, 

The fate of beings all. 

Thou shalt not fail, though thou art free-- 

Free, but too great, to fall.

"By three in heaven, by three on earth,-- 

By blood that sanctifies, 

By water of obedience, 

Spirit that justifies; 

By every word of mine and thine, 

Through toil and travail sore, 

Man, God-redeemed, with God shall be, 

As God forevermore."

'T was done. From congregation vast 

Tumultuous murmurs rose; 

Waves of conflicting sound, as when 

Two meeting seas oppose. 

'T was finished. But the heavens wept; 

And still their annals tell 

How one was choice of Elohim, 

O'er one who fighting fell.

A stranger star that came from far, 

To fling its silver ray, 

Where, cradled in a lowly cave, 

A lowlier infant lay; 

And led by soft sidereal light, 

The Orient sages bring 

Rare gifts of gold and frankincense, 

To greet the homeless King.

Oh wondrous grace! Will Gods go down 

Thus low that men may rise? 

Imprisoned here the mighty one 

Who reigned in yonder skies? 

Hark to that chime!--a tongue sublime, 

That tells the hour of noon. 

A dying world is welcoming 

Life--light of sun and moon.

"Peace! peace!"--thy voice, eternity! 

"Peace!" echoes time's false tone. 

"Peace! peace!" Is discord then no more? 

Are earth and heaven as one? 

Peace, peace, where sparkling hosts proclaim 

A monarch manger-born; 

There ruler of unnumbered realms, 

Here throneless and forlorn.

He wandered through the faithless world, 

A prince in shepherd guise; 

He called his scattered flock, but few 

The voice did recognize; 

For minds upborne by hollow pride, 

Or dimmed by sordid lust, 

Ne'er look for kings in begger's garb, 

For diamonds in the dust.

Wept He above a city doomed, 

Her temple, walls, and towers, 

O'er palaces where recreant priests 

Usurped unhallowed powers. 

"I am the way, the life, the light!" 

Alas! 't was heeded not; 

Ignored--nay, mocked God's messenger, 

And spurned the truth He taught.

O bane of damning unbelief! 

Till now when e'er so rife? 

Thou stumbling stone, thou barrier 'thwart 

The gates of endless life! 

O love of self, and Mammon's lust! 

Twin portals to despair, 

Where bigotry, the blinded bat, 

Flaps through the midnight air.

Through these, gloom-wrapt Gethsemane! 

Thy glens of guilty shade 

Grieved o'er the sinless Son of God, 

By gold-bought kiss betrayed; 

Beheld Him unresisting dragged, 

Forsaken, friendless, lone, 

To halls where dark-browed hatred sat 

On judgment's lofty throne.

As sheep before His shearers, dumb, 

Those patient lips were mute; 

The clamorous charge of taunting tongues 

He deigned not to dispute. 

They smote with cruel palm a face 

Which felt yet bore the sting; 

Then crowned with thorns His quivering brow, 

And mocking, hailed him "King!"

Transfixt He hung,--O crime of crimes!-- 

The God whom worlds adore. 

"Father, forgive them!" Drained the dregs; 

Immanuel was no more! 

No more where thunders shook the earth, 

Where lightnings, 'thwart the gloom, 

Saw that unconquered spirit spurn 

The shackles of the tomb.

Far-flashing on its wings of light, 

A falchion from its sheath, 

It cleft the realms of darkness and 

Dissolved the bands of death; 

Hell's dungeons burst, wide open swung 

The everlasting bars, 

Whereby the ransomed soul shall win 

Those heights beyond the stars.

- Orson F. Whitney, from "Elect of Elohim" in Elias, an Epic of the Ages

(see here for a reading of the poem set to music)

Pure Intelligence

The Prophet Joseph Smith

"The Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure intelligence." 

- The Prophet Joseph Smith

His Glory Still Gleams in Their Eyes

The Children

WHEN the lessons and tasks are all ended, 

And the school for the day is dismissed, 

And the little ones gather around me, 

To bid me good night and be kissed; 

O the little white arms that encircle 

My neck in their tender embrace! 

O the smiles that are halos of heaven, 

Shedding sunshine of love on my face! 

And when they are gone, I sit dreaming 

Of my childhood, too lovely to last; 

Of love that my heart will remember 

When it wakes to the pulse of the past, 

Ere the world and its wickedness made me 

A partner of sorrow and sin,— 

When the glory of God was about me, 

And the glory of gladness within. 

All my heart grows weak as a woman’s, 

And the fountains of feeling will flow, 

When I think of the paths steep and stony, 

Where the feet of the dear ones must go; 

Of the mountains of sin hanging o’er them, 

Of the tempest of Fate blowing wild; 

O, there ’s nothing on earth half so holy 

As the innocent heart of a child! 

They are idols of hearts and of households; 

They are angels of God in disguise; 

His sunlight still sleeps in their tresses, 

His story still gleams in their eyes; 

O, these truants from home and from heaven,— 

They have made me more manly and mild; 

And I know now how Jesus could liken 

The kingdom of God to a child! 

I ask not a life for the dear ones, 

All radiant, as others have done, 

But that life may have just enough shadow 

To temper the glare of the sun; 

I would pray God to guard them from evil, 

But my prayer would bound back to myself; 

Ah! a seraph may pray for a sinner, 

But a sinner must pray for himself. 

The twig is so easily bended, 

I have banished the rule and the rod; 

I have taught them the goodness of knowledge, 

They have taught me the goodness of God. 

My heart is the dungeon of darkness, 

Where I shut them for breaking a rule; 

My frown is sufficient correction; 

My love is the law of the school. 

I shall leave the old house in the autumn, 

To traverse its threshold no more; 

Ah! how shall I sigh for the dear ones 

That meet me each morn at the door! 

I shall miss the “good nights” and the kisses, 

And the gush of their innocent glee, 

The group on its green, and the flowers 

That are brought every morning to me. 

I shall miss them at morn and at even, 

Their song in the school and the street; 

I shall miss the low hum of their voices, 

And the tread of their delicate feet. 

When the lessons of life are all ended, 

And death says, “The school is dismissed!” 

May the little ones gather around me, 

To bid me good night and be kissed!

- Charles M. Dickinson (quoted by Thomas S. Monson in "Precious Children, a Gift from God")

He Who Reads it Oftenest Will Like it Best

The Prophet Joseph Smith

“Connected with the building up of the Kingdom, is the printing and circulation of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, … and the new translation of the [Bible]. It is unnecessary to say anything respecting these works; those who have read them, and who have drunk of the stream of knowledge which they convey, know how to appreciate them; and although fools may have them in derision, yet they are calculated to make men wise unto salvation, and sweep away the cobwebs of superstition of ages, throw a light on the proceedings of Jehovah which have already been accomplished, and mark out the future in all its dreadful and glorious realities. Those who have tasted the benefit derived from a study of those works, will undoubtedly vie with each other in their zeal for sending them abroad throughout the world, that every son of Adam may enjoy the same privileges, and rejoice in the same truths.”

- History of the Church, 4:187; from a letter from Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency to the Saints, Sept. 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois, published in Times and Seasons, Oct. 1840, p. 179.

“… He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God’s own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it; and when once discovered, it will not only receive an acknowledgment, but an obedience to all its heavenly precepts.”

- History of the Church, 2:11, 14; punctuation modernized; paragraph divisions altered; from “The Elders of the Church in Kirtland, to Their Brethren Abroad,” Jan. 22, 1834, published in Evening and Morning Star, Feb. 1834, p. 136; Mar. 1834, p. 142.

Where is One Like Christ?

The Prophet Joseph Smith

"Who, among all the Saints in these last days, can consider himself as good as our Lord?  Who is as perfect?  Who is as pure?  Who is as holy as He was?  Are they to be found?  He never transgressed or broke a commandment or law of heaven - no deceit was in His mouth, neither was guile found in His heart... Where is one like Christ?  He cannot be found on earth."

- The Prophet Joseph Smith, History of the Church 2:23

The Torchbearer

"The Torchbearer"

The God of the great endeavor 

gave me a torch to bear. 

I lifted it high above me 

in the dark and murky air.

Straightway with loud hosannas 

the crowd acclaimed its light, 

And followed me as I carried my torch 

through the dark and starless night.

Til mad with peoples' praises 

and drunken with vanity, 

I forgot it was the torch that drew them 

and fancied they followed me.

And my arm grew sore and weary 

upholding the shining load, 

And my tired feet went stumbling 

over the hilly road.

I fell with the torch beneath me, 

in a moment the flame was out. 

But lo, from the throng a stripling 

sprang forth with a mighty shout,

Caught up the torch as it smouldered 

and lifted it high again, 

Til fanned by the winds of heaven 

it fired the souls of men.

As I lay alone in the darkness, 

the feet of the trampling crowd, 

Passed over and far beyond me, 

their praises proclaimed aloud.

And I learned in the deepening shadow 

this glorious verity, 

'Tis the torch the people follow, 

who ere the bearer be.

- Anonymous

A Little Fighting to Do

Brigham Young

"This evil is with us, it is that influence which tempts to sin, and which has been permitted to come into the world for the express purpose of giving us an opportunity of proving ourselves before God, before Jesus Christ our elder brother, before the holy angels, and before all good men, that we are determined to overcome the evil, and cleave to the good, for the Lord has given us the ability to do so. Consequently, when the evil is present with me, I have a little fighting to do, I must turn and combat it until it is eradicated from my affections, as well as from my actions, that I may have power to do all the good I wish to perform. Every person is capable of this, all can bridle their tongues, and cease from every evil act from this time henceforth and forever, and do good instead."

- Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, p. 70

Before the Lord Jesus Descends

Bruce R. McConkie

"Before the Lord Jesus descends openly and publicly in the clouds of glory, attended by all the hosts of heaven; before the great and dreadful day of the Lord sends terror and destruction from one end of the earth to the other; before he stands on Mount Zion, or sets his feet on Olivet, or utters his voice from an American Zion or a Jewish Jerusalem; before all flesh shall see him together; before any of his appearances, which taken together comprise the second coming of the Son of God—before all these, there is to be a secret appearance to selected members of his Church. He will come in private to his prophet and to the apostles then living. Those who have held keys and powers and authorities in all ages from Adam to the present will also be present." 

(Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, 578–79)

Know for Yourselves

The Prophet Joseph Smith

"Search the scriptures - search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation [. . . ] Search the Scriptures, search the Prophets and learn what portion of them belongs to you." 

- The Prophet Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 11-12.

Genuine Gold

James E. Talmage

“The present is an age of pleasure-seeking, and men are losing their sanity in the mad rush for sensations that do but excite and disappoint. In this day of counterfeits, adulterations, and base imitations, the devil is busier than he has ever been in the course of human history, in the manufacture of pleasures, both old and new; and these he offers for sale in most attractive fashion, falsely labeled, Happiness. In this soul-destroying craft he is without a peer; he has had centuries of experience and practice, and by his skill he controls the market. He has learned the tricks of the trade, and knows well how to catch the eye and arouse the desire of his customers. He puts up the stuff in bright-colored packages, tied with tinsel string and tassel; and crowds flock to his bargain counters, hustling and crushing one another in their frenzy to buy.

“Follow one of the purchasers as he goes off gloatingly with his gaudy packet, and watch him as he opens it. What finds he inside the gilded wrapping? He has expected fragrant happiness, but uncovers only an inferior brand of pleasure, the stench of which is nauseating.

“Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true worth in pleasure, and much besides. Happiness is genuine gold, pleasure but guilded brass, which corrodes in the hand, and is soon converted into poisonous verdigris. Happiness is as the genuine diamond, which, rough or polished, shines with its own inimitable luster; pleasure is as the paste imitation that glows only when artificially embellished. Happiness is as the ruby, red as the heart’s blood, hard and enduring; pleasure, as stained glass, soft, brittle, and of but transitory beauty.

“Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutritious and sweet; it builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical, mental and spiritual; pleasure is but a deceiving stimulant which, like spiritous drink, makes one think he is strong when in reality enfeebled; makes him fancy he is well when in fact stricken with deadly malady.

“Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repentance, contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme, it brings degradation and destruction.

“True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish.

“Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? I have.”

- James E. Talmage, "Improvement Era," vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 172-73. (Also found in notes to chapter 17, Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage)

Knowing Who You Are

President Kevin J. Worthen

It is important to remember who you are.  Yesterday, BYU President Kevin J. Worthen gave an excellent BYU devotional address on the topic of "Knowing Who You Are."  I commend it to your attention.

True Greatness

Joseph F. Smith

"Those things which we call extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual may make history, but they do not make real life.

After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman."

- President Joseph F. Smith ("Juvenile Instructor," 15 Dec. 1905, p. 752.)

A Pleasant Privilege

Russell M. Nelson

"Keeping the garden of marriage well cultivated and free from weeds of neglect requires the time and commitment of love. It is not only a pleasant privilege, it is a scriptural requirement with promise of eternal glory" - Russell M. Nelson (in Conference Report, Apr. 1991, 28; or Ensign, May 1991, 23).

The Land of Beginning Again

Louisa Fletcher

The Land of Beginning Again

I wish that there were some wonderful place

Called the land of Beginning Again,

Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches

And all of our poor selfish grief

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never put on again.

I wish we could come on it all unaware,

Like the hunter who finds a lost trail;

And I wish that the one whom our blindness had done 

The greatest injustice of all

Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits

For the comrade he's gladdest to hail.

We would find all the things we intended to do

But forgot, and remembered too late,

Little praises unspoken, little promises broken,

And all of the thousand and one

Little duties neglected that might have perfected

The day for one less fortunate.

It wouldn't be possible not to be kind

In the land of Beginning Again;

And the ones we misjudged and the ones

Whom we grudged

The moments of victory here

Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp

More than penitent lips could explain

For what had been hardest we'd know had been best

And what had seemed loss would be gain;

For there isn't a sting that will not take wing

When we've faced it and laughed it away;

And I think that the laughter is most what we're after

In the land of Beginning Again.

So I wish that there were some wonderful place

Called the land of Beginning Again,

Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches

And all of our poor selfish grief

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never be put on again.

- Louisa Fletcher, in The Land of Beginning Again

The Super-Substantial Nourishment of Man

Jacques Maritain

“Poetry (like metaphysics) is spiritual nourishment; but of a savor which has been created and which is insufficient. There is but one eternal nourishment. Unhappy are you who think yourselves ambitious, and who whet your appetites for anything less than the [divinity] of Christ. It is a mortal error to expect from poetry the super-substantial nourishment of man.”

- Jacques Maritain, Frontiers of Poetry [New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962], p. 132.)

The Disciple-Scholar

Learning in the Light of Faith: The Compatibility of Scholarship and Discipleship

What is a disciple-scholar?  Elder Neal A. Maxwell exemplified both discipleship and scholarship in his life, and he explains the concept here.