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Show I ii The Event of the 19th Century. A Poem by .lames A. Lclslunan, published by request. " Tho nineteenth Century's opening page Announced the era of a brighter life; Emerging from the tolls of bitter rage, That laged Its rancor with relentless strife. Strong nations long had lorded o'er the weak, Tho taint of Feudalism still remained; The smoke of battle told how vengeance wreaked, How fury with Its horrors grimly reigned. From age to age, ambition's blood-stained hand, Held carnival o'er those of greater worth; The Church and State were In supreme command, Science and letters struggling for their birth. Chaos had wiought It's havoc 'mong mankind, The governmental problem, still unsolved; Lo. man without his God Is always blind, And falls, no matter howso'cr resolved. In every realm of human thoiightfulncss, Enor had tinged the very waip and woof Of all things moital with a wrongfulness, That caused pioprletles to stand aloof. Our Cent'ry's dawn bespoke some higher ways, The ebb of evolution bad set In; I To shape the ends, for good for future da)s, I And right and tiuth Its reign of light begin. I The ltefoimation's salutary tide, v j Had driven back the tenors of the Popes: ' And spent its foico against bold eiror'sstilde, : Until leactlon seemed to blast all hopes, If 'twas iti evil, that one chinch did hold, All dogmas, 'gainst which all icfoiiners piled; In point of history then we theie behold, Evils increased, and discoid multiplied. Churches and creeds, like mushrooms, gicw apace, Wiangllng for place and power with woildly lust; Their doctilnes clashing, void of saving grace, And showed how man to man was so unjust. AVhllo liberty of conscience took elfect, And men were flee to choose whate'er they would; I'lom out the jargon of contending sects, Their choice, ma)liap, pioduced but little good. Pellglon nourished, ait and science Haunt, Is'ew governments, benign, held up their charms; Inventions, m ogress, tilled the social want, And learning was received with open arms, 1 Despite the welcome How of better things, Enjoyment of them mailed by discontent; Tho diead and fear which doubt so often brings, Hung like a pall, as if in punishment. To "balm of Gilead" was found to heal, No oracle of God to point the way; Itellglous daikness wantonly concealed, That all mankind had sadly gone astray. It matters not If every want of man Ho tilled, and vet he knows not God might; Though able, all the universe to scan, lie lacketh that which brings eternal light. Who then, may ope the gates of heaven, And man again look on his maker's face? This grander step, by Joseph Smith was taken, Tlno' whom mankind may learn the means of grace. This Prophet boy, bewildered by the plight Of sectaries bethought lilmself to ask The Father, "which of all the sects wcie right?" And straightway undertook the weighty task. Sublimity was reached, when bent alone. Imploring God to show him who was light; When lo, there stood the Father and the Son, In glory, clothed In majesty and light. The voice of God was not a myth, When, "this is My beloved Son, hear him," Resounded on tho ears of .Joseph Smith, As music sung by heavenly seiaphhii. Ills prayer answered, "all the sects aie wrong," Astounding woids spoke by the "Holy One;" And after daikness covered eaith so long, The latter dispensation then begun. The Heavens opened once again to man, The path of peace levealed to checkmate strife; And Angels tiom above, hi glory lan To earth again to teach the vva)s of life. Event of all events has thus transpired, The eriors of a world are plainly told; A lciiicdy made known by those Insphed, To heal the lace cv'n since the dajs of old. Achievements made of every known Intent, Throughout the woild, as tanked hi modern times, Stands paled before this heavenly event, The fame of which has reached all lands and climes. Strange that Luther, Mclanehon, Calvin, Knox, And other Churchmen, ne'er besought tho Lord To set them right, and teach them oithodox. And happlfy the world, with truth restored. The pra)eis of tho Piophet boy prevailed, Excelled In faith and fervor, without boasts, This crowning act of ages should be hailed With praise and glory to the Lord of hosts. True to his trust the Piophet spent his life, In laying deep tho work of God on earth; Although his path was sticwed with constant strife, The work he done attests his precious worth. Like other piophcts who've depaited hence, Ho sealed his testimony with his blood; Ho tanks the foremost in true excellence, Of all tho seers and piophcts since the Hood. Maligned, misunderstood, ho bravely stemmed The toncnt of abuse from Christian hands; Ills persecutois, sliyeis, stand condemned, Among tho worst of beings In all lauds. The gieatest of atrocities his death, Allow n the ages since upon the tree Exphed the Son of God, whose dying bicath, Sank low In woids of grand benignity. Eat th maiks another epoch on ItsKcioll, When gospel truths hi fullness are lestoicd; And time ai lived which piophcts did behold, The way preparing for the coming Lord. All ke)sof Priesthood needful to possess, To save the woild, the living and the dead Have been bequeathed, with power to heal and bless, Hy heavenly hands upon the piophcts head. . The generations )et unboin will praise, The work he done while In this moital sphere; Will laud his niein'iy to t tic latest da)s And give him justice and his namctevcrc. llonoied of Heaven, bc)ond Ills fellow men, The latter dispensation to bring in; The work begun shall loll beyond our ken, And cease not till the world Is cleansed Horn sin. S fc) ." O 4 |