---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Woodruff, Lloyd
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 3
number: 2
published: 1899-12
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Woodruff, Lloyd, "Nature’s Testimony, a Poem," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 2 (December 1899): 114–115.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera32unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera32unse
start_page: 114
end_page: 115
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-12)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera32unse
  publication_year: 1899
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1899, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Nature’s Testimony, a Poem

<!-- page:114 -->

NATURE'S TESTIMONY.

                        BY LLOYD         WOODRUFF.

                      I was sitting in   my study;
                        Silent shadows hovered 'round,
                      Gathering in, like birds of evil.
                        O'er some ghastly battle ground.

                     And within me raged a battle:
                        Fierce as ever savage throng
                      Fought with battle-ax or war-club,
                        'Gainst a right to keep a wrong.

<!-- page:115 -->

—

 NATURES TESTIMONY.                         115

Uncontrolled, the strife and turmoil
  Seared my soul with blighting breath.
Faith and Doubt were fighting madly;
  Faith for life, grim Doubt for death.

As the shadows fell more darkly,
  Each one weakened Faith in life;
Eeach one strengthened scornful doubting,
  Urging him to fiercer strife.

Then black night encircled 'round me;
  Faith fell fainting, spent with pain.
Fiendish Doubt sprang nimbly on him:
  "Thou shalt ne'er oppose again."

As he raised his ready dagger,
  Raised to strike Faith's kingly heart;
Through the trees, a ray of glory
  Made him pause and pale and start.

'Twas the moon in queenly splendor,
  Flooding hill and dale with light;
Faith revived with sudden fury.
  Putting Doubt to hasty flight.

And a nightingale, in praising,
  Broke to rapturous, magic song.
Breathless all things stopped to listen;
  Waiting minds the notes prolong.

To my heart those notes were knowledge
  In my soul, a new-born light,
All of joy, of hope and gladness.
  Seemed to burst in radiance bright.

And a faintly beaming halo
  Showed the path our Savior trod:
All creation paused to whisper,
  "Follow that and dwell with God."