---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Curtis, T. E.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 4
published: 1904-02
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'T. E. Curtis, "The Dawn of Truth," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 4 (February 1904): 294.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0704unse
  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: improvementera0704unse
start_page: 294
end_page: 294
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-02)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0704unse
  publication_year: 1904
  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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# The Dawn of Truth

<!-- page:294 -->

294 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
Across 
        the 
        great 
        landscape 
        of 
        time,
O'er 
        which 
        successive 
        ages 
        hung,
The 
        prophets 
        saw 
        this 
        dawn 
        sublime.
And 
        of 
        these 
        mighty 
        rockies 
        sung.
They 
        saw 
        the 
        listless 
        world 
        asleep
Down 
        in 
        the 
        shadow 
        of 
        the 
        vale;
They 
        saw 
        eternal 
        judgment 
        sweep
Across 
        our 
        Egypt 
        and 
        her 
        Baal.
They 
        saw 
        the 
        restless 
        powers 
        of 
        earth,
Proud 
        citadel, 
        shrine, 
        senate, 
        crown,
Eternally, 
        as 
        at 
        a 
        breath,
With 
        fearful 
        clash 
        of 
        arms, 
        go 
        down.
Amid 
        the 
        dust 
        of 
        empires 
        great,
A 
        standard, 
        glorious 
        in 
        the 
        dawn,
Rose 
        on 
        the 
        ruined 
        walls 
        of 
        state.
And 
        crumbling 
        parliaments 
        of 
        man.
They 
        saw, 
        along 
        the 
        lighted 
        way.
The 
        federations 
        of 
        the 
        world.
In 
        whose 
        eternal 
        union 
        lay
Its 
        hostile 
        flags 
        forever 
        furled.
Behold 
        the 
        tower 
        of 
        Zion, 
        high
Above 
        the 
        hills! 
        The 
        morning 
        throws
The 
        glory 
        of 
        the 
        flaming 
        sky
Upon 
        it, 
        blushing 
        like 
        a 
        rose.