--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Richards, L. L. Greene collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 2 published: 1905-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'L. L. Greene Richards, "A Century Song—December 23, 1905: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 2 (December 1905): 166.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0902unse 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: improvementera0902unse start_page: 166 end_page: 166 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0902unse publication_year: 1905 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 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Century Song—December 23, 1905: A Poem 164 IMPROVEMENT ERA. call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain," etc. (Doc. & Gov. section 87). This prediction was proclaimed by the elders of the Ghurch more than a quarter of a century before the civil war broke out between the North and the South; and the revelation was published in The Pearl of Great Price, British edition of 1851, and was announced yet earlier, within the year named, in the Millennial Star, volume 49, page 396. The terrible events constituting a literal fulfilment of this dire prophecy, beginning twenty-eight years after its announcement, are known even by the school-boy conning his lesson in United States history. These instances of prediction, made by this prophet of the latter- days, and verified by literal fulfilment, are cited as examples; others equally convincing are of record in the published works of the Ghurch, and to these the investigator is referred. Let it not be forgotten, however, that the gift and function of prophecy comprises more than the power of prediction. Joseph Smith's position as a prophet of God is proved by his spiritual en- lightenment and surpassing wisdom in matters of present im- portance, and in his interpretation of events of history to him as to us ancient. The translation of the Book of Mormon, and of other ancient records, is proof of his divine endowment. In the exercise of other gifts and graces of the Spirit, in healing the sick, in his power to read the minds of men and lay bare the secrets of their hearts, in his inspired counsel, in his administrative ability as shown in the plan of Ghurch organization, as a preacher of right- eousness and a teacher of men, he was verily a prophet from whose lips issued truth and wisdom as living water from the per- ennial spring. 4. The doctrines taught by Joseph Smith are true and scrip- tural. The revelations proclaimed by him are in harmony with earlier scriptures, yet adapted to the new dispensation inaugu- rated through his agency. Hostile critics and avowed enemies of the Ghurch have failed in their eager search for inconsistency or contradiction between modern revelation and ancient scripture. The doctrines of the Ghurch of Jesus Ghrist of Latter-day Saints are the doctrines of the gospel; they change not, for their foun- dation is truth. If a shadow of doubt yet lingers as to the divine authenticity