--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Alder, Lydia D. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 12 published: 1909-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Lydia D. Alder, "Jerusalem," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 12 (October 1909): 971–972.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12012unse 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: improvementera12012unse start_page: 971 end_page: 972 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12012unse publication_year: 1909 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 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Jerusalem PEOPLE AND PLACES IN THE ORIENT. 971 Shanghai is certainly the coming city, from a commercial standpoint, for a huge slice of import as well as expert trade. It is now the distributing center for a portion of South China, all of Central China, and most of North China. A railroad was opened to traffic in February, 1908, from Pekin to Hankow, and is now being extended to Canton, which, when finished, will make Shanghai the undisputed gateway to the Celestial empire. Shanghai, China. JERUSALEM. On beholding the city from Jericho and the Dead Sea. How beautiful art thou, Jerusalem, fair city of our God! Mount Zion, city of the Great King; how rejoiced I am to see thee once again. In fancy I behold the temple grand Upon Moriah's noble brow; its dome Of glittering gold stands forth in splendor Against the sky; fills with admiration All who may wand' ring] see God's Israel; In the holy of holies see his face Burn incense to his great, almighty Name. A God of war he champions them. A God Of peace encircleth them on every side. He hath triumphant made them kings of war, A gentle symphony, their vales of peace And in the vexing nations fear doth fall. The scene is changed: God, thine anger turn Away! Forget thy people's sins; hear thou Their cries; their waila beside the senseless stones Worn smooth with fervent kisses and their tears. No Jewish foot does ever press the ground Above; where onse their temples proudly stood Shines now the crescent in the glistening sun, A challenge to the Cross. Jehovah dwells not there! O'er atranger altars Baal is God. In vain thy people raise their eyes to heav'n And supplicate. Until thou biddest them They may not come. Not always say thou "Nay!" — ———— 972 IMPRO VEMENT ERA . Remember thou the name writ on thy hands The covenant that riseth from the dust. Let tears efface ; they have paid twice the wage Of sin; have suffered o'er and o'er. Heed him Who pleads, "Forgive!" Ere yet the crimson tide O'erflows, grant satisfied guilt's awful law. Again the scene is changed. The Temple stands Grand as of yore. Gate Beautiful is there, That glistening sea of glass — like liquid gold Before Jehovah's throne — interpreter Of all the acts of men, the universe Declares, unfolds the secrets of the world, And he, who suffered death's pangs on the cross, Possessing power, all power in heaven and earth, Before his Father owneth them —none lost He gave him for his own out of the world. See every knee doth bow and tongue confess That Jesus is the Christ, Redeemer, God, Who was, and is and will be evermore. Look once again: a glory not of earth Enwraps the scene. Eternal light hath come, Intensifying all the splendor known Transcending all the brilliance ever seen A glittering, burning, wond'rous glow, it rests Upon the temple's dome, and glorifies All things without, within. Now poesy And prophecy abound, and with the loud, Triumphant chant, "Hosanna to the King," Blend silvery notes of crystal lyre and harp, Amid the hallelujahs of the choir, And with the glorious strains they chant, "Worthy The Lamb! He lives again who once was slain." Exultant songs float o'er the heavenly way Through all the temples jeweled courts resound, The echoes swell, "Worthy, worthy the Lamb! Worthy the Lamb, forevermore. Amen!" Lydia D. Alder. Salt Lake City, Utah.