--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - F. E. Barker collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 17 number: 8 published: 1914-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'F. E. Barker, "O That I Were an Angel," *Improvement Era* 17, no. 8 (June 1914): 788.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1708unse 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: improvementera1708unse start_page: 788 end_page: 788 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1708unse publication_year: 1914 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 1914, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # O That I Were an Angel 788 IMPROVEMENT ERA was, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." He sang this in Carthage jail just before the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother Hyrum. The Prophet asked him to sing it again, but President Taylor asked to be excused stating that he felt too depressed to sing, but the Prophet insisted, and just as the singing ended, the shooting began, in which the Prophet and his brother lost their lives. "Rest for the Weary Soul, Rest for the Aching Head," was written by the late Henry W. Naisbitt for the funeral of a brother of President Brigham Young, Joseph Young, who died July 16, 1881. The music entitled, "Repose" was written by Prof. George Careless. The words and music were both written for the Taber- nacle choir which sang it at the funeral. The hymn is one of the most widely sung among our funeral collections. Bro. Naisbitt was born in England, November 7, 1821. I heard one of our best musicians, who was studying abroad at the time, say, one day after playing the selection over, that if George Careless had never writ- ten anything else, this one piece of music would immortalize him. "The Morning Breaks, the Shadows Flee," by Parley P. Pratt, is one of the most inspiring hymns ever written. Brother Pratt wrote more hymns appearing in our hvmn book than any other post among the Latter-day Saints. "The Morning Breaks," first ap- peared in the first issue of the Millennial Star, having been writ- ten by Brother Pratt especially for the introduction of that peri- odical. O That I Were an Angel (Alma xxix) O that I were an angel and had my heart's desire. That I might cry repentance as with a tongue of fire. And with the trump of Jehovah his mighty word proclaim In the ears of all the living, for the greatness of his name. As with the livid lightning I'd touch. each human heart. Reprove the world of error, the gospel's truths impart. I'd bring to all salvation in the great Jehovah's plan To redeem our fellow mortals and exalt our fellow man. And God should have the glory for all I e'er could do, Eor he alone is perfect, and full of mercy, too. And God forgive the "sinning" if my present wish is so. My "guilt" is in the yearning that all the world might know. ******* "God giveth to all nations that seemeth fit to him, To teach, in just proportion, his precious truths to men." O heed the gospel message, by an angel borne to men, "To be preached unto all nations," restored from heaven again. F. E. Barker