---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Whitney, Orson F.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 18
number: 2
published: 1914-12
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Whitney, Orson F., "The Lamb of God", *Improvement Era* 18, no. 2 (December 1914): 148–149.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1802unse
  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: improvementera1802unse
start_page: 148
end_page: 149
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1914-12)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1802unse
  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.
---

# The Lamb of God

<!-- page:148 -->

—

                      The Lamb of God

                      BY ORSON F. WHITNEY

        | Reprinted from "Elias," the great epic poem of the Lat-
    ter-day Saints, a new, popular and annotative edition of which
    will shortly be printed in book form. ]
                                          -

            A stranger Star that came frcm far
              To fling its silver ray
            Where, cradled in a lowly cave,
               A lowlier Infant lay;
            And led by soft sidereal light,
               The Orient sages bring
             Rare gifts of gold and frankincense,
               To greet the hcmeless King.
             O wondrcus grace!   Will Gods go down
               Thus low that men may rise?
             Imprisoned here the Mighty One.
               Who reigned in yender skies?
             Hark to that chime!— What tongue sublime
              Now tells the hcur cf neon?
             O dying world, art welcoming
               Life's life   — Light's sun and moon?
             Proclaim him, prophet harbinger!
               Make plain the Mightier's way,
            Thcu sharer of his martyrdom!
               Elias? Yea and Nay.
             The crescent Mcon, that knew the Sun
               Ere Stars had learned to shine;
             The waning Mcon, that bathed in blood
               Ere sank the Sun divine.

             "Gkry to Grd, geed will to man!
               Peace, peace!" triumphal tone.
             Why peace?    Is discord then no more?
               Are Earth and Heaven as one?
             Peace to the scul that serveth him,
               The Monarch manger-bcrn;
             There, ruler of unnumbered realms;
               Here, thrcneless and forlorn.

             He wandered through the faithless world,
               A Prince in shepherd guise;
             He called his scattered fleck, but -few
               The Voice did reccgnize;
             Fcr minds upberne by hcllow pride,
               Or dimmed by sordid lust,
             Ne'er lcok for kings in beggar's garb,
               For diamends in the dust.

&                                                                    M

<!-- page:149 -->

—

w                                                  ^1
    Wept he above a city doomed,
      Her temple, walls, and towers,
    O'er palaces where recreant priests
      Usurped unhallowed powers.
    "I am the Way, the Life, the Light!"
      Alas! 'twas heeded not.
    Ignored— nay, mocked; Gcd seemed by man!
      And spurned the truth he taught.

    O bane of damning unbelief!
      When, when till now, so rife?
    lhou stumbling stcne, thou barrier 'thwart
      The gates of endless life!
    O love of self, and mammon lust,
      Twin portals to despair,
    Where bigotry, the blinded bat,
      Flaps through the midnight air!

    Through these gleom-wrapt Gethsemane!
      Thy glens cf guilty shade
    Grieved e'er the sinless Sen of God,
      By gold-bought kiss betrayed;
    Beheld him unresisting dragged,
      Frrsaken, friendless, lene,
    To halls where dark-brewed hatred sat
      On judgment's lofty thrcne.
    As sheep before his shearers, dumb,
      Those patient lips were mute;
    The clamorous charge of taunting tongues
      He deigned not to dispute.
    They smote with cruel palm a face
      Which felt yet bore the sting;
    Then crowned with thorns his quivering brew,
     And, mocking, hailed him "King!"

    Transfixt he hung   — O crime cf crimes!
      The God whem worlds adore.
    "Father forgive them!" Drained the dregs;
                —
      Immanuei no more.
    No more where thunders sheck the earth,
      Where lightnings tore the glocm,
    Saw that unconquered Spirit spurn
      The shackles of the tomb.

    Far-flaming light, a swerd of might,
      A falchion frcm its sheath,
    It cleftthe realms of darkness, and
      Dissolved the bands of Death;
    Hell'sdungeons burst, wide open swung
      The everlasting bars.
    Whereby the ranscmed soul shall win
      Those heights beyond the Stars.

^                                                  &