---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Ditty, Samuel
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 18
number: 8
published: 1915-06
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Samuel Ditty, "Joseph Smith, a Prophet of the Lord: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 8 (June 1915): 683.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse
  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: improvementera1808unse
start_page: 683
end_page: 683
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-06)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse
  publication_year: 1915
  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 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Joseph Smith, a Prophet of the Lord: A Poem

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Joseph Smith, a Prophet of the Lord

   BY SAMUEL DITTY, OF THE IRISH CONFERENCE

   Why is the world not all agreed,
   That Joseph Smith of "Mormon" creed,
   Was raised to gather Israel's seed,
              And by the Lord appointed;
   And that the records which he found,
   So near the surface of the ground,
   And like a sacred volume bound,
               Were hid by God's anointed?
   And if the Gospel be restored,
   Why is the statement so ignored,
   And ridicule upon him poured,
               And false insinuation?
   For if a man assert a claim,
   And proves it true, then, they're to blame,
   Who do injustice to his name
                  Without       investigation.

   He may have been a prophet, too.
   For all they know, or ever knew,
   And if he was, then it is true
                  That he had          revelation.
   If   that be so, then       tell   me why
   Men should abuse him and deny
   That God has spoken from on high
             To every tongue and nation?
   He like a prophet was abused,
   His doctrines were by men refused,
   And    oft   before   the     bar   •
                                           accused,
                  But each time was acquitted;
  And like the Christ whom men denied.
  Though righteous yet was crucified,
  So also he was slain, he died,
              Yet this the world permitted.
   Now did the Christian world not know
   That Jesus said it would be so,
   His prophets all must undergo
              The vilest persecution?
  This being what the world has willed,
  Herein the Scriptures were fulfilled,
  When wicked men God's Prophet killed,
                  By cowardly          execution.

  What folly, then, to think by crime
  To end God's purpose and design,
  For he has said in latter time
               He will his judgments pour,
  'Till murderers of the prophets all,
  Trembling shall answer to his call,
  And all who serve the "Beast" shall fall.
             And fall to rise no more! Millennial Star.