--- 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: 20 number: 2 published: 1916-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Orson F. Whitney, "The Birth of Jesus," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 2 (December 1916): 97.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2002unse 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: improvementera2002unse start_page: 97 end_page: 97 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2002unse publication_year: 1916 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 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Birth of Jesus ; The Birth of Jesus By Orson F. Whitney A stranger star that came from 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 homeless King. O wondrous grace! Will gods go down Thus low that men may rise? Imprisoned here the Mighty One, Who reigned in yonder skies? Hark to that chime ! —What tongue sublime Now tells the hour of noon? O dying world ! art welcoming Life's life —Light's sun and moon? Proclaim Him, prophet harbinger! Make plain the Mightier's way, Thou sharer of His martyrdom! Elias? Yea and Nay. The crescent moon, that knew the Sun, Ere stars had learned to shine; The waning moon, that bathed in blood, Ere sank the Sun divine. —— "Glory to God! good will to man! Peace, peace!" triumphal tone. "Why peace?" Is discord then no more? Are earth and heaven as one? Peace to the soul that serveth Him, The Monarch manger-born; There, ruler of unnumbered realms Here, throneless and forlorn. — — Elias An Epic of the Ages.