--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Coleman, Guy E. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 20 number: 10 published: 1917-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Guy E. Coleman, "The Purpose of God Will Prevail," *Improvement Era* 20, no. 10 (August 1917): 865.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20010unse 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: improvementera20010unse start_page: 865 end_page: 865 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera20010unse publication_year: 1917 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 1917, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Purpose of God Will Prevail THE LITTLE GRAY WREN 865 "I presume I shall have the pleasure of seeing you often," he said as the guests were beginning to make preparations for departure. "You are here studying with your cousin I sup- pose ?" "I hope to study with him some time, but it shall not be for a couple of years at least." Betty felt that his surprised ejacu- lation required an explanation. "I am interested in music and I hope to go on with my study of it, but just now I am devoting my time to missionary work for my Church." Donald. Lawrence was plainly interested and begged to call on her at her cousin's the following evening. Betty was forced to tell him that she would leave on the afternoon train for her field of labor. During the two years which followed Betty often thought both of Donald Lawrence and of the inspiration he had given her in the figure of the little gray wren. It helped her over many hard places in her labor. She was a little gray wren with a song for the world, and whether the song was words, or actions she always tried to sing it with the soul of the golden- throated song-bird. And then one day when her two years' mission was ended, and she had received an honorable release from her labors she boarded the train for her cousin's home determined to make some of her dreams come true. As she stepped from the platform in the city of her destin- ation., she felt a hand relieve her of her heavy traveling bag and a voice which was not Cousin Richard's saying, "I thought I recognized you. You are the little gray wren come back to sing for us." And Betty — but that really belongs to another story. The Purpose of God Will Prevail Battles sinister and sanguine are raging, The sands are blood-soaked, rivers red. True, thousands of heroes are dying, And thousands of heroes are dead. Fair cities are smouldering in ruin, Grim wrecks are afloat on the main, Brave women and children are starving, Foul pestilence plunders the plain. True, honor and virtue are outraged, But, sad heart, though nations may quail, Though war wastes the world's choicest treasures, The purpose of God will prevail! Midway, Utah Guy E. Coleman