--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Penrose, Charles W. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 6 published: 1918-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Charles W. Penrose, “The Latter-day Kingdom,” *Improvement Era* 21, no. 6 (April 1918): 479–482." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2106unse 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: improvementera2106unse start_page: 479 end_page: 482 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1918-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2106unse publication_year: 1918 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 1918, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Latter-day Kingdom The Latter-day Kingdom" By President Charles W. Penrose How shall I sing thy beauty, pow'r and light, O glorious kingdom of the latter days! I see thy loveliness, I feel thy might, But fail in utterance to speak thy praise ! I search in vain the records of the past, Which paint dead kingdoms in their short-lived pride, They cannot picture thee, whose pow'r shall last While heav'n and truth and Deity abide. And shall the little "powers that be" today, Be likened for a moment to thy majesty? As well declare pale Vesta's twinkling ray Unfolds the splendor of eternity. In hist'ry only Egypt's greatness lives — Lost are its treasures, all its wisdom hid, Except the scraps the crumbling mummy gives, The sculptured sphynx and tow'ring pyramid. Assyria! Thy sceptre lies in dust, Thy bow is broken and thy pomp has fled. Perished thy fruits of conquest, blood and lust, With all the warriors that Tiglath led! Where are the palaces of Babylon, The "hanging gardens" and the golden tow'rs? With the Chaldeans' starlight wisdom gone, Walls, gates and glory, images and flow'rs! And could'st not thou, O Greece, avert thy fate, With oracles and wealth and victory? Couldst not thy world-wide reign perpetuate, With all thy gods and deep philosophy? *Among all his poetic writings President Penrose considers this his best poem. It was written in London, while he was on a mission from Zion, in 1866. 480 IMPROVEMENT ERA The soul that moved thee in thy conquering march, That spoke in poesy and art and grace, Is disembodied; and the mouldering arch And chiseled fragment mark thy burial place. And thou, O Rome ! proud mistress of the world ! Thine armored legions spread no terror now. They bring no blood-bought spoils of gems impearled, To deck thy bosom and thy haughty brow. Thy Coliseum's vast and vacant walls, Rot as an emblem of thy great decay, And on the ear its mournful echo falls, A dismal knell of thy departed sway! O! all ye living governments and states! Gaze on the relics of far mightier powers ! The hand that shattered them, uplifted waits The bell that ends your few remaining hours! In the high chambers of the West, I see An infant kingdom struggling to the birth. And the prophetic spirit says to me, "In manhood this shall govern all the earth." O Zion! built by Saints of latter-days, Bring forth the promised kingdom to the world! Upon the mountain tops "the ensign" raise, And spread its shining folds to all the world! Gathered from ev'ry clime and tongue and race, Under that banner, righteous men shall stand, And the all-conquering Christ shall show His face And give dominion to that faithful band. Armored in truth and God's authority, Dauntless and terrible, yet full of love, The King shall lead them unto victory, And bring a vanguard from the ranks above. No weapon formed against them shall prevail, No cunning plan shall prove their overthrow; The prince of all earth's kingdoms they assail, And drive his forces to the shades below. THE LATTER-DAY KINGDOM 481 The spirit that gives wisdom to the wise, From Council, Congress, Parliament, shall flee — Shall rest on those whom wicked men despise, And leave the world to human policy. Left, in a day of storms, each hark of state, Rotten and rudderless, whirled madly on Against each other on the sea of fate, With awful crash to depths of death go down. But see the ship no storm can overwhelm. Saving the remnants of the wrecks below! "The Priesthood's" written on her shining helm, "God's Kingdom" is inscribed upon her bow. God's Kingdom! Seen in vision by the seers! God's Kingdom! Clothed in justice, truth and light! Theme of the prophet and the bard appears To save the nations from chaotic night. A perfect government for all the earth. Not a republic nor a monarchy, And yet from both all principles of worth Are blended in this great Theocracy. Wielding almighty power in ev'ry land, The willing people bend to its supreme decrees, And mutual int'rest, like a golden band, Binds in one social compact men of all degrees. Appointed by the great Jehovah's voice, By intellect and virtue qualified, And a free people's universal choice, The leading spirits govern and preside. No longer bound beneath the cruel weight Of idle vampires, draining their life's blood, The joyful nations yield the pow'r of state To legislators for their country's good. Earth's treasures, hiding 'neath the deep sea waves, Bound in the rock, or shining on the strand, Or glittering in subterraneous caves, Come sparkling forth at industry's command. 482 IMPROVEMENT ERA New sciences and arts diffuse new light, Knowledge of future and of past events, Wisdom to comprehend the secret might, And subtle forces of the elements. In wondrous implements, mechanic skill Gives unto labor swift and easy wings, Making each sterile spot with life to thrill, While water from the thirsty desert springs. Thought, freed from human trammels, brings to light Its glorious conceptions without fear, And mouldy Precedent, struck dead with fright, Reposes on an unregretted bier. The laws which life and health perpetuate, By inspiration's sacred voice are taught, And every passion made subordinate To principles with lasting pleasure fraught. Jesus, the Sinless, fills the regal throne, To Him all other rulers bend the knee; He reigns not by His right and might alone, But loving homage swells His majesty. Earth, linked into the chain of worlds on high, Among the ransomed planets takes its place, And finds itself in blest affinity With orbs that govern time through boundless space. Such is the kingdom now on earth begun; A branch of the great Governmental Tree, Whose roots are grounded in the central sun, Whose boughs bear fruit through all eternity. Happy are they who labor in its cause, Happy are they who suffer for its sake; For all who are obedient to its laws, Of all its joys and honors will partake.