--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Wells, Junius F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 30 number: 11 published: 1927-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Junius F. Wells, “The Miraculous Book of Mormon,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 11 (September 1927): 1027–1028." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera30011unse 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: improvementera30011unse start_page: 1027 end_page: 1028 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1927-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera30011unse publication_year: 1927 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 1927, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Miraculous Book of Mormon THE MIRACULOUS BOOK OF MORMON Last of all the holy priesthood on the Western Hemisphere Was Moroni, of the Nephites, an historian and seer, Who a record had completed by commandment of the Lord That, in time remote, its treasures to the world should be restored. With the ancient Urim-Thummim, their full meaning to portray, These engraven plates of Mormon in a book he cached away, Where upon the hill Cumorah, while the scroll of time unrolled. From all vandals God preserved it that it should his laws unfold — As the history and doctrines of a people passed away; And to kindred tribes remaining — living witnesses today — To reveal that the Messiah, in this Western Hemisphere, Visited a Hebrew people, and his Church established here: And upon the western continent, o'er all its vast domain, Spreads the glory of the Gospel through a long and peaceful reign, Till satanic powers inveighed them, making conquests o'er and o'er, While they sank in the dark ages of an internecine war, And rebellious against Heaven, as recalcitrants assumed The hopeless life of plunderers by strife o'erthrown and doomed, Lost their once enlightened culture, till their tribes and petty chiefs Were the prey of superstitions, and the slaves of their beliefs. When the Lord had made conditions ready for his plans divine, For the glory of the Gospel o'er the world to rise and shine, Lo! an angel came from Heaven, flying the ethereal main, And announcing that the Gospel he had brought to earth again. Resurrected and immortal, in the glory of his sphere, Thus Moroni, now an angel, came to teach a youthful seer — Taught him truths of earth and heaven, and endowed him while a youth With the holy gifts of knowledge glorified by light and truth, And implanted in a guileless soul the attributes refined, That encompassed all requirements for a seer's prophetic mind — Mind that visioned past and present, ev'rything both new and old, And previsioned yet the future all its wonders to unfold — Taught him of the restoration, of the holy book to be Liberty's great harbinger to set the groping nations free — And that God to him had given the endowment to translate Sacred truths by Jesus given for uplifting man's estate — Taught him how the Holy Spirit, in all tasks that we pursue, Voices through the mind God's will revealing how his will to do; And that ever for God's people present revelation brings Knowledge and concurrent wisdom from which all progression springs. Picture to yourself this pupil, called of God and foreordained: By the holy Spirit guided, by a holy angel trained; A co-worker in the Gospel, inspired ever in its love, Seeing through the Spirit's vision even God and heaven above — 1028 IMPROVEMENT ERA Scan his opportunities and measure him among his peers; Measure talents by results within a century of years; And prevision in the future on man's greatest monolith An inscription that shall name — The Seer and Prophet Joseph Smith. Through the years of his instruction Joseph ever learned to look Forward to the call God gave him to translate this holy book,- — Learned its meaning from Moroni, learned its brief engraven signs, In the hieratic symbols of an ancient people's lines, — Viewed them by his inspiration through a seer's interpreters That translates a writer's thought and to a seer this thought confers; Wondered, pondered o'er its purpose, speaking from its ancient dust — Till permitted to receive it as from God a precious trust. Vision now the young translator in a task entirely new, Moved upon by inspiration his strange labor to pursue; In a way unknown to linguists, and by science never wrought — Called to read an unknown language into truthful modern thought, To his scribe he gave each sentence, page by page its text was shown, Thus a miracle accomplished made the Book of Mormon known, Ready for its first edition to be published and unfurled — God's imperial announcement of his gospel to the world! What must be the grand summary of again revealing truth Other than that truth eternal God again reveals, forsooth, To remove the bonds of error, and his law to reinstate Where the perverse mind of man has banished love, and fostered hate. In a holy dispensation of his great eternal plan, God employs his ordained angels and reveals himself to man. Through predestined seers and prophets he declares his mighty sway And foretells the future glory of the earth's millennial day. So began the restoration of the Gospel's gifts and powers, Made complete by other angels who conferred official dowers: And through vision and authority affirmed direct from God, In the Church of Jesus Christ, again with all endowments broad, Is the Priesthood in its quorums, set in order to control, With a century of progress and success toward its goal, Zion of the Latter Days — by ancient prophets oft foretold — Now extending o'er the earth, to be Messiah's only fold, In a Church with laws adapted to all governments and climes; Free from superstition's thrall — abreast the progress of the times, — Glowing with the faith in God, whole light and love again is known, Through the open gates of Heaven and the angels from his Throne. Joseph Longking Townsend.