---
title: Times and Seasons
description: Issues of 1841 to 1842.
authors:
  - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
editors:
  - Ebenezer Robinson
  - Don Carlos Smith
  - Smith, Joseph, Jr.
  - Taylor, John
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - newspaper
  - times-and-seasons
  - nauvoo
  - nineteenth-century
periodical: Times and Seasons
volume: 3
number: 2
published: 1841-11-15
publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor
publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois
language: en
type: article
reference: "“The Transformation,” *Times and Seasons* 3, no. 2 (November 15, 1841): 606."
printed_title: THE TRANSFORMATION;
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-11-15_3_2
  transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v3n02.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair)
  identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-11-15_3_2
start_page: 606
end_page: 606
curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1841 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States
  source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-11-15_3_2
  publication_year: 1841
---

# The Transformation

<!-- page:606 -->

or

THE TOOL AND THE GEM.

Dedicated to the Students of the Nauvoo University; under the tuition of

Elder O. Pratt.

BY MISS E. R. SNOW,

I saw a thing of rudest form, Its lustre [luster] kindled to a blaze-

From mountains' base brought forth- 'Twas Wisdom's lamp begun,

A useless gem-devoid of charm, And soon the splendor [splendor] of its rays

And wrap'd in cumbrous earth. Eclips'd the noon-day sun.

Its rough exterior met the eye That gem was chain'd in crudeness, till

With a repulsive show; The Scalptor [Sculptor], lent his aid;

For every charm, was forc'd to lie I wonder'd at the ready skill,

In buried depths [depths], below. His potent hand display'd

The Sculptor came,-I wonder'd, when But 'twas the virtue of his tool

His pliant tool was brought; Of fine, transforming edge;

He pass'd it o'er the gem, and then Which serv'd for pencil, mould [mold] and rule-

I mark'd the change it wrought. For polisher and sledge.

Each cumbrance from its surface, clear'd- That tool requires a skilful [skillful] hand-

The gem, expose'd to view- That gem, no charm should bind;

Its nature and its worth appear'd- That tool is Education, and

Its form expansive grew. That gem, the Human Mind.

By gentle strokes, it was set free-

By softer touch, refin'd;

Till beauty, grace and majesty,

Were with its nature join'd.