---
title: Times and Seasons
description: Issues of 1844 to 1845.
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: 5
number: 1
published: 1844-01-01
publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor
publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois
language: en
type: article
reference: "“The Ode of Genius to Truth,” *Times and Seasons* 5, no. 1 (January 1, 1844): 399."
printed_title: THE ODE OF GENIUS TO TRUTH.
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1844-01-01_5_1
  transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v5n01.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_1844-01-01_5_1
start_page: 399
end_page: 399
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 1844 (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_1844-01-01_5_1
  publication_year: 1844
---

# The Ode of Genius to Truth

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I'll sing to thee, O truth!-Thy laws are giv'n The slumb'ring nations, waken with thy blaze,

For my directory o'er earth and heav'n!

I sing of thee-I prize thy presence more In falsehood's stream, let error bathe his soul

Than all the gifts of richly treasured lore- And slander bend to envy's base control;

I sing thy praises-thou art all to me- Be thou, 0 truth! my arbiter and guide-

I crave no pow'r but that confer'd by thee. Beneath thy standard, let my feet abide

Let thy celestial banner be unfurl'd,

Until its crescent circumscribes the world;

Eternal beauties in thy features glow, On hope's high pinion, write thy burnished name,

And from thy lips eternal fountains flow; And plant thy signet, on the spire of fame.

Let the pure luster of thy radiant eye

Beam thro' my soul and lift my nature high; Go forth and conquer-all to thee shall bow:

The master strokes that on my pulses roll And fadeless laurels fade thy noble brow:

Are but emanations of thy soul. The palm of victory waits to crown thy war--

The seal of triumph lingers not afar.

Let the fierce tigress chide her churlish brood; Victorious truth! the conquering scepter wield

Monster on monster, vent its spiteful mood- Till all thy foes in meek submission yield-

Let crawling reptils [reptiles] of the reptile school Until inquiry spreads himself abroad,

Chastise offenders of their puny rule- And knowledge smiles to his instructive rod-

Let insects feel the weight of insects' paw

For the transgression of an insect law: Till party zeal is shrouded with disgrace,

But truth! thy advocate shall not descend And superstition hides his lengthen'd face-

To sordid means, thy honor to defend; Till old stupidity is forc'd to fly-

For thou, O truth! wilt not ignobly bend Till ignorance and prejudice shall die-

To servile measures, for a noble end. Till pompous error, vanquish'd, licks the dust

And princely falsehood fires his smoking bust;

Should lofty Genius strike a feeble string; Then shall thy fiat hold the world in awe

No: in thy presence Truth, of Truth I'll sing: And barb'rous isles exult to hear thy law;

Thou art the basis of each worthy theme- Strong as omnipotence, thy arm shall prove,

Thine is the luster in each golden beam: And as eternal as the throne above.

Wide as eternity, diffuse thy light Morley Settlement, Nov. 25th, 1843

Till joyous day shall burst the shades of night:

Benighted earth, illumine with thy rays-