In a sermon delivered at the Salt Lake Tabernacle and recorded by F. W. Otterstrom and later published in Liahona: The Elders' Journal, B.H. Roberts, on August 16, 1914, understood World War 1 to be a fulfillment of D&C 87:3:
Great
Britain's Sympathy.
Great Britain so far sympathized
with the South that she permitted vessels to be constructed in her dock yards,
whose purpose was to prey upon the commerce of the United States. One case was
notorious, that of the Alabama, fitted out in the docks of Birkenhead near
Liverpool, and when fully equipped, left England's shores to prey upon American
commerce, until finally, as you know, the settlement of the Alabama claims
became an important incident in the diplomatic controversy between England and
the United States; England consenting, finally, to pay an indemnity of
$15,000,000 for breaking the neutrality that she should have maintained. So we
have the complete fulfillment of this portion of the wonderful prediction that
the Southern States would call upon other nations, and especially, the nation
of Great Britain.
Well, so far as the United States
is concerned, in this great latter-day war progrant, it would seem that America
has fulfilled the part that was predicted concerning her activities in it. I
sincerely trust that nothing remains of a warlike nature for our country to
learn. I hope we have reached and passed our danger point; but, mark you, the
rest of this prediction—namely, that Great Britain will call upon other nations,
in order to defend themselves against other nations, and thus war should be
poured out upon all nations—that remains to be fulfilled—or, we may say, is now
in progress of fulfillment.
Since the attempted treaty between
the Southern Confederacy and Great Britain, the work of treaty making has been
going on in the world. Nation has allied itself with nation, now in this
interest and now in that interest, for the purpose of maintaining themselves
against each other, preserving what has come to be called in the language of the
times, "the balance of power" among the nations of Europe.
Grouping
of the Nations.
As matters now stand under the
making of the treaties, we now have nations grouped in the following manner, or
they were so grouped up to the time of the outbreak of the present hostilities;
namely: Germany, Austria and Italy, in one group, forming what is known as the
Triple Alliance; this on the one hand; on the other, Russia, France and Great
Britain, constituting what is known as the Triple Entente, or triple understanding,
the understanding between these three great powers that in certain
eventualities they would be pledged to sustain each other against the
aggression of other nations, especially against the aggressions of the Triple
Alliance. The minor nations of Europe, of course, gravitate to one or the other
of these larger groups; and thus we find nations linked together by treaties as
predicted in this prophecy. But mane 3'ou this, notwithstanding treaty and
counter-treaty, plot and counter-plot, all of it, if we may believe the
utterances of these great combinations of nations, all of it in the interest of
peace; for we have not yet found a statesman or group of statesmen so madly in
love with war that they have formed treaties for the sake of war in itself, but
all of it is done from their several standpoints, in the interest of peace. The
cry is—"Peace, peace!" and these combinations are made ostensibly in
the interest of peace, and yet there is no peace; and God has decreed, in this
wonderful prediction through his servant, here being considered, that
notwithstanding all the treaties of these nations "war shall be poured out
upon all nations!" In conversation with President Penrose, a few days ago,
in the President's office, I heard him say that he really never appreciated
what was meant by the term "poured out" until this recent and sudden
uprising of the nations, by which war and the spirit of it seems indeed to be
poured out upon all nations. The spirit of our times is truly revealed by the
saying of Joel, namely: "Beat your plowshares into swords; change your
pruning hooks into spears; and let the weak say, I am strong." It is a
noted fact that even the smaller nations of Europe are filled with war cries,
and though weak, yet they think themselves strong.
Italy, a member of the
"Triple Alliance," has not yet entered the conflict, holding that the
terms of her treaty in the Triple Alliance is that she shall sustain Germany
and Austria in the event of an aggressive war being made upon them. She is under
no obligation, as she interprets her duty, to stand with them if they be the
aggressors, and her interpretation of the matter, up to the present time, is
that the war on the part of Germany and Austria is one of aggression rather
than of defense. Hence she holds aloof and proclaims her neutrality but while
that is the case with Italy now, it is extremely questionable if she will be
able to maintain neutrality as the great war, the greatest I believe in all
history, proceeds in its development.
War
in the Orient.
In the Far East the ally of
England, Japan, seems altogether too anxious to plunge into war, and to
fulfill, I suppose, what she regards as her treaty obligations with Great
Britain, and is upon the eve of declaring war upon Germany (she has since done
so). Thus the spirit of war extends not only throughout Europe but into the Far
East; and if Japan enters into the arena it will be difficult doubtless for
other nations in the Orient to keep out of the conflict. The decree is that war
shall be poured out upon all nations, and really it seems as if there was great
danger that we have come to that time; and here let me say: One would be
overwhelmed with horror at the impending conflict if it were not for the fact
that underlying it all and taking account of the trend of things during the
past quarter of a century, it seems that a time would surely come when war
would be poured out upon all nations. The inevitable trend of things, I say, no
less than the voice of prophecy proclaim this. And, of course, if inevitable,
as I believe it to be, then as well come now as at any time. As well that the
nations should learn the terrible lesson that is to be taught them by war
now—and perhaps can only be taught them by war—as later. If by war they must be
taught the lessons of peace, then I say as well come now as at any time, that
we may hasten through this narrow war period and emerge forth into the era of
peace to the earth and the inhabitants thereof that has been predicted by the
prophets. That is the only thing that enables one to reconcile himself to the
horror that now broods over Europe, because of the war spirit that is rampant
in the midst of the nations.
Here let me say, while I think of
it, and lest some chance word of mine might give offense, it is not my intention
to undertake to lay the blame of present conditions upon this nation or upon
that. I am not conscious of any personal bias in the matter. I think I could
discuss this question, as between these nations, without any personal
animosities or feeling in the case; and it is not necessary for me to undertake
to lay blame at the door of this nation or that. I believe I can conduct you to
the lessons I would teach here, without engaging in any such undertaking as
that would be; and so I intend in this discussion no offense to any nationality
whatsoever, and trust that you here present, and representing as you do,
doubtless, all the nations that are engaged in this war, I pray you do not make
me an offender for any chance word that may be uttered.
Now, as things stand, after two
weeks of skirmishing and trying to locate the centers of strength in each
other's armies, we see the nations of Europe embattled from near the northern
frontier of Switzerland, extending along the frontiers of Germany and France,
up to Belgium, thence through Belgium along the Meuse river to Diest. A line of
battle is drawn along the course indicated, and as nearly as one may estimate
it from the reports, 2,000,000 of men are in battle array, on each side,
equipped with the most modern means of destroying each other. The science of
war is developed to its highest perfection in each army. On both sides is
courage and valor; the youth of the nations are facing each other in embattled
hosts. Truly, "red Battle stamps his foot, and nations feel the
shock." Eastward, on the Austrian frontiers, and German and Russian
frontiers, other hosts are gathered and confront each other. Russia, it is
said, with 2,000,000 of men in her first line of invasion, and back of them in
the second line some 3,000,000 of men, armed and equipped for war. Facing them
are Germans and Austrians in great but perhaps in unequal numbers.
An
Awful Spectacle.
Too awful is that spectacle. The
German leaders announce that they are willing to sacrifice 100,000 men on their
side for a passage through Belgium. The contemplation of the destruction of
such masses of human beings makes one feel that individual men are but as flies
in the conflict. Truly the spirit of war is poured out upon the nations when
with such equinimity they can thus contemplate the destruction of human life.
You could hardly expect that God would look forward to such a scene as this
without sending forth a prophet to make proclamation of the awful calamity now
impending over the nations; and it was part of his gracious work, and worthy of
him, and worthy of his prophet, that he should come forth and announce this war
program to the world, that the world might know that God had not left them
without his word of warning before this sudden destruction should come upon
them. ("A Mormon View of the World War of 1914: Fulfillment of Joseph
Smith's Prophecies of 1832," Liahona: The Elders' Journal 12, no.
17 [October 20, 1914]: 259-60)
