Monday, October 10, 2022

Excerpts from Deseret Almanac (1853)

The following are excerpts from:

 

W. W. Phelps, Deseret Almanac, for the Year of Our Lord, 1853 (Salt Lake City: W. Richards, 1853)

 

Mormonism—All truth.
Sectarianism—Truth and error
married together for life only
Tell the truth.
Then cometh lust for everything
Celestial bodies have one spirit
Evil bodies hold seven devils. (p. 5)

 

War is Satan’s Millennium (p. 5)

 

MISSIONARIES SENT SEPTEMBER 1852, &c.

 

. . .

AFRICA—Cape of Good Hope:--Jesse Haven, Leonard I. Smith, Wm. Walker. (p. 6)

 

God was married, or how could he beget his Son Jesus Christ lawfully, and to the works of his father? (p. 7)

 

Salvation belongs to saved beings—but exaltation to the Gods, who organize, redeem, govern, and celestialize worlds; but the world does not believe it, because their God has no body. (p. 7)

 

Gods are nurtured on earth. . . .Angels are unmarried. (p. 15)

 

The law of God—revelation.
The law of man—bogus revelation.
The wisdom of man—frost. (p. 25)

 

5. PHILOSOPHY shall raise its head,
When Truth dictates its laws;
And thus has it been truly said,
Effect must follow cause.
Philosophers may wisdom seek;
There is a glory for the meek:--
The WORLD expects that bliss to gain,
but scorn the door, and scale in vain.


6. And from Philosophy shall spring
The light which Science gives;
For Truth will all its lustre bring,
Wherever spirit lives;--
The greatest science e’er unfurl’d,
Salvation shows to all the world;
The rules are plain, and firmly laid,
Though simple, they must be obeyed.

7. And Truth will gather all in one,
As bees collect from flowers;
With richest stores to draw upon,
Is Zion’s fragrant bowers.
There’s room for all, the cells to fill
With industry, and art, and skill;
The swarms are still increasing yet--
The parent hive is DESERET.

. . .

9. The government of Truth is pure,
Its laws are good and just;
Its subjects have their rights secured
with officers of trust.
THEOCRACY shall take the sway,
And politics shall sweep away;--
The Truth will take its grand career,
And swift it comes! ‘tis here! ‘TIS HERE!!

10. The universe throughout will gain
Release from every strife;
The earth shall soon be free from pain,
And taste eternal life.
Salvation unto all is free,
Unbounded as eternity--
But they who see eternal day,
Must surely take the narrow way (“Mormonism Is Truth,” pp. 13, 15, 17, 21, 23)

 

CHRISTMAS ADDRESS.

 

As time will shortly pass the Isthmus,
I thought I’d drop a word for Christmas;
For sure the era of a Savior,
Has much to do with earth’s behavior.
Before this world had its beginning,
Or Luficer began his sinning,
By asking Father’s “honor,”—(meant hence,
To save the world without repentance,)
While in the sinless realms of spirits,
He said:--“I’ll save men on their merits.”
The lamb was slain—he died a martyr,
Then rose triumphant, conq’ring after:
And so he lives for our salvation,
To raise us from our degradation,
Which Satan brought from his new college,
And Eve “partook” to gain the knowledge;
And Adam “ate,” for he was human,
And plagued a world to please a woman!
And down “fell” all in common sorrow--
With hopes to rise again to-morrow:--
But oh! to-morrow!—boundless ocean!
With all her tempest waves’ commotion,
Has lengthened out the awful terror--
And let the world go on in error,--
Till yonder comes the dreaded trouble!
The wicked must be burnt as stubble!”
The suffering now must be exquisite;
“It must,” said Christ upon his visit,
“For earth has sinned and killed my servants,
“And all is under my observance:
“I was; I am; and will be ever,
“And none can stay my hands; no, never!
“To-day I bring glad tidings—‘tis well!
Why will ye die, O house of Israel?
“Repent; be washed; do right, be clever;
“And you can live in bliss, forever.” (p. 26)

 

Paraphernalia----the furniture of time; consisting of the ruins of kingdoms, the dust of fools, and the streaks of what might have been, “if” God had not ordered otherwise. (p. 27)