177 To Elder L.
178 Lines
179 To Mrs. Sylvia Lyons
180 To Mrs. Mary Ann Young
181 Song of the Desert
182 To Mrs. Caroline Grant
183 Hail to the Twelve and Pioneers
184 To Mrs. Mary Ann Young
185 Come to the Valley
186 On the Death of Mrs. Caroline Grant
187 To Margarett
188 To Mrs. Harriet P. Young
190 To Elder Levi Hancock
191 On the Death of Franklin K. Shed
192 To Mrs. Eleanor B. Bringhurst
193 “Robert Peirce’s oldest son”
194 The Welcome Hymn
195 The Wife’s Salutation
196 The Mother’s Salutation
197 The Lord Has Delivered His People
198 To Mrs. Leonora Taylor
199 The Children’s Salutation
200 To Elder Franklin D. Richards
176 Lines on the Death of the Children
They sweetly sleep—’tis their dust that is sleeping,
Their spirits move in the courts above;
They are now round their parents keeping
A guardian pow’r—a strong watch of love.
Cloth’d in light and with glory surrounded 5
Now they live in a wider sphere;
There the mind can go forth unbounded
Free from clogs that confine us here.
Now the grave is disrob’d of its terrors
Within its halo the saints can sing: 10
While they look thro’ the heavenly mirror,
Death the tyrant has lost its sting.
Ye fond parents: forget your sorrow—
Your lov’d ones will return again;
Soon, yes, soon—’twill scarce seem till tomorrow 15
Ere on earth, they come forth to remain.
composed 23 April 1847
on His Departure for Europe
Go, brother, go forth in the spirit of Jesus,
Enrob’d with salvation, encircl’d with power;
Go forth as a herald to publish glad tidings,
Go, call to the nations, go tell them the hour.
Go, brother, be humble, hold fast your profession, 5
Continue to cling to the strong iron rod:
’Twill guide through the mists and the clouds of thick darkness
To the fountain of light and the glory of God.
Go, brother, your country has chas’d you in exile,
With an oft-oppress’d people—the Saints of the Lord, 10
Who are passing the furnace of deep “fiery trials,”
Rejoicing in hope of the “better reward.”
Go, brother, and tell our dear brethren in Europe,
The suff’ring and patience and faith of the Saints,
Who, for righteousness’ sake, on the earth are but strangers, 15
Yet God is their hope, and their spirit ne’er faints.
Go, brother, and say to the Saints that are faithful,
The Lord is preparing a kingdom of rest;
And when they have pass’d through the tide of affliction,
With a fulness of blessing they’ll truly be blest. 20
Go, brother, be faithful, and God will protect you,
And bear you in safety across the great deep;
And your guardian angel will bring you instruction,
And whisper sweet comfort to you when you sleep.
Go, brother, and when, from the friends that surround you, 25
You are breathing the air of a far distant clime,
Look oft in the mirror of your recollection,
And the sweet-sounding harp-strings of friendship will chime.
May the God of our fathers preserve you from evil,
And fill you with wisdom and light evermore; 30
And when you with honor have finish’d your mission,
Return you in peace to America’s shore.
composed 23 April 1847
published in Poems 1, 1856
on the Death of Leonora Agnes,
Daughter of Elder John and Mrs. Leonora Taylor
Like a rose-bud fast unfolding
To the view, superior charms;
Leonora’s form was moulding
Beauteous in her mother’s arms.
While the father’s fondest feeling 5
Sketch’d her future grace and worth;
Death’s cold icy hand was stealing—
Her away from friends and earth.
Did she—could she, wish to grieve them,
When she was beloved so well? 10
Did she, then, forsake and leave them,
When on earth she ceas’d to dwell?
No: she came to be united
Unto them, and form a tie:
She performed the work appointed, 15
And return’d to worlds on high.
Now that tie remains a union
Stronger than the power of death;
Thro’ its strength she holds communion
With her parents on the earth. 20
She has form’d the dear connexion
That has won her father’s name;
And thro’ which the resurrection
And the priesthood’s power she’ll claim.
Cloth’d with beauty and salvation, 25
She will soon appear again;
And in the regeneration
Ornament her kindred train.
composed 26 April 1847
published in Millennial Star, 15 April 1848
Go, thou loved one, God is with thee,
He will be thy stay and shield,
And fulfill each precious promise,
Which His spirit has revealed.
From thy father and thy mother, 5
Who are twined around thy heart,
Also from thine elder brother,
Thou art called a while to part.
But thy husband will caress thee,
And thy sweet, angelic child, 10
With her growing charms, will bless thee—
Thus the hours shall be beguiled.
And thy younger brother, David,
With his harmless, social glee—
With the heart and hand of kindness— 15
Often times will comfort thee.
And the Saints of God who’re banished
From their country and their home,
Who, for Jesus’ testimony
In the wilderness now roam, 20
Will, with prayers and supplication,
Plead thy cause before the throne
Of the great Eternal Father,
Where thy works of love are known,
Guardian Angels will protect thee, 25
And the spirit’s still, small voice
Will, from day to day, direct thee,
Therefore let thy heart rejoice.
O my Father! thou that dwelleth
In the upper courts of light, 30
Open Thou the path before her,
Guide, O guide her feet aright.
composed 2 May 1847
published in Woman’s Exponent, 1 November 1885
Mother of mothers! Queen of queens
For such thou truly art—
I pray the Lord to strengthen thee
And to console thy heart.
From infancy thou hast been led 5
And guided by his hand
That thou in Zion’s courts may tread
And in thy station stand.
Thou’rt highly favor’d of the Lord
And thou art greatly blest; 10
Most glorious will be thy reward
In peace and joy and rest.
Altho’ thou hast been call’d to share
In sorrow and distress
That thou thro’ suff’ring might prepare 15
The broken heart to bless,
Thou wilt arise o’er ev’ry ill—
O’er ev’ry weakness too
For God will in thy path distil
His grace like morning dew. 20
O let thy heart be comforted
And never, never fear;
The saints of God will pray for thee
And seek thy heart to cheer.
Yes, ever more rejoice in God 25
Amid thy toil and care—
Thy mind is pure—thy sphere is broad
And great thy labors are.
The Lord will pour his blessings forth
And thee in honor raise, 30
And many nations of the earth
Will hear and speak thy praise.
composed 16 June 1847
Beneath the cloud-topp’d mountain,
Beside the craggy bluff,
Where every dint of nature
Is rude and wild enough;
Upon the verdant meadow, 5
Upon the sunburnt plain,
Upon the sandy hillock;
We waken music’s strain.
Beneath the pine’s thick branches,
That has for ages stood; 10
Beneath the humble cedar,
And the green cotton-wood;
Beside the broad, smooth river,
Beside the flowing spring,
Beside the limpid streamlet; 15
We often sit and sing.
Beneath the sparkling concave,
When stars in millions come
To cheer the pilgrim strangers,
And bid us feel at home; 20
Beneath the lovely moonlight,
When Cynthia spreads her rays;
In social groups assembled,
We join in songs of praise.
Cheer’d by the blaze of firelight, 25
When twilight shadows fall,
And when the darkness gathers
Around our spacious hall,
With all the warm emotion
To saintly bosoms given, 30
In strains of pure devotion
We praise the God of heaven.
composed 26 August 1847
published in Poems 1, 1856
Written on Hearing of the Death of Her Little Child
Mourn not for that sweet gem that’s gone,
Altho’ you priz’d it dear:
The resurrection morning dawn
Is drawing very near.
It was your own and yours ’twill be 5
In seasons yet to come:
Yes, in the next eternity
’Twill ornament your home.
Her spirit’s mould was loveliness
Replete with placid charms: 10
She’s gone in perfect holiness
To rest in Jesus’ arms.
’Twas a sweet child—a precious gem—
A rose-bud borne away:
That beauteous on the parent stem 15
Will bloom in future day.
composed 4 September 1847
183 Hail to the Twelve and Pioneers
Hail ye mighty men of Israel,
Who the hiding place have found;
The eternal God has blest you,
You have stood on holy ground.
CHORUS.
Praise the Lord, we’re glad to meet you, 5
Welcome, welcome, on the way;
Yes, O yes, with songs we greet you,
Pioneers of Latter Day.
A choice land of old appointed
For the house of Israel’s rest; 10
You have found and consecrated,
Through your blessing ’twill be blest.
Praise the Lord, &c.
Holy, free, and unpolluted,
Will that land for us remain,
While the sacred laws of justice 15
Will the Saints of God maintain.
Praise the Lord, &c.
Go, return, to winter quarters;
Go in peace and safety too;
There the purest hearts are beating,
Warm with hopes of seeing you. 20
Praise the Lord, &c.
We will onward to the valley,
Speed your way, make haste and come,
That ere long with joy and gladness
We may bid you welcome home.
Praise the Lord, &c.
composed ca. 9 September 1847
published in Millennial Star, 15 January 1848
[“May the streams of consolation”]
May the streams of consolation
Ever to your bosom flow;
And the bitter draught of sorrow
Be no more your lot to know.
Blessed be your habitation 5
The abode of peace and rest;
Yes with all that is a blessing
I would fondly have you blest.
We anticipate the period
When you to the Valley come 10
Haste and leave your Winter-Quarters—
Here you’ll find a better home.
composed 5 October 1847
Oft my spirit seems to mingle
With you, wheresoe’er you are;
That you soon may reach the Valley,
Is my earnest daily prayer.
Here a quiet, heavenly spirit 5
Seems all nature to pervade—
All the Saints are well contented,
But the hangers on afraid.
All is well, is well in Zion—
Zion is the pure in heart: 10
Come along, you holy women,
And your blessings here impart.
May rich streams of consolation
Ever to your bosoms flow,
And the bitterness of sorrow 15
Be no more your lots to know.
Blessed be your habitations,
The abodes of peace and rest;
Yes, with all that is a blessing
I would fondly have you blest. 20
I anticipate the period
When you to the Valley come:
Haste and leave your Winter Quarters—
Here you’ll find a better home.
composed 5 October 1847
published in Poems 1, 1856
186 On the Death of Mrs. Caroline Grant
Calm as mildest summer ev’ning
When the stars serenely shine—
When all nature is most tranquil,
Was the death of Caroline.
Brightly glow’d her lamp of reason 5
While her last life-pulses beat—
Nobly she resign’d her spirit—
Surely death to her was sweet.
One of her two lovely daughters,
That which on her bosom lay; 10
To precede her mother’s exit
Like a dew-drop pass’d away.
Soon, ah soon, the parent follow’d
To the better world on high
And with such sweet resignation 15
One might even wish to die.
Well I lov’d her, and my heart clings
Fondly to her image still,
And my feelings would have held her
E’en beyond my Father’s will. 20
He, in meting out our portions,
Granted her the better lot—
She was privileg’d to go where
Pain and sickness enter not.
Tho’ she died upon the mountains 25
Trav’ling to the place of rest;
She reposes in the Valley—
In her burial, she is blest.
composed 5 October 1847
I love thee with the tenderness
That sister spirits love—
I love thee, for thy loveliness
Is like to theirs above.
I love thee for thy modest worth 5
Is like a diadem—
Thou surely art of noble birth—
Thou art a precious gem.
I love thee for the kindness show’d
To me in feeble health, 10
When journeying on a tedious road—
I prize it more than wealth.
I love thee and thou shalt be crown’d
With blessings not a few
Joy, peace and plenty shall surround 15
Thy path, like summer dew.
The holy Spirit will inspire
Thy pure and gen’rous heart
And to thy sweet, poetic fire
Its heav’nly aid impart.
composed 17 October 1847
on the Birth of Her Infant Son
The Lord your God upon you has smiled
In the gift of that lovely infant child;
He was surely a spirit of precious worth
On a noble errand he’s come to earth.
Let your heart be glad and praise the Lord 5
For that little one:—yet a rich reward
Unto you and your household he will prove
Like a messenger sent from the courts above.
Generations yet to come will applaud his name
For the time and the place in which he came 10
The first Prince of the Valley he is by birth
This shall crown him with honor upon the earth.
Born a prince—but a King he is yet to be
And will reign in might and majesty
Therefore teach him the principles of truth 15
And of righteousness in early youth.
And he will grow up as a plant of renown
And a star of glory will be in your crown
A rich blessing in time and eternity
O rejoice! ’Tis a precious gift to thee.
composed 18 October 1847
on the Death of His Wife
Children weep o’er disappointments
But the chosen of the Lord
Ne’er should think the dispensations
Of his providence are hard.
All things are of his appointment— 5
All things move by his decree:
Our great Father acts in wisdom
None so good or wise as he.
Let thy heart no more be ling’ring
After the departed one 10
She has now return’d to finish
What was previously begun.
Tho’ she has been call’d to leave you,
You will in her labors share
And you would not mourn her absence 15
Did you know her mission there.
The fond mem’ry of her virtues
Should be cherish’d ever dear:
Yet your heart and your affections
Now belong to others here. 20
O’er her grave the roses flourish
Which your hand has planted there
And their sweet and luscious fragrance
Oft perfumes the ambient air.
Death to her was sweet—’twas glorious 25
When the bright angelic train
Bore her free triumphant spirit
To the blest abode again.
composed 21 January 1848
Farewell brother Levi! go forth on your journey
We’ll pray for your peace and prosperity too
Altho’ the long distance is tedious and lonely,
The Lord God of Joseph will see you safe thro’.
CHORUS.
The Lord thy God loves thee—thy spirit is humble. 5
In Israel’s welfare thy heart does delight.
Thou yet will be crown’d with a fullness of blessing
A fulness of wisdom, of glory and might.
The angels that guard you to your understanding;
Will words of intelligence freely impart 10
And often the streams of divine consolation
From the fountain of goodness will flow to your heart.
CHORUS.—
Thou wilt not long be absent from this pleasant Valley
Where yet for a season the saints will abide;
Yes: and when you return bring the wife of your bosom 15
And those little prattlers that sport by her side.
CHORUS.—
Bring them here to the Valley where health is full blooming
Where quietude reigns and the spirit is free;
Where the earth in due time will produce an abundance
And where the rich treasures of knowledge will be. 20
CHORUS.—
And when thro’ the blessing of God the Eternal
You reach Winter-Quarters this favor confer
Go visit my sister and what is instructive
Concerning the Valley, please say unto her.
CHORUS.—
O yes, when you feel that the noblest of spirits 25
Of all the creations of God you’re among
Present my best wishes and love to the households
Of Whitney and Kimball and President Young.
CHORUS. The Lord &c.
composed 6 February 1848
191 On the Death of Franklin K. Shed
The angel of death with a sudden blow
In the season of youth has laid him low
In a time when the heart’s warm springs were rife
With the hopes and the prospects of future life.
He was well belov’d by the wise and good 5
For his heart was noble—his mind imbued
With the principles of truth and light—
In the ways of Wisdom he took delight.
For the Gospel’s sake he had left behind
The friends that around his heart entwin’d 10
His soul was inspir’d with the noblest love
He pursued the course which the heav’ns approve.
With the saints of God he was truly blest
And with them he had found a place of rest;
And then from the hand of oppression free 15
He sung the sweet echo of Liberty.
With a friendship true and a love sincere
To the youthful circle he still is dear;
And the mirror of mem’ry long will hold
His impression there in its native mould. 20
But there is one whose affectionate heart
More acutely than others feels the smart
A fair maiden mourns in her loveliness
O’er his loss whom she felt her life would bless.
Yet the morn of the resurrection is near 25
When in greater perfection he’ll reappear;
Yes Franklin and Mary Jane will meet
When happiness will be more complete.
Now his form is laid in the grave to rest;
While his spirit returns to the home of the blest 30
And from thence to the spirits in prison sent
With salvation’s tidings as Jesus went.
Therefore dry your tears and weep no more
For with him the toils of this life are o’er
In the regeneration he will come 35
Cloth’d with glory, pow’r and immortal bloom.
composed 28 February 1848
192 To Mrs. Eleanor B. Bringhurst
My heart is full of friendship—but for thee
It has a holier feeling than that name
Identifies. The recollection of
Thy countenance from the first time
My eyes beheld thee—whispers something to 5
My thought and feeling which I never can
Describe. ’Tis undefinable so long
As mind or understanding shall remain
As circumscrib’d as now. But when I think
Of thee, a thrill of near affinity 10
O’erspreads my senses and I truly feel
Within my bosom a strong kindred tie
As tho’ we’d been associated in
Existence, ere we condescended to
Our present state of being. Lady, yes. 15
When our small understandings shall expand
And with the recollection of the past
Some knowledge of the future be inspir’d
We’ll find a thousand kindred ties that form
Amalgamation’s wreath, and which are twin’d 20
And intertwin’d, combining and combin’d
Connecting noble spirits here and there
O’er all the face of earth—from earth to heav’n
And still extending on from world to world
Unto creation’s undefin’d extent. 25
Then let our hearts expand and let our minds
And acts approximate towards the point
Of true perfection, that we may attain
To an association glorified
On planets more exalted and refin’d— 30
Among intelligences long since dear.
And let us cultivate the sacred ties
Of love and friendship here that will abide
Time’s rugged changes and eternally
Endure.
composed 19 March 1848
193 “Robert Peirce’s oldest son”
Robert Peirce’s oldest son
This day being twenty one,
While we celebrate the day
Thus to him in friendship say.
Like the morning vernal dew, 5
Happiness your pathway strew
Like the brilliant orb of day
Wisdom crown your future way.
Friendship’s streams around you flow
Cheering you wher’er you go 10
And affection’s gentle smile
All the ills of life beguile.
Virtue like a golden gem
Growing from the parent stem
Deeply rooted in your breast 15
Never can be dispossess’d.
Noble principles of truth
Deeply rooted in your youth
Cultur’d thro’ life’s op’ning stage
Will with honor crown your age. 20
May prosperity attend
All your efforts to the end—
Endless life and glory bloom
O’er the halo of your tomb.
composed 29 July 1848
You have come, you have come, to the valley once more,
And have landed your train like a ship on the shore;
You great father in Israel, with hosts you have come,
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
You have brought us our husbands, wives, daughters, and sons, 5
Brothers, sisters, and fathers, and mothers at once,
On a long tedious journey; all together you’ve come,
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
By the hand of the Gentiles you’ve long been opprest,
In a land where your sufferings are yet unredressed, 10
Over deserts and mountains, through kanyons you’ve come,
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
Like the pillars of heaven you unshaken have stood,
By Joseph the Prophet, till mobs spilt his blood,
And you, now over Israel, presiding have come, 15
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
To our chieftain all hail; to his counsellors too,
With the camp of the Saints, who’ve escaped from Nauvoo,
Up, through great tribulations you have verily come,
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home. 20
Here the breezes are rife with the spirit of health,
And the soil is invested with sources of wealth,
Where by industry’s magic in due season will come,
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
Here a bulwark of mountains encircles us ’round, 25
And with stores for the artist it seems to abound;
Here are rivers and streamlets, whose pure waters foam,
In this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
Here come down on the mountains, snow and hailstones apace,
But the city is low and is in a low place; 30
Here is no castle, no palace, no proud lofty dome,
To this beautiful valley we welcome you home.
When good order’s established and all with accord,
Adhere to the precepts and law of the Lord,
Which are given and, through Brigham, hereafter will come, 35
In this beautiful valley we will all feel at home.
composed ca. 20 September 1848
published in Millennial Star, 15 August 1849
Our life is a cup where the sweet with the bitter,
And bitter with sweet oft commingle again;
Where we’re meeting and parting and parting and meeting,
Pain changes to pleasure and pleasure to pain.
Chorus.
To your home—to your dwelling, my husband, you’re welcome; 5
For your coming a feast has been made ready here:
Your friends I’ve invited—they’ve come in to greet you;
Eat, drink, and be social, and be of good cheer.
Should we come to the period by folly predicted,
When parting with kindred and friends is unknown, 10
As a matter of course ’tis a point of existence
When the pleasures of meeting will not be our own.
Chorus—To your home, &c.
Then let’s be contented to fill up our measure
Of days, where friends part and as oftentimes meet;
And endure all the grief and the sorrow of parting, 15
For the sake of enjoying the welcoming treat.
Chorus—To your home, &c.
When stern duty demands of my husband long absence,
In spite of my judgment my feelings will mourn;
But the time wears away, though it seems with slow motion,
And my heart beats with joy when I hail his return. 20
Chorus—To your home, &c.
My friends, I have call’d you; I now bid you welcome,
My husband’s return’d to my dwelling and me!
Partake of my joy, and sit down at my table—
May your hearts all be happy, your spirits all free.
Chorus—To your home, &c.
published in Poems 1, 1856
When from kindred kindred part,
The emotions of the heart
With instinctive impulse move,
Clinging to the forms of love;
And the quicken’d pulses beat, 5
When with mutual love they meet.
After years of grief and pain,
Children, we have met again:
Oft I’ve wept and pray’d for you
Since we bade the last adieu; 10
Now, with joy to mothers dear,
Do I bid you welcome here.
Onward coursing, day by day,
Year on year has roll’d away
Since upon a stranger land 15
We all took the parting hand—
Since bereft you seem’d to be
Of your father and of me.
Duty’s prompt and stern demand
Tore me from your social band: 20
Trusting in the mighty God,
On the soldier’s path I trod,
Ever willing to partake
Hardships for your father’s sake.
Suff’ring more than tongue can tell 25
On the soldier’s pathway fell!
But that scenery now is o’er—
We are spar’d to meet once more:
Husband, children, neighbors too,
Joyfully I welcome you. 30
Here, upon a land of peace,
May our happiness increase—
May our ties of friendship be
Grac’d with pure integrity:
Faithful each till death remain, 35
Then we’ll part to meet again.
composed September 1848
published in Poems 1, 1856
197 The Lord Has Delivered His People
1 The Lord hath dealt marvelously with His people, even the Latter-day Saints.
2 He hath delivered them from the hand of their enemies—He hath
led them forth from the land of oppression.
3 In His own wisdom hath He purposed it, and by His own power
in the overruling hand of His Providence has He brought it to pass.
4 When our enemies had plotted our destruction—when they had
slaughtered our Prophet and Patriarch, and insolently brandished their swords in the midst of our dwellings—when they thought to wipe us out of existence by rooting us out of our inheritances, and by driving us far beyond the track of civilization;
5 Then He opened up unto us a path, before untrodden, except by the
roving feet of the wandering savage, the Lamanite of the wilderness.
6 He sustained us while we traversed the sandy waste and the
dubious, interminable sage-plains; He preserved us under the scorching heat of the sun, and amid suffocating showers of dust; until we arrived in the chambers of Israel, the Valleys of the Mountains, whose summits are crowned with perennial snows.
7 He has brought us to a place of safety—a valley of peace—a City
of Refuge, beyond the reach of the ruthless mobocrat, and far from the unhallowed rage of the heartless persecutor.
8 Therefore let us exalt His Great and Holy name—let us sound His
praises till they shall reverberate from mountain to mountain, and echo to the most distant nations of the earth.
9 Yea, thou King, the Lord of Hosts, thou Most High God, we will
sing of thy goodness in everlasting strains; for thou hast established us in a fruitful and goodly place amid the munition of rocks, upon the inheritance bequeathed to Joseph and his posterity by his father Jacob.
10 Thou hast preserved it from the possession of the Gentiles—thou
hast held it in reserve for a hiding-place for thy Saints.
published in Poems 1, 1856
A deep love in our nature for nature’s own self—
Is a trait unassum’d by the counterfeit elf—:
’Tis a fountain’s free gush that proceeds from the heart
By simplicity prompted, untinctur’d by art.
With flow’rs from your garden, my toilet is grac’d, 5
Their unstudied selection does honor to taste
They’re a compliment too, to your patience and toil
And their growth is a proof of our newly tried soil.
They truly are lovely—I gaze on them oft—
Their fragrance is sweet, their expression is soft; 10
They have goodness, grace, beauty, and dignity too;
With all these combining, they represent you.
Dear Lady, I’m thankful indeed for the flow’rs,
They afford me amusement in my lonely hours;
But for med’cine, there’s nothing more welcome to me, 15
Of the “vain things of earth,” than the bundle of Tea.
You were sly as a smuggler: I chanc’d to espy
Something hidden, just when you were bidding “good bye”:
I might have expos’d it with thanks, but you know,
Good manners prevented. 20
Eliza R. Snow.
composed 7 September 1848
Welcome! father, welcome! mother;
To the Valley you have come:
Welcome to your children’s table—
Welcome to your children’s home.
Chorus.
Yes, dear parents, you are welcome— 5
We are happy now with you:
With dear husbands, with dear children,
With dear father and mother too.
Time has roll’d with heavy motion
Since we left you far away; 10
But the past is all forgotten
In the blessings of this day.
Chorus—Yes, dear parents, &c.
All the sad and lonely feelings
Which our bosoms have opprest,
Vanish like the shades of midnight 15
While with your sweet presence blest.
Chorus—Yes, dear parents, &c.
Now our pulses beat more freely,
Now the Valley looks more fair—
Nature’s self receives new vigor,
Sweeter fragrance fills the air. 20
Chorus—Yes, dear parents, &c.
May you in this pleasant Valley
Be supplied with every good,
And the crown of every blessing—
Health and peace and quietude.
Chorus—Yes, dear parents, &c.
composed 20 September 1848
published in Poems 1, 1856
200 To Elder Franklin D. Richards
Thrice welcome, herald of eternal truth!
Glad tidings of salvation, you in youth
Have borne to thousands o’er the watery main;
And now we hail you in our midst again—
With interest hear you of the welfare tell 5
Of our dear brethren, who in Britain dwell.
What keen sensations must have fill’d your heart
When duty’s unction prompted you to part
With those whose welfare with your pulses join’d,
And whose existence with your own entwin’d, 10
Exposed to cruel suffering in a land
Where persecution held a reeking hand!
Forsaking all, with Godlike fix’d intent
To Europe’s shore for Zion’s sake you went;
The heav’ns, with approbative whispers, bless 15
With constant favor, constant faithfulness.
And you were crown’d with blessings not a few—
The Saints in Europe love and bless you too;
But Scotland, seem’d your labors most to share,
And friendship wove for you, bright garlands there; 20
And now your heart’s warm pulses fondly twine
Around the motto of their royal line,
Th’ insignia which their own brave fathers had—
The thistled bonnet and the tartan plaid.
Back to their banks and braes and highland dells— 25
Their spiral cities and their moss-grown cells—
The land o’er which bold Genius’ Goddess yearns,—
Sir Walter’s birth-place, and the home of Burns;
Your spirit now, on thought’s swift pinions borne
To mingle with the Saints, will oft return, 30
But brother Richards! welcome, here remain
Till God appoints to other climes again,
And may the pow’r of lives eternal shed
Unnumber’d blessings on the path you tread.
Whene’er you write him, will you please to send 35
My cordial salutations to your friend,
The gifted “Lyon” whose sweet sounding lyre
Breathes more than Ida’s—breathes celestial fire;
To whom the high prerogative is given,
To circulate the glorious truths of heav’n 40
And through the medium of the “STAR,” diffuse
The emanations of his heav’nly muse.
And Brigham Young, the “Lion of the Lord,”
Sends love and blessing to the Scottish bard,
And all the faithful Saints of God who dwell 45
Where Ossian sung—where Bruce and Wallace fell.
Tell them to wait in hope, for “Liberty,”
Till Jesus Christ shall make his people free—
Till Zion’s glorious banner is unfurl’d,
And her high standard overlooks the world. 50
In holy aspirations to His throne,
To whom the secrets of all hearts are known—
Whose are the issuing springs of life and death,
The deep-ton’d promptings of our spirit’s breath,
With fervor are ascending night and day, 55
That for the Saints, He soon will clear the way,
That scatter’d Israel may be gather’d home
To Zion, where the “best from worlds” will come.
composed 7 January 1849
published in Millennial Star, 1 May 1850
Eliza R. Snow Lexicon 