Elias: An Epic of the AgesWhitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson)
Religion
Elias: An Epic of the Ages
Whitney, Orson F. (Orson Ferguson)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Poetry; Latter Day Saints -- Poetry
NOTE TO DEDICATION. The Dedication is to President Joseph F. Smith,
sixth in succession to the leadership of the Latter-day Saints,
nephew to Joseph the Prophet, and son of Hyrum the Patriarch, who
were martyred at Carthage, Illinois, June 27, 1844. The poem made its
appearance during President Smith's administration, and the author
owes much to his kind encouragement and appreciation.
NOTE TO THEME. The words of the Theme are a passage from the "Key to
John's Revelation" (Doctrine and Covenants 77:9).
NOTE TO PRELUDE. The Author, while ill, prayed that he might live to
produce a work that would continue his ministry as a teacher after
his mortal tongue was stilled. The beginning of the answer to his
prayer was an immediate inspiration to write this poem.
---
CANTO ONE
1--Title: **As From a Dream.** The subject of this Canto is the
author's spiritual awakening.
2--20. **Baal and Astoreth** (also rendered Ashtoreth). Pagan
deities, frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. They were
worshiped by the idolatrous Israelites. The Prophet Elijah's
controversy with the priests of Baal is one of the most dramatic
episodes in sacred history. (I Kings 18:19-40). Baal was the sun god,
chief male divinity of the Phoenicians; Ashtoreth, representing the
moon, a goddess of the Philistines--the same as Astarte of the
Zidonians. The corresponding deities among the Greeks and Romans were
Zeus or Jupiter and Aphrodite or Venus.
3--60. **Truth's Triple Key.** The Spirit of Truth, revealing past,
present and future.
4--86. **Ambrosial Gardens.** The Gardens of the Gods--Heaven.
5--92. **Paradise.** The Spirit World, a place of rest for the
righteous, awaiting resurrection and exaltation to glorious spheres
beyond. (Alma, 40:11-14; "Joseph Smith's Teachings," pp. 184, 185;
Key to Theology, 14.)
6--101. **Love's Eyes.** Love is usually represented as a blind boy,
Cupid, shooting his arrows aimlessly. Love, when spiritually
enlightened, is no longer blind, but has a definite purpose in view.
7--111. **Lethean Ground.** Lethe, in classic mythology, signifies
oblivion. It was the name of a river in Hades, of which the dead
drank and forgot all.
8--117. **O Thou, Of Beauty!** The stanza beginning with these words
is an apostrophe to Woman.
9--130. **Apple of Ashes.** On the shores of the Dead Sea there
grows, it is said, a fruit resembling the apple, beautiful and
inviting to the eye, but turning to ashes at the touch.
10--167. **Equally May Win.** The vanquished, as well as the
victorious, may gain, through experience, development.
11--174. **What Soul Can Grow?** Pride, greed, hate, and all other
perverted passions, are as weeds and thorns in the garden of the
heart. It is fair to presume that the Saviour, when he exhorted his
disciples to forgive and love their enemies, had in view the welfare
of the disciples themselves. It was more for their sake than for the
sake of their enemies, that He gave the exhortation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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