I was recently bored, so what did I do?
I wrote down this poem: The Year in Review.
We’ve learned so much stuff since way back in September
So it’s time for us now to look back and remember.
It began in the year of our Lord 1820,
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| Joseph Smith History |
With preachers, religions and churches aplenty.
The doctrine of Christ they twisted, abused
And it left all the people dazed and confused.
Along came a boy. His friends called him Joe.
Which church was true? He wanted to know.
He’d gone to the meetings and heard all the claims.
So he got out his Bible and opened to James.
The question was tough. His brain was quite racked.
So he asked Heav’nly Father for the wisdom he lacked.
But what to do next? Through his options he wove.
And at length he decided to head to the Grove.
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| D&C 10 |
In prayer he knelt down and the Devil he fought
As he held on for dear life – and the answer he sought.
When, at last, through the air came a pillar of light.
It was nice, it was warm and exceedingly bright.
“Joseph, this is my Son,” said the Father. “Hear Him!”
The young boy’s joy was full – yea, filled to the brim.
From humble beginnings came the latter-day church.
The truth was restored, pulled out of the lurch.
A new book of scripture, as sent from above,
Is a witness to us of our dear Savior’s love.
And then Martin Harris, on a day without prudence,
Misplaced all his pages (got LOST like my students).
Avoiding the obstacle, Joseph was blessed.
He continued translation ‘cause Father knew best.
Millions of copies have been sold to this day.
It’s the best book on earth and it won’t go away.
In the words of Moroni, the angel that flew,
You can pray to find out if the Church is still true.
The blessing! The gift! Modern-day revelation!
The Church started growing and filling the nation.
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| D&C 20 |
God’s Army, the missionaries, knock on each door
Thanks in large part to D&C 4.
John the Baptist at the river was seen
As he brought back the Priesthood in Section 13.
If you want to convert, here’s a word to the wise:
Find a man with the power to correctly baptize.
Section 20 came later, if anyone cares
To find duties of deacons or sacrament prayers.
New prophets, apostles, patriarchs, seers.
No more apostasy –it’s news to our ears!
As time went on, the Church grew by additions
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| D&C 30-40 |
Of the converts brought in when these guys went on missions:
Pratt, Peterson, Thayre and Sweet
And a whole lot of others that we didn’t meet.
They went on to be leaders and general authorities –
It’s all there to be read in the 30s and 40s.
But as the Saints grew, there was much to be taught –
Like who can get revelation and, of course, who cannot.
At this time came the first of the Saints’ endless
struggles,
Imposed by newspapers and non-magic Muggles.
It was tough for the members to put up with the sinning,
And sadly, for them, this was just the beginning.
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| D&C 76 and 110 |
Through new revelation, they were asked to expand
To Ohio, where Joseph acquired more land.
Made a new home in Kirtland, a famous Church city.
…I haven’t been there, but I hear that it’s pretty.
The Word of Wisdom tells us not to do drugs.
Instead, it’s hot chocolate filling our mugs.
The temple in Kirtland was a happenin’ place.
The Redeemer appeared and they spoke face-to-face.
Elijah, Elias and Moses brought keys
To fulfill old school prophecies. The Savior was pleased.
Their faith was strengthened, the
Saints were devout,
But the times got too hard and
they had to move out.
They were run from the town and
they left in a hurry
To join all their friends down in
Jackson, Missouri.
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| D&C 101 |
Zion’s Camp wasn’t easy; it was
quite the test.
The prophet returned and he lived
in Far West.
He preached the doctrine and the
members learned
The will of the Lord, as they all
were concerned.
But their new home was not much
more fun than the last.
The people were hassled. It wasn’t
a blast.
The Saints were afflicted and
tortured by mobs
Who burned down their houses and
ruined their jobs.
Indeed, you could say these
perilous times.
(No, I’m not getting tired. Got
plenty more rhymes.)
Then things got extreme; even
more they were tested
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| D&C 121 and 122 |
As the prophet was falsely,
unjustly arrested.
They locked him away in Liberty
Jail
In small, dark, cold room without
any bail.
He prayed to the Lord, asking
what he should do.
See Sections 121 and 122.
In the worst of conditions,
Joseph Smith persevered.
It’s for reasons like this he’s
so widely revered.
Then they moved to Nauvoo – the beautiful
place.
They learned more of the Savior,
His mercy and grace.
With their shoulders to the wheel
and no duties to shirk,
The Saints built a temple and did
lots of work.
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| D&C 135 |
The oppression grew harder, the
trials more heated.
Governor Boggs wanted each of the
Mormons defeated.
An order was passed so the Saints
they could kill.
Seventeen members died in a fight
at Haun’s Mill.
They captured the prophet; like a
lamb he would die.
They marched him to Carthage; it
made people cry.
His whole family knew he would
never come back.
A mob rushed the prison, all
painted in black.
The good men read scriptures;
Joseph turned down the leaf.
They sang “A Poor Wayfaring Man
of Grief.”
It was quickly all over. The martyrs
were dead,
Wrote John Taylor – he survived
and rolled under the bed.
“Shall we not go on in so great a
cause?”
The work kept on rolling without
stopping to pause.
Joseph was gone, but the Church
was still there,
Now led by a man with long, beautiful
hair.
The man’s name was Brigham. He
was chosen by God.
When he spoke, Saints saw Joseph,
which was kind of odd.
But it helped them to know that
the mantle had shifted.
The cloud of confusion from
thenceforth was lifted.
“Revelation continues!” were the
shouts in the streets,
Then they gathered their wagons
in groups just like fleets.
“Trust Brigham,” they said. “For
he knows what is best!”
So they packed their belongings
and headed out west.
The journey was rough, but they
sang as they walked.
When they saw all the snowstorms,
they were certainly shocked.
The furthest they got was the
Iowa borders
And they stopped and took refuge at
old Winter Quarters.
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| Crossing the Sweetwater River |
When the weather got better, they
resumed in the spring.
“Come, Come, Ye Saints,” is a
song we still sing.
But the hardships continued –
they ran out of food.
The Donners got hungry and it
ruined the mood.
At the Sweetwater River, Companies
Martin and Willie
Were saved by three boys, unafraid
to be chilly.
On the strength of these men, the
pioneers rallied
And they finally made it to the
Great Salt Lake Valley.
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| Official Declaration #1 |
“This is the place,” Brigham
Young said.
“Drive on,” he encouraged as he
got back in bed.
They had made it at last with
nary a hater
(But they don’t get a temple ‘til
40 years later).
The desert was empty, they had
plenty of room.
They planted their roots and the
gospel did bloom.
It was here they could stay for
the rest of their lives.
Wilford Woodruff announced there’d
be no plural wives.
Through the decades the prophets
their legacies left.
Section 138 came from Smith,
Joseph F.
Then in the ‘70s, our parents
remember
The blessings of the Priesthood went
to each worthy member.
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| 2015 |
We’ve got Saints to the left and
Saints to the right.
We’re spanning the globe with
nobody to fight.
We’ve got Saints clear from Texas
on up to Wisconsin
And today we are led by Thomas S.
Monson.
The Church is great. The Church
is cool.
You can have lots of fun without
breaking a rule.
Looking back on this year, we learned all the church history.
What will you do next? Not a clue. What a mystery!
Can you believe it, dear students?
The school year is done.
I know it was crazy, but I hope
you had fun.
THE END.
