Added Upon / A Story

by Nephi Anderson

The Savior of the world and souls of men,

The Lord of lords, the King of all the Earth,

Yet ever-present Comforter and Friend.

IV.

And now they learn the things they could not know
On mortal earth. They learn the secrets of
All things that are in space above, or in
The Earth beneath: the elements which form
The air that man did breathe, and where obtained,
And how composed. They learn of primal rocks,
Foundations of the new-formed worlds in space,
And how these worlds evolve into abodes
For man. The source of light and heat and power
They find, and grasp the laws by which they may
Be rightly used and perfectly controlled.
And then, most precious gift! they learn of life:
What makes the grass to grow, what gives the flowers
Their fragrance and their many-colored hues.
They comprehend all life in moving forms,—
In worm, in insect, fish, and bird, and beast;
And knowing this, they have the power to draw
Life from its store-house, and to make it serve
The highest good in never-ending ways.

V.

The truth has made these holy beings free.
They having overcome all evil powers,
Unfettered now they are and free to go
Where'er they wish within the heavenly spheres.
They're not alone on this perfected world,
Here other children of the Father dwell,
Who also have obeyed celestial law.
All these are of the Father's household, and
Are numbered with the just and true, of whom
'Tis written, "They are God's," and they shall dwell
Forever in the presence of their God.
What bliss to mingle with such company!
To taste the joys of friendships perfected,
And feel to fulness that sweet brother-love
Which binds in one the noble race of Gods!
And other worlds may now be visited;
For end there's none to matter and to space.
Infinitude holds kingdoms, great and small,—
Worlds upon worlds, redeemed and glorified,
And peopled with the children of our God,
Who also have evolved from lower things.
What opening visions here for knowledge rare!
What sciences, what laws, what history!
What stories of God's love in other worlds!
Exhaustless themes for poets' sweetest songs;
For painters, sculptors, every science, art
Has never-ending fields of pure delight.
To them "the universe its incense brings"—
Distilled from all the sweetness of the spheres.

VI.

Earth's loveliest flow'r, the love 'tween man and wife,
Transplanted is to this most holy sphere.
Through all the toiling years of earth-life, it
Had grown; and now, instead of dying with
The mortal death, its roots are firmly fixed
In the eternal soil of Glory-land.
And blessed man! now at his side there stands
A woman, one of heaven's queens, a wife,
A mother to his children of the Earth,
And yet to be a mother of a race.
Her beauty rare surpasses power of words.
Her purity, her sweetly gentle ways
Rest as a crown of glory on her brow.
Her love transcendent fills his heart with joy,
And now he fully realizes that
"The woman is the glory of the man."
Here in thy Home, O Woman all divine,
Thy measure of creation thou doest fill!
Intelligences come from out the womb
Of Time, into thine own; thence are they born
With spirit bodies, to thy loving care.
Now thou art Mother, and doest know in full
A mother's joy—a joy untinged by pain,
And with thy Husband thou hast now become
Creator, fellow worker with thy Lord.
Celestial Father, Mother at the head
Of parentage they stand, the perfect type
Of that eternal principle of sex
Found in all nature, making possible
For every living thing to multiply
And bring increase of being of its kind.
In this celestial world, the fittest have
Survived. To them alone the pow'r is given
To propagate their kind. 'Twas wisely planned.
The race of Gods must not deteriorate.
Thus everlasting increase is denied
To those who have not reached perfection's plane.
Herein is justice, wisdom all-divine,
That every child born into spirit world
Has perfect parentage, thus equal chance
Is given all to reach the highest goal,
And win the race which runs up through the worlds.
And children fill the household of these Two—
And children bring perpetual youth, renew
The tender sentiments, and firmly knit
The heart of Father, Mother close in one.
Thus do they work, and thus they follow in
The footsteps of their Father; and they spread
Out o'er the land of their inheritance.
Masters of all, joint owners of the spheres,
Eternal increase of eternal lives
Is theirs; and this their work and glory is
To bring to pass the immortality
And life eternal to the race of men.

VII.