Author Profile

Orson F. Whitney

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Selected Works

  • "The Soul's Captain" (1926)
  • Elias: An Epic of the Ages (1904)
  • Love and the Light: An Idyll ... (1918)
  • Poetical Writings (1889-90)

Born July 1, 1855 in Salt Lake City, Orson F. Whitney had a varied career. Employed in journalism, politics, education, history, literature and theology, Whitney was called to serve in The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1906 at the age of fifty. His writings include hymns, histories, and poetry.

His most ambitious work was Elias: An Epic of The Ages. He wrote the following about it: "I reflected, and my thoughts took this form: I would like to write a poem embodying all that I have learned, thought or felt respecting the divine plan know as 'The Everlasting Gospel.' I would love to tell in heroic verse the sublime Story of God. 'Mormonism,' historically, doctrinally, prophetically-be that my theme, my task, with whatsoever else the Lord has for me to do.

"No sooner had I come to this conclusion, than the first lined of the poem formed in my mind, and weak as I was I sat up and wrote them down. Thus the work began.

"I took years to complete it, for I could not, of course give all my time to poetry. I was still a Ward Bishop and an Assistant Church Historian. But I worked upon the great theme whenever I could, and found much delight in so doing. It burned like fire in my brain, and I felt that I must get it out or it would consume me. Day after day-sometimes twelve hours or more at a stretch-month after month, and year after year, I toiled on in the intervals of office work and outside engagements, till the poem, if not finished, was ready for a trial reading.1

In 1888 while serving as a bishop, Whitney gave an address at the Y.M.M.I.A. [Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association] Conference entitled " Home Literature." A seminal lecture on Mormon Literature, Whitney claims "we will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own. God's ammunition is not exhausted. His brightest spirits are held in reserve for the latter times. In God's name and by his help we will build up a literature whose top shall touch heaven, though its foundations may now be low in earth."

Whitney died on May 16, 1931.

1 Whitney, Orson F. Through Memory's Halls. Independence: Press of Zion's Printing and Publishing, 243-4.

Captions

Holograph and Typewritten Manuscript. Canto Ten of Elias: An Epic Poem. Circa 1930.

Whitney never completed Elias despite having published versions in 1904 and 1914. This is a revision of Canto Ten which speaks about Joseph Smith's role in the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the gospel it teaches.

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Elias: An Epic of the Ages. New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1904.

Although this book length poem was published in 1904, Whitney continued to revise it until his death.

Elias focused on the forerunners to the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith. However, the first three cantos flaunt the epic form and talk about Orson F. Whitney and his spiritual conversion and live. It covers the pre-mortal existence, the prophets who came before Christ, the ministry of Christ, the reformers and poets, the tenets of doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the history of Joseph Smith up to a prophetical declaration about the Saints moving West.

It was the work that Whitney hoped would establish his reputation as a poet. Both Whitney as a poet and Elias: An Epic of the Ages are little known now.

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Mother Heart of Gold, pamphlet.

Mother Hear of Gold was distributed to mothers in the Salt Lake City University Ward Sunday School on Mother's Day 1930. Orson F. Whitney and his mother, Helen Mar Kimball Whitney are featured in this Mother's Day pamphlet. The pamphlet also contains three poems, six hymns to be sung to the tune of several popular hymns, and a tribute from Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The story about Orson F. Whitney's mother was originally told by her father, Heber C. Kimball. The Prophet Joseph Smith was present when the story was told.

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Unknown. Review of one of Orson F. Whitney's poems.

Whitney liked to "correct" the reviews of his work. This review for the poem "Men and Women" is clipped from a newspaper and put on yellow paper. The author of the review is unknown. Whitney had pads of yellow paper that he would write drafts on and he attached reviews to the paper also.

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Whitney, Orson F. and William Ernest Henley, pamphlet, "The Soul's Captain" and "Invictus."

This is a reply to William Ernest Henley's poem "Invictus." Whitney has a different point-of-view and calls Christ the captain of his soul.

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Literary Worlds