These excerpts are taken from a little publication foretelling the future of America, published in 1853 under the title of “The Coming Crisis.” Although no author’s name was given at the time, it is attributed to Parley P. Pratt. This message should be studied more now than ever before. A great and awful crisis is at hand—such a crisis was never known before since the foundation of the world. All nations are looking through the misty future, in order to decry, if possible, what is about to happen. Many sermons have been preached, many speeches have been made, and some pamphlets have been published, with the hope of lifting up the veil of the future. * * * I say again, that God the Highest of all will make bare His arm in the eyes of all nations. And the heavens even will be rent, and the lighting down of His power will be felt by all nations. * * * Whatever exalts and opposes itself to God, that is anti-Christ, whether it is a civil or religious power. But the most formidable power that will be arrayed against Christ and his Saints in the last days, will consist in the Revelations of Satan. These revelations of Satan will come through every medium and channel by which the cunning and power of Satan can be brought to bear against the Saints and their Lord. It is a great mistake to suppose that Satan is altogether a religious personage. No, far from this. He is a politician, a philosopher, an erudite scholar, a linguist, a metaphysician, a military commander, a prince, a god, a necromancer, an enchant-[28]er, a diviner, a magician, a sorcerer, a prophet, and (if it were not railing) a clergyman and liar from the beginning. With these universal endowments, he has never hitherto made a full and grand exhibition of himself, as it remains for him to do.