Pratt, Parley P. “A Letter to the Queen of England.” Times &

Pratt, Parley P. “A Letter to the Queen of England.” Times & Seasons (Nauvoo, Illinois) 3, no. 2 (15 November 1841): 591–96.
A LETTER TO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND, TOUCHING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, AND THE POLITICAL DESTINY OF THE WORLD. TO HER GRACIOUS MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA. SOVREIGN OF BRITAIN, It has fallen to the lot of your Majesty not only to live in a most eventful period of the world, but to occupy a station the most conspicuous of any individual of the present age. It has pleased the Almighty disposer of events, who governs and rules among the kingdoms of the earth, to raise your Majesty, while in the morning of life, to a throne of power, at the head of an empire, which, in many respects, stands foremost among the nations and kingdoms ef the world. It is with feelings of that profound respect which is justly due to so high an office that I offer this address. The importance of the subject, and the obligation which I am under to the God whom I serve, and to the people of the age in which I live, are the only apologies which I offer for thus intruding upon the attention of your Majesty. Know assuredly that the world in which we live is on the eve of a revolution, more wonderful in its beginning—more rapid in its progress—more powerful in its operations—more extensive in its effects—more lasting in its influence—and more important in its consequences, than any which man has yet witnessed upon the earth: a revolution in which all the inhabitants of tho earth are vitally interested, both religiously and politically—temporally and spiritually; one on which the fate of all nations is suspended, and upon which the future destiny of all the affairs of the earth is made to depend. Nay, the angels have desired to look into it, and heaven itself has waited with longing expectation for its consummation. I will now proceed to show from the Scriptures first, what this revolution is—secendly, that the present is the time of its fulfilment. The first great and universal monarchy after the deluge was the kingdom of Babel, or Babylon. This was founded by Nimrod, on the plains of Euphrates, and continued to strengthen itself until the time of Nebuchadnezzar, whom the Lord raised up to be his servant, to execute his vengeance upon the nations. By a series of the most striking prophetic declarations of Jeremiah the Prophet and others, and their no less striking fulfilment, this monach marched forth— conquering and to conquer—till Tyre, Egypt, and Judea, and all the surrounding nations, were subdued and brought into captivity for seventy years. This was so extensive, that Daniel the Prophet exclaimed to the King of Babylon, “The God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.” This monach, standing at the head of nations, and swaying his sceptre over all the kingdoms of the world, was the favored instrument to whom the Almighty made known his purposes touching the government of the world in all succeeding ages. While resting upon his bed in the deep silence of midnight, when the busy world was lost in slumbers, and waeried nature hushed to silence and repose, an anxious inquiry arose in his mind in regard to the things which should “come to pass hereafter.” His mind roamed down through the dark vista of future and distant periods, and would fain have understood and contemplated the events of the “latter days.” Thus lost in contemplation, and overwhelmed in deep sleep, his mind was suddenly caught from the subject of his meditation, and the visions of heaven were opened to his view. A great image stood before him, whose head was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron, and his feet and toes part of iron and part of clay. He beheld till a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, which smote the image upon the toes; then was the whole image broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer [591] thrashing floors,