With hindsight, it looks like Brigham Young may have jumped the gun by introducing the United Order to the Saints in 1873. That year there was a nation-wide banking panic and he apparently introduced the United Order to better insulate the Saints from the roller-coaster American economy. He was looking to help the Saints become […]
‘Thoughts on Zion’ newspaper column
Thoughts on Zion 33: Saints counseled to become economically self-sustaining
Previously, we mentioned that the 1868 General Conference focused on preparing the Saints to support a church-wide roll-out of the Brigham City system of cooperatives with ZCMI as its centerpiece. Let’s look at relevant ideas the prophet discusses in one of his talks at that conference. It shows that his motivation was to lead the […]
Thoughts on Zion 32 – LDS Church Launches Cooperative System!
In 1868, while manufacturing and retailing cooperatives were thriving in Brigham City, the LDS Church leadership wanted to expand that model throughout the Utah Territory to protect, strengthen, and unite the Saints economically, and prepare them to eventually live in United Orders. General Conference that October focused on preparing the Saints to support a church-wide […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column Cooperatives, manufacturing, ZCMI
Thoughts on Zion 31: The Genesis of Mormon Cooperatives
Many Saints today may be unaware that many of their Utah ancestors worked in cooperatives. The Utah Territory, at one time, was considered the premier place to observe Cooperative Free Enterprise in action. There were as many as 200 manufacturing and retail cooperatives in operation producing and selling everything from wagons, nails, and furniture, to […]
Thoughts on Zion 30: The Relief Society Battles The Railroad
The Relief Society played a starring role during the Saints’ 3rd decade in the Utah Territory in the Church’s efforts to protect their economic unity from the anticipated negative effects of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. In 1865, Brigham Young had suggested women organize around the goal of promoting in-home manufacturing and self-sufficiency, and […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column economic unity, independence, railroad, Relief Society, self-reliance
Thoughts on Zion 29: Early Saints Prep for Babylon’s Assault
Building on the great strides taken by the LDS Church in their 2nd decade in Utah to achieve independence from the American economic system, the Saints during their 3rd decade went to even greater lengths to insulate themselves from “Babylon” . In 1867, Church leaders realized the soon-to-be-completed railroad would threaten the social and economic […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column babylon, Cooperatives, railroad, School of the Prophets, ZCMI
Thoughts on Zion 28: Lorenzo Snow’s Experimental Zion Community
During the decade beginning in 1864, under the direction of Apostle Lorenzo Snow, Brigham City became a glowing example of Zion-like self-sufficiency and independence from the American economic system. When an extended financial crisis hit Utah in 1873, Brigham City barely noticed and their economy expanded in that year more than ever. Brigham City became […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column Brigham City, Cooperatives, Wilford Woodruff
Thoughts on Zion 27 — Saints Built Zion Through Economic Independence From Babylon
The Latter-Day Saints’ second decade in the Utah Territory was marked by monumental efforts under Church direction to establish Zion by achieving economic independence from the American economic system, which they called “Babylon”. The Church’s motivation to achieve total economic self-sufficiency for the Saints before Babylon’s fall is reflected in statements like this one by […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column Deseret Agricultural & Manufacturing Society, independence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency
Thoughts on Zion 26 – The Three Musketeers and… Zion
Author Alexander Dumas, in 1844, published his legendary novel, The Three Musketeers. The story describes three inseparable friends who live by the motto “all for one, one for all”. This phrase also describes the Zion-like spirit of unity and cooperation behind the LDS Church’s effort to comfortably transition immigrants into the local economy. Created in […]
Thoughts on Zion 25 – Building Zion Communities
The same spirit of Zion, of cooperation and mutual benefit, shown in how the Saints established Salt Lake City in 1847, and in their efforts to “gather the poor to Zion”, was then expressed in how the immigrating Saints founded the Mormon communities along the Rocky Mountains. In his book “Great Basin Kingdom”, Leonard […]
Thoughts on Zion 24 – Gathering Israel to Zion
The spirit of Zion, of cooperation and mutual benefit, which characterized the Saints’ temporal labors upon arriving in the Great Basin in 1847, carried over in their efforts to assist others to “gather to Zion” as well. “Believed literally and fervently, this tenet [of gathering to Zion] was nearly as fundamental as baptism.” LDS historian […]
Thoughts on Zion 23 – God is Waiting For Us to Build Zion
There are three common objections to the idea that we can build Zion. The following are quotes from a talk given by President Brigham Young on February 23, 1862 which I believe refute these objections: 1. Jesus must build Zion, we can’t. “We are not going to wait for angels, or for Enoch and his […]
Thoughts on Zion 22 – Building Zion From Day One
In recent articles here, we’ve seen how building Zion was a central doctrine of the LDS Church. Actually, the early Saints were actively building a Zion society here in Utah from the very start, and not just spiritually. LDS historian Leonard J. Arrington reported how the advance company set the pattern of central planning and […]
Thoughts on Zion 21 – Building Zion Spiritually
“This body of people, or church, has got to build up the Zion of God in the last days, and this work cannot be accomplished upon any other principle than that of our being united together as the heart of one man.”
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column revelation, sanctification, unity
Thoughts on Zion 20 – What it Takes to Build Zion
While reviewing talks given by LDS church leaders during the 1850s and 1860s, I found 26 statements that fell into the category of “What it Takes to Build Zion”. In pondering these, I realized that they fell into two subcategories: Spiritual and Temporal Requirements. In 1855, President Brigham Young, indicated that building Zion is as […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column labor, temporal, unity
Thoughts on Zion 19 – Building Zion in Utah
Why do we Mormons use the term “Zion” to refer to the Church here in Utah? It’s because our LDS forefathers were actually, physically engaged in building a real-live Zion society here during the 1850s and beyond. Our use of the term in that context today is just an echo of their determined efforts to […]
Jesse 'Thoughts on Zion' newspaper column Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, zion