Along our journey here, we came to conclude that:

1. “Babylon” is any culture that has incorporated pride-based beliefs and customs into its social organizations, such as families, schools, businesses, and government,
2. “Zion” is any culture that institutionalizes humility-based beliefs and customs into its social organizations, and
3. If we want to ‘flee Babylon’ and ‘build Zion’ we must follow the process of identifying pride-based elements of our culture, root them out, and integrate humility-based replacements.

Let’s look closer at that first conclusion. From Ezra Taft Benson’s talk “Beware of Pride”, the two foundational pride-based beliefs of Babylon are, first, “Mankind doesn’t need [a] God, we can figure it out ourselves” (“Pride1”), and second, “Some people are better than others” (“Pride2”). This may come as a surprise to most readers, but I’m convinced that these two beliefs have been deeply integrated into America’s traditions and institutions, and therefore, the United States qualifies as a “babylonian” society (as would most existing nation-states).

For example, “Pride1” and “Pride2” are easily recognizable in America’s scientific community with its thinly-veiled animosity for any who believe in God, Intelligent Design, or religion in general. That animosity has thoroughly infected both the news media and entertainment industries. Believers are seen and portrayed as backward hicks who are too ignorant to accept scientific “truths” (which, ironically, often change from decade to decade).

A Zion society, on the other hand, would foster scientific research founded on “Humility1” and “Humility2”, being “God’s wisdom is greater than Man’s, and should be modeled”, and, “All people are of equal and infinite worth”. These beliefs would allow science to explore whole new realms of inquiry which extend from acknowledging the existence of our spiritual bodies, which Science currently denies. One example would be the study of the afterlife, which thousands have experienced and returned to share their stories.

In our efforts to extract ourselves from Babylon and fulfill our covenant to establish Zion, we can first find expressions of Pride1 and Pride2 in our own hearts and family customs, and, under the Spirit’s influence, we can replace them by integrating Humility1 and Humility2 beliefs. Then, with that experience, we can work with others to replace our pride-based institutions with humility-base ones — literally building Zion.

© 2013 by Jesse Fisher