We have been commanded to lay the foundations of Zion and to get all things ready for the return of Him who shall again crown the Holy City with his presence and glory. – Elder Bruce R. McConkie, April 1977 General Conference
Posts by John Taylor Wilford Woodruff:
491. We are obligated to build Zion – Wilford Woodruff quote, 1878
I realize that we are called and ordained of God to labor with him and the heavenly hosts, in the accomplishment of his purposes, the bringing forth and establishing of his Zion and Kingdom in the earth, and all that has been designed to be consummated in this the dispensation of the fullness of times. […]
432. Early Utahns Were Building Zion – John Taylor quote, 1884
This is the work devolving upon us. We have to build up here a Zion unto God. – John Taylor, 5/18/1884
475. Central to The Gospel – Wilford Woodruff quote, 1858
How the soul of the Prophet [Joseph] rejoiced when he beheld the work of God spreading abroad in the earth, the truth received by the children of men, and the promises of God verified to the letter in the gathering of the Saints, and a way prepared for the establishment of Zion upon the earth. […]
496. Economic Independence – Daniel H. Wells quote, 1860
We have a great deal to do to destroy wickedness and establish righteousness upon the earth, and to prepare ourselves for the establishment of Zion, that she may become the head upon the earth. …Do we feel that we should be diligent and economical,…and take that course that will make us the most independent people […]
Building Zion: Part of the Church’s 1880’s Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faced unparalleled challenges and opportunities during the 19th-century Utah period. Amidst political tension, geographical isolation, and spiritual fervor, Church leaders emphasized a divinely inspired, over-arching mission. That mission revolved around four interconnected actions: Preach, Gather, Build, and Prepare. These guiding principles not only defined the LDS Church’s […]
Building a Zion Society: The Promise of Cooperative Free Enterprise
Introduction A Zion society, as described in Moses 7:18, is a community where people are “of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” Achieving such a society requires a well-organized economy. This essay argues that a system based on cooperative free enterprise closely aligns with Zion […]
Sustain Economic Cooperation to Prepare for Zion’s United Order.
In this quote, President John Taylor makes three things clear (which other leaders taught as well): Cooperation is a stepping stone to living Zion’s United Order. That the cooperation he was referring to was to cooperate in economic matters (this had a specific meaning to them — the creation and operation of co-ops to produce […]
ToZ 4: The Key to Navigating Between Zion and Babylon
By Zion author Jesse Fisher Where Are You Standing? As LDS people, we are under covenant with God to establish Zion, and under divine direction to “flee Babylon”. Let’s say you need to journey from point A to point B. Before you can successfully navigate between them, you need to determine two things. One, where […]
Nibley’s Zion Metaphor
“On the last night of a play, the whole cast and stage crew stay in the theater until the small, or not so small, hours of the morning striking the old set. If there is to be a new opening soon, as the economy of the theater requires, it is important that the new set […]
How Pride & Humility are Steppingstones to Babylon & Zion
Last time we “reasoned together” and came to two conclusions: 1. Pride is the great steppingstone to Babylon, and 2. Humility is the great steppingstone to Zion. These two ideas may not seem like much to you if you’re wondering how a simple character trait as pride or humility can lead a whole society to […]
Thoughts on Zion 3: Applying a Little Deductive Reasoning
Although it doesn’t appear to have helped my career much, studying Mathematics at BYU did actually benefit me — I learned deductive reasoning. “If all frogs are green” and “Johnny has a frog”, then we can deduce “Johnny’s frog must be green”. Simple logic. Now let’s apply the same deductive reasoning to the topic of […]
Balancing the Spiritual with the Temporal Preparations for Zion
January 30, 2022 In Stake Conference today, our Stake President pointed out how in our lives we need to find balance between two values that are often considered polar opposites: Faith and Works, Commandments and Inspiration, Divinity and Humanity, Authority and Agency. He pointed out if society, families, or individuals focus on one value at […]
A Little Zion Philosophy — by a Ziontist.
By Jesse Fisher Although it doesn’t appear to have helped my career much, studying Mathematics at BYU did actually benefit me — I learned deductive reasoning. “If all frogs are green” and “Johnny has a frog”, then we can deduce “Johnny’s frog must be green”. Simple logic. Now let’s apply the same deductive reasoning to […]
ToZ #2: Our Primary Goal: Build up Zion in Fulfillment of Prophecy
There are several statements by members of the Seventy and by one apostle that all indicate that Zion is to be built by the Saints before Christ returns. Here is one: “The establishment of Zion should be the aim of every member of this Church…. Latter-day Saints conscientiously strive to bring forth Zion… preparatory to […]