Let us train our minds until we delight in that which is good, lovely and holy, seeking continually after that intelligence which will enable us effectually to build up Zion, which consists in building houses, tabernacles, temples, streets, and every convenience necessary to embellish and beautify, seeking to do the will of the Lord all […]
Posts by John Taylor Wilford Woodruff:
500. We are obligated to build Zion – Wilford Woodruff quote, 1873
The Latter-day Saints cannot stand still; we cannot become stereotyped. God has decreed that his Zion must progress. We cannot remain in one groove or position. This kingdom has continued to progress from the beginning, and the little one is now more than a thousand, and it will hasten to become a strong nation, for […]
10. Central to the Gospel, Brigham Young, 1853
“It now remains with us to bear off this kingdom, build up Zion, and establish the law thereof, until Christ shall reign King of nations….” – President Brigham Young, 6/7/1853 In other words, until Christ returns, our job is to prepare by building up His kingdom [which is spiritual] and building Zion [which is temporal]. […]
3. Building Zion is God’s Will: Brigham Young on 12/27/1857
“That is our errand in the world, and we have no business but to build up the kingdom of God, and preserve it and ourselves in it. Whether it is ploughing, sowing, harvesting, building, going into the canyons, or whatever it is we do, it is all within the pale of the kingdom of God, […]
473. Building Zion is God’s Will – Bruce R. McConkie quote, 1977
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
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 […]