…how long will it take us to build up Zion, to emigrate people from the far off corners of the earth, and they apostatize and run away when they get here? – Amasa M. Lyman, 12/2/1855
Posts by John Taylor Wilford Woodruff:
42. It’s Temporal Too!, George A. Smith, 1861
In this case the Mission to which you, brethren, are called is to build a city [ie. St. George]; it calls for wives, children, for machinery, for mechanics, for everything that is calculated to add to the comfort and happiness of the citizens of a city. We are not going to be a great while […]
66. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Brigham Young, 1860
Go to work and say nothing about wages, but feel that “this is Zion; and what can I do to build it up, without asking any man to pay me one dollar?” Let that be your chief joy and delight, and you will never lack for work, food, or raiment. – Brigham Young, 9/2/1860
26. No Need to Wait, Brigham Young, 1862
We have all the material we need to build up Zion, and I wish the Spirit of Zion to extend from heart to heart, and from house to house. This good work must commence in each person; there must be instituted a watchful care over the passions to bring them under control, that an angry […]
37. Central to The Gospel, Brigham Young, 1857
It now remains with us to [1] bear off this kingdom, [2] build up Zion, and [3] establish the law thereof, until Christ shall reign King of nations as he now reigns King of Saints. – Brigham Young, 6/7/1857
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 […]