You hear brethren talk of coming to Zion to enjoy the blessings of this land; but do you not see that it is the short-sightedness of men which causes their disappointment when they arrive here? They read in the Bible, in the Book of Mormon, and Book of Doctrine and Covenants, about Zion, and what […]
Posts by John Taylor Wilford Woodruff:
503. Early Utahns Were Building Zion – John Taylor quote, 1884
This is what we are gathered here for—to build up the Zion of our God, to establish the Kingdom of God, and to purify and exalt the Church of the living God. – John Taylor, 2/10/1884
12. Early Utahns Were Building Zion, Jedediah M. Grant, 1854
I am aware that some Elders who go forth and preach long and pious sermons, frequently represent Zion as one of the most delightsome places in the world, as if the people in Salt Lake City were so pure and holy that the flame of sanctity would almost singe the hair off a common man’s […]
31. Early Utahns Were Building Zion, Jedediah M. Grant, 1856
But we desire to appear before thee [Lord] with clean hands and hearts, to call upon thee for thy blessing and do thy will, that our inheritance may be blest and all we have, and that all the efforts we make to build up Zion and rear temples to thy name may be blest, that […]
13. Early Utahns Were Building Zion, Brigham Young, 1855
When our Elders go out to preach the Gospel, they tell the people to gather to Zion. Where is it? It is at the City of the Great Salt Lake in the Valleys of the Mountains, in the settlements of Utah Territory—there is Zion now. But you perceive when you come here the same covetous […]
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 […]