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
Building Zion Requires Real Labor
We Can’t Coast into Zion “Sitting on a Hemlock Slab”

Yesterday morning I was continuing my on-going search through all the talks given during the Territorial Utah years by LDS General Authorities that mention Zion. As I go through them, nearly every mention of Zion falls neatly into about a dozen general idea categories. So, I ran across a talk by Wilford Woodruff given in […]
6. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Brigham Young on 7/13/1855
“…for if we are to build up the kingdom of God, or establish Zion upon the earth, we have to labor with our hands, plan with our minds, and devise ways and means to accomplish that object.” – President Brigham Young, 7/13/1855
336. Building Zion Requires Real Labor – L. Tom Perry quote, 2001
The Prophet had a design to build a community of Saints. He had three major objectives: first, economic; second, educational; and third, spiritual…. The second basic principle is that of work. Work is just as important to the success of the Lord’s economic plan as the commandment to love our neighbor. – L. Tom Perry, […]
296. Building Zion Requires Real Labor – Wilford Woodruff quote, 1873
We are not called to build up Zion by preaching, singing and praying alone; we have to perform hard labor, labor of bone and sinew, in building towns, cities, villages; and we have to continue to do this; but while we are so engaged, we should not sin. We have no right to sin, whether […]
266. Building Zion Requires Real Labor – Wilford Woodruff Quote, 1873
We have it to do, we can’t build up Zion sitting on a hemlock slab singing ourselves away to everlasting bliss; we have to cultivate the earth, to take the rocks and elements out of the mountains and rear Temples to the Most High God; and this temporal work is demanded at our hands by […]
157. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Heber C. Kimball, 1863
As members of the body of Christ we are called upon to labor and to do our part towards building up his kingdom, and should all have equal interest in that kingdom. We manifest our attachment to the principles of progress and improvement, both of which are intimately connected with the building up of Zion, […]
225. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Daniel H. Wells, 1878
…the material prosperity of Zion is alone attributable to the labors of the Saints, guided and directed by the Almighty. – Daniel H. Wells, 6/1/1878
138. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Brigham Young, 1863
We want all the Latter-day Saints to understand how to build up Zion…. [The Lord] will not come here to build a Temple, a Tabernacle, a Bowery, or to set out fruit trees, make aprons of fig leaves or coats of skins, or work in brass and iron, for we already know how to do […]
103. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, George A. Smith, 1861
We can get up in our meeting and sing—“The cities of Zion soon shall rise.” but how are they going to rise? We are going to build them, so that they will rise far above the clouds; and to accomplish this we are going to build them on the high mountains. We are not only […]
120. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Brigham Young, 1862
We talk and read about Zion, we contemplate upon it, and in our imaginations we reach forth to grasp something that is transcendent in heavenly beauty, excellency, and glory. But while contemplating the future greatness of Zion, do we realize that we are the pioneers of that future greatness and glory? Do we realize that […]
86. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, George A. Smith, 1861
“The word of the Presidency is, brethren, it is necessary to strengthen the southern border of our thriving Territory, and this is for the general good of all. Now you go down south and raise cotton and you will be blessed more than you ever have been heretofore, and know that in doing this you […]
23. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Brigham Young, 1855
…everything connected with building up Zion requires actual, severe labor. It is nonsense to talk about building up any kingdom except by labor; it requires the labor of every part of our organization, whether it be mental, physical, or spiritual, and that is the only way to build up the kingdom of God. – Brigham […]
14. Building Zion Requires Real Labor, Brigham Young, 1855
You know the old theory is that the kingdom of God, and all pertaining to it, is spiritual and not temporal; that is the traditional notion of our brother Christians. But a person may merely think until he goes down to the grave, and he will never be the means of saving one soul, not […]