For my personal scripture study, I have been reading every mention of building Zion in all the talks given by the Apostles and Prophets from the 1850s forward in an attempt to truly understand what their vision was for building Zion. While doing so, I’m seeing commonalities and patterns. I’m also running into quotes I find profound.
Here’s one from Brigham Young’s talk given 154 years ago today:
“The Latter-day Saints throughout the valleys in these mountains and throughout the world ought to be learning what they are on this earth for. They are here to increase and multiply, to enlarge, to gather the house of Israel, redeem Zion, build up the Zion of our God, and to promote that eternal intelligence that dwells with the Gods, and begin to plant it in this earth, and make it take root downward and bring forth fruit upward to the glory of God, until every obnoxious principle in the hearts of men is destroyed, and the earth returns to its paradisiacal state, and the Lord comes and dwells with this people, and walks and talks with them as he did with Father Adam. That is our business, and not to suffer all our energies to be expended in merely preparing to die.”
I’ve added this one to my “Primary Focus” category of quotes about Zion. The early church leaders frequently spoke of “building Zion” as one of a few primary focuses of the Latter-Day work. As Babylon shows signs of impending collapse under the weight of its own self-contradictions, I believe it wise of us to recapture our drive to build Zion.