I would like to start this post with two scriptures:But verily I say unto you, I have decreed that your brethren which have been scattered shall return to the lands of their inheritances, and shall build up the waste places of Zion.
For after much tribulation, as I have said unto you in a former commandment, cometh the blessing.
Behold, this is the blessing which I have promised after your tribulations, and the tribulations of your brethren—your redemption, and the redemption of your brethren, even their restoration to the land of Zion, to be established, no more to be thrown down. (DyC 103:11-13)
And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them. (Moses 7:18)
In these two scriptures we learn foundational doctrine as to the literal gathering of Israel in the last days. This WILL happen in preparation of the Second Coming of the Savior, when He will reign for a Millennium, and when the earth will be restored to its paradisaical glory (Articles of Faith 1:10). The righteous will live in Zion, which will be established on the American continent. Zion will be a Utopian society where its citizens equally worship God, and consecrate themselves unto the Church, that there may be "no poor among them." This happens on two conditions, as was illustrated by the two scriptures above: 1) the people pass successfully through tribulation, and 2) the people are of one heart and one mind.
1) Pass Successfully through Tribulation
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that "a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation." (see Guide to the Scriptures, sacrifice) Have you thought about what that really means? As finite beings, we are unable to perfectly give ourselves unto the Lord, and in fact, it is part of His Plan that we are unable to do so. This causes conflict between our natural, imperfect desires, and the exigencies of God's commandments, which require perfection of us. The inability to live up to this standard causes tribulation and trial, which tests our ability to repent and otherwise apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. But, if we are successful, we will be given all the blessings that the Lord already desires to grant us, that there "shall not be room enough to receive [them]." (Malachi 3:10)
And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them. (Moses 7:18)
In these two scriptures we learn foundational doctrine as to the literal gathering of Israel in the last days. This WILL happen in preparation of the Second Coming of the Savior, when He will reign for a Millennium, and when the earth will be restored to its paradisaical glory (Articles of Faith 1:10). The righteous will live in Zion, which will be established on the American continent. Zion will be a Utopian society where its citizens equally worship God, and consecrate themselves unto the Church, that there may be "no poor among them." This happens on two conditions, as was illustrated by the two scriptures above: 1) the people pass successfully through tribulation, and 2) the people are of one heart and one mind.
1) Pass Successfully through Tribulation
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that "a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation." (see Guide to the Scriptures, sacrifice) Have you thought about what that really means? As finite beings, we are unable to perfectly give ourselves unto the Lord, and in fact, it is part of His Plan that we are unable to do so. This causes conflict between our natural, imperfect desires, and the exigencies of God's commandments, which require perfection of us. The inability to live up to this standard causes tribulation and trial, which tests our ability to repent and otherwise apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. But, if we are successful, we will be given all the blessings that the Lord already desires to grant us, that there "shall not be room enough to receive [them]." (Malachi 3:10)
2)Be of One Heart and One Mind
This, in my mind, is the more difficult requirement to be a Zion community. It is hard because a great part of this life is relishing in the differences that we have, and the diverse talents that we all have been given. I think that in order to be called Zion, we will have to take this a step further, glorying in others to a point that we already know how others will most fully contribute to the community. We will know this because we will all have the same goal in our hearts and minds: to glorify God and build his Kingdom here on Earth.
I believe that we can start doing this by remembering the simple, loving things that we like to do this time of year more than others. It starts by recognizing those we have difficulty loving, and making it a personal quest to learn to love them. And this does not mean in the way that we love everyone else, because that obviously doesn't work for those who need a different type of love. We need to find the diverse manners of love, just as diverse as we are today. Then, after we have done this, let us commit to do this for the rest of our lives, not just during a season when we can wake up a few days later and be unaccountable. That, in my opinion, is the flaw of the Christmas season, one that we all need to repent of. If we can do more to love others more perfectly at one point without much sacrifice, let us strive to do this to the point at which it becomes a great burden. If we are not sacrificing, we are not doing it right. This is plain and simple. It is my prayer that we may more fully adopt this way of thinking, myself included, that we may all one day be able to be called Zion.
Have a Great Week!!
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