My wife, God bless her and keep her, introduced this idea of writing a blog to me quite a long time ago. My first reaction was: “How in the world am I supposed to come up with something interesting to say once a week? No one in their right mind wants to hear me rant, let alone read what I have to say.”
Needless to say, God was working through her and incidentally has been working on me ever since. This humble, stumbling attempt is the result. I ask for your patience and empathy as you read my words, and I fervently pray that the Holy Spirit of God works through me as I share my thoughts and insights with you concerning this singularly most important work: the building of a true Zion in our day.
Some people in the world will look at me strangely, citing the impracticality and my obvious impairment in even thinking such an endeavor was possible. My answer to them, and to you, is a simple one. God has set us the task, Enoch already managed to see the task through, and so it must be possible. I freely admit that the task is daunting. If I’m completely honest with myself, it looks downright impossible in this day and age. Then I look to a more modern attempt, Joseph’s Nauvoo, and I acknowledge that the prize is not so far out of reach after all. It simply requires strong hands, loyal hearts, and willing spirits.
The real and physical city of Zion will not spring up from the rich soil of Jackson County fully formed. No, her foundations need to be laid with care and a single-minded focus; “… line upon line, precept upon precept…” (2 Ne. 28:30, Isa. 28: 10, 13, 17) - one brick and one stone at a time. We will begin building Zion within our own hearts, and the cornerstones of that beautiful city will be laid down in the sanctity of our own home.
This is perhaps the most difficult undertaking. Our hearts are already taxed with worries for family and self; whether it is in providing for those we love, or being pressed by the personal conflicts and challenges of our lives. The inevitable first step to laying the cornerstone for Zion in our hearts, is in changing our minds. We must “…give away…” (Alma 22:18) all our sins and all things that rob us of the spirit of Zion.
This is inevitably where most people will look at me and scoff. Come on, Jeffrey! This is the twenty first century! Is that truly practical? We’re living in a world where pretty much everything robs us of the spirit of Zion! To this, I must nod my head sagely and agree. Satan’s plans have built up a huge amount of inertia, all with the single minded purpose of frustrating and derailing the efforts of God’s children to make this great dream come true.
Even as I acknowledge this fact, I also must in turn recognize the fact that God is greater than Satan. The great adversary of all mankind has warred unceasingly to frustrate the divine plan of happiness since the founding of the world. In spite of the devil’s tireless efforts, the plan has moved forward unceasingly. I know that the city of Zion is as real as any community we live in today. I know it is real, and in my heart I see it. Its pure white walls and majestic towers, look out on the land as watchmen inspiring man and woman alike – reminding each and every one of her citizens that God is in the Heavens, watching over us all. Zion is a place where every man, woman, and child is valued for who they are – not what they earn, or for how much they know, or the family they happened to born to. All have their place, and all are valued on equal footing. Zion’s children see eye to eye and heart to heart. There is no prevarication or falsehood in their demeanor or actions. They truly are of one heart and one mind.
Can you imagine such a place? Is it any wonder that the early communities of the Latter-day Saints were feared? I submit to that they were a powerhouse of progressive ideas and traditional values that changed the status quo. They stood for something greater than themselves, and that gave them power. Zion is a place that will change the status quo. It is a place of industry, not commercial industry, but industry. It is a haven from Satan’s world, and in my heart I will see it built sooner rather than later.
I will now step down from my soapbox for a week, leaving you with my testimony. God lives. He is working constantly and without end for one thing: our exaltation. To this end, He has sent us guidance anew, in the form of a prophet and twelve apostles who speak with His voice. He has given us his gospel, proclaimed and preserved in the scriptures – the First Witness, the Bible. The Second Witness, the Book of Mormon. It is through listening to these modern prophetic voices, and living by the teachings of these ancient books of testimony that we will secure our cornerstones.
Once those stones are fixed and unmoving, we will lay the foundations of Zion throughout the world. And the time will come, when God calls His children back to that special place; and there we will build unto Him a city of such magnitude and beauty that all the world will marvel. It will surpass all that this world has ever seen, and the people will love without hesitation or compulsion. Then will God come, and He will walk the streets. He will sit in our homes with us, and teach us even greater things than this world has ever known. And we will be of one heart and one mind and one spirit, and we will fear no more – for God will be with us.
This is my testimony. I give it freely and seal it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. God bless you all in the coming week, and should He be willing, I will write to you again one week from now.
A Favorite quote:
ReplyDelete"Do we realize that if we enjoy a Zion in time or in eternity we must make it for ourselves? That all, who have a Zion in the eternities of the Gods, organized, framed, consolidated, and perfected it themselves, and consequently are entitled to enjoy it?
"This is the Gospel; this is the plan of salvation; this is the Kingdom of God; this is the Zion that has been spoken and written of by all the Prophets since the world began. This is the work of Zion which the Lord has promised to bring forth.
“When we conclude to make a Zion we will make it, and this work commences in the heart of each person. When the father of a family wishes to make a Zion in his own house, he must take the lead in this good work, which it is impossible for him to do unless he himself possesses the spirit of Zion. Before he can produce the work of sanctification in his family, he must sanctify himself, and by this means God can help him to sanctify his family.
"There is not one thing wanting in all the works of God's hands to make a Zion upon the earth when the people conclude to make it. We can make a Zion of God on earth at our pleasure, upon the same principle that we can raise a field of wheat, or build and inhabit. There has been no time when the material has not been here from which to produce corn, wheat, etc. and by the judicious management and arrangement of this ever-existing material a Zion of God can always be build on the earth. ‘
“We want all the Latter-day Saints to understand how to build up Zion. The City of Zion, in beauty and magnificence, will outstrip anything that is now known upon the earth. The curse will be taken from the earth and sin and corruption will be swept from its face. Who will do this great work? Is the Lord going to convince the people that he will redeem the center Stake of Zion, beautify it and then place them there without an exertion on their part? No. He will not come here to build a Temple, a Tabernacle, a Bowery, or to set out fruit trees,…or work in brass and iron, for we already know how to do these things…We have to build up Zion, if we do our duty.
“I have many times asked the questions, ‘Where is the man that knows how to lay the first rock for the wall this is to surround the New Jerusalem or the Zion of God on the earth? Where is the man who knows how to construct the first gate of the city? Where is the man who understands how to build up the Kingdom of God in its purity and to prepare for Zion to come down to meet it?’ ‘Well,’ says one, ‘I thought the Lord was going to do this.’ So he is if we will let him. This is what we want: we want the people to be willing for the Lord to do it. But he will do it by means. He will not send his angels to gather up the rock to build up the New Jerusalem. He will not send his angels from the heavens to go to the mountain to cut the timber and make it into lumber to adorn the City of Zion. He has called upon us to do this work; and if we will let him work by, through, and with us, he can accomplish it; otherwise we shall fall short, and shall never have the honor of building up Zion on the earth.”
-Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, edited by John A. Widtsoe, pgs 118-121
WE'RE IN! --ML
I love that paragraph about valuing each person as what/who he or she is, not by what they know,where they come from, etc. Very inspiring words so far - in all your posts. Keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteRosie