Zion

Volume Three—Chapter Twenty-Seven ZION

Most of us have heard the word Zion often and in many contexts. We are left with uncertainty regarding its exact meaning. Often our enthusiasm for the topic has waned. In this chapter, I will summarize the meanings and usages of the word. I will then proffer what, in my view, is its most noteworthy meaning. I hope you will hereafter find the concept of Zion truly exciting and profoundly significant.

#Meanings of “Zion”

1. Zion is the kingdom of God upon the earth, a society composed of a people who are God’s followers. It is a people that governs itself by and is sanctified by celestial principles. Latter-day scriptures define the members of this Zion as the “pure in heart” (D&C 97:21). I will have more to say about this particular meaning of Zion later in this chapter.

2. Zion is the place where God’s followers live. It is the place or land appointed by the Lord for the gathering of those who accept his gospel (D&C 101:16-22; 3 Nephi 20-22). The lands of Zion are places where the pure in heart live together in righteousness.

More specifically, Zion is that glorious city or land that will be established in the latter days some time prior to the Lord’s second coming. It will serve as a place of gathering and refuge to those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Actually, in the latter days, two places will be called the center places of the greater land of Zion. The first is the city of Jerusalem itself which will be restored to its former holy position of spiritual grandeur and physical beauty. It will serve as a gathering place for the tribe of Judah. The second is the New Jerusalem to be built upon the western hemisphere with its center in Jackson County, Missouri. To Zion on the western hemisphere will gather the rest of Israel and those Gentiles who accept the gospel and are “adopted” into the house of Israel.

Zion is not limited just to the city of Jerusalem and Jackson County, Missouri. In the latter days, wherever there are saints of God who have embraced the restored gospel, there is Zion.

3. Zion, in Enoch’s day, referred both to his people and to the city in which they lived. His city was “City of Holiness,” or the “City of Enoch” (see Moses 7:18-19).

4. Zion is Christ’s kingdom during the Millennium. He will personally preside over the people who live on earth at that time. There is some disagreement as to whether he will preside over one or two separate kingdoms. Most feel that the government, the political kingdom of God, will be separate from the Church, the ecclesiastical kingdom of God. Elder McConkie wrote, “There is an ecclesiastical kingdom of God on earth that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there shall be a political kingdom of God on earth in that day when the kingdom is restored to Israel and the Lord himself reigns” (The Millennial Messiah, 493).

The separate nature of the two millennial Kingdoms of God was further described by President George Q. Cannon:

We are asked, is the Church of God and the Kingdom of God the same organization? and we are informed that some of the brethren hold that they are separate. This is the correct view to take. The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God. There may be men acting as officers in the Kingdom of God who will not be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On this point the Prophet Joseph gave particular instructions before his death, and gave an example, which he asked the younger Elders who were present to always remember. It was to the effect that men might be chosen to officiate as members of the Kingdom of God who had no standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Kingdom of God when established will not be for the protection of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints alone, but for the protection of all men, whatever their religious views or opinions may be. Under its rule, no one will be permitted to overstep the proper bounds or to interfere with the rights of others (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, 324; see also HC, 7:382).

President Brigham Young helped clarify the difference between the two kingdoms. He spoke of the political kingdom of God:

That kingdom grows out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it is not the Church; for a man may be a legislator in that body which will issue laws to sustain the inhabitants of the earth in their individual rights and still not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ at all. And further, though a man may not even believe in any religion it would be perfectly right, when necessary, to give him the privilege of holding a seat among that body which will make laws to govern all the nations of the earth and control those who make no profession of religion at all; for that body would be governed, controlled and dictated to acknowledge others in those rights which they wish to enjoy themselves (HC, 7:382).

Both the millennial Church of God and the millennial Kingdom of God may be referred to as Zion. Each kingdom will have a great world governmental center. Isaiah implied that the secular government, the political kingdom of God, may be governed more from Jackson County, and the spiritual kingdom, the Church, from Old Jerusalem: “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 3:2). Each of these centers may be called Zion. Also, the land around them may be called Zion. For example, the whole of North America may be Zion.

As with the pre-millennial Zion, the spiritual Zion of the Millennium is not limited to just one or two cities. The spiritual kingdom will extend all over the earth. This Zion will not be a secret place. Rather, all will know of it, even those who do not identify with the Lord’s Church. The Lord describes his pre-millennial earthly kingdom (his spiritual kingdom) as “Fair as the sun, clear as the moon, and . . . terrible unto all nations; [such] that the kingdoms of this world [will be] constrained to acknowledge that the kingdom of Zion is in very deed the kingdom of our God and his Christ” (D&C 105:31-32). The word terrible in this passage means “inspires solemn awe and reverence.”

There will actually be a third central city of Zion during the Millennium. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught:

In the day of regeneration, when all things are made new, there will be three great cities that will be holy. One will be the Jerusalem of old which shall be rebuilt according to the prophecy of Ezekiel. One will be the city of Zion, or of Enoch, which was taken from the earth when Enoch was translated and which will be restored [Moses 7:63-64]; and the city Zion, or New Jerusalem, which is to be built by the seed of Joseph on this the American continent (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:105).

The Zion of Enoch will combine with the New Jerusalem on the western hemisphere. Ether 13:3, in speaking of the Great Gentile nation (North America), teaches a peculiar thing about the New Jerusalem that will be found in that nation during the Millennium. He said, “And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.” In what way will the New Jerusalem “come down out of heaven”? Elder Bruce R. McConkie pointed out that Enoch’s city, the city of Holiness that was taken up into heaven (see Moses 7:13- 21), will come down from heaven and be united with the earthly New Jerusalem (see Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:581). The New Jerusalem and Enoch’s Zion will become one city, also called Zion. It will serve as the home of the Lord during the Millennium. The union of these two holy cities gives insight into the verse: “The Lord hath brought down Zion from above. The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath” (D&C 84:100). By uniting these two cities, the Lord will fulfill his sworn oath that in Enoch’s city “the heavens and the earth should come together” (JST, Genesis 14:35).

5. Zion names the hill in Jerusalem on which the temple was built, Mount Zion or Sion in the land of Jerusalem.

6. Zion is also an attitude of gospel acceptance, a spirit of obedience, a purity of heart, indeed, a way of life. Babylon refers in a specific way to an ancient city and in a general way to the evils world. So also does Zion represent specifically a city and generally a label for all that is truly righteous, wholesome, and in tune with the Spirit of the Lord? In this sense, Zion is his eternal plan. Zion is a state of mind (D&C 97:21) or a lifestyle having specific social structure (4 Nephi; Moses 7:18; D&C 105:5). A Zion people are “of one heart and one mind, and [dwell] in righteousness; and there [are] no poor among them (Moses 7:18). They are “in one the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God” (4 Nephi 1:15-17). This definition of Zion continues to be applicable today.

The concept of an earthly Zion rests on the premise that there exists a heavenly prototype, “a heavenly society comprised of exalted beings who [live] in the presence of God” (Hyrum L. Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom, 26). The lifestyle of Zion on earth is to be patterned after that celestial society that thrives in God’s literal presence.

#Zion Lifestyle

God has enumerated the essential ingredients of the Zion lifestyle:

 Purity. The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph, “Let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion— the pure in heart, therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn” (D&C 97:21).

 Unity. In 3 Nephi 16:18, the Lord spoke of the restoration of Zion prophesied to occur during the Millennium. He said, “For they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion (italics added).” Unity is one of the key characteristics of Zion. Moses recorded: “The Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18). Joseph Smith said, “What if all the world should embrace this gospel? They would then see eye to eye, and the blessings of God would be poured out upon the people, which is the desire of my whole soul (HC, 5:259). The Lord also said, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27).

Two people working together in harmony can achieve more than the total of what the two could achieve working separately. Alvin C. Rencher shared a story that illustrates this principle:

A horse-pulling contest in Canada illustrates the effect of synergism especially well. The people put weights on a flat bed wagon, and a single horse pulled it a measured distance. They added 1,000 pounds at a time, until the horse could no longer pull it. The winner pulled 9,000 pounds, and the runner-up pulled 8,000 pounds. Out of curiosity, someone suggested putting those two horses together. When they hitched both horses to the wagon, they pulled 31,000 pounds. Working together the horses pulled more than three times the weight the best of them could pull alone (“Unity Through the Power of Charity,” in The Book of Mormon: Fourth Nephi Through Moroni, From Zion to Destruction, 266).

The unity must be social and spiritual. The Lord instructed Joseph Smith regarding the characteristics that must be found among the pure in heart in order for a

Zion society to exist as a people. He used the negative example of the Church in Independence, Missouri between 1831 and 1833:

But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them; And are not united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom; And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself (D&C 105:3-5).

We may wonder about the very essence of unity. What is the vital quality of the individuals in a group that results in unity? Surely it is selflessness and charity. It is putting the spiritual and secular welfare of others above your own.

 Equality. The Lord said, “For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things” (D&C 78:6).

 The Melchizedek priesthood.

 Industry. A healthy work ethic as a characteristic of each inhabitant is essential to the success of Zion and the socioeconomic order that forms the backbone of that society.

 Conversion to Christ and his gospel. Only true conversion to Christ and strict adherence to his example and teachings can bring about a lasting Zion society. President Ezra Taft Benson wrote:

The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature (“Born of God,” Ensign,

November 1985, 6).

Just as these characteristics form the essential backbone of a Zion society, so does the disintegration of any one or all of them signify the eventual demise of that society.

A Zion society, when properly established, leads to the temporal and spiritual success of its people. President Joseph F. Smith clarified the role of the gospel as a practical way of life in Book of Mormon as well as current times: “It has always been a cardinal teaching with the Latter-day Saints that a religion that has not the power to save people temporally and make them prosperous and happy here cannot be depended upon to save them spiritually and to exalt them in the life to come” (“The Truth About Mormonism,” Out West, September 1905, 242).

#The Law of Consecration

A people that successfully lives together and abides all the principles of a Zion lifestyle is a Zion society. One additional characteristic is necessary for this group. They must become a communally beneficial socioeconomic order called a “united order.” Each individual must commit to and live the law of consecration and stewardship. The law of consecration and stewardship is the principle. The united order is what the group becomes when each individual is able to abide the principle. Such an order was attempted in the early years of the Church in this dispensation.

We will review briefly the fundamental tenets of the law of consecration and stewardship as it was revealed by the Lord in this final dispensation. Five general principles seem most pertinent. I will review also a few practical considerations felt to be important in establishing this order:

1. Consecration. This is the belief and practice that the earth is the Lord’s. Everything a man has, is, or accomplishes is owed back to the Lord because it is all his anyway.

To enter into the united order, a complete inventory of a man’s possessions is taken. Everything he owns is deeded legally or consecrated to the Church. This legal transfer of a one’s possessions is not reversible. If he were to leave the united order after once joining, he would have no claim on those things he consecrated.

2. Agency. Each participant is a free agent. Each may enter or leave the order at his own pleasure without coercion or stigma. He has the right to negotiate for his job or for those things required to satisfy the needs of his family. Thus the united order differs vastly from Marxist Communism.

3. Storehouse. On entering the order, all of a man’s possessions are placed in the storehouse. Also goods produced in excess of the family’s needs are placed there. At the discretion of the bishop (the keeper of the storehouse), materials are distributed. These include the stewardships (see below), as well as food and materials needed by those unable to work.

4. Stewardship. After a man joins the order, adequate possessions needed to do his work and care for his family are deeded back to him. Thus, he owns them. Deeds are conveyed according to the laws of the land. These materials are given to him by the bishop. They are referred to as his stewardship or inheritance. Thus, private ownership is a feature of the law of consecration. If the bishop and an individual disagree on the amount the individual receives as a stewardship, the contributor has the right of appeal (HC, 1:364-65).

Each person in the order is assigned work according to his abilities, education, talents, and the needs of the order. All types of work are considered of equal value and importance. The collection of garbage is as important as the practice of law or medicine. A regular accounting is held between each person and the bishop to assess his performance and progress. Is he happy? Should he be reassigned? Does he have sufficient for his family’s needs?

5. Governing Board. The governance of the order is vested in a central governing board, the members of which are sustained by members of the order. This agency is presided over by the bishop and his counselors. It has the power to adjust disputes normally arising among strong-willed human beings.

The ultimate destiny of a Zion society is to be taken into the presence of the Lord. This is the design and purpose of every Zion community. Each is patterned after celestial principle. “And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself” (D&C 105:5).

#The Most Essential Meaning of Zion

It is difficult to defend the premise that one meaning of Zion is most important among all the separate meanings. To me, however, Zion as having reference to God’s earthly kingdom or Church is most important. This Zion is spread over the earth and currently consists of units called stakes and wards.

I believe the Lord’s descriptions of Zion in scripture allow us to view his most cherished perspective. The Lord would have us understand his earthly kingdom metaphorically as a walled city in an environment of great wickedness and terrifying adversity. The Lord’s people may escape the chaos and danger of the wicked world and find refuge by entering this great city. Its walls are high and impenetrable. This safe refuge is available to those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Once inside, the large, secure gates close behind them. Inside, it is peaceful, quiet, warm, safe, and comfortable (Isaiah 4:6; D&C 45:66-72). Those already inside the city are welcoming, selfless, and supportive. They care for the needs of those who have just entered to ensure that they feel secure and at peace. Those within the walls labor together as equals, each contributing to the good of all and to the work of salvation according to their individual talents (D&C 38:24-27). They have all things in common (4 Nephi 1:3). As equals, all receive the things necessary for survival and well-being, according to their circumstances, wants, and needs (D&C 51:3, 9). Consequently, among a people of Zion there are no rich or poor (4 Nephi 1:3). The people inside enjoy the blessing of inspired leadership. The inhabitants of the city dwell in the presence of God, “and they shall see his face . . . and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:4-5).

Quite inadvertently, I began to understand the Lord’s perspective of Zion during an experience I had while traveling in England with my family several years ago. My wife and I and four of our six children had just completed ten days of sightseeing. We had driven as far north as Yorkshire and had visited the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. We traveled through the Midlands, the Cotswolds, and toured Oxford, Cambridge, and London. Rather than staying in hotels, we had managed each afternoon to find a bed-and-breakfast perfect for us and our budget.

The time came for us to return home. We were to depart from Gatwick Airport, south of London. On the final night before our return, I wanted to stay somewhere near the airport. We toured until well into the evening, and had left the job of finding lodging until too late. We stopped by a couple of possibilities on our list, but they were full. I found myself driving in an area totally unfamiliar to me. It was pitch dark and stormy. I grew increasingly anxious about finding a suitable place for all of us.

The children were tired and ready to stop. They sensed I was uneasy, adding further to their discomfort. We knew we were in the area of the London Temple. My wife wondered if it might even be possible to stay in the housing the temple maintains for temple patrons. As I pulled through the gates, the lighted temple ahead was a most welcome sight. The sister in the housing office was happy to rent us a couple of rooms. She did say that we were lucky to find her still there, as she usually had left for home by that late hour. She empathized with my plight. She was eager to help me feel more comfortable. As we were all admitted into the locked, and secure hall and then into our rooms, I felt an almost unique feeling of peace and security. Though it was stormy and cold outside, it was wonderful to be there together, safe, secure, and warm. After all these years, I have not forgotten that almost magical feeling.

Admittedly most of the units of the Lord’s Church today, the wards and stakes, usually fall a bit short of this ideal metaphorical image. But it is a most inviting image toward which each of us must strive.

Ezekiel wrote a description of this metaphorical “holy city” (see Ezekiel 40:1- 47:12; 48:30). If the inhabitants of Zion remain true and faithful, they will enjoy fulness of life and happiness in the highest degree possible in this world and in the world to come (4 Nephi 1:3, 16; Mosiah 16:11). They live according to the celestial law governing the highest order of heaven (D&C 105:4-5).

The Lord specifically told the Prophet Joseph that the New Jerusalem would be a place of refuge and safety and a land of peace for the saints. And, in latter-day times of danger and turmoil, those who will not take up the sword against their neighbor will flee to Zion for safety (D&C 45:68; 63:32-36). The prophet Joseph Smith wrote: “The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes” (HC, 3:391).

This metaphor represents the Lord’s perspective of his earthly kingdom. It is how his kingdom ought to be. The Lord’s own goal or “self interest” is to see all his people return to live with him one day, and to remain with him forever. His Church is to ensure that his people will one day be judged worthy to return to their celestial home. This is why he has a Church. It is to increase the likelihood that every individual member of his kingdom will one day qualify to return home, and that a greater number of mortals will find his kingdom and find succor to the end that they may be exalted.

It is clear that the Lord’s primary focus is on each individual and getting each back to his celestial home. The importance of the features of mortality designed to enable and facilitate that return are secondary to the importance of man himself. The Lord revealed his priorities when he said, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Because of my experience at the London temple housing that night long ago, I can still feel that “magical” sense of peace and security that that should exist in his Church. It is primarily a selfless feeling of concern for others. All in his kingdom must feel unmistakable peace, safety, and security. This is the way of life he wishes to exist in his kingdom.

When our children were young, each spring my wife and I discussed what type of family summer vacation we would take. My wife would often suggest that we all climb into the family car and drive. She didn’t care much where we went. She would say, “We can just see the sights and stop in a motel each night. We’d all be there together.” I was not so sure this would be the best type vacation for me. My wife was happiest when she had her children gathered about her to interact with them, to touch them and reassure herself that they were all right. The idea of a “captive audience” with all of us in the car was heaven to her.

I have commented previously on this same “maternal” instinct evident in the Savior. In describing his Zion, he betrayed this characteristic: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37). He is much like a mother hen. He yearns to have his people gathered about him where he can teach them and reassure himself they are spiritually safe.

#The Role of the Lord’s Church in the “Contexts” of Mortality

This earth was created so that each of us might experience a mortal test. Each of us is tested to see if we might qualify to return to our celestial home. There is scriptural evidence that only a minority of us will make it back. The scripture suggests “few there be” that will pass through the “strait and narrow gate” back to heaven.

Let us consider the most essential ingredients in this test. I will initially list five: 1. Your chief opposition is the abundant worldly influences you encounter here. 2. What is the characteristic of you that might lead to your failing this test? It is your natural self—that powerful appetite you have for the abundant influences of this world. You have the natural need to want to be physically comfortable. You naturally want to satisfy your biological or sexual drives. You have the natural yearning to be socially accepted, popular, respected, and admired. You hunger for material things. Additionally, your natural self demands satisfaction of all its needs now. It doesn’t want to be put off. It doesn’t want to wait.

The tricky part about managing your natural self is that this mortal test doesn’t allow us to completely eliminate the worldly influences in our life and seek only for the spiritual. Some of the worldly influences are completely necessary in appropriate proportions and at appropriate times. In other words, we must respond to our sexual desires in appropriate settings. We must seek for material things as we require them to make ourselves and others for whom we have responsibility comfortable. It’s good to have an appropriate degree of popularity. It’s desirable to be respected and appreciated by your neighbors.

3. What is the characteristic of you that the Lord hopes will lead to your success in getting back home? It is your subtle inclination for spiritual things we might call your spiritual self. It stems largely from your having the spirit or light of Christ and a consequent inclination to respond to promptings of the Holy Ghost.

4. A factor related to your spiritual self is those inclinations you acquired in the premortal world to seek for the Lord and his commandments. These result from the spiritual progress you made during the long period of your premortal life. These inclinations penetrate the veil and prod you toward seeking satisfaction of your spiritual self.

5. Finally, the Lord has given us the “rules of the test.” What are these? They are the Lord’s commandments.

From an admittedly simplistic point of view, these five are the essential ingredients in the test. We are taught beginning in Primary—just deny your natural self and obey the commandments. Try to follow the subtle promptings of your spiritual self and the Spirit. Seek only after the things of the world in appropriate settings—only when they are necessary.

But, there is sixth essential ingredient of the test that is often overlooked. It is the environment and the conditions in which we live out our lives—the setting in which we live our mortal experience. This is the context of our lives. Let us consider further the phenomenon of context.

The effects of a wicked context or environment. What if an individual were to live out his life in a wicked worldly setting—a wicked context? The only culture he knows is the one in which he is enmeshed. Consider, for example, the extreme case of a guileless child reared by drug seeking, indolent parents with lascivious sexual habits. Would the child be impacted by this context? What would the effect of this context have on the child and how he governs himself in this mortal trial?

Inescapably, he would be significantly impacted. He would tend to grow up with mores similar to his parents and others in his environment. He does possess the influences of his premortal spiritual progress and the light of Christ, so he may begin to rise above his unseemly environment or context. But, do you think that throughout his life, a careful study of his behaviors (what he thinks, speaks, and does) would inevitably turn up evidences of his upbringing? It seems obvious his behaviors would certainly reflect the influences of the world in which he lived. His spiritual standards would be likely set at lower level. Even the most accomplished, celestially-inclined individual would not escape the consequences of a wicked environment. He may try to rise out of it, but his performance in mortality would always reflect his context. Is this an absurd and unrealistic example? It is not. Much of the world is just like this.

The Lord’s solution to an adverse context. What is the solution the Lord has proposed for the worldly context most people find themselves in today? It is the Lord’s earthly kingdom—his Church. Suppose an individual were to live out his life entirely in a Church setting. Let us say the most significant context setting for his life is the Church of Jesus Christ. Would it make a difference in how he performs in his mortal test? Would his rules for living, his spiritual standards be clearly defined? They would be the commandments of the Lord. They would be before him constantly. He would be surrounded with supportive people who love him and also live by the commandments. They would encourage him to keep to the rules. They would pick him up when he fell. Worldly influences would play a lesser role in his life.

We have painted a rather idealistic picture of the context of those who are members of the Church. There is another factor that renders our ideal and pure description somewhat unrealistic and hypothetical. It is the necessity for each of us to be in the world. We cannot help but be affected, to some extent, by its unseemly influences. We have to make a living. We have to obtain an education. We have to live in and get along in a non-church culture much of the time.

It is obvious how the individual reared in an evil environment would benefit from the Lord’s Church. The Church offers an alternative, supplementary, and certainly more edifying context to his life.

The general authority subgroup. Just for fun there is a subgroup in the context of the Lord’s Church that are provided a particular advantage by the church context in which they live. It is those called to lead in the Church on a ward, stake, and especially on a general level. Many of the general authorities in the Church live almost entirely out of the world. They don’t have to make a living in the world. Their lives are totally consumed by their obligations in the church context. Within the Church, they are very public figures. People recognize and know them and expect much of them. They are constantly under the microscope of the members of the Church.

These brethren are the epitome of wholesome and righteous living. They are all good men, uniformly of celestial quality. They live spiritual lives worthy of emulating. Do you think, if the truth were known, they, as a group, are very different from those of us who are not in general leadership roles in the Church? I suspect not. They may appear to be different, but it is, at least in part, because of their unique context. This context holds them to a rigorously high standard.

Does all of this mean that only those of us exposed to the context of the Church are going to return to our celestial homes? Obviously not. The children of God undergoing this mortal trial live out their lives in every type of mortal context. The Lord has made merciful and ample provision for each of them. His judgment of each individual includes a careful consideration of his context during mortality.1

The Millennium context. I am interested in another group who will undergo a most unique test here on earth. It is those billions of the Lord’s children who will be born and live out their lives during the Millennium. Many others have wondered about them as well. Consider, for a moment the context in which they live. By the time they are born, all of the wicked telestial elements will have been purged from the earth. Satan and his minions and influences will be “bound” for much of the thousand years. Righteousness will abound.

Who are these people? What did they do during their premortal phase? How did they earn the blessing and advantage of being born during the Millennium? They seem to have the blessing and advantage of a gentler and, indeed, easier test. But is their test really easier?2

Let’s further consider the impact of the millennial context on the mortal test of these people. Are they all shoo-ins for the celestial heaven? What is the nature of the test in this setting? Is it an easy one?

Their test may be referred to as the test of abundance or plenty. I believe it will not be an easy one. In fact it might be particularly difficult. Many during the Millennium will be inclined to accept the universal level of righteousness abounding in that period as sufficient and fully fulfilling. Most, I believe, will have the tendency to passively bask in the peaceful, gentle, nonviolent way of life. They will float along being made fully contented by this level of righteousness in their lives. But this is a terrestrial, not celestial, level of righteousness.

The celestial level is higher. What does the celestial level of righteousness include? It involves a constant proactive seeking for ways to improve oneself spiritually. It especially involves forgetting oneself and worrying only about the welfare of others. “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 10:39).

In our mortal test today, the central issue is between wickedness and obedience. During the Millennium, it seems to me, it will be between passivity and proactivity. The millennial earth dweller won’t be able to get away with passively being wholesome, honest, and virtuous. He will have to become truly proactive and actively seek for ways to grow spiritually. He will particularly have to work for the welfare of others.

During the Millennium, what will be the Lord’s solution for the tendency for many to become passively content? Again, the solution is the Lord’s earthly kingdom, the Church of Jesus Christ. It will be as essential then as it is now. During the Millennium, we might expect even more emphasis than we experience now on the necessity of truly asserting oneself and being proactive toward the service of others in and out of the kingdom. It is probable that those who attend the true Church of Jesus Christ then will be as much in the minority as they are today.

I have long been aware of my own personal tendency toward only passive self improvement and passive service. I respond when I’m called, but often I’m content, and even relieved, when I’m not. I more reminders of the need for proactivity in my gospel obedience.

#The Concept of Zion Did Not Originate with this Final Dispensation

It is apparent that attempts to establish Zion on the earth did not begin in this final dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times. God has cared about the establishment of Zion throughout history. He has always wished to model the celestial society for his people on earth. There is evidence to suggest there were efforts to build Zion societies in every gospel dispensation where the fulness of the gospel and priesthood were operative. President Marion G. Romney taught: “Whenever the Lord has had a people who accept and live the gospel, he has established the united order” (“The Purpose of Church Welfare Services,” Ensign, March 1985, 3-5). The prophets have always strived to establish Zion on the earth and prepare their people to become a Zion people. Only occasionally have they been successful. The followers of Enoch (Genesis 5:18-24; Luke 3:37) built Zion. Because of their righteousness, “God received [them] up into his own bosom” (Moses 7:69; Hebrews 11:5). “The people in the days of Melchizedek” were “made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God” (Alma 13:10-14). In ancient America, King Benjamin’s people, and the Nephites who followed the prophet Alma underwent that mighty change of heart that makes a people pure (Mosiah 2- 5; Alma 5:3-14). When Jesus Christ visited his “other sheep” in ancient America after his crucifixion (John 10:14-16; 3 Nephi 15:21), he established Zion among them. It is said of them that “there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. . . . Surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God” (4 Nephi 1:3, 15-16). The Bible also describes early Christians who experienced purification and lived the order of Zion (Acts 2:44; 4:32; 15:9).

We have no record of the establishment of a Zion society among the Israelites living under the Mosaic Law from the time of Moses down to Jesus Christ. Note that the Mosaic Law was governed by the Aaronic Priesthood. When the Church of Jesus Christ became fully functional in the days of Christ’s original apostles, an unmistakable picture of a Zion society emerged as recorded in the New Testament:

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid [them] down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need (Acts 4:32-35).

In our dispensation, Joseph Smith established Zion. The vision of becoming a Zion people inspires the labors and programs of the Church to this day. In establishing Zion, Latter-day Saints believe they may be a light to humankind (D&C 115:4-6) and usher in the millennial reign of Christ (Moses 7:60-65; D&C 43:29-30). The Lord has prophesied that the Zion of our dispensation will flourish before the second coming: “For, behold, I say unto you that Zion shall flourish, and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her; And she shall be an ensign unto the people, and there shall come unto her out of every nation under heaven. And the day shall come when the nations of the earth shall tremble because of her, and shall fear because of her terrible ones. The Lord hath spoken it” (D&C 64:41-43; compare 49:24-25).

Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other prophets attempted to establish Zion. They were eventually unsuccessful. The people of their day “hardened their hearts” and refused to accept the celestial law. Most Zion societies established previously in this earth’s history have been short lived due to the failings of the participants.

#Zion in Our Day?

Must the earth wait until the Millennium to enjoy a peaceful, blessed, and loving Zion society? Is it possible for a people to achieve this joyous state during this pre- Millennial period? Do you consider yourself ready in all respects to be a Zion citizen? A related question might also be asked of you: Are you prepared to live peacefully in the celestial kingdom? Have you considered the type of spiritual and social experience we will have in that realm, provided of course we are blessed to attain it? Surely those who live there will be capable of living in perfect harmony and peace. It will be a “Zion society” with all that implies. In 4 Nephi (1:15-18) we read of the condition of the Book of Mormon society following the Savior’s visit to those people: “And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.” It is sobering to ask oneself: Do I now possess that celestial personality and character that will allow me to live there in perfect harmony and peace? Are there some areas in which I need to improve? Is there some progress I need to make?

It seems likely we knew and abided by the principles of celestial peace as we lived in the premortal world. Yet, the veil has been tightly and effectively drawn. Here, making our way in mortality, we often struggle against adversities. We encounter unexpected and often undeserved problems. We must re-acquire that heavenly equanimity. To do so is often an awesome challenge. Perhaps we often overlook the necessity of becoming accomplished in this area of becoming a complete Zion citizen. Do we expect someone will wave a magic wand over us at the final judgment? Will we suddenly acquire a celestial personality? The Lord expects us to practice and strive here and now in mortality until that heavenly personality becomes ours. Like all enduring and worthwhile possessions, we must deliberately work to earn it. Our responsibility here is to master the principles that prevail in a celestial society. Perhaps, the very mastering of these principles is the thing that qualifies us to live in that society. The Lord intends for us to strive toward doing things on earth as they are done in heaven (D&C 105:4-5).

See “Three Essential Factors in the Final Judgment” in volume1, chapter 8, The Blessings of Spiritual Gifts.

2 See the subtitle, “The Millennium” in the section titled “Those Exalted Without a Complete Mortal Test” in chapter 22, Is Exaltation Yours for the Asking?”