Becoming a Zion Person
Jul 18th, 2008 by larrybarkdull
We speak of Zion, sing of Zion, covenant for the establishment of Zion, long for Zion-but what is it? Latter-day Saints ought to know. We have more scriptures and prophets’ statements about Zion than any other people. One could hardly read a page of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price without bumping into the term and its principles. Why? Because we Latter-day Saints have the singular charge to become Zion, individually, so that we might be prepared for the collective establishment of the Lord’s Zion society. Consequently, we should understand and be more identified with Zion than any other generation-all of us!
Moreover, we have the responsibility to call the children of God to Zion, which suggests that we, individually, must first become Zion people: “Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.”
Zion-Our divine mandate
Hugh Nibley stated that a primary purpose of the Church [the Kingdom of God] is to prepare a people to become Zion: “[We] work for the building up the Kingdom of God on earth and the establishment of Zion. The first step makes the second possible.”
At the outset of this dispensation-the dispensation of Zion-Joseph Smith said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.” If we were to conduct a survey, would the building up of Zion be our greatest object? Regardless of how we answer, we nevertheless defend Zion as uniquely us, and we are not timid about claiming the blessings of Zion as our birthright. But by and large, we are hard-pressed to describe or envision it, let alone live it.
How do we begin to establish Zion?
What can we do about this dilemma?
Brigham Young had the answer: “[Zion] commences in the heart of each person.” That is, Zion, the society, is made up of Zion, the individual people. Beyond the typical uses of the word Zion–as a location or a society–Zion is a person whose heart is pure; therefore, that person is qualified to see God-or in other words, to regain his presence.
President John Taylor said, “The Zion of God. What does it mean? The pure in heart in the first place. In the second place…the pure in heart who are governed by the law of God.” Elder Matthew Cowley added, “And to you whose lives are committed to righteousness, I say unto you, You are Zion.”
If we fully embrace these statements, suddenly a vast library of Zion material opens to our view. Then, likening the scriptures to ourselves, we discover that many of the descriptions of Zion, the society, are also descriptions of Zion, the individual people.
Raising our sights
When we consider that Zion is the pure in heart, and then when we consider that the pure in heart are they who see God, we suddenly come face to face with the fact that our definition of Zion might be lacking. While it is true that Zion is a land, the Church, a stake, a ward, a sealed marriage, an eternal family, and a covenant person, Zion, the ideal, is so much more. If we are not willing to expand the boundaries of our thinking, the most impressive blessings of Zion will remain outside of our reach.
In this ongoing column, we will examine the ideal of Zion people. This definition of Zion, we will learn, is the end-purpose of the New and Everlasting Covenant, the Melchizedek Priesthood, and every saving covenant, ordinance and law of the gospel. Therefore, if becoming truly Zionlike is not continually forefront in our minds, the gospel plan will have limited power in our lives. The only aim of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to help us become Zion people. Therefore, every program, every function, every activity is (or ought to be) designed with Zion in mind. Again, “We [work] for the building up the Kingdom of God on earth and the establishment of Zion. The first step makes the second possible.” If we become distracted and caught up in extraneous details, we will only postpone or forfeit the blessings of Zion.
The three pillars of Zion
On January 2, 1831, the Lord promised the Prophet Joseph Smith that he would reveal to him “the law of the Church,” which was the law of Zion–that law which would be made functional by an endowment of “power from on high.” To be obedient to the commandment, the Prophet traveled to Ohio, and on February 9, 1831, he received Section 42 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Within that revelation, the Lord promised to reveal “church covenants, such as shall be sufficient to establish you, both here and in the New Jerusalem.” That is, the Lord was going to give the Prophet the foundational covenants and laws of Zion. Significantly, the cross references to verse 67 lead to:
- The New and Everlasting Covenant (D&C 132:4-7)
- The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood (D&C 84:33-44)
- The Law of Consecration (D&C 82:11-15).
These three covenants and laws are the pillars of Zion that arise from the foundation of the atonement. Understanding and implementing these three pillars are “sufficient to establish [us], both here [wherever we presently live] and in the New Jerusalem.”
Building a Zion life on these three pillars
Zion people take their covenants seriously and literally. They have a feeling of present urgency and longing that causes them to strive to establish Zion in their hearts. The day will come when these Zion individuals will join with other pure-hearted members of the Church, and go and receive their inheritance in the society of Zion. But until that day, each of us is commanded to individually become Zion.
Zion is our individual responsibility
President Benson handed each covenant person the responsibility of becoming Zionlike. Zion, the society, he said, can only be brought about by Zion people. As more and more of us decide to embrace the principles of Zion-all of the principles– the celestial order will finally exist among us and we will be prepared, individually and collectively, to receive the Lord. Just as Enoch built his city of Zion after his people had individually qualified as Zion people (notice the sequence), so we will come together in the last days to build Zion when our hearts are pure.
President Spencer W. Kimball was another prophet who laid the responsibility for becoming and establishing Zion squarely upon our shoulders. How well we incorporate the New and Everlasting Covenant in our lives, he said, will determine the time required to “accomplish all things pertaining to Zion.”
Choosing Zion, the celestial standard
Zion is the standard among celestial and celestial-seeking beings. We can measure substantially any situation, institution, person, group, philosophy, theory or motivation against the standard of Zion and determine whether it is celestial, terrestrial or telestial.
Hugh Nibley explained that three orders exist on the earth just as they exist in the universe: The order of Zion is celestial; the order of Eden is terrestrial; and the order of Babylon is telestial. To judge which is which requires the gift of discernment; to choose among these orders requires freedom of choice, which is “inherent in the spirit of man.” How we choose among these orders determines where our hearts are now and where they will be in eternity. This life is uniquely and strategically designed so that the three orders are ever before us. We must learn to discern between them and make our choices consistently with our eternal desires. Zion is a choice!
Zion and Babylon
Wherever there exists anything or anyone that is celestial, there exists Zion. It is in every way the exact opposite of the telestial order of Babylon. The two are as incompatible and mutually resistant as positive and negative poles on a magnet.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said compromising the revealed doctrines of the New and Everlasting Covenant is never an option.” Like Jesus and Satan, celestial and telestial people and things cannot compromise in any degree. When a person attempts to straddle Babylon and Zion, he will eventually be pulled into the orbit to which he is inclined. It is unavoidable. When we attempt to mix celestial Zion with telestial Babylon–the world–Zion will simply flee to its eternal lofty location. Thus the saying, “Zion is fled.” Then sadly, because of our telestial choosing and our lack of courage and commitment, we will be left to ourselves to languish in this world and its order.
Therefore, we are either Zion or we are not. There is no compromising or mingling of Zion and Babylon. Hugh Nibley explained: “Zion is pure, which means ‘not mixed with any impurities, unalloyed’; it is all Zion and nothing else.”
Portrait of a Zion Person
When a person seeks to faithfully live all the terms of the three Pillars of Zion, he qualifies for an unequalled harvest of blessings. If we were to attempt to describe a Zion person who abides in these covenants, we would discover that his set of characteristics would be light years removed from the description of a person of Babylon. These characteristics would include:
Living in the highest Priesthood society
Gathering around Zion principles for an exalted purpose
Embracing beauty
Becoming unified-”one heart and one mind”
Striving for equality-”No poor among them”
Becoming selfless and giving Christian service
Exhibiting the pure love of Christ
Experiencing true happiness, joy and fullness of life
Becoming holy
Achieving the state of blessedness by
Sustaining leaders
Believing Christ by receiving baptism and the Holy Ghost
Bearing testimony
Becoming poor in spirit
Mourning righteously
Becoming meek
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness
Becoming merciful
Becoming pure in heart
Becoming a maker of peace
Being willing to suffer persecution for the cause of Christ
Experiencing true safety and security
Obtaining an abundance in all things
Embracing the Law of Consecration, which includes
Agency
Stewardship
Accountability
Labor
Qualifying for and enjoying God’s presence
Following this outline, we can attempt to create a portrait of a Zion person and to list some of that person’s attendant blessings.
A new column-”Becoming a Zion Person”
In this new column on Meridian Magazine, we will examine the qualities and characteristics of Zion people, those individuals who will make up the society of Zion. As we shall see, the scriptural and prophetic descriptions of Zion, the society, also describe the individuals who are comprised of the same attributes. Therefore, when we encounter the term Zion, we can personalize the scriptures and discover principles to establish Zion in our lives. Suddenly, Zion is no longer a futuristic idea. We discover that we must become Zion people for our own salvation and for the eventual establishment of the society of Zion.
That blessed event, which has been prophesied and longed for since the day that Enoch’s Zion was removed from the earth, is in our immediate future. But as Zion pertains to us as individuals, Zion is now! Zion is our origin and our destiny! We are Zion!
D&C 115:5
Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p.25, emphasis added
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith, ed., p.160
Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe, p.118
JST Matthew 5:10; 3 Nephi 12:8
G. Homer Durham, John Taylor: The Gospel Kingdom, p.245
Matthew Cowley, Matthew Cowley Speaks, p.30
See Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ-Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975
See Spencer W. Kimball, “Becoming the Pure in Heart,” Ensign, May 1978
See Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p.xv
See D&C 50:23-24; 1 Corinthians 2:11
See David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay, p.299
See Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34; 3 Nephi 13:21
See Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p.30
See Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Dawning of a Brighter Day,” Ensign, May 2004
Moses 7:69; see D&C 101:17-18: Note that Zion is a constant that never changes despite the inconsistency of her children: “Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered.” We must conform to Zion rather than insisting that Zion conform to us: “They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion.”
