Zion

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Priesthood - Building Zion

Brethren, I am so grateful to have a few minutes with you – the leaders of the Stake.

I’ve felt an increasing need to make sure we all understand the importance of the work we do in the church and the impact we are making here in Zion.
Building Zion in West Valley City

Let me ask a question which I hope you ponder on quite a bit.

“Why are we here?”

Why do we take so much time of sacrifice to plan activities, setup service projects, organize visiting assignments, visit those who are needy? Because we are building Zion here. And every project or mission we are called to fill, regardless of what it is, helps build the kingdom.

We had a service project pop up yesterday over at the falcon building to move in some new chairs…we made the call to the Agent Bishop – he put out the call to the 3 wards to send over help. The brethren were quick to respond and we had 15 brethren there ready and willing!

When the truck pulled up, there were only 75 chairs in the truck. That works out to be about 5 chairs per person. I suspect that none of these brethren said in their hearts ‘Why did I waste my time coming over here?’ Because they came willingly and their only hope was to please their father in heaven for having accepted the call from their priesthood leader. It doesn’t really matter if they carried in 5 chairs or 500 chairs, they were obedient to the call, and each will blessed.

These blessings will also be extended to the 15 brethren who are called on next Friday when we have 300 chairs to be moved into the building and they each have to carry a few more chairs.

The point? Regardless of the calls we receive from our priesthood leaders, we are building a more perfect society. You are building every time you join a service project, every time you go home teaching, and every time you donate time, money or other resources to building up the kingdom.

Our Little Piece of Zion

So why are we here? To build up our little piece of Zion.

The very city that the Saints of 150 years ago risked their lives to build amidst the indians and amidst the crickets and amidst illness, poverty, and hunger.

The same Zion they started to build, we continue to build today.

And we’re not building it in Missiouri, we’re building it right here in West Valley City.

Why are we striving to build a Zion?
So why? Why do we strive to build Zion.
The Doctrine and Covenants contains many passages in which the Lord commands us to “seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion” (D&C 6:6; see also D&C 11:6; D&C 12:6; D&C 14:6).
Some may ask - "I thought they abandoned the establishment of Zion when they left Missouri, or I thought that Zion only referred to 'the pure in heart', not to a community...
It's clear that Zion has various meanings in the scriptures. The most general definition of the word is “the pure in heart” (D&C 97:21). But also Zion is often used to refer to the Lord’s people or to the Church and its stakes (see D&C 82:14).

I've been in numerous meetings recently since being called as Stake President where the brethren have clearly said that Zion at it's most fundamental organizational level is the Stake.

It's in the stake where we have all the keys necessary to enable our 'pure in heart' members to receive the blessings of exaltation.
In the early days of this dispensation, Church leaders counseled members to build up Zion by emigrating to a central location. Today our leaders counsel us to build up Zion wherever we live. Whether that's in France, Bulgaria, or
When my dad was called as a member of a temple presidency, he was called in to meet with Pres. Hinckley to receive the sealing power. As President Hinckley looked at my Dad's papers, he asked him why my dad had moved from Texas to Utah. He then chided him a little saying,"Utah already has plenty of faithful members of the church, we need the good and faithful in Texas to stay and keep building it." I learned an important lesson at that time.

The lord is in charge.

And he will put us where he needs us so that we can build up his Zion wherever he needs us.

We should take the ground where we are planted, and grow and bloom.
Which brings up an interesting question for those of you Brethren who are considering moving to other communities sometime in the near future.

We hope you'll find a joyful adventure building Zion wherever you choose to live, but we hope before you put your house up for sale, that you might ask - Have I done what the Lord put me here to accomplish? Have I built Zion here in West Valley City to the extent that the Lord wants me to, before I move on?

Another reason we strive to build up Zion, is because we are blessed in the ‘striving’.

How are we blessed in the ‘striving’?
Elder Hales said "As much virtue can be gained in progressing toward Zion as in dwelling there. IT is a process as well as a destination."
In Lehi's prophetic vision, he saw our day, and said of the stakes of Zion, "I Ne 13:37 And blessed• are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power• of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure• unto the end they shall be lifted• up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish• peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be."
That's us!

Brethren!

So where are we in the process?
He said of Zion, D&C 64:41 "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.
Well we are at least at the point of developing Zion that the nations of the earth are flowing unto her. We have so many nations living within our little spot of Zion’s earth already. Perhaps we aren’t at the point where the nations tramble because of us, however, we know that even this will happen.
What Principles is Zion built upon?

I'd like to spend remainder of the meeting discussing the principles upon which Zion is built.
Would someone read Moses 7:16-20 or D&C97:21? Nice and loud.
And as they read, think about what does it say are the basic principles upon which Zion was built?

Moses 7:16 ... the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.
17 The fear• of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land•, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish.
18 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.
19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even ZION.

Or DC 97:21


Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.
So let's list them so we can discuss them...What are the principles upon which Zion was built...?
Principles of Zion
There are 4 principles we want to discuss today
Lord dwelt with his people, and he spoke with Enoch (vs 20)
They created a city of righteousness – a city where the people were pure in heart.
The were of one heart and one mind
And finally - There were no poor among them.
So let’s look at each of the foundational principles, and see what we need to do in our Stake so that we are on track to build Zion here.

Lord Dwelt with his People
Does God walk and talk among us? Not really, he’s not here in body, like he doesn’t turn on and off the lighthouse lantern. But here's something to consider...
D&C 1:37-38 Search these commandments•, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same. For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen
While his body is not here, there has never been a time in the history of the world, when he was more present in his words, his influence, and impact than he is in this modern day with satellite broadcasts, temples around the world, and church magazines, and internet connectivity. The holy ghost is conferred around the world, and people respond to it in greater numbers than ever before.
How does the Lord talk to us today?
The lord has given us his covenants which we enjoy every day in our walk and our daily talk.
The lord has given us his words. He does it everyday, through the writings and the words of his prophets.
They speak to us in General confererences, from their website, from church magazines and our correlated curriculum.
He has given us his word through scripture, leadership broadcasts, and CES broadcasts
We are prompted through prayer and the gift of the holy ghost.
While we may not see his face, yet in a very real way, we walk amongst his words, his covenants, his friends, and his influence.

Another principle upon which our West Valley Zion needs to be built include:
City of Righteousness
Are we living in a city of holiness - at least among those of us who are believers and who seek to build up Zion?

There is still iniquity among us - and much that we can and should do to decrease wickedness, and increase the righteousness among us.
DC 105:5 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.
DC 59:3 Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength•. And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments• not a few, and with revelations• in their time—they that are faithful and diligent before me.

How do we create a city of righteousness today?

A city of righteousness is made up of people who are pure in heart. And to be pure in heart, involves first being honest in heart…and when you’re honest, you discover what is good and evil. From that point you are then free to choose purity – making you – pure in heart.
To be pure in heart, we must live the commandments.
We must seek in every way to serve – either full time, church service, or in the temple.
We would honor our covenants – from our baptismal covenants, our priesthood covenants, our temple covenants.
And we would live worthy of blessings received, and standards.
We create a city of righteousness by repenting of sin, and striving to forgive others who trespass against us.
And so the Lord gave us Bishops to help us along the repentance path, and he gave us disciplinary councils to help us develop the discipline necessary to overcome the effects of our sins.
Do we have a ways to go before we are a city of holiness?
I’ve got to apologize –when I was preparing this talk, I felt like I needed to emphasize some of my points with a lighter side…and so if I can beg your pardons, I’ve got a couple of cartoons thrown in here to try and keep os us more awake.
Cartoon –
Yes, we have a lot to do to develop this city of holiness, and we start with not being confused about what is good.
The next principle upon which Zion is built, is that they were totally unified, and they were of one heart and one mind.
Of one heart
What is it to be of one heart? It is to be totally unified.
I watched a show the other day called “Down and Derby” about 4 competive boys who grew up to be 4 competitive men all living next door to each other. When their 8 year old sons needed to build their pine wood derby cars, these men went crazy designing and bulding the worlds fasted pinewood derby cars. They become son insane with it all that their wives left them until after the derby was over. Their sons also weren’t allowed to work on the cars.
Even though these men took the principle to the point of obnoxiousness, yet they kind of represent to me the essence of unity. The pcinciple is that we are connected to each other. In a very real way, we are all connected. And when you win, we all win. And when you lose, we all lose.” That is why we are so happy when we hear of someone who is baptized, and why we are so hurt when we hear that someone has lost their testimony and has left the church.
The more we feel that way about all of our Brothers and Sisters, the more we build the spirit of unity which "of one heart" is all about.
Gordon B. Hinckley said "If as a people we will build and sustain one another, the lord will bless us with the strength to weather every storm and continue to move forward through every adversity. The enemy of truth would divide us and cultivate within us attitudes of criticism which, if permitted to prevail, will only deter us in the pursuit of our great divinely given goal. We cannot afford to permit it to happen. We must close ranks and march shoulder to shoulder, the strong helping the weak, those with much assisting those with little. No power on earth can stop this work if we shall so conduct ourselves. (ensign May 1982, p46)

…more on ‘of one heart’…

The scriptures are full of examples of times when the savior commanded us to be unified.
It is such an important principle that he said, “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine.”
In one of the few prayers of Jesus Christ that we have, the Lord prayed mightily for he and his apostles to be one, even as he and the father are one.
The apostles Paul describes unity of the faith....Eph. 4: 13 Till we all come in the unity• of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Mosiah describes the commandment of King Benjamin to the people who were the followers of Christ. He said in chapter 18 21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.
How do we become ‘of one heart’ today?
One of the best ways I have found to draw close to someone, is to either experience something really really terrible with them, or to experience something really wonderful with them. When we serve together we become knit together.
One of our high priests last week was telling us about how much he draws closer to his brethren when he serves with them. He told us that his stake had a chicken farm as part of their project. He said that when fathers and sons arrived – they were assigned to different terrible jobs. His was to shovel chicken manuer out of the chicken coop. He said the fumes were so noxious that he was afraid at times he would be overcome and pass out. He didn’t of course pass out, but he said that he felt closer to all those who served with him because they were all volunteers, and they
When we worship together – we learn to understand each other.
When we play together, when we work together,
When we visit each other.
There are so many ways which if we will just seek to be with people, we wiil develop bonds of love and of connections which will build true unity.

Can there be too much unity?
Oh here’s another one of those cartoons – the question? Can there be too much unity? The answer of course is yes.

Okay, now for the last principle of our West Valley Zion -
No Poor among them
What does it mean - there are no poor among them?
Especially when the Lord said in Mark 14: 7 'For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always"
Zion is a consecrated community. 2 Ne 26:29-31 It teaches us that people won’t work for personal gain and glory. Rather they will work for the glory of Zion and for the love of those within Zion.
Perhaps in that environment where we all labor for the benefit of Zion, then we will for once and for all be able to eliminate the physical needs of all within her bounds..
Perhaps also, as we approach Zion, perhaps we become rich for another, deeper reason.

…more on ‘no poor among them’…
In D&C 6:5-7 He says, 'now, as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep my commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion; Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries• of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.'
Perhaps the city of enoch had no poor among them, because of their righteousness. These had been so righteous seeking for wisdom that they had wisdom sufficient to lead them to eternal life...the very definition of success and riches.
If you think about the poor...we are all poor when compared to the riches of eternity.

We are all weak when compared to the strength and power of our father...we are all fools when compared to the wisdom of our Father.
But as we learn in the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood, if we will receive the 2 priesthoods and magnify them, then we will receive all that our Father hath, including his power and authority, his strength and power, and his wisdom.
How do we help the poor today?
We have resources in the church like in no other place in the world.
The principles of provident living teach us how to be resilient and prepared for whatever trials may come our way, so that we can weather every storm.
We have a robust welfare program throughout the world which provides for those who are needy including fast offerings, employment specialists, humanitarian supplies, emergency preparedness training, service projects, perpetual education fund, the bishops’ storehouse, and support for missionaries either at home or abroad.
If we focus our own efforts to consecrate more of our resources here within our little Zion community, then we will be more charitable, wise, and we will see the poor disappear from among us.
Potential cause of poverty
Oh, another one of these…well, we know that there are lots of ways which cause people to become poor…but in this modern day, perhaps there are many new ways as well.

Building Zion

Do we see why the work we are called to do in the Priesthood? Is so important?
When we attend a conference, read a magazine, we are doing more than just being obedient…we are walking and talking with God.
When we go to a ward party we are in the process of being - of one heart
When we volunteer to work at the Cannery, we are working so that there are no poor among us.
When we are asked to participate in a Seminary enrollment we are one step closer to to creating a city of righteousness
Closing
In closing, let me share one last thought on Zion.
On the last night of a play the whole cast and stage crew stay in the theater until the small or not-so small hours of the morning striking the old set.

If there is to be a new opening soon, as the economy of the theater requires, it is important that the new set should be in place and ready for the opening night.

All the while the old set was finishing it's usefulness and then being taken down, the new set was rising in splendor to be ready for the drama that would immediately follow.
So it is with the world.

IT is not our business to tear down the old set - the agencies that do that are already hard at work and very efficient.

The set is coming down all around us with spectacular effect.

Our business is to see to it that the new set is well on the way for what is to come - and that means a different kind of politics, byond the scope of the tragedy that is now playing it's cosing night.

we are preparing for the establishment of Zion . (OAT p128 - Hugh Nibly)

I pray that for the short time that we may live here in this Stake of Zion, that we will labor with all our hearts, mights, mind and strength to do the work of Zion.