A scriptural favorite of mine is the seventh chapter in the book of Moses wherein the prophet Enoch receives a powerful vision of the Earth and its inhabitants. Multiple times in this chapter, Enoch asks, even pleads with the Lord, “When will the Earth have rest?” referring to the great wickedness that was rampant in his day and up through the ages. In response to his cry, the Lord showed him the coming of Jesus Christ and then on to the end of the world. Enoch was told,
“And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten…and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City…and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem” Moses 7:62
Throughout the ages the idea of Zion has been cherished in the scriptures as the place where the saints dwell. The psalmist described it as “the perfection of beauty” (Psalms 50:2) and the prophet Isaiah called it, “The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 60:14).” While Zion can be considered an actual, geographical place, it also can refer to the state of heart in which the people of God live on this earth and because of its state of purity and unity of purpose before the Lord, it is the goal and dream of all the righteous to this day.
“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).
As it was their desire of old, it is our desire today to attain such unity. The Lord requires His people to be undivided; how else can they accomplish the great tasks He has in mind for them? Their hearts must be knit together and they must love and care for one another. How is it that we can accomplish this in our own lives? It is when we serve our God and our neighbor and are charitable toward them. Remember, the first great commandments are to love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength and then to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is crucial for this creation of Zion out from Babylon (or the world). It is through the application of gospel truths that people will be changed individually and collectively to live harmoniously as God desires for us. To this end, missionaries around the world are teaching this gospel and inviting people into Christ’s fold.
This endeavor will not be fully accomplished before the second coming of Jesus Christ but the growth will continue and fill the whole world until we are prepared to be blessed with the presence of Jesus Christ.
One of the wonderful talks given this past general conference was by Elder D. Todd Christofferson entitled, “Come to Zion” and is very much worth reading.
“Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion – The pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice” (D&C 97:21).