Thursday, February 18, 2016

WHAT IS ZION?    
Zion is a place, a people, a condition of the heart. 

Zion is a place:   Zion is the hill in Jerusalem where Solomon built his temple.  Zion can be a designated ‘promised land’; like the American Continents for the Jaredites and Lehi and his family, like Utah was for the early pioneers.  There have been special lands prepared and promised to the people of God in every age.

The Zion of the ‘Fullness of times’ will be the New Jerusalem to be built in Jackson County, Missouri.  It will be built exclusively by those who are already “pure in heart.”  This will include living, translated, and resurrected Saints and the citizens of the
Zion (City) of Enoch, which The Lord will bring down from above and the Zion created by the lost tribes of Israel, whom The Lord will bring up from the bowels of the earth.  (D&C 84:100-101)  

Zion is any place in which people of ‘one heart’ can live together according to the Law of Consecration, where all things are had in common.

Zion is a people:  (Moses 7;8, 17-18) “The Lord called His
people Zion because they were of “one heart.” 
The Jews have called themselves Zion and think it is weird that
the Mormons have used the term in various ways to describe 
themselves.

The Restored Church has called itself Zion in the expectation
that we would behave accordingly, but the church as a whole
hasn’t lived up to that.

Zion is the City of Enoch which was, because of the unity and
exceeding righteousness of its people, raised up into
Heaven.  There are other examples of Zion communities, such
as that mentioned in the book of  Fourth Nephi in the Book of
Mormon.  Zion is anywhere that people of ‘one heart’ can live
together according to the Law of Consecration, where all things are
had in common.  D&C 97:21)


CONSECRATION
The Lord would have me pledge
to Him, with willing heart,
my talents and my time, my life,
and all my means impart;

should all of this--or any part--
be called for to support His Plan
for the rescue and redemption
of the race of fallen man.

He seldom asks more than a tenth
of what we covenant to Him
to build his Kingdom here on earth;
yet He reserves his title to my life and limb.

And though I render all of this,
And more, ‘tis but a start.
For these are merely stepping stones
toward the throne where I will offer up
... my broken heart!
                    (c) Robert Lynn Brown
“This is zion, the pure in heart.” 
Zion can exist within the individual person who has a broken 
heart and a contrite spirit; whose heart is surrendered to the Savior.

What does it mean to be of one heart?  It means the giving up of all ego and selfishness and being willing and able to live The Law of Consecration in which all things are had in common and all hearts are broken and all eyes are single to the Glory of God.



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