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.

         DRAWSTRINGS

We all know the story of how  “. . . the veil was taken off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord . . .”  And we know that this happened because of his “exceeding faith.”  (Ether 3:6): but did you know that  “. . . there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong . . . they could not be kept from within the veil”? (Ether 12:19) 

We also know that Nephi, because of his great faith and great desire, was able to see the vision of the Tree of Life that his father Lehi had seen  (I N 10:17); but we may have forgotten that, as he sat pondering on this great desire, the Spirit of the Lord appeared and quizzed him about his belief and his desires.  (I N 11:1-5)  Then the Spirit said  . . . “blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest on the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired.”  (I N 11:6)

I had forgotten that Nephi saw much more than the Tree of Life vision.  He also saw the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child after His birth (I N 11:20), the Savior’s baptism (11:27, His ministry (11:28, 31), His death on the cross (11:33).  He saw the last days and Christ’s appearance in the Americas (I N 12:5-6; 3 N 11:8-10)

Nephi reminds us that Christ  . . . “is the same yesterday, today, and forever . . . “  and  that  “. . . he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, as well in these times as in the times of old as in times to come . . .” (I N 18-19).

So, this seems to tell me that the drawstrings on the veil are within the reach of every one who has the belief (faith) and the desire, and the courage to pull the veil aside and behold the Lord and His mysteries.  What does it suggest to you?

What are these additional scriptures trying to tell us:  D&C 88:67-68?

                                                                                                  D&C 84:54-57?

Generations

When I consider all my progeny

and what I mean to them,

¼ and they to me,

I am caused to pause and ponder

    the extent of my extended family tree.

Back through myriad generations

    to Father Adam; ¼ Mother Eve;

    we must have known

¼ and loved each other

    in a world we cannot now perceive.

And, if forebears back to Eden

    can be thusly tied to me,

    how can I doubt

    the same is true

    of my posterity to be?

The veil permits the barest glimpse

    of what familial joys we’ll see

    when Celestial Generations join

    in that one last vast reunion

    scheduled for Eternity.

   ©Robert Lynn Brown 3/29/03

       It is as startling as it is obvious that I have hundreds, if not thousands, of ancesters going back to Adam and Eve,  as well as generations of posterity yet to be born.  It seems likely that I may have always known them all -- except during this brief period that I am spending on this earth.

       When I consider the power of the love that ties me to those both above and below me that I have been blessed to know during this finite mortal state, I can't stop wondering about what ties I will have with all the others when I go back to where they are.

       How exciting it is to think that there will be no finite limitations on the truly unconditinal love that will bind us to one another and to the Savior in the celestial realm which the Atonement of Christ makes possible for  us!

Life Lines: Inspiration/Revelation: God knows the answers to ...

MESSAGE FOR MILLENNIALS -- My notes from an address by Elder Russell Nelson of  The Council of the Twelve



In order to become a True Millennial in the cause of truth:

1.  Learn who you are; whom the Lord wants and needs you to be in the preparation of the world for His Millennial Reign; what is your mission; your purpose in life.

       How do you do this:  Ask with real intent, which means that you are fully committed to do whatever it takes to become that person and to do the hard things that become that person's privilege to perform.



2.  Expect and prepare to do accomplish the impossible!



3.  Learn how to access the powers of Heaven.  You will need them for the realization of both points 1 and 2.  

       You have the exact same access to these powers, for your own guidance,  as the Apostles and First Presidency do for the guidance of the church -- if  you just have the courage to seek it.  If your faith is sufficient, you "cannot be kept from within the veil." (Ether 12:19)



4.  Follow the prophets, but don't wait for them to personally guide you on achieving points 1 - 3.

Inspiration/Revelation:  God knows the answers to all our questions and problems.  If we can’t find answers it may be because we haven’t learned how to use the special sources of light that we have been given:  1) We are instructed to use our own gifts of intelligence to figure things out in our own minds.  2) The Holy Ghost will guide us in this process, if we give Him permission.  3) Then we are taught to ask; through prayer, whether our thinking has been guided by the Holy Ghost or by our selfish desires.  4) After we have asked, reading the scriptures gives us a connection to the voice of God and opens an additional opportunity for the Holy Ghost to get involved. 5) If we keep His Commandments, our Sacrament prayers promise he additional influence of the Second Comforter.  6) Trust the Lord’s timetable.  It may be different from yours.  7) Don’t forget that a stupor of thought is one of the possible forms of revelation.  (D&C 9:9) If it turns out the most common form we experience, we probably need to work harder on 1 – 5.

Don’t ask for things you know you can’t or shouldn’t have.  “There is no crime greater than having too many desires.”  (Chinese Proverb)

          

Christmas

           Christmas, Some Challenges it Poses: -- The fact
that there is a historical figure who has been proclaimed the Begotten Son of
the Living God by prophets as well as by that figure himself faces us with some
important questions:  We either have to
accept on faith that He is who He says He is, or accept the idea that He is as
much an imposter as He says Satan is.  He
can’t just be a great teacher or anything else that falls between these two
conclusions.

            We can’t honestly say that we have faith in Him
and accept Him as our personal Savior and not keep His commandments.  Every commandment that we break is a
rejection of His divinity.  We can decide that
we don’t believe He is divine and therefore is irrelevant for us.  Or, we can accept that He is a God, but say
we don't want the things He promises. 
They are not worth the price, even if the promises are valid.  In other words, we can think: “I know more than God knows about what is
good for me.”

            The sad fact is, that if we don’t
follow Jesus according to all of  His terms, we are, consciously or unconsciously,
placing ourselves in Satan's camp and directly subject to his power.  We can then be sure to inherit the misery
which is the only thing that he is in a position to offer.

            

Life Lines: consecration

Life Lines: consecration