Zion

I do not think Zion will initially be where people think it will.

I do not think Zion will be at all what people think it will be.

Nor do I think people are at all ready in our current circumstances to begin to learn what Zion will require; what standards of conduct will be required; what covenants will need to be assumed to establish Zion.

I do not think Zion will be an institutional enterprise. The angels will be the ones responsible for that gathering. (See D&C 77: 11, Mark 13: 27.) This presents an apparent impediment to those who either don't believe angels minister to mankind, or who believe they only minister to church leaders, or who think them possible, but have never been administered personally by them.

In the Mark 13 text, the repeated "and then" language of the KJV is not chronological or sequential. It is referring to the generation living at the time it starts, who will live to see it all occur. Meaning "in that day" or more precisely, "among the generation then living."

When there is an abomination that renders desolate in the Temple, you will also see afflictions. You will see those who claim they are Christ, or they are Christ's true living prophet-- though they are not. You will see signs and wonders, including great building projects and the astonishing ability to speak in every language across the world in a single time, but that will not deceive those who take the Holy Spirit for their guide.  They will be able to distinguish between the truth and error. Heaven will be shaken. Angels will gather those who follow Christ rather than trust the arm of flesh, and ultimately Christ will return and the world will be wasted at His coming. Though there will be some fragment, like the days of Noah, there will be those who have been gathered by the angels. Those few will be preserved.

Ezra Booth was among the first to hear the original four missionaries sent out at the very beginning of the restoration. He wrote about what Oliver Cowdery told him of the original mission. It was to include identifying the location for the New Jerusalem. Ezra Booth explained: "This is the person commissioned by the Lord to proceed to the western wilds, and as he himself stated, 'to the place where the foot of a white man never trod,' to rear up a pillar for a witness, where the temple of God shall be built, in the glorious New Jerusalem. But alas! he was arrested by man in his course, and by the breath of man the mighty undertaking was blown into the air, and Cowdery was thrown back among the Gentiles, to await for the spirit to devise some new plans in the place of those which had been frustrated. But as the city and temple must be built, and as every avenue leading to the Indians was closed against the Mormonites, it was thought that they should be built among the Gentiles, which is in direct opposition to the original plan." (Ezra Booth, Letter IX, originally published in the Ohio Star in 1831. It has since been reprinted in numerous places and can be found on-line as well.) This is referring to the charge given to Oliver Cowdery, and the other 3 missionaries to find the place where the New Jerusalem would be located. That effort was aborted when the Federal Indian Agents threatened to arrest them if they didn't go back across the line separating the whites and Indians from each other. That line was at Independence, Missouri. So Independence was as close as they could get at the time. By default Independence became the location for the New Jerusalem.

It has remained the location in popular understanding ever since then. Subsequent revelations seem to confirm that as the site.

When Joseph Smith fled Nauvoo on June 22, 1844, and crossed the Mississippi headed west, he explained his purpose was based on revelation. "The Lord warned him to flee to the Rocky Mountains to save his life," according to his brother Hyrum. (DHC Vol. 6, p. 547.) It was there he hoped to locate the Book of Mormon remnant who have the prophetic responsibility to build the New Jerusalem. It will not be built without their involvement.

If the first missionary assignment for this purpose (finding the location for the New Jerusalem to be built before the Lord's return) was directed to the distant west, beyond Missouri, and Joseph's ambition was westward toward the Rocky Mountains, there is reason to suspect that our presumption that the New Jerusalem will be in Independence Missouri is somewhat misplaced. I am persuaded it will not be there until after the Lord's return. There will be a location elsewhere, in the Rocky Mountains, where the preliminary gathering to a Holy City to be built will occur before the Lord's return. Then, following His return, activities will also involve Jackson County.

What precedes His return may be diminutive, but that didn't matter in the case of Noah, so it won't matter in the coming days like the time of Noah. It will be interesting to see how the Lord fulfills His prophecies, promises and warnings, because He does tend to fulfill the prophecies He speaks. Oftentimes not in the way we imagine. Then we will understand the saying "the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence." (D&C 133: 31.) The initial gathering before the Lord's return will be in the Rocky Mountains.

This gathering will require a kind of social order we are unprepared to live. We cannot be "one" in the sense required for Zion in our present social, political, economic and educational systems. It requires a kind of inter-dependence and cooperation we find repulsive. Even those in the commune on Isaac Morely's farm, after converting to Mormonism, couldn't live the united order and have all things in common. It was this experience, prior to conversion, that led to the revelations about the united order.  It fell apart. We've never had a successful long-term experience trying to live withint that kind of system.

3 Nephi 20: 21-22:
 
"And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel.  And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you." 

The Lord will establish His people, including all of the "house of Israel." The plan is global. But when it comes to the Americas, His people are those in the audience at the moment He was speaking to "this people." And the land of promise for them is "this land." Meaning that wherever it was that Christ was  speaking involved two things: The ancestors of the remnant, and the land of promise.

Now the statement gets interesting because Christ refers to a covenant He made personally with "your father Jacob." Which "Jacob" is this referring to? And, if the Old Testament father whose name was changed to Israel, then why refer to him by his earlier name ("Jacob") rather than by his new name ("Israel")?  I've described the reasons for distinguishing between these two names for a single man in Nephi's Isaiah.  It is relevant here and I'd remind you of that discussion.

In Jacob's final blessing to his sons, he blessed Joseph as one "separate from his brethren" to inherit a land "unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills." (Gen. 49: 26.) The covenant between Christ and Jacob affected this blessing given Joseph. It is in the "utmost bound of the everlasting hills" that Zion or the New Jerusalem is to be built. And it will be Jacob's posterity, the remnant visited by Christ, who will build it. Christ's visit to these people reaffirms the prior covenant, and reconfirms the Lord's intent to fulfill His covenant with Jacob. It is for Jacob's sake this is done. Covenants between the Lord and His sons are always fulfilled; for the Lord takes His word very seriously. His word cannot be broken. (D&C 1: 38.) But, as I have explained in Beloved Enos, these are the words of His covenants. It is not merely vain words spoken using His name as authority by those whom He did not authorize to speak such words. (Matt. 7: 22-23.)

Since the statement involves global gathering of all the "house of Israel," it would appear this reference to "Jacob" is a reference to the global, overall covenant for the entire collection of remnants (plural) throughout the world, wherever they are scattered. However, the crowning portion of the covenant, the capstone which Jacob was given for his posterity in his covenant, was the promise of the New Jerusalem. When that New Jerusalem has come again, it will be "unto the fulfilling of the covenant which [Christ] made with your father Jacob."

Implicit in the return of a New Jerusalem is the redemption of a worthy assembly of Jacob's posterity. It is the culmination of history. It is the final redemption of a people among whom the Lord may take up His residency.

This New Jerusalem will involve "the powers of heaven" being "in the midst of this people." Also, the Lord "will be in the midst of you." For the Lord to take up His residence with people requires them to be saved, clean every whit, and to receive at last the "fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." These are not pretenders who claim, but do not do. Even penitent harlots and publicans are preferred to the self-righteous who claim to be something they are not. (Matt. 21: 28-32.)

Why are "the powers of heaven" mentioned first?  Must the "powers of heaven" precede the Lord's presence? Is that why they are mentioned by the Lord first, and His dwelling among them is mentioned second? What does that suggest about the manner in which we proceed into the presence of the Lord?  How do we experience the "powers of heaven?" What is that power? Is a "form of godliness without any power" a sufficient substitute for the "powers of heaven?" (JS-H 1: 19.)

Do the "powers of heaven" invariably precede and in turn lead to the Lord's presence? Why?

Reading these words you begin to see how our Lord is consistent and determined. His covenants matter.  For the sake of those who have obtained a covenant with Him, He will always deliver what He promises.  For those who break their covenants with Him, there is no promise. He has always been the same. (Lev. 26: 15-17.)

Read again the words of condemnation given against us, which remain in effect still today:

"49 And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.

 50 And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.

 51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.

 52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.

 53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.

 54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

 55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

 56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

 57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—

 58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion." (D&C 84: 49-58.)

It is not that we haven't been warned. It is that we just will not allow the warnings to inform us. We prefer to pretend rather than to do. We certainly have a form of godliness, but we lament even in General Conference about the lack of power in that form.

2 Nephi 29: 14

2 Nephi 29: 14:

"And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever."

Now we have an estimate of the time when a general disclosure of the records of these various nations will occur. It's set in the time when the people who have survived the great distresses and wars of the last days will leave the New Jerusalem and return to their lands of possessions. That is, post-New Jerusalem, post-destruction of the wicked, and after the time when the Lord has come among them. When they are sent into their respective lands of possessions, then at last the entire record of the Lord's dealings with each nation will be "gathered in one."

So this won't be anytime soon. Well, if soon, it will be after some more dramatic events, which will take our minds off the issue of missing scripture.

What is interesting is the Lord's emphasis on those who "fight against my word." He puts this first. The fight, as He puts it, is against both "my word and my people," but it is the fight against His "word" that He lists first.  This is important.

You will recall there were two different reactions to the two parts of Lehi's message. When it was repentance from their wickedness, the Jews mocked him. But when it was a message of the coming Christ, they wanted to kill him. (1 Ne. 1: 18-19.) This is the war against His "word" in a nutshell. The message of hope and redemption found in Christ is what the enemies of God always seek to suppress.

First, distort, suppress and exclude His word.  Then it follows that He has no people, because they cannot find their way back to Him.

Remember this is the great fight. It is relentlessly underway. So soon as His word becomes available, there will be forces, enemies, alliances, even good-intentions used to suppress, discard and alter His words. This is the great work of the adversary. This is the fight that gets waged first.

When the victory is won against His word, then the victory against the people is over. There cannot be any "people" belonging to Him if they do not possess His words in clarity, fullness, and with power.

What significance is there then in changing His words? Discarding His revelations? Suppressing His ordinances? Altering what He has revealed?  Designating some of His word as "mysteries" that ought to be feared or avoided? Why would Joseph Smith advise us to search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of God? Why would we be told to avoid them today?  What has happened in the fight against the Lord's word among us? 

The purpose of His word is to establish His people. When people have His word, and obtain the light and truth that flows from it, then they are inevitably turned in their hearts to the fathers. Primarily among those fathers is the one mentioned here: Abraham. For in Abraham we see a return to the original order which preceded the flood. He inherited what "came down from the beginning" and restored the original ancient order. (Abraham 1: 2-3.) When the "word" and "people" are again here, they are directly linked to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and are heirs to the covenant and priesthood  they held. It is a return. It is a resurrection of an ancient order, where men know God and are His friends and companions while living here in this fallen world.

The results of having the Lord's "word" is to then create a "people" who in turn are linked to "Abraham." These things all follow in turn.  The fight against it is begun at the "word" to prevent the others who follow. If you can choke people off and get them to refuse His "words" then you can prevent them from ever becoming His "people" and realizing the association which brings their hearts to the fathers.

It is a consistent plan and a predictable fight. How's it going in our time? What good things have we done to preserve His word? Have we kept intact everything He handed us through Joseph? Do we possess all of the word He intended us to have, study and live? Are we thereby made into new creations, His people? Do we show the fruits of being His people? Do the visions of heaven flow over us, and angels minister to us? Do we possess knowledge of God in the sense used in the Book of Mormon? Are we in possession of all the rights and powers conferred upon Abraham?

It is an interesting interconnection the Lord refers to here. Worth reflection at a minimum. Fasting, prayer and seeking as well, perhaps.

3 Nephi 21: 23-24

3 Nephi 21: 23-24: 

"And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.  And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem."

Who are those referred to as "my people?" "My people" are "the remnant of Jacob."

Who are those referred to as "they?" The "they" are gentiles who have repented, come to Christ, entered into a covenant with Him, received the fullness of His Gospel, become heirs, and received the promise of land, and a connection with the promises to the remnant.

So it will be these few, chosen, covenantal gentiles who will "ASSIST" the remnant.  

-They won't lead them,

-preside over them,

-control them,

-subjugate them,

-nor dominate them. 

They will "assist" them. What does "assist" mean? Who is taking the lead if the gentiles are only to "assist" in the process?

What will the remnant do? What city is to be built? Why is it called the New Jerusalem?

Forget everything you think you know about where the New Jerusalem is to be built. Most of the myth and traditions about it are based on incomplete and inaccurate recreations of the events. 

Joseph sent the first missionaries to the Lamanites to find the place. The entire block of Native Americans east of the Mississippi, from the Delaware to the Cherokee, had been relocated at the time of the 1834 revelations regarding the New Jerusalem. At that brief moment in time, all of them were located just over the boundary of western Missouri. The closest you could get to them was Independence, Missouri. Since it was the remnant who would build the New Jerusalem, the obligation was to find them, preach to them, and assist them in building. But the missionaries couldn't do that. When they tried, they were sent out of the Indian Territory on the threat of being imprisoned. So Independence was as close as they could get.

The Native Americans have relocated and relocated again. Now they are nowhere near Independence. When Joseph fled Nauvoo in late June, days before his death, he was leaving for the Rocky Mountains where he intended to locate the remnant. He returned, was killed, and never made it out here.

Brigham Young tried to locate the remnant. In fact, the St. George Temple was built as the next fully functioning Temple at the chosen location precisely because it was intended to be near the remnant. In the very first endowment session, the Hopi Chief and his wife went through, received their endowment, and were sealed the next day. They were invited to try and connect with the remnant and this tribe was suspected as the one the Saints were to locate.

We've lost that fervor. We've assumed Independence is the site. We think we're going to build it. We have no clue we are only to "assist" and not control.

All of this is worth some study. But you're going to have to search back into history and ignore all the recent re-done and re-worked histories that ignore this early material. It's too much to get into in this post, but maybe I'll take it up at some point.

3 Neph 16: 11

3 Neph 16: 11:

"And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them."

When the Gentiles have rejected the fullness of the Gospel, the Lord's memory will be stirred. He will "remember His covenant" again. 

Notice the covenant He will remember is for "His people," whose interests and inheritance will now be vindicated.  His words will be fulfilled. The Father's promises will all be realized. But "His people" are not the Gentiles. His people are the remnant to whom the Gospel will come as a matter of covenant and inheritance to reclaim a fallen people. This is the re-grafting of the natural branches referred to in Jacob 5: 67-75.  It is important to note that the Lord of the vineyard was directly involved with the few servants assigned to accomplish this final work of gathering together.  (Jacob 5: 72.) 

This is to be done after the Gentiles (who are the European Latter-day Saints who descend from the bloodlines that overran and dispossessed the native people in North America), have rejected the fullness of the Gospel. Therefore, you should not expect that the institutional church, controlled as it is by those very same bloodlines, will be the means through which this final effort will be accomplished. 

When the time comes, the Lord will "bring [His] gospel to them."  How will He do this? What "laborers" should we expect to be sent?  How, if the Gentiles have rejected the fullness of His Gospel, will the Gentiles be involved? 

Can Gentiles who are lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations of the earth assist? If not, then what Gentiles can assist? 

Isn't Ephriam to be involved? After all, they have the birthright. Are they not involved? 

If they are, who will it be from among Ephriam? 

How can the remnant to whom these blessings are promised, have still among them a few descendants of Ephriam?  Why will Mannassah, through the remnant, build the New Jerusalem, yet it will be Ephriam through whom the blessings are conferred upon the returning Lost Tribes?  (D&C 133: 26-34.) 

How can the New Jerusalem be the property of the remnant, but there be a group of Ephiamites who bestow crowns?  What must these Ephriamites possess to be able to accomplish this task?  How can they possess it and not be lifted up in pride above all other people of the whole earth?  How can such power be put upon some group and they remain willing to ever bend the knee and confess before Him whose right it is to rule? 

How can the Gentiles both reject the fullness of the Gospel, yet there be some who are of Ephriam who are able to bestow crowns? 

What an interesting picture begins to emerge. Gentile rejection, but  a tiny group of Ephriamite servants whose lives are lived so as to bestow blessings upon others. 

The main body in the New Jerusalem coming from the remnant, who are to build the City of the New Jerusalem, yet within that City a functioning group of Ephriamites who will crown others with glory. All this preparatory to the Lord's return to a City set upon a hill which cannot be hid. To a location in the tops of the everlasting mountains, where all will gather from every nation. 

Well, let's keep going to see how much we can figure out from the scriptures to correct our foolish traditions about these future roles and perhaps gain an even better idea of locations.