A Zion People

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" (Ps. 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 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 be able 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

I'm Happy For Two Reasons

1) Because I just read the following quote: “Feed a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Feed a fish a man and he’ll eat for weeks.”

2) I’m a Mormon.

Yes it’s a truth: as I ponder why it is that in general I, Curtis, am such a happy person, I realize that it is directly linked to my religion. “How!?” you may be questioning exclamatorily right now. Well, dearest you, let me tell you. And, as you might’ve guessed by now, I like doing things in list form, so here goes (to mix things up a bit I’ll make this list out of letters).

A) I have purpose in my life. I know why I’m here, where I came from, and what comes after death. Knowing that there’s a reason I’m here on this giant sphere hurtling through the immensity of space gives me a sense of peace and joy.

B) I have a loving family. Mormon doctrine teaches that the family is “ordained of God” and “central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World") I love my fam and find tremendous happiness in knowing that I can be with them for all eternity.

C) “Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25) This verse from the Book of Mormon let's me know that it is God's plan for me to be happy. The Supreme Being's object and desire is for me and each of us to be happy! We are meant to be happy in this life and the next, how could it be any other way?

D) And one of the best Biblical verses ever penned (quilled?): “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I know Christ lives and that He loves each of us. No matter how dark the path may seem or how difficult the way, there is a Light to guide us safely through. Now there's a reason to rejoice.