How Do We Have Zion?

By Elder Douglas Hatten

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I've done some intensive studying of last day prophecy about Zion in recent weeks, and I have been praying and seeking for additional understanding on it. As a result, a new and profound understanding came to me... one quite different than I had supposed in the past.

What I have discovered is that Zion really is going to come to pass, exactly as God has said it would, whether we do anything about it or not. Now, that may seem shocking to some. You may not believe it, but it is the truth.

The reality hit me several weeks ago. As I sat in a group discussion on how to have Zion, the Holy Spirit bore witness to me that there is nothing that I, as an individual, or any one group can do to bring it about. Suddenly, it was as if an enormous burden had been lifted… one that I wasn’t supposed to carry. When we carry the burden the Lord gives us, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. [Mat 11:30] Any individual person or single group that thinks they are going to purchase land, live by certain laws, and be a righteous group of people IN ORDER TO BUILD ZION, will become disillusioned and utterly fail in that attempt. That is not to say there aren’t enormous benefits to Christian Community. But those in the Restoration who attempt to build Zion on their own will become disillusioned for they can never accomplish the goal of building Zion. You see… the goal of Zion will be frustrated so long as we presume that we can bring it about all on our own. I will demonstrate this from the Scriptures.

The coming forth of Zion is part of the work of the Father, and it is wholly connected to the fulfilling of the covenants, first to the tribe of Joseph, and then by extension to the rest of the family of Israel, even as Joseph in Egypt was the means of bringing salvation to the rest of his family. He gathered them in and was able to nourish them during a time of drought because of his obedience to the Lord. This is a type and shadow of that which will take place in the last days. Another part of the work of the Father is to bring the lost tribes of Israel “out of obscurity,” which means their true identity will be revealed to them. [1 Nephi 7:22-25] He has already done that with Ephraim, though we may not yet fully understand its meaning. One of the callings of Ephraim (that’s us) is to establish the “cause of Zion,” not build it. [Sec 6:3a] Establishing the “cause” of Zion is entirely different than actually building Zion. The work of establishing Zion itself is the work of the Father, and it is His strange work, and He will do it, and He will do it before the eyes of all the nations so that they will know that He is God.

“Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name; Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance. And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight; for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward.” [3 Nephi 10:6-108]

“And when these things come to pass, that thy seed shall begin to know these things, it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them;” [3 Nephi 9:93-95]

“Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel, unto those who are of the house of Israel. Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; And they shall be brought out of obscurity, and out of darkness; And they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the mighty one of Israel.” [1 Nephi 7:22-25]

Consider this prayer in the Psalms: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” [Psa 80:1-3] There is a mystery contained in this prayer. The purification of Ephraim and the conversion of Manasseh is what makes Joseph whole again, here upon the land of Joseph, and Joseph is key to the salvation of the rest of Israel. That Benjamin is mentioned here is also important, but I will not address that in this article.

It begins with Ephraim, once numbered among the Gentiles, having been carried even as if in the arms of the Gentiles, by boat to the land of Joseph and they knew it not. But Ephraim received a knowledge of his inheritance through the fullness of the Gospel (the Book of Mormon and the revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr.) and thereby comes into the covenant. His enlightenment, and subsequent purification and consecration (made possible by Levi) leads to endowment and the conversion of Manasseh, which then leads to an initial, but only partial, gathering of other tribes, (those who are awaken to their inheritance, or brought out of obscurity) and then the actual building of Zion itself begins to take place, which then leads to the rest of the House of Israel being restored and gathered to Zion. You can see this in the following scripture:

“But if they [the Gentiles] will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant, and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, [speaking of Manasseh] unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance, and they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob; And also, as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that “they” (House of Israel) 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.” [3 Nephi 10:1-4]

Before and during this gathering in of the tribes, or the natural branches, there is also going to be a gathering out and a purification of the land of Zion by the Spirit of God.

“…I, the Lord, declare unto you, and my words are sure and shall not fail, that they shall obtain it; but all things must come to pass in their time; wherefore be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days; and the rebellious shall be cut off out of the land of Zion, and shall be sent away, and shall not inherit the land; for, verily, I say that the rebellious are not of the blood of Ephraim, wherefore they shall be plucked out.” [Sec 64:6b-7b]

This purification is to go slowly… the bad being plucked out only in proportion as the natural branches shall be grafted in and begin to grow.

“Wherefore, ye shall clear away the bad, according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard.” [Jac 3:132]

Now it is my understanding that part of our frustration and confusion is that we have not yet understood the following:
- First, who we really are. We may be having a bit of an identity crisis. Our identity or inheritance is important, for contained in our tribal identity is also our mission and calling.
- Second, we fail to recognize that our tribe is not all that there is. God’s work is much bigger than what He is doing with just us; it involves the other tribes as well, even the Gentiles (who are to bring their riches). That is why no person, or any one group, alone, can do anything to bring about Zion on their own. The puzzle is too big, and the pieces too many for us to figure out. God is doing it. He will put it together, and He is doing it so that it will be a testimony to us that He is God and our Deliverer, for He shall deliver us by power.

“Behold, I say unto you, The redemption of Zion must needs come by power…and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched out arm; and as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be.” [Sec 100:3d-e]

It will happen, whether we choose to participate or not. God will work with whoever is willing, and He has called many, but few will answer…yet, they shall flourish in the land of Zion, while the disobedient are cut off and plucked out of the land of Zion, and God Himself, by the workings of His Holy Spirit among mankind, will bring all these components together. All we are instructed to do is to know our part, and do it. This is not to say that we should sit around and say, “All is well in Zion…” We must sanctify and become an obedient people if we desire to be a part of the Father’s work. But whether we choose to or not, others will, even those whom He will call upon. And it shall be accomplished as God has purposed it.

God has told us that “the works, and the designs, and the purposes of God, cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught, for God doth not walk in crooked paths.” [Sec 2:1a] In other words, what God has planned, or decided, or set in motion, cannot be stopped or prevented by any work of man. “Remember, remember, that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men.” [Sec 2:2a] And God has also said: “For, as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, for, as they go forth out of my mouth, they must be fulfilled.” [Gen 3:30] When God decrees something, it will come to pass. If it does not, He would cease to be God.