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By attempting to live according to the above maxim, many LDS people feel they can successfully adhere to true principles of the fullness of the gospel, all while and in spite of being surrounded by "the world."
However, when reviewing the true word of the Lord regarding living in and amongst the world, it is clear that the above "parascripture" is taken as a justification by the LDS church for living in a scattered rather than in a gathered condition amongst the world which is at variance with the original teachings that commanded the saints to come out of the world and to gather together. Let's remember that the number one goal of the restored gospel in this the Final Dispensation of the Fullness of Times was for the establishment of a Zion society. The fundamental requirement for the establishment of a Zion community is the Law of Gathering. Why establish Zion? In order to perfect the Saints and to administer to them all the necessary ordinances so that they may be translated and caught up when Christ returns, and to escape the final destructions intended to cleanse the earth, and to be prepared to meet our City of Enoch counterparts and to greet them with joy as equal beings when they accompany our Savior at his return. The higher laws of Zion and the restored gospel, such as consecration and plural marriage may only be truly lived and practiced in a gathered condition. Being gathered with other like minded saints also affords us the proper spiritual environment in which to perfect ourselves and to raise our families, and to keep worldliness more out of our lives.
The following verses and quotes illustrate unequivocally the importance of the law of gathering to the establishment of Zion for this Final Dispensation of the Fullness of Times:
"Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion[?] We have none; for without Zion, and a place of deliverance, we must fall; because the time is near when the sun will be darkened, and the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven, and the earth reel to and fro. Then, if this is the case, and if we are not sanctified and gathered to the places God has appointed, with all our former professions and our great love for the Bible, we must fall; we cannot stand; we cannot be saved; for God will gather out His Saints from the Gentiles, and then comes desolation and destruction, and none can escape except the pure in heart who are gathered." (Prophet Joseph Smith, DHC 2:52)
The greatest temporal and spiritual blessings which always flow from faithfulness and concerted effort, never attended individual exertion or enterprise. The history of all past ages abundantly attests this fact. In addition to all temporal blessings, there is no other way for the Saints to be saved in these last days, [than by the gathering] as the concurrent testimony of all the holy Prophets clearly proves, for it is written-"They shall come from the east, and be gathered from the west; the north shall give up, and the south shall keep not back." "The sons of God shall be gathered from far, and His daughters from the ends of the earth."
It is also the concurrent testimony of all the Prophets, that this gathering together of all the Saints, must take place before the Lord comes to "take vengeance upon the ungodly," and "to be glorified and admired by all those who obey the Gospel." The fiftieth Psalm, from the first to the fifth verse inclusive, describes the glory and majesty of that event.
"The mighty God, and even the Lord hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth (that He may judge the people). Gather my Saints together unto me; those that have made covenant with me by sacrifice."
We might offer many other quotations from the Scriptures, but believing them to be familiar to the Saints, we forbear.
We would wish the Saints to understand that, when they come here, they must not expect perfection, or that all will be harmony, peace, and love; if they indulge these ideas, they will undoubtedly be deceived, for here there are persons, not only from different states, but from different nations, who, although they feel a great attachment to the cause of truth, have their prejudices of education, and, consequently, it requires some time before these things can be overcome. (Prophet Joseph Smith, DHC 4:272)
And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;
Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.
For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; (D&C 29:7-9)
Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints. (D&C 84:4)
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel, and in the restoration of the ten tribes; that Zion will be established upon the western continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth a thousand years; and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory. (10th Articles of Faith, 1835 version)
It [gathering] is a principle I esteem to be of the greatest importance to those who are looking for salvation in this generation, or in these, that may be called, 'the latter times.' All that the prophets have written, from the days of righteous Abel, down to the last man that has left any testimony on record for our consideration, in speaking of the salvation of Israel in the last days, goes directly to show that it consists in the work of the gathering. (Prophet Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 83)
In speaking of the gathering, we mean to be understood as speaking of it according to scripture, the gathering of the elect of the Lord out of every nation on earth. (Prophet Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 93)
It is also the concurrent testimony of all the prophets, that this gathering together of all the saints, must take place before the Lord comes to take vengeance upon the ungodly...(Prophet Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 183)
It was the design of the councils of heaven before the world was, that the principles; and laws of the priesthood should be predicated upon the gathering of the people in every age of the world. Jesus did everything to gather the people, and they would not be gathered, and He therefore poured out curses upon them. (Prophet Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 308)
We as a people are commanded to leave our places of abode in the countries where we received the gospel, and are required to gather together. (Brigham Young, JD 11:321)
If I lay down the Book of Mormon, I shall have to deny that Joseph is a prophet; and if I lay down the doctrine and cease to preach the gathering of Israel and the building up of Zion, I must lay down the Bible; and consequently, I might as well go home as undertake to preach without these three items. (Brigham Young. JD 6:279)
The Latter-day Saints are called to separate themselves from the wicked-to assemble together and associate with each other; and this is one of the greatest blessing bestowed upon me-that I may not be obliged to mingle with the ungodly. (Brigham Young, JD 8:277)
...the testimony of God's servants has sounded like the voice of a trumpet from nation to nation, and from people to people, warning the honest and meek of the earth to flee from Babylon to the chambers in the mountains for safety until the indignation shall be past. (Brigham Young, JD 9:365)
Remember that it is one of the chief duties of the Saints to gather Israel, in building up the kingdom of God; and everything we do should conspire to this end. (Daniel H. Wells, JD 9:81)
Whence comes our gathering? Because we are introduced into a Gospel of gathering, because we are living in a gathering dispensation, because that is one of the dispensations that existed in former days, and has been restored in the latter days wherever this Gospel is preached, that spirit accompanies it. You cannot prevent it. Go and preach to the people, baptize them, lay hands upon them for the reception of the Holy Ghost, and the first thing that exists among the people is the feeling to go to Zion. (John Taylor, JD 19:82)
Among the first principles that were revealed to the children of men in the last days was the gathering; the first revelations that were given to the Church were to command them to gather and send Elders to seek out a place for the gathering of the saints. (George A. Smith, JD 2:214)
If we throw overboard the principle of the gathering, we cast away one of the most important principles connected with the work of God and salvation of humanity. (Millenial Star 33: 210, 326)
How can Zion be built up, unless the Saints gather and build it up? And how can Babylon fall, so long as the Saints stay and hold it up? (Millenial Star Editorial, 32: 233)
The doctrine of the gathering of the people of God, including Israel, is one so clearly predicted by the inspired writers, that it seems almost superfluous to refer to the numerous passages relating to it. (Orson Pratt's Works, p. 9)
Some may ask the question why may we not seal and give Endowments abroad? Because it would destroy the object of the gathering. The people should be gathered at headquarters where they can be taught in the things of the Kingdom of God and be under the direction of the Priesthood. (Brigham Young, as recorded in the Diary of Wilford Woodruff, 26 December 1866)
I have heard brother Brigham preach it here time and time again, and other men, that a scattering spirit was not the spirit of God; and I know it is not. (Heber C. Kimball, JD 4:362)
The above quotes from former-day LDS prophets and our scriptures most clearly teach us without any possible doubt the principle of a literal gathering as being essential to build a true Zion society. This is for a spiritual protection as well as a physical protection against the desolations of the very last days. The scriptures teach us to "come out of Babylon" in many, many places. For example, in the first fourteen verses of D&C section 133, we are commanded to come out of Babylon no less than three times:
Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you-
2. The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you.
3. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God.
4. Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry.
5. Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.
6. Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord.
7. Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
8. Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.
9. And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people; Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about.
10. Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
11. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.
12. Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion.
13. And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house.
14. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.
15. But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him. (D&C 133:1-15)
24. For after today cometh the burning-this is speaking after the manner of the Lord-for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon. (D&C 64: 24)
We also have similar commandments in the Bible:
10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. (Isaiah 52:10-11)
1. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:1-5)
But many would ask: "What about the great size of the church?" "How do you gather millions and millions of people?" "How could it be practical to gather today?" To this we answer that the Lord is not slack concerning his promises of blessings for living true principles. We also ask you to recall that the Prophet Joseph often referred to "places" of gathering. Independence, Missouri was also referred to as the "Center Place" (D&C 57:2). Article of Faith number 10 designates the "American Continent" or the "Western Continent" as where Zion will be built, and that would provide plenty of room for various designated places for gathering, branching out from the "Center Place." Certainly in Brigham's day, many different locations were designated for the gathering of the Saints. The "Perpetual Immigration Fund" was supposed to be just that: "perpetual," to assist those poor gathering saints to come and gather to the designated places to build Zion. This principle and also the "Perpetual Immigration Fund" lasted in the LDS church until the last decade or so of the 19th century, when tremendous persecutions from wicked government which used plural marriage as an excuse, sought occasion to put pressure on the LDS leadership to compromise doctrine, ordinances, and principles in many, many areas. Among the doctrinal and principle casualties of that time were the principle of gathering, and the "Perpetual Immigration Fund," as well as the practice of plural marriage. In the place of the doctrine of "gathering," a doctrine of "scattering" was adopted by the LDS church, as illustrated in the following quotes, which are at complete variance with the quotes above:
The policy of the Church is not to entice or encourage people to leave their native land; but to remain faithful and true in their allegiance to their governments, and to be good citizens. (Joseph F. Smith, Messages of the First Presidency, 4:165)
...our building of foreign temples is to encourage the saints to stay in their own countries. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Deseret News, Oct. 17, 1936, Church Section)
The time of the gathering is past. We now live in the time of scattering. We want to scatter our people over the face of the earth that we might leaven the whole lump. (John W. Widtsoe, Truth Mag., Sept. 1952, p. 103)
The above notion to "leaven the whole lump" is the exact same philosophy of the "parascripture" discussed herein: "In the world but not of the world." Rather than leavening the whole lump, this satanic idea permits God's people to be overcome by the world, which is exactly what has happened to the LDS church over the last one hundred or so years. This time of wicked abandonment of true principles was prophesied abundantly by Old Testament prophets, and this "scattering" specifically by the prophet Jeremiah, who also described the subsequent gathering of the remnant:
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them : and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:1-4)
The LDS scholar Hugh Nibley also recognized this oft'repeated saying as a "parascripture," as well as the need for a literal withdrawal from the world and her ways, when he stated the following:
But should I ask for tribulation? I live in the real world, don't I? Yes, and I have been commanded to "come out of her, . . . that ye be not partakers of her sins" (Revelation 18:4). It is not given "unto you that ye shall live after the manner of the world" (D&C 95:13). Well, then, you must be "in the world but not of the world." That happens to be a convenient para-scripture (we have quite a few of them today), invented by a third-century Sophist (Diognetos), to the great satisfaction of the church members, who were rapidly becoming very worldly. The passage as it appears in the scriptures says quite the opposite: "For [whatsoever] that is in the world . . . is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). The Lord has repeatedly commanded and forced his people to flee out of the world into the wilderness, quite literally; there is only one way to avoid becoming involved in the neighborhood brawls, and that is to move out of the neighborhood. There is nothing in the Constitution that forbids me doing certain things I have covenanted and promised to do; if the neighbors don't like it, they have no legal grounds against me, but there are ways of getting me to move; "the tribulation . . . shall descend upon you," said the Lord, but do things my way and "my providence" will see you through (D&C 78:14). This inescapable conflict is part of our human heritage, as we learn from dramatic passages of scripture. (Hugh Nibley, "Approaching Zion," p. 164)
If we had to re-write this "parascripture" maxim to reflect the truth, it might read:
"Gathered out from the world and still not of the world."
This Lord's designated gathering place for these very last days is in Manti, Utah, with the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days. This location was actually dedicated as a "City of Zion" for the very last days by Brigham Young in 1852. We invite all who read this to heed to call to gather to Zion.
We would also like to ask you to prayerfully read the pamphlet "The Gathering of the Elect" for more on the essential principle of the gathering, which has not been changed by the Lord. We would also ask you to prayerfully consider all you have read in this site.