It is ironic to place the words Zion and Babylon in the same
sentence. They are exact opposites of each other, both ideologically
and in physical application. However, in our modern society today,
in light of the restored gospel, most do not understand what the
goals and attributes of each society are. Even worse, most Latter-day
Saints have a mistaken idea of which of the two kingdoms they
are helping to build. There is no lack of attention on the part
of early dispensation leaders to the issues of Zion and their
repugnance toward Babylon, but it seems that over time, the lines
have been purposely blurred in the discernment of one from the
other. The purpose of this pamphlet therefore, is to accomplish
the following:
1. Identify Zion and its attributes.
2. Identify Babylon and its characteristics.
3. Review the history of the Saints in the cause of Zion.
4. View the performance of the Saints today in relation to Zion,
contrasted by the scriptures and words of the Prophets.
5. Bear witness of the redemption of Zion and the conditions required
of God's covenant people.
This is a day of warning, and not a day of many words, and the
Lord is not to be mocked in the last days. (see D&C 63:58)
A repentant and prayerful heart is needed to accept and comprehend
God's covenants in these last days. We invite all men to serve
the only true God and despise and abhor the presence of sin and
evil.
THE ZION OF GOD
The tenth Article of Faith as originally penned by Joseph
Smith states, "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." (note: this reads different
from the current day article 10) Joseph Smith brought forth vital
knowledge of the literal establishment of Zion, which connects
our day with the ancient world and their hope of Zion. No other
Christian religion espoused such a firm footing on the need for
this type of society before the Lord could come to earth and dwell
with them.
As early as 1829, before the Church was even organized, the Lord
was admonishing Joseph and his brethren to seek to bring forth
and establish the cause of Zion. (see D&C 6:6) All of the
restored doctrines and principles of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints were meant to be implemented by the people
so that Zion could be established. It was the refining and purifying
process of living celestial laws that enabled a person to cleanse
and prove himself for an inheritance in Zion.
What is Zion? Hugh Nibley wrote:
Zion is a code word denoting a very real thing. Zion is any community
in which the celestial order prevails. Zion is the "pure
in heart" (D&C 97:21), but Zion is also a real city or
any number of real cities. It is a constant; it is unchanging.
There are Zions among all the worlds, and there are Zions that
come and go. Zion is a constant in time and place- it belongs
to the order of the eternities......In every dispensation, we
are told, there has been a Zion on the earth; first of all in
the time of Adam, when "the Holy One of Zion...established
the foundations of Adam-ondi-Ahman" (D&C 78:15). After
Adam, Enoch had his Zion when "the Lord called his people
Zion" and Enoch "built a city that was called the City
of Holiness, even ZION." (Moses 7:18-19) (Approaching
Zion, Hugh Nibley, 1989, p. 4-5)
Enoch's city was physically translated from this earth to a terrestrial
state, to a place in the universe closer to the throne of God.
The goal of the adherents of the restored gospel should be to
find out how the translation of the City of Enoch can be duplicated
in our day. We know that, as fulfillment of God's word, that the
Zion from below will be caught up to meet the Zion from above
and be clothed with the glory of God. (see D&C 84:100-102)
We know that the City of Enoch will return and those who are found
worthy to be in Zion, the New Jerusalem, will embrace and reunite
with those inhabitants of the City of Enoch.
And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city
meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and
they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they
shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;
And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall
come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for
the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.
And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the
Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness
for the space of a thousand years; (Moses 7:63-65)
There are certain principles that must be embraced and applied
to qualify a person to dwell in Zion. The following is a brief
review:
1. Law of the Gathering:
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. (D&C 29:7-8)
And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city
of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;
And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the
Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come
unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that
will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto
Zion for safety.
And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under
heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war
one with another.
And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle
against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore
we cannot stand.
And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered
out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with
songs of everlasting joy. (D&C 45:66-71)
That my covenant people may be gathered in one in that day when
I shall come to my temple. And this I do for the salvation of
my people. (D&C 42:36)
And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown
forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.
And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.
And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened,
and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.
And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place;
And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and
they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power
and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches
not for me shall be cut off. (D&C 45:40-44)
The gathering of the Elect in the last days is just as much a
physical gathering to a geographical place as it is a spiritual
gathering of like minded saints. This is a constant in time and
eternity; the righteous remnant in the last days is to be gathered
in unto one place, not scattered all over the planet.
2. Law of Consecration
The one condition most suited to bring a people into unity of
heart and mind is an equal footing in temporal matters. Therefore,
the Law of Consecration serves as the benchmark for the creation
of a Zion people. This is why Satan and his counterfeit economies
have pushed the Saints and the entire world away from this exalting
principle.
That you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and
earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things.
For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in
obtaining heavenly things;
For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial
world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I
have commanded you and required of you. (D&C 78:5-7)
But it is not given that one man should possess that which is
above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin. (D&C 49:20)
Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass that all those who
gather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus
properties, and shall observe this law, or they shall not be found
worthy to abide among you.
And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep
it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that
my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may
be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a
land of Zion unto you. (D&C 119:5-6)
Brigham Young stated:
There is another revelation still prior to this time, stating
that it is the duty of all people who go to Zion to consecrate
all their property to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. This revelation was referred to at the April Conference
in 1854. It was one of the first commandments or revelations given
to this people after they had the privilege of organizing themselves
as a Church, as a body, as the kingdom of God on the earth. I
observed then, and I now think, that it will be one of the last
revelations which the people will receive into their hearts and
understandings, of their own free will and choice, and esteem
it as a pleasure, a privilege, and a blessing unto them to observe
and keep most holy..........Said the Lord to Joseph, "See
if they will give their farms to me." What was the result?
They would not do it, though it was one of the plainest things
in the world. No revelation that was ever given is more easy of
comprehension than that on the law of consecration, which the
Christians had acknowledged all their days, and we are all Christians
by birth, and all believed that we owned nothing, but that all
belonged to the Giver of all good. We believe in God the Father,
and in His Son Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, and we believe
that he was actually going to possess the earth, and reign with
his people on the earth; that all is his, and forever will be.
Yet, when the Lord spoke to Joseph, instructing him to counsel
the people to consecrate their possessions, and deed them over
to the Church in a covenant that cannot be broken, would the people
listen to it? No, but they began to find out that they were mistaken,
and had only acknowledged with their mouths that the things which
they possessed were the Lord's.(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses,
Vol. 2:299,305-306)
In 1873, Orson Pratt said this regarding the living of the Law
of Consecration :
Now I believe that before the redemption of Zion, there will be
a voluntary feeling to carry out the celestial law. I found my
belief on the prophecies that are given in the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants. The Lord has said that before Zion is redeemed
she shall be as fair as the sun, clear as the moon, and her banners
shall be a terror to all nations. And that it is needful that
Zion should be built up according to the law of the celestial
kingdom, or I cannot receive her unto myself. He cannot receive
her only as she is built up according to the full law of consecration.
All the Zions that have ever been redeemed, from all the creations
that God has made, have been redeemed upon that principle. And
God has told us in the revelation given to ancient Enoch, "I
have taken Zion to mine own bosom out of all the creations that
I have made." Now if he has done this-if he has selected
Zions, he has done it from the different worlds, by the celestial
law; and they are sanctified by the same law, and they dwell in
his bosom-that is under his council and watch care, in the presence
of his glory, exalted before him, all redeemed by the same law,
hence partakes of the glory, the same exaltation, the same fullness
in the eternal worlds. Therefore if the latter-day Zion would
be counted worthy to mingle with the ancient Zion of Enoch, caught
up before the flood, if they would be counted `worthy, when the
Zion of Enoch comes, to be caught up to meet them, and to fall
upon their necks and they to fall upon the necks of the Latter-day
Saints, and if they would enjoy the same glory, the same exaltation
with ancient Zion, they must comply with the same law. "I
can not receive Zion to myself," saith the Lord, "unless
built up by this law."
There will be a great preparation before the redemption of Zion.
Supposing we should all be returned, say this fall, or next year,
to Jackson County. Say a large majority should be returned to
the land of our inheritances, in Missouri, and in the regions
round about, and it should be said to us, "Go ye my sons
and build up Zion according to the celestial law, through consecration
of the property of my Church, as I have commanded," would
you be prepared to do this work? Have you an experience in it?
Have you learned the lessons by experience? No, no. (Orson Pratt,
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 16:158)
The Law of Consecration must be implemented by God's covenant
people prior to qualifying to inhabit or become Zion. The law
of tithing is not the full Law of Consecration, and will not,
in and of itself, qualify anyone for a Zion status. In fact, if
a person does not seek out and actually live the full Law of Consecration,
he will be rejected by the Lord because, in His words: "And
Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the
law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto
myself." (D&C 105:5)
Those who have made covenants in the Temple Endowment should understand
the reality of the Law of Consecration. The implementation of
today's financial structure is pure Babylon and does not remotely
resemble or qualify for the title of Zion. The Saints should not
fool themselves into thinking that their current course in Babylon's
financial world is sufficient to fulfill the covenants they have
made to build up Zion. It is in the valiance to correct principles
and truth that affords the Lord's deliverance in these last days.
3. Repentance, temporally and politically
The word 'Repent' in ancient definition means 'to return' to the
Lord. This necessarily requires us to recognize our sins on a
temporal basis and seek to repent of our adherence to Satan's
system of finance and bondage. This mode of economy now in operation
today is not God's way. We must recognize and repent of supporting
a system of which Satan is the master. Do the Saints in the last
days assume that some miraculous event is going to change their
character and disposition from a Babylonian mind set to that of
a Zion people without being tried in the laws that pertain to
Zion? Absolutely not. Not anymore than a sinner can be exalted
in sin, never having proven himself obedient.
We cannot be empowered to become a Zion people while operating
and thriving in a system which is dedicated to the overthrow of
Zion. The world's economic system today trains people in the Master
Mahan principle of power and gain and seeks not the welfare of
Zion. Many Latter-day Saint leaders and followers have stated
that the laws of Zion, such as consecration and plural marriage
will be lived in the Millennium, and they, therefore, are not
under the necessity of living them now. Most will be surprised
to find that they will not enter into the Millennium unless they
have been tried in these laws in a Telestial setting first.
No one should expect to move into a kingdom whose rules they have
not qualified for. This is true in time and in eternity. Of all
people, the Latter-day Saints should understand that if we obtain
any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which
it is predicated. [see D&C 130:20-21] It also follows that
an automatic change of heart toward Zion and her laws will not
occur when a person's life focus has been their success in Babylon.
Deathbed repentance has never worked in the plan of the eternities.
Joseph Smith said:
We should take warning and not wait for the death-bed to repent,
as we see the infant taken away by death, so may the youth and
middle-aged, as well as the infant be suddenly called into eternity.
Let this, then, prove as a warning to all not to procrastinate
repentance, or wait till a death-bed, for it is the will of God
that man should repent and serve him in health, and in the strength
and power of his mind, in order to secure his blessing, and not
wait until he is called to die. (TPJS , p. 197)
Political repentance requires a recognition of support to a contrary
plan which opposes Zion. Satan implements his own counterfeit
to Zion by introducing man-made global 'peace' and a one world
government. This plan is attempting to annihilate the establishment
of Christ's Kingdom in the Millennium, and impose tyranny and
slavery on mankind. This secret combination is clearly identified
in the Book of Mormon and we are advised to not let this awful
situation overcome us to our destruction. (Ether 8:22-25).
We testify that this very conspiracy is at work today, that misery
and death are the fruits of this Satanic plot. It encompasses
all nations, even the United States. Do not be fooled by anyone
who will state that the New World Order, global peace, or the
United Nations are tools for the spreading of the Gospel or the
peaceful path to the Millennium. Such men are wolves in sheep's
clothing and are enemies to God. The Lord has advised His people
not to make covenants with foreign gods :
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They
shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me:
for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
(Exodus 23:32-33)
Fearing men and governments more than God has always been a weakness
of the covenant people in every dispensation. Acts 5:29 states,
"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We
ought to obey God rather than men."
The Lord will call out and separate the Elect by His own voice
and instruct His covenant people in the ways of deliverance. But,
this will only occur as these Elect wake up to their current plight
and become willing to serve God at all costs. These Saints must
repent of their attachments to wicked governments and economic
systems that oppose Zion. (see D&C 84:54-59, 105:5)
Joseph Smith taught the saints that the building up of Zion should
be their greatest object:
We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.
When wars come, we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make
haste. The revelation says, Ye shall not have time to have gone
over the earth, until these things come. It will come as did the
cholera, war, fires, and earthquakes; one pestilence after another,
until the Ancient of Days comes, then judgment will be given to
the Saints. (TPJS, p. 160-161)
The day is soon coming when the cries of peace, safety, and 'All
is well in Zion' will evaporate as the prophesies of the very
last days begin to unfold. Joseph Smith had this to say about
these times:
The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in
Zion and her stakes. I saw men hunting the lives of their own
sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters,
and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies
arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son
of Man has said that the mother shall be against the daughter,
and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors.
They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will
rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how
soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall
I cry peace? No: I will lift up my voice and testify of them.
How long you will have good crops, and the famine be kept off,
I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer
is nigh at hand. (TPJS, p. 161)
4. Repentance of personal sins and acceptance of Christ's Atonement.
We know that no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of Heaven
and that God cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance.
Through the process of true repentance, baptism, and having an
eye single to the glory of God, the Atonement of Christ is made
available to God's children. This is a necessary prerequisite
that prepares a person for the path to Zion.
Christ is the keeper of the gate and employs no servant there.
We must do the works of Christ to merit His Atoning sacrifice;
today that consists of the Lord's servants preparing the earth
to receive its rightful heir, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Zion is the bride which is to make herself ready for the marriage
to the bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
This earth will eventually be given to Christ as His inheritance
and Kingdom. All who serve Satan and any part of his counterfeit
kingdom will be swept off when the Lord's judgments come out in
full force and fury. Satan himself will be bound and Jesus Christ
will reclaim this earth as His own. Whether in ignorance or full
knowledge, those who support Satan's corrupt systems, receive
worldly comfort from their participation in wickedness, and who
enjoy friendship with the world and its fashions and appetites,
will be made to feel the wrath and judgment of a just God upon
their heads.
5. Willingness to sacrifice all earthly things to build up Zion.
In relation to today's possessive materialism and ownership mentality
created by the competitive marketplace, the Prophet Joseph Smith
taught some possibly disturbing doctrines regarding the sacrifice
of family, friends, and material things for a knowledge of the
truth. These teachings used to be a part of the Doctrine and Covenants
until the early 1900's. Joseph teaches:
For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his
honor, and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his
lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even
his own life also-counting all things but filth and dross for
the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ-requires more
than mere belief or supposition that he is doing the will of God;
but actual knowledge, and most assuredly knows that he is doing
the will of God; but actual knowledge, realizing that, when those
sufferings are ended, he will enter into eternal rest, and be
a partaker of the glory of God....Let us here observe, that a
religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never
has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life
and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith
necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could
be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was
through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that
men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of
the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know
that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight
of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for
the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing
before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because
he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God
does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has
not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances,
then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on
eternal life. It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves
that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who
have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtain
faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life,
unless they, in like manner, offer unto him the same sacrifice,
and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted
of him. (Lectures on Faith, Lecture 6: 5, 7-9)
The only way Zion can be built up and redeemed is by the willingness
of the Saints to live all the laws, receive the ordinances, keep
all the covenants, and be willing to sacrifice all earthly things.
These things must be done to merit a rightful place in the Zion
of our God.
The desire of true Saints has always been the establishment of
a Zion society where God Himself could come and dwell. This is
the same spirit that exists today in those who follow the Spirit
of the Lord.
Hugh Nibley states:
The Bible contains a fairly complete description of Zion, but
there is one aspect of it that only the Latter-day Saints have
taken to heart (or did formerly), and it is that doctrine that
sets them off most sharply from all other religions, namely, the
belief that Zion is possible on the earth, that men possess the
capacity to receive it right here and are therefore under obligation
to waste no time moving in the direction of Zion. The instant
one realizes that Zion is a possibility, one has no choice but
to identify himself with the program that will bring about the
quickest possible realization of its perfection. The call is to
awake and arise, to "push many people to Zion with songs
of everlasting joy upon their heads" (D&C 66:11)....When
Zion descends to earth, it must be met by a Zion that is already
here. (Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p. 28-29)
Brigham Young expressed his views as to the focus of the Saints
in this last dispensation;
We have no business here other than to build up and establish
the Zion of God. It must be done according to the will and law
of God, after that pattern and order by which Enoch built up and
perfected the former-day Zion, which was taken away to heaven,
hence the saying went abroad that Zion had fled. By and by it
will come back again, and as Enoch prepared his people to be worthy
of translation, so we through our faithfulness must prepare ourselves
to meet Zion from above when it shall return to earth, and to
abide the brightness and glory of its coming. (J.D. 18:356)
BABYLON
"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in
all things."(2nd Nephi 2:11) This is true pertaining to Zion
as well. There is a scriptural name for Zion's opposing kingdom
and it is called Babylon. Babylon is the epitome of Satan's kingdom.
It is the exact opposite from Zion in every way. Satan exclaimed
when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden that he would usurp
the treasures and riches of the earth and reign with blood and
horror on the earth. Babylon is the implementation of that threat.
It did not take long to implement this sinister ideology among
the children of Adam. Cain was influenced by Satan to yield to
his base desires with promises of power, gain, and control through
plunder and murder, therefore, an entire economic system was set
in place which has enslaved men and set up class distinctions,
created great wealth to some and great poverty to most others.
This has spawned greed, lust, hatred, vice, oppression, inequality,
and much violence and bloodshed. In fact, most all wars on this
planet have occurred through selfishness, lust for power and coveting
the resources of a neighbor. The practice of charging interest
on money does not come from God. Satan uses this corrupt system
as a means of control and oppressing the poor and subjugating
the masses under the yoke of those who are wealthy.
This class distinction is not based on righteousness in the least,
and is the exact opposite of the principles and stewardships in
Zion. Yet, in this day and age, many have subscribed to Satan's
system of usurpation and control. In this system the rich get
richer and poor get poorer, which is not based on merit or righteousness.
The mentality of competitiveness and one-upmanship was introduced
and is part of our free enterprise system. This 'dog eat dog'
mentality has been around in society for so long that it is thought
of as a virtue.
Hugh Nibley shares a clear view of Babylon when he wrote the following:
We can't discuss Zion very long without running into Babylon,
because Babylon is, in all things, the counterpart of Zion. It
is described just as fully, clearly, and vividly in the scriptures
as Zion is and usually in direct relationship to it. "By
the rivers of Babylon ... we wept, when we remembered Zion"
when word comes to " remove out of the midst of Babylon"
(Jeremiah 50:5, 8). "There will be the voice of them that
flee out of the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance
of the Lord," and, "Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest
with the daughter of Babylon". (Zecheriah 2:7) So it goes
on: Just as surely as Zion is to be established, Babylon is to
be destroyed. "The burden of Babylon ... Howl ye; for the
day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from
the Almighty" (Isaiah 13:1, 6). Babylon is not to be converted,
she's to be destroyed. "We would have healed Babylon, but
she is not healed: forsake her" (Jeremiah 51:9).Today's world
is the "substance ... of an idol, which waxeth old and shall
perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall"
(D&C 1:16). "For after today cometh the burning ... and
I will not spare any that remain in Babylon" (D&C 64:24).
I could quote a hundred scriptures to show that Babylon is nothing
but the inverse image of Zion. Babylon is a state of mind, as
Zion is, with its appropriate environment. Just like Zion, Babylon
is a city. "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen"
(Revelation 18:2). The great world center of commerce and business,
"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" (Revelation 18:3). Indeed, " thy
merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries
were all nations deceived" (Revelation 18:23). Babylon's
economy is built on deceptions. Babylon is described full in Revelation
18: She is rich, luxurious, immoral, full of fornications, merchants,
riches, delicacies, sins, merchandise, gold, silver, precious
stones, pearls, fine linens, purples, silks, scarlets, thyine
wood, all manner of vessels, ivory, precious wood, brass, iron,
marble, and so on. She is a giant delicatessen, full of wine,
oil, fine flour, wheat; a perfume counter with cinnamon, oders,
ointments, and frankincense; a market with beasts and sheep. It
reads like a savings stamp catalog or a guide to a modern supermarket
or department store. Horses and chariots and all manner of services
are available; slaves in the souls of men. These are "the
fruits thy soul lusted after ... and all things which were dainty
and goodly" (Revelation 18:14). And it is all for sale. "O
virgin daughter of Babylon, ... thou hast labored ... [with] thy
merchants from thy youth" (Isaiah 47:1,15). In her power
and affluence she is unchallenged. "For thou hast trusted
in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and
thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said on thine
heart, I am, and none else beside me" (Isaiah 47:10). Babylon
is number one. She dominates the world. Her king is equated to
Lucifer, who says, "I will be like the most High" (Isaiah
14:14). And all the nations are weakened at her expense. He was
the man that "made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
that made the world as a wilderness (Isaiah 14:16-17). The "lady
of kingdoms" who rules over polluted lands and says, "
I shall be a lady forever" (Isaiah 47:5,7).-- she leads the
world. "The nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the
nations are mad" (Jeremiah 51:7). "Babylon the great,
all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication"
(Revelation 18:3). And when Babylon falls, all the world is involved:
"At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved,
and the cry is heard among the nations" (Jeremiah 50:46).
And "at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth"
(Jeremiah 51:49). Her clever, experienced, and unscrupulous men
will be helpless. She thinks she can get away with anything, and
says, "None seeth me." But " thy wisdom and thy
knowledge, it hath perverted thee" (Isaiah 47:10). And I
will make drunk her men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep"
(Jeremiah 51:57). Her military might is helpless: "A sound
of battle is in the land, and of great destruction. How is the
hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken!" (Jeremiah
50:22-23). Babylon then, like Zion, is a type. If Zion is wherever
the celestial order prevails, Babylon is the culmination of the
worldly power wherever it happens. Through the ages, that power
is actually culminated in just such world centers as ancient Babylon.
Rome itself was entirely eligible for the name. The church of
Rome called itself "the church that is at Babylon" (
1 Peter 5:13). Rome was Babylon the great in every respect. And
in the last days we must have a Babylon, too. For the call has
gone forth, "Go ye out of Babylon. Be ye clean that bear
the vessels of the Lord. Go ye out Babylon; gather ye out from
among the nations" (D&C 133:7). "Go ye out from
among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness,
which is spiritual Babylon" (D&C 133:14). The world today
is about as different from Zion as any world possibly can be.(emphasis
added) In fact, it has reached the point, the Lord has told us
in emphatic terms, where he is about to remove the whole thing
-- sweep the slate clean, that Zion may be established. Just as
the order of Zion began with Adam in the garden, the rival system
is just as old. It, too, was proposed to Adam, and he rejected
it, while his son Cain accepted it. The plan Satan proposed to
Adam was to put everything in this glorious and beautiful world
up for sale. You could have anything in this world for money,
but you had to have money. This launched a scramble that has gone
on ever since Cain slew Able, his brother, for gain; and he, says
the Pearl of Great Price, "gloried in that which he had done,
saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into
my hands" (Moses 5:33). And this vigorous competition has
imparted an air of dynamism and excitement to the scene that some
find most attractive. ... There is an unbridgeable gap between
Zion and Babylon. We cannot compromise on the two ways, because
the two ways lead in opposite directions. ... When we try to mix
Zion and Babylon, Babylon has already won the game. (Approaching
Zion, p.14-19)
It becomes evident that the world around us and the foundation
upon which it operates is pure Babylon; whether it be the financial,
economic structure, or fashions, sports, and entertainment. The
important question to ask is, are God's covenant people today
remaining apart from Babylon, or are they playing Babylon's game
better than the Babylonians do? As alluded to already, the only
thing to do in relation to this way of life is to come out of
her. Babylon and all who embrace her ways and revel in her indulgences
will meet a final and destructive end, as declared by many prophetic
witnesses.
Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the
Lord.
Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And
let every man call upon the name of the Lord.
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. (D&C 133:5-7)
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)
HISTORY OF THE SAINTS IN THE CAUSE OF ZION
It is very helpful to review the efforts of the Latter-day Saints
in the early years of the restoration in regard to the charge
to exit Babylon and build up and establish Zion. This effort began
in Missouri in 1831 and, in a short period of time, it became
evident that the Saints did not understand the concepts of a Zion
society. They began to buy up land for themselves in the hope
that, as more Saints came to Zion, great profits would be made
by selling out their parcels of land to the newcomers. Buy low,
sell high, make money. (That should be a familiar chant to most
people today because that is the mentality of Babylon to which
we have grown accustomed.)
This perverted and corrupt ideology did not fare long, and Joseph
Smith repeatedly warned them to cease and desist. In Far West,
Missouri he said,
Brethren, we are gathered to this buitiful [sic] land, to build
up Zion....But since I have been here I perceive the spirit of
selfishness, Covetousness, exists in the hearts of the Saints...Here
are those who begin to spread out buying up all the land they
are able to do, to the exclusion of the poorer ones who are not
so much blessed with this worlds goods, thinking to lay foundation
for themselves only, looking to their own individual familys and
those who are to follow them...Now I want to tell you that Zion
cannot be built up in any such way....I see signs put out, Beer
signs, speculative schemes are being introduced this is the ways
of the world--Babylon indeed, and I tell you in the name of the
God of Israel, if there is no repentance.....and a turning from
such ungodliness, covetousness and self will, you will be broken
up and scattered from this choice land to the four winds of Heaven.
(The life and history of Elder Edward Stevenson, 40-41; Approaching
Zion, Nibley, p. 347-348)
And so it was. Because of transgression and not heeding the words
of the Lord through Joseph, they were driven from one Missouri
community to the next, and finally across the Mississippi river
to Nauvoo. Many of the tragedies could have been averted if the
Saints would have embraced Zion instead of the selfish Babylonian
notions that they brought with them.
Zion would, of necessity, need to be redeemed at a later time
when God could get a people prepared for such. Speaking futuristically,
God will gather a people back to Zion in Missouri who are voluntarily
clean from the teachings, manners, and ways of Babylon. The Prophet
Joseph sent a letter to W.W. Phelps, who was with the Saints in
Missouri. Joseph shows his anxiety and fear of the Lord's coming
judgments upon them if they did not repent. He wrote:
...for if Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved of
in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for
His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will
not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath. Let me say
unto you, seek to purify yourselves, and also the inhabitants
of Zion, lest the Lord's anger be kindled to fierceness...hear
the warning voice of God, lest Zion fall, and the Lord swear in
His wrath the inhabitants of Zion shall not enter into his rest.
(TPJS, 18-19)
History verifies that the Saints did not overcome their weaknesses
and were driven from the land of Zion. Perhaps, in the valleys
of the Rocky Mountains, God's covenant people would purify themselves
and make ready to go back and redeem Zion. Great leaders such
as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, John Taylor, and their brethren
exhorted and taught the Saints to build up Zion.
Perhaps, in isolation from the Gentile world, they could get a
people purified and worthy of such great blessings. The higher
laws of the kingdom were introduced to the body of the saints
to prepare them; Celestial plural marriage, the Law of Consecration,
the Law of Gathering, etc. These higher principles, by their very
constitution were designed to refine and purify the covenant people.
Selfishness and jealousy, greed and desire for accumulation of
wealth were vices that were done away if the people applied the
living of these higher laws. The community as well as families
were better off with these exalting principles because it raised
them to a higher level of thinking and conduct. It endowed them
with more of the divine nature of Godliness.
This was the nucleus of Zion trying to be born! By sheer numbers
there were very few, however, that caught the vision among the
Saints and applied the full effort. Brigham and his brethren lamented
at the fact that they were fighting an incessant battle. A battle
of keeping the minds of the Saints fixed on Zion and not their
own self interest and the encroaching ways of the world. Even
as late as 1874 Brigham lamented,
....he [the Lord] is still feeling after us, and that he is sending
forth his voice-the voice of his Spirit, into the hearts of his
people, crying unto them-"Stop! Stop your course! Cease to
bring in and build up Babylon in your midst." It is the duty
of each and every one of us to reflect upon the office and calling
we possess, and see whether we are doing the will of the Lord,
and, if we are not, we should stop and begin anew to establish
the kingdom of God upon the earth..... Ask ourselves the question.
Have we not brought Babylon with us? Are we not promoting Babylon
here in our midst? Are we not fostering the spirit of Babylon
that is now abroad on the face of the whole earth? I ask myself
this question, and I answer, Yes, yes, to some extent, and there
is not a Latter-day Saint but what feels that we have too much
of Babylon in our midst. The spirit of Babylon is too prevalent
here. What is it? Confusion, discord, strife, animosity, vexation,
pride, arrogance, self will and the spirit of the world. Are these
things in the midst of those called Latter-day Saints? Yes, and
we feel this. (Journal of Discourses 17:37-38)
Brigham also cried out against the desire for the accumulation
of worldly goods. The following quotes illustrate this awareness.
It grieves me to see men who have believed the Gospel, forsaken
the land of their nativity for the sake of life and salvation,
endured all they have in coming here, and then, for a paltry sum
of money, sacrifice their salvation. Such men cannot be saved
in the celestial kingdom of God; they may receive their endowments,
but they will do them no good; they may read over their Patriarchal
blessings every day, but they will do them no good. No man or
woman can receive life everlasting, only upon the principle of
strict obedience to the requirements of the celestial law of heaven,
no man can inherit such a blessing upon unholy principles. (Journal
of Discourses 3:118)
Can you go to work and make a people of one heart and mind while
they are possessed of the spirit of the world? You cannot. Can
they feel the same interest in the Kingdom of God while possessing
the spirit of the world that they would if they were filled with
the Spirit of Christ? They cannot. How can they devote their lives
to the building up of the Kingdom of God when they do not delight
in it, but delight in building themselves up, in making gain,
and in gathering around them the riches of the world? The Latter-day
Saints, in their conduct and acts with regard to financial matters,
are like the rest of the world. The course pursued by men of business
in the world has a tendency to make a few rich, and to sink the
masses of the people in poverty and degradation. Too many of the
Elders of Israel take this course. No matter what comes they are
for gain. (Journal of Discourses 11:348)
While conversing with some brethren the other day upon the conduct
of this people as viewed by the intelligence of Heaven, I said,
that it was a wonder to me that God had not long ago destroyed
us all..... Elders are agreed on the way and manner necessary
to obtain celestial glory, but they quarrel about a dollar. When
principles of eternal life are brought before them-God and the
things pertaining to God and godliness-they apparently care not
half so much about them as they do about five cents. "We
want the dollars." What are they good for? Dollars will do
good, if you can keep them until they will do good, using them
in the right way. Men will scramble over each other to get gold
and silver, and when they have it they waste it. (Journal of
Discourses 9:246,249)
Based on the history of the Saints as they moved toward the 20th
century, the building up of Zion got weaker, not stronger. The
Celestial Laws and Zion building principles such as consecration
and plural marriage were on the decline. The actions of the leaders
and the people in moving away from Zion is, at best, a compromise
toward lesser laws; at worst, it is an indication of the slide
toward apostasy of the covenant people. Remember that D&C
105:5 states that Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the
principles of the law of the Celestial Kingdom; otherwise the
Lord cannot receive her unto Himself.
PERFORMANCE OF SAINTS TODAY IN RELATION TO ZION
If there was a difficulty to get the Saints to build up and establish
Zion in the days of Brigham Young when they were so isolated from
the world, then what about the Saints today? Are the modern Saints
more Zion-like or more enmeshed in the ways of the world than
their predecessors? Are the Saints actions proving them to be
committed to Zion? The reality is clear that the modern Saints
have succumbed to Babylon and have justified their participation
by masquerading it as Zion.
Heber C. Kimball prophesied that the day would come when you wouldn't
be able to tell the face of a saint from a blackleg; that Salt
Lake City would be classed among the wicked cities of the world.
The Saints have been trying to mix Zion and Babylon together and
thereby merit Celestial glory. When two things are mixed, they
are no longer pure. Any mixing and Babylon has already won the
game. The Lord defines such false worship as idolatry. If God
is going to destroy Babylon along with those who are a part of
her kingdom, does not that, by definition include the Saints?
Yes, it does. Only upon conditions of recognition, repentance,
and the building up of the true Zion, can an individual merit
protection and deliverance in these last days.
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations
of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated-
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to
that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C 130:20-21)
Many Saints have made covenants in sacred Temples to build up
the kingdom of God and establish Zion. God abhors covenant breakers.
Such are those that will receive His fierce wrath when it is poured
out on His house and rebellious children first. (See D&C 112:23-26)
George Q. Cannon saw that the Saints should be distinct in their
ways and in contrast with the ways of the world. He stated,
We have come out of, and traveled from Babylon, according to the
command of God, that we may become a people directly opposite
to everything existing in Babylon. This was the proclamation made
to us; and the object of the proclamation was that we might be
emancipated completely from the things of the world, that we might
be prepared to dwell with God eternally in the heavens.
Now, think of the distance there is between us and the people
of Babylon to-day. The distance we have traveled is scarcely perceptible
to some; and on some points we are so near that we can reach and
shake hands with them, we have made so little progress. Yet there
is nothing truer than this, that before we are prepared to dwell
in the presence of God we must be directly opposite to them in
almost every respect. Morality is taught and moral truths are
enforced among them; but aside from the theory, everything is
rotten and corrupt from the base to the topmost stone. God has
said so, and we have had some little experience in it ourselves;
and so far as we have gone we can say that such is the case. Society
has to be differently organized under the rule of the Church of
God. We have already made a great stride in this respect. The
one great institution which God has revealed has done more to
emancipate us, and create a difference between us and the world
than anything I can conceive of; that is the order of marriage.
It creates a complete distinctness between us and the people of
the world. We can see how much we are progressing in this direction,
and they who are living their religion are making rapid progress.
There was a necessity for the revelation of this principle in
order that the people of God might be entirely distinct from the
people of Babylon. As long as we lived under those old institutions
which are so full of rottenness and corruption, we were liable
all the time to become assimilated to the world. (Journal of
Discourses 11:335-336)
Here again, it is demonstrated that the living of certain higher
laws and principles, of necessity, create distinction from the
corrupt world. Once the principle of plural marriage was abandoned,
the Saints had removed a divine barrier of protection between
themselves and the corrupt world. In essence, a reassimilation
back to the world began to take place, and once that compromise
was permitted, a flood of other changes took place to better accommodate
the Saints to the world around them. Some may call these changes
progress, but the Lord defines it as apostasy.
The modern agenda has been to compromise with and fellowship the
world in their wickedness. No longer are any of the laws in place
that keep the Saints apart from Babylon. The trend has measurably
been one toward the world and Babylon, and away from the God of
Israel. It is the devil that makes people think they are pursuing
a course pleasing to God when they are actually in an apostate
condition and direction. "And others will he pacify, and
lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is
well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well-and thus the devil
cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to
hell." (2nd Nephi 28:21)
Certainly there will be dumbfounded looks on the faces of the
Saints when Christ will have this to say,
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy
name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them,You never knew me: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity. (JST Matt. 7:21-23)
Brigham Young, Jr. recognized that more of Babylon was creeping
into the midst of the Saints. It is notable in these comments
that a losing battle was being waged to get Zion established.
He said,
There is too much faultfinding and confusion, and too much of
the world in the midst of this people, and especially in the midst
of the Latter-day Saints who dwell in Salt Lake City. It is true
that temptations are broadcast in our midst, and we meet them
on every hand. But is that any reason that we should give way
to them? Is it any reason that we should adopt the follies and
fashions of the world because they have been introduced into our
midst? ..... This people are not gathered here to practice the
sins which are prevalent in Babylon, at least I do not so understand
it. The Scriptures teach me, and the Spirit of the Lord bears
testimony, to cry unto the people to come out of Babylon, and
not to drag Babylon or its sins into our midst. They are not necessary
for our happiness..... Endeavor, brethren, to build up Zion, and
not Babylon. I think very often, when I am speaking to the people,
of a remark to President Young. He has been in the Church a great
many years. On one occasion, only a very few years after the Church
was organized, the Prophet Joseph counseled him and others never
to do another day's work to build up Babylon, and he has obeyed
that counsel. I know he has for twenty-five years past, and I
am satisfied he has from the time the counsel was given.
Do we need to go away from home to build up Babylon? Do we need
to leave this city to build up Babylon? No, continue to indulge
our fancies for fashion and for the practice of those habits and
customs which a corrupt civilization has introduced into our midst,
and we are building up Babylon in the most approved style. (Journal
of Discourses 15: 192, 195-6)
The tenor of these comments by early leaders certainly indicate
their awareness of the Saints' desire to assimilate with the ways
and notions of the corrupt world. That being true, what about
the Latter-day Saints today? Are they not more absorbed and assimilated
into the world than their ancestors? We must answer, yes. Babylon
has so engulfed the Saints that they can't even see the difference
anymore.
For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep
sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected
the prophets; and your rulers, and the seers hath he covered because
of your iniquity. (2nd Nephi 27:5)
Christ has told us that we cannot serve two masters: "No
man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and
love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)
The meaning of the Hebrew word 'mammon' is any financial dealing
or transaction. Babylon is business. Daily business is the engagement
in the transactions of Babylon. The corporate dealings and investments
of the LDS Church openly show her interest in Babylon. The LDS
Church commerces billions of dollars yearly in the stocks and
merchandising in Babylon. We are commanded to get out of Babylon!
Where is the corporate LDS Church going? It certainly is not in
the direction of Zion! The Lord said that He would not spare any
that remain in Babylon (D&C 64:24). Those who have eyes to
see and ears that hear had better obey the Lord!
The Church in the scriptures is always referred to as a woman.
Christ is referred to as the bridegroom. The Church is the bride
who is to prepare herself and make herself ready for the wedding
feast with the bridegroom; to be married to Him. She is to be
pure and undefiled, without spot. What happens when the woman
has intercourse with the world and partakes of the filth of the
lusts of Satan's kingdom? She then becomes a whore, the whore
of the earth! Can she possibly enter into the wedding chamber
and become one with Christ, her husband? The answer is, Nay!
And the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all
the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as
it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, who spoke of
these things, which have not come to pass but surely must, as
I live, for abominations shall not reign. (D&C 29:21)
We, as Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, bear solemn witness
that the LDS Church has gone whoring after Babylon and the vain
things of the world, has built up the kingdom of the devil and
apostatized from her earlier mission and charge. The charge was
to build up the Kingdom of God on the earth and to establish Zion.
Because of these rebellions and iniquities, she will be destroyed
when the fierce and just judgments of God are poured out on the
wicked of the earth. The only thing for true Saints to do is to
forsake her and get out of her. The desolations soon to come will
be a great vexation on those who have embraced falsehoods and
lies.
Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch
and rush, in one day.
The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that
teacheth lies, he is the tail.
For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that
are led of them are destroyed.
Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither
shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one
is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly.
For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched
out still. (Isaiah 9:14-17)
The Lord is much displeased by the deception of the people caused
by false prophets and apostles:
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.....
For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have
I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the
darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will
bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith
the LORD.
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied
in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing:
they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the
hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness:
they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof
as Gomorrah.
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets;
Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the
water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness
gone forth into all the land.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the
prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak
a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said,
Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh
after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon
you.
For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived
and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a
grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of
the wicked.
The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed,
and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the
latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken
to them, yet they prophesied.
But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people
to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their
evil way, and from the evil of their doings. (Jeremiah 23: 1-2,11-22,
emphasis added)
By command of the Lord, we must testify against the evils of the
LDS leaders who are wolves in sheep's clothing, and who deceive
the Lord's covenant people. Their course will never build up Zion.
They have chosen to follow Satan and have fulfilled the measure
of those who practice priestcraft:
He (the Lord) commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts;
for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves
up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise
of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion. (2nd Nephi
26:29)
This message surely will offend some who have their hopes fixed
on the infallibility of the 'Brethren'. The truth of the word
of God must go forth to this generation and more especially to
the covenant people who have lapsed into a blind state of apostasy
from the principles they are charged with to bring about the Zion
of God. All men were offended because of the words of Enoch and
his brethren which were spoken in plainness. (Moses 6:37-38) Enoch
had the calling to declare repentance to his apostate generation.
We, as Apostles of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ
of Saints of the Last Days have the same charge today. We openly
declare the fallen condition of the LDS Church and its departure
from the principles of righteousness and the establishment of
Zion.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because
they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken
the everlasting covenant.
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell
therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are
burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:5-6)
To the casual observer and those that are spiritually in a deep
sleep, all seems to be well in Zion. Nothing could be further
from the truth. The LDS Church leaders feign piousness and righteousness,
but have not sought the welfare of Zion based on the results of
their actions. The following passages apply to the leaders in
Israel just as much today as they did when spoken to the scribes
and pharisees in the days of Christ;
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean
the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are
full of extortion and excess. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones,
and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within
ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build
the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not
have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children
of them which killed the prophets.
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation
of hell?
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and
scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some
of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them
from city to city: (Matthew 23:25, 27-34)
We feel much like Alma did when he lamented over his people who
were darkening in apostasy.
And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma
saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the example
of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from
one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction
of the people.
Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves
up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon
the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who
were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.... (vs.19)
And this he [Alma] did that he himself might go forth among his
people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the
word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their
duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the
pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among
his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were
in bearing down in pure testimony against them. (Alma 4:11-12,19)
We bear testimony that Zion will be built up in this generation.
We invite the Elect of God to awake and arise in these last days
and put on the full armor of God, even the Fulness of the Gospel.
First, you must awaken to the apostasy that exists in the LDS
Church and recognize the failure of that institution to bear off
the Kingdom of God. Second, you must seek the witness of the Holy
Ghost to guide you in all things. You must ask in humble prayer
if the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the
Last Days contains the Lord's will and authority to redeem Zion.
Thirdly, you must find out the will of the Lord through personal
revelation what He will have you do in relation to your duty to
come and help redeem Zion.
And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at
that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy
Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up
at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom
of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great
joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be. (1st Nephi
13:37)
The gathering of the Elect is taking place at this very time among
that remnant of people who are willing to hear and follow the
Spirit of the Lord, even at all hazards. The principles of Zion
are in the process of implementation. These laws must be lived
before the coming of the Lord. We invite all humble followers
of Christ to examine and pray about this message. The harvest
is great and the laborers are few. May the Holy Ghost lead you,
the reader, in the path of life and salvation is our humble and
fervent prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.