Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 46: "Zion the Pure in Heart"

Zions National Park (Angel's Landing)

Zion has been used to describe a number of different places, including Zion's National Park (see left).
Enoch's city was called "the City of Holiness, even Zion".
David's city, the ancient city of Jerusalem, was also referred to as Zion for a time.
We are told that the New Jerusalem in the latter days will also be called Zion.

What is this Zion? Reading these two scriptures might help:
Doctrine and Covenants 97:21

"Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is ^aZion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn."

Moses 7:18

"And the Lord called his people ^aZion, because they were of^bone heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them."

So we learn from these two sources that Zion is the pure in heart, those unified in heart and mind and who dwell in righteousness. Let's look at each of those characteristics a little more.

One Heart/One Mind:
This concept of unity can be hard to embrace in the modern world. Today's world is about individualism and self. If we focus on ourselves we will not achieve unity. To achieve unity we must all be focused on the same external source.

“And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness within you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things”   Doctrine and Covenants 88:67

Dwelt in righteousness: 
If everybody is focused on the glory of God, they are promised understanding. It would seem a natural conclusion that with that increased light and understanding comes more obedience. 4 Nephi shows such a people in this situation:

"And it came to pass that the thirty and fourth year passed away, and also the thirty and fifth, and behold the disciples of Jesus had formed a church of Christ in all the lands round about. And as many as did come unto them, and did truly repent of their sins, were baptized in the name of Jesus; and they did also receive the Holy Ghost...and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another."     4 Nephi 1:1-2

Notice the factors that helped people dwell in righteousness: formation of Christ's church with the proper authority, humble and sincere repentance, baptism by immersion followed by the gift of the Holy Ghost being received. Here was a people focused on the Lord. And they created a Zion. Compare that with the Saints of the early latter-days who were commanded to build a Zion but failed. Read Doctrine and Covenants 101:6 and Doctrine and Covenants 105:1-5.

The early Saints did not learn collectively what they needed to to be able to create a Zion. One of the things the Lord rebuked them for was not giving to the poor and afflicted.

There was no poor among them:
It would seem that where there is poverty there is no Zion. So should we all be working harder at our jobs? Putting in overtime? Creating more jobs? Trying to pursue wealth and money. The basic laws of economics suggest something like this might help. But look at this scripture:

“But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish"                                         2 Nephi 26:31

Did you get that? "If they labor for money they shall perish!" The way to solve poverty is not pursuing wealth. That will just kill you, spiritually and maybe physically too! Have you ever known people that say they are trying to pursue wealth to be of more use to the kingdom of God or to their family but in doing so end up spending less time with family or church because all they do is spend their time pursuing wealth. Well this seems to clearly indicate those people have it backwards. Notice the same sentiment taught in Jacob 2:18-19. First and foremost your focus should be on God and His glory. The rest will be added to you. Compare this with Mormon's vision of our day in Mormon 8:35,37.

Unlike the world today. there is no poor in Zion because everyone is focused not on themselves but on the glory of God - helping others, loving their neighbour, exalting and saving others. When that happens, you can't help but ensure everyone is provided for - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Pure in heart:

The great blessing of being pure in heart is that you shall see God (see Sermon on the Mount). Pure suggests being free of all infiltration, free of extra elements, all that is impure removed and refined. How do you become pure in heart and what then is the one element that should be left pure in our heart? 

"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever;... Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love;...that when He shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is;...that we may be purified even as He is pure. Amen"      Moroni 7:47-48

Mormon, through his son Moroni, is teaching us that the element we need in our hearts is charity and the way to get it is to pray for it with all the energy of our heart. This requires removing all thought of self, all selfish wants and desires, instead focusing with an eye single to God's glory on helping others.

One of the things that can help us achieve Zion is temples: the covenants we take upon us and the principles we learn. It is no coincidence that the Saints were continually instructed to construct a temple wherever they moved. Temples are necessary in the building of Zion in our cities and in our homes and in our hearts.

Now we have done a decent job of defining Zion, so the last word goes to President Spencer W. Kimball. In the April General Conference of 1978, President Kimball gave a brilliant talk entitled "Becoming the Pure in Heart". If you click on that title you may read or listen to the talk in it's entirety. I highly recommend a study of his words. But I will leave you with a quote of his from the talk. They are words that many will associate fondly with the prophet:

"As important as it is to have this vision in mind, defining and describing Zion will not bring it about. That can only be done through consistent and concerted daily effort by every single member of the Church. No matter what the cost in toil or sacrifice, we must “do it.” That is one of my favorite phrases: “Do It.”    Spencer W. Kimball

Do it.
Do it right.
Do it right now. 

Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 38 "In Mine Own Way"

"So there's this huge flood one day, and an entire town looks like it's going to be swallowed.
One man is sitting on the roof with the water lapping around his ankles when the emergency services come along in a boat and tell him to jump on board.
To which he says "Nah, it's ok, God will Provide"
So about an hour later they're zooming past in the boat again and they notice the man's still there, only the water's up to his waist, almost at the top of the roof.. "Quick" they say, get in the boat, it's going to get worst before it gets better.
"Nah, don't worry - God will Provide"
An hour after that a rescue helicopter flies over the area and notices the man, who must be standing on the peak of the roof now, with only his head and shoulders out of the water. "GRAB THE ROPE!" they cry "IT'S YOUR ONLY HOPE!"
"Don't worry" he replies calmly "God will provide."
So he gets drowned of course. And he goes to heaven, and is a little ticked off with Heavenly Father for drowning him like that, and expresses his concern saying "I had FAITH, I BELIEVED in you - and still you didn't help me"
"HELP YOU?!" God replies "What MORE did you want - I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"

While this is an amusing story it speaks to the theme of the lesson today. Christians are often at loggerheads on the topics of faith and works. Some even see the two principles as a dichotomy. As Latter-Day Saints we believe that they should and do co-exist but getting the right balance is really a key to surviving the floods of life that we face.

Noah was saved because he understood and followed the Lord's way.

Another man who faced a pretty severe flood and called on God and had a boat as a means of escape was Noah. As I prepared this lesson my mind has been drawn to his story a lot. And his life gives us a much better example than the man in our first story, of how to couple faith with works.

As we go through this lesson and you consider all the obstacles you encounter in fulfilling the Lord's way ponder on Noah: "a just man and perfect in his generations" he nevertheless reached a point where he and his family were the only righteous people on the earth. Talk about facing constant temptation alone.! That requires immense personal spiritual strength. How easy would it be to give in to the neighbours mocking and taunting your weird habits and lifestyle and the world condemning your "out-of-touch-with-modern-times" morality! Anyone complaining about living a little too far from their chapel or their temple? Then add on top of that a failed mission - not one convert in 120 years! Any missionaries struggling out there today? Wow! This man's testimony must have been incredible. So keep Noah in mind as we go through the lesson today.

IF YE ARE PREPARED:

Read Doctrine and Covenants 38:29-30
The Saints are pretty nervous and maybe scared and are asking the Lord why they have to leave their homes and farms and crops in New York and travel 300 miles to Ohio (wait till they see the rest of the travel itinerary!) and in reply the Lord gives them this wonderful sermon, essentially saying it might not make sense to you but trust me - it's for your good.

What elements of faith and works (trusting in the Lord's way and self-reliance) do we see in these verses? 
Some thoughts as you ponder that question:
Notice the Lord heard their prayers. Not prayer but plural...prayerS. As Oliver Cowdery declared in the footnotes of Joseph Smith History, "the Lord...is ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble". And as Nephi asked his brothers "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"(1 Nephi 15:7-8).
Consider also these questions: what does it mean to "treasure up wisdom"? Whose is the voice that "shakes the earth" and whose voice is louder? It reminds me of a loving Father who does not want to shout at His children. Instead he whispers and shakes the earth around us to get our attention without actually harming us. But if we do not listen to those quiet feelings and promptings and changes around us then the loud wickedness of men will scream in our lives and could well do harm. Which voice do you prefer to live with?
Did you see the formula the Lord gave them in these verses for be prepared for life's floods? Look again!

PRAYER + TREASURE UP WISDOM + LISTEN TO THE LORD"S VOICE = YE ARE PREPARED 

"And if ye are prepared - ye shall not fear!"
Notice how these are all actions we must undertake - but with a heavy reliance on the Lord for each item. (cf 2 Nephi 25:24 "...it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do")


IN MINE OWN WAY:

Read Doctrine and Covenants 104:13-18
3 years on from the first scripture we read and the Saints are surviving in different ways. Some are richer, some are poorer. It must have been an exciting and a tough time or as Charles Dickens may have put it,"it was the best of times and it was the worst of times".

What did the Lord teach us here?
Some thoughts as you ponder that question:
Who is the Lord going to make accountable for and a steward over earthly blessings? EVERYONE. Even the poorest of the poor has been given certain earthly blessings that they are a steward over and will be accountable for. Why do we need to be accountable for our blessings? At Christmas, could you imagine if people came back and asked what you did with the presents they gave you. Have you used them? Do you still have them? How often do you use it? I imagine for some of us it could be an awkward conversation. So, why does the Lord want to have this conversation with us?
v.15 His purpose is to provide for us all – (maybe this brings up thoughts of cf Matt 6:25-33) but then he adds a caveat…
v.16 "BUT it must needs be done in MINE OWN WAY"
What is that way?
What does that mean – poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low? Seems nice for the poor but odd and unfair for the rich – what is the Lord teaching us here? Why does he do it this way? To accommodate our agency and to teach us to love with the pure love of Christ. That really is the crux of it all.
v.17 Earth is full and there is enough to spare.
“I prepared all things..," (Would you expect any less of God - do you think He fears? NO, because he is prepared) "...and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves"(WOW! After all that preparation He then throws us and our agency in the mix. That is a tremendous amount of trust in us)
V18 so why are there people born poor and some born rich? I think it was based on the agency of man. So many bad decisions have led to a world totally out of balance with some areas in utter poverty and famine and others in wealth and abundance. (Contrast that with the city of Enoch "...and there was no poor among them")

There is enough to go around but some sit in their abundance and will not share but instead waste or throw away what they have (this reminds me of the parable of the talents)
Now read this – a news article on global food supplies just printed in September 2013

“The United Nations says there are more than 900 million hungry people in the world, and yet a new report from the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) finds nearly a third of the world's food supply—over 1.3 billion tons—goes to waste each year.

The U.N. report finds North Americans are some of the worst offenders, wasting on average more than 600 pounds of food per person each year. Globally, it’s a costly problem, too: Excluding seafood, the price tag for the wasted food amounts to $750 billion.”                                             

And what does the Lord say about this to those that have an abundance or are rich?
Doctrine and Covenants 56:16 Powerful! Do you want to be left saying "the harvest is over, the summer is ended and my soul is not saved!"

And what does the Lord say to the poor?
Doctrine and Covenants 56:17-18 Do you want to be considered as one of those that "will not labour with your own hands". These are principles you want to learn and then teach your children.

The Church has instituted a welfare program founded on these principles. The following statement from the First Presidency of the day emphasizes the purposes of the Church welfare program:

“Our primary purpose was to set up, in so far as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 3).

So how can we apply this to our temporal and spiritual lives?

The Church Handbook of Instructions explains: “To become self-reliant in resource management, Church members should pay tithes and offerings, avoid unnecessary debt, save for the future, and satisfy all of their promised obligations. Members also should use their resources, including their time, frugally and avoid wasting them”

It seems a pretty clear instruction on how to stay temporally self-reliant. I would consider this the "treasure up wisdom" part of the formula. If you add prayer and listening to and following the Lord's voice then you should be prepared for any financial problems and avoid a lot of the fear and stress others who do not follow these instructions encounter.
How about spiritually? Well just look at the same instructions but with a spiritual eye. Do you see it? Debt being sin, saving becomes building testimony, paying tithing is saying your prayers, reading your scriptures, promised obligations are fulfilling our priesthood and church membership responsibilities.

Let's conclude by going back to Noah. He cried repentance for 120 years to his people and yet they did not heed the warnings or prepare. In life, we may all face smaller floods such as a real basement flood (as some of our neighbours did a year ago) or a metaphorical basement flood as my family did this summer when I lost my job. The question is will you be prepared or will you sit on your rooftop waiting for the Lord to bale you out. I wasn’t prepared financially but luckily I was prepared a little better spiritually. I and many others prayed, I looked for jobs and submitted resumes every day, I worked hard previously at a good education, I followed the prompting to apply for a position and an industry I had never worked in before. The Lord in his loving way provided a way for us this time, because I didn't just sit around waiting...but financially it was tough because we were not prepared. At some point we must become self-reliant, prepared and faithful like Noah– whether rich or poor, spiritually or temporally – will your soul be saved because you trusted and followed in God’s way or will you find that eventually the harvest is past, the summer is ended and your soul is not saved?

*If you want to study deeper into Noah's back story and why the Lord allows man his agency and in so doing creates such a disparity between rich and poor and good and wicked on earth then study the book of Moses 7:19-52. It is a wonderful discourse on how much the Lord loves us but due to our agency requires us to love (v33 is key love one another). 
**(interesting pop quiz question – why did Methuselah end up living so long on the earth and not be taken up with the City of Zion and his dad Enoch? See 8:1-3)