Thursday, March 17, 2011

Moses 7:18-19 -- On Building Zion

"And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion."
Moses 7:18-19


I love the idea of Zion... building a Zion community, and improving ourselves as people who could fit into Zion. It takes a lot of work to be a member of a Zion community. God gives us a lot of ideas about how to work towards an ideal society, and the places in the scriptures or in history where people got there or almost got there are amazing to me.

 These phrases... one heart and one mind. I don't think this means that we have to like the same kinds of music or become a hive-mind like the Borg. But it probably does mean that we have to value the same basic principles and ideals... valuing life, freedom, love for each other... and work towards the same goals.

Dwelt in righteousness: if anyone has the power to help people achieve the kind of peace and unity in a Zion community, it is God, and living his principles seems to be necessary to this kind of society. 

No poor among them: wow. That is inspiring, and humbling. They took care of each other and made sure that everyone had enough. I think it is amazing that Enoch could build a city where everyone lived that way.

I don't know if I could fit in there, but I so want to be able to someday. In working toward that, I not only need to make sure that I am communicating with and right with God, but also that I am communicating with and supporting my fellow human beings... my brothers and sisters and fellow potential members of a Zion people. This is something that we achieve together, not separately. 

Today, let's think about what we could do to make ourselves and our communities more Zionish. :) Let's talk to God about it, and take some first steps towards Zion.

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