Who will be gathered and dwell in Zion?
It will be those most like the Savior himself. They will demonstrate that they are most like the Savior through their everyday service that they render to all others who stand in need. The Savior served the lowest, the poorest, the most outcast of all the people throughout the land of Israel. The angels will gather those who likewise attend to the poor, the outcast, the unwanted, the unloved, and the unappreciated in our midst. The angels will NEVER gather those who seek the spotlight; the honors and the praise of men; the glory and the attention; or even the acknowledgement and praise for their service or their work. Instead, the angels will gather those who silently serve others and do so because they love their fellow man and only wish to help however they can.
It will be difficult in our society, yet the Lord promised that He would do it. What happens when you have people with various degrees of ability to contribute in Zion. Zion will have the elderly, the young etc who can not contribute but yet consume. Everything is held in common…so how can this society function? It is because everyone will know the Lord, and have a great love for one another. It will not bother those who will work more and others less. It works because everyone has love for one another.
Everything depends on how we treat others. It is only within us. That no matter what others do, we react to them without condition and without expectation (love). Faith and Love are the most powerful forces in the Universe.
Love is all that God does. Love does drive Creation itself. Love is God’s view of creation. That is why we can have all trust and all confidence in Him. He is a loving God.
I heard this song the other day. I think it is powerful. The message is that nothing can separate us from the love of God. God's love never ends.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8: 38-39
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4 comments:
This is thought-provoking. I tend to feel very confused about Zion. No matter how much I study it (in the scriptures) I remain confused. I am beginning to think that the Lord will bring Zion when He returns, because we humans have made a huge mess of it--
haven't gotten far at all; we may even be going backwards.
I do believe there are "Zion people" all over the world, though--
and you are right; most of them are not successful by worldly standards--
but when Jesus comes all of that will be fixed--
everyone will be healed--
I have come to feel that the LDS church (to which I do belong without rancor or agenda)--
is not going to be the vehicle that promotes or brings Zion.
The word is used a lot in LDS culture, but I don't see it being established. I do, however, see the LDS church as a vehicle for bringing together people (the gospel net) who want Zion--
but I don't believe Zion will be made up strictly of LDS by any means; I feel quite convinced there will be people of all beliefs--
because Zion is the 'pure in heart', not a membership 'card' or a label--
or even a name on a piece of paper--
I also do not believe that the LDS Church will have anything to do with Zion, for I don't believe any of it's leaders from top to bottom, since Joseph died, are righteous or have true charity, which is the requirement to be in Zion. It's leaders all seem to be supporting evil and not standing for right, let alone do any seem to possess the rare trait of Charity.
There may be some rare people in (and out of) the Church who are righteous and have charity, who will be gathered to Zion, but they seem to be almost impossible to find. For I don't think I have ever known of anyone in the Church who is righteous and has Charity, or even believes in Christ's unconditional love, though most say and think they do, but when you look close they really don't.
In fact, the Church leaders often discipline people who are righteous and have true charity, because it looks wrong to them and the righteous won't go along with the Church's evil.
It would be so wonderful to know someone with true charity, let alone find a true prophet who possessed it. And I agree that angels will have to collect those few around the world who possess this charity, for they will most likely be spread out here and there around the world and not together in any formed group.
Zion will be a place where Christ's laws and Gospel are finally lived and upheld, so opposite to any Church or society we have ever heard of today.
@ anonymous at 8:29--
And I agree that angels will have to collect those few around the world who possess this charity, for they will most likely be spread out here and there around the world and not together in any formed group.
I had never thought of that before as a reason for the angels, but I think you have a valid point--
When things get very discouraging I imagine the City of Enoch. It will come down--
and they will embrace us; there will be weeping--
(Moses 7:63)
Whenever I look into it, I see scriptures that refer to the Lord bringing (again) Zion--
It is the Lord who will bring again Zion, not the church.
The church has a role today in preaching the preparatory gospel of faith, repentance, baptism of water, baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost to the world.
The church brings souls up to and thru "the gate" (2 Nephi 31:17-18). From there on, it is the individual learning to tune into the Words of Christ and learning to have "a love of God and of all men" (Charity) that will be important in reaching Eternal Life, in having a personal face to face relationship with the Savior, in having the Savior minister and prepare him/her to receive an audience with the Father, and in being prepared to be a part of Zion...when the Lord brings again Zion.
There are people in and out of the church who have real Charity. They are quiet, unassuming, kind, honest, have integrity, lack pretention, lack ambition to be in the limelight or leadership or climb the "corporate" ladder in the church. They point others to Christ and never seek for a personal following. They are family men and women serving in the shadows.
They do exist. LOVE is their only badge. In moments of greatest need they will step up and quietly lift you, and then fade back into the shadows.
They usually don't work in the COB, more likely in the Primary or the Ward Library.
If you want to find them, you have to feel them, and like so many things, "it takes one to know one".
JR
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