It is a joy to be with you today on another great day at BYU-Idaho. I hope that your time here will be a time of learning and insight, a time of reflection and resolve to act on what you learn. I pray that the Holy Ghost will be with us today to teach us what the Lord wants us to do and to be.
Sister Clark and I arrived in Rexburg almost four years ago. Since that time we have focused most of our time and energies on educating the rising generation-in our own family, in our ward, and, of course, at BYU-Idaho. It is a glorious work. In that time we also have been involved in the remarkable changes taking place all across this valley-a new temple, the creation of many new wards and stakes, and the gathering together of many Latter-day Saints. We have witnessed the Saints of the latter-days building Zion in this place.
In the time we have together today, I would like to connect these two latter-day miracles-the rising generation and the establishment of Zion. You and I have an errand from the Lord to help the rising generation develop the Spirit of Zion so that all through their lives wherever they are they will build Zion.
The Prophet Joseph taught:
"The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; . . . but . . . we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory; . . .
We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object . . . ."[1]
The revelations of the Restoration give us wonderful and sure promises about the establishment of Zion. The Lord has promised that He will "raise up unto [Himself] a pure people,"[2] that the pure in heart [will] build up Zion.[3] In all these promises, the Lord does not speak in contingent language. He declares what will be. And so we know that Zion will be established, indeed, is being established, in our midst in these valleys and all across the earth. Zion will grow and strengthen if you and I and the rising generation keep the two great commandments the Lord has given us about the building up of Zion. Listen carefully to the Lord's words in the 133rd section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
"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; . . ."
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.[4]
Elder D. Todd Chistofferson said this about Babylon:
"The antithesis and antagonist of Zion is Babylon. Its worldliness, its worship of evil, . . . all combine to make Babylon the symbol of decadent societies and spiritual bondage."[5]
And so, these are the two great commandments: 1) go out from spiritual Babylon; and 2) go forth to Zion, that Zion may go forth. These commandments are in force in our day. We are to flee Babylon and gather to the covenant people of the Lord in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are to leave the towers and the great and spacious buildings of Babylon, and we are to come to Zion and stand in holy places.
As we reflect on how we can help the rising generation to flee Babylon and come to Zion, it may be helpful to think of spiritual Babylon as a great city. In its core, where the neon lights shine bright, there is much wickedness-violence, gross immorality, robbery, adultery, terrible abuse, and all the values and attitudes that support wickedness on a grand scale. It is the center of debauchery and evil.
Outside the core of the city lie the suburbs of Babylon; here there is also sinfulness and wickedness, but they are more subtle. Here we find pornography, drugs, alcohol, love of money and power, covetousness, corruption, anger, and revenge. As we move further, we come to the rolling hills of Babylon. Here, too, there is sin; but it is in the form of selfishness, gossip, impatience, laziness, contention, entitlement, and pride.
The command to go out from Babylon is a command to leave not only the core of the city, but the suburbs and the rolling hills.
Elder Christofferson said this about fleeing Babylon and coming to Zion:
"To come to Zion, it is not enough for you or me to be somewhat less wicked than others. We are to become not only good but holy men and women. Recalling Elder Neal A. Maxwell's phrase, let us once and for all establish our residence in Zion and give up the summer cottage in Babylon."[6]
You and I and the rising generation face at least two great challenges in fleeing Babylon and establishing Zion.
Challenge #1: Babylon is all around us
If Babylon were a place, we could just leave; but it is not a place. It is all around us. It is a pattern of worldly doctrines, attitudes, and actions that permeate our culture and our society.
Elder David R. Stone described the pervasive nature of Babylon this way:
"With the encroachment of Babylon, we have to create Zion in the midst of it. We should not allow ourselves to be engulfed by the culture which surrounds us. We seldom realize the extent to which we are a product of the culture of our place and time."[7]
Babylon is the world and everything of the world. For some of the rising generation, and even for some of us, being in Babylon is like being a fish in water. The water is so pervasive and so common the fish does not even recognize that there is such a thing as water. So it may be for some of us with the patterns and culture of Babylon.
If the young people of the rising generation are to flee Babylon, they must recognize and reject its patterns-the doctrines, attitudes, and practices that are pervasive in our society. The gospel of Jesus Christ must penetrate deep into their hearts. Through repentance, obedience, and the sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost, their values and attitudes and very nature must be transformed by the power of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. They must become new creatures in Christ-the covenant, consecrated people of the Lord.
That will only happen if they get all the way out-out from the center, from the suburbs, and from the rolling hills of Babylon. This means they must recognize what Babylon is and flee it, which brings us to the second challenge.
Challenge #2: The attitudes of Babylon are often cleverly disguised, masked, and hidden behind words and images that fight against Zion
Babylon is not just an alternative way of life; Babylon actively fights against Zion. Some of the attacks on Zion are clear, even blatant efforts to lure the rising generation into the evil center of Babylon or into the suburbs of pornography and drug abuse. But many of the attacks are subtle, even disguised temptations that carefully persuade the rising generation to adopt the doctrines, attitudes, and behavior of the rolling hills of Babylon.
Behavior and attitudes that violate God's commandments are presented in the doctrines of popular culture with words and images that camouflage their true nature. Attitudes that could lead to wickedness-for example, selfishness and immodesty-are held up as enlightened and advanced, acclaimed in society and popular media. Practices that weaken the family are cloaked in the language of career success, personal pride, and self-realization.
Elder Stone described this deception and its effects on us this way:
"Our culture tends to determine what foods we like, how we dress . . . and our attitudes toward honesty. It also influences men as to the importance of recreation or religion, influences women about the priority of career or childbearing, and has a powerful effect on how we approach procreation and moral issues. All too often, we are like puppets on a string, as our culture determines what is 'cool.'"[8]
These are the great challenges of Babylon-it is all around us, and its most insidious elements that fight against Zion are hidden and disguised. If we are to help the rising generation develop the spirit of Zion and build Zion, we must help them see Babylon and we must help them see Zion.
But this is the great blessing of Zion. Zion is not hidden or disguised. Zion is bright and shining. It is the ensign to the nations. And once you see Zion, you can see Babylon much more clearly. It is like seeing the difference between the sun and neon lights. Once you have seen the sun and felt its warmth and life and power, you can see neon lights for what they really are-flash and buzz; but artificial, lifeless, and empty.
The rising generation can see Zion and the building of Zion in the temples of the Lord, in living prophets, in the rolling forth of the kingdom of God in the earth. But their most powerful and important perspective is what they see of Zion in our lives. At the temple at Bountiful, the Savior said this:
"Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up-that which ye have seen me do.
I have commanded that . . . ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world."[9]
The rising generation will see the Savior and feel His love and mercy and grace; and they will see and feel Zion in us, in what we teach, in what we do, and in who we are.
In the words of Elder Christofferson:
"Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, t'he 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' (Moses 7:18). We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen-Zion will come only as they happen."[10]
I want to use these three characteristics to frame our discussion of what you and I must do to help the rising generation develop the patterns of Zion in their lives.
1. Unity: The people of Zion are of one heart and one mind-unified in Christ. They are one, and they are His. 2. Pure in heart: Zion is the pure in heart. The people of Zion dwell in righteousness; the laws of the celestial kingdom prevail in Zion. The people of Zion are a holy people. 3. No poor among them: There are no poor among the people of Zion, neither in food and clothing, nor in spiritual strength and support. Among the people of Zion, "every man [seeks] the interest of his neighbor."[11]
At the heart of each of these overarching characteristics are patterns of values, attitudes, and actions that help us build Zion. We can't build Zion by passively waiting for someone else to do something to us or for us. We build Zion by acting in faith under the direction of the Holy Ghost to understand, internalize, and apply the doctrines of salvation and to recognize and flee from the corresponding attitudes and practices of Babylon that fight against Zion.
Let me illustrate what I mean with a few examples connected to each of the three characteristics of Zion. Let's begin with "Unity."
Unity
Pattern #1: Forgiveness
We are commanded to forgive all men. Forgiveness is essential to establishing Zion. We all sin; we all make mistakes. If we do not forgive one another, we deny the power of the Atonement. Those hurts fester and become resentments and anger. They destroy unity and dissolve the bonds of charity that are essential to Zion.
In Babylon, people always feel like victims. They seek blame, punishment and vindication for even the slightest inconvenience. There is no forgiveness in Babylon. In their pride the people of Babylon are easily offended, hold grudges, and give voice to anger and resentment.
Pattern #2: Humility; Cooperation
An attitude of humility is central to a life centered in Christ. The people of Zion are of one heart and mind because they are humbly united in Christ. Each seeks the interest of his neighbor, so there is in Zion an attitude and practice of humble cooperation.
Pride rules in Babylon. The basic attitude is: What is in it for me? Babylon thrives on competition, envy, and comparisons with others. Selfishness and materialism breed self-promotion and contention. In modern Babylon we hear the echo of Korihor: "every man prosper[s] according to his genius, . . . every man conquer[s] according to his strength."[12]
Pure in Heart
Let's now turn to three patterns that help us to be pure in heart.
Pattern #3: Obedience to God
Obedience to God is the foundation of Zion. It is the pathway to purity of heart and becoming a holy people. An attitude of obedience is essential to building Zion. In its highest form, obedience comes from feeling Christ's love, in turn, loving Him, acting in faith in Him, and submitting our will to His.
In Babylon the countervailing pattern is rebellion: "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god."[13]
Pattern #4: Modesty
The people of Zion are modest-in dress, in behavior, in language. They know and live the doctrine that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost.
The attitude and practice of modesty brings moderation, simplicity, humility, and purity of thought and action. The modest people of Zion avoid sensuality in dress and arrogance and brashness in behavior.
Immodesty in dress, language, and behavior is the way of Babylon. For women this is the world of short skirts, scoop-neck tops, plunging necklines, high-slit skirts, short shorts, and the immoral thoughts and actions that go with them. For men, this is the world of low-slung pants; tank tops; unbuttoned shirts; arrogant, suggestive language; and immoral behavior.
Pattern #5: Personal Responsibility
We have the Light of Christ, and we have moral agency. Each of us is personally accountable and responsible for our actions and our thoughts according to the light and knowledge we have received. Personal responsibility is essential to repentance and, thus, to the building of Zion.
In Babylon the attitude is: The rules don't apply to me; I am special. The culture of Babylon teaches the rising generation that: "My behavior is not my responsibility. It is socio-economic forces or someone else that makes me do what I do." In Babylon, no matter what you do, it is always someone else's fault.
No Poor Among Them
I now turn to the third characteristic of Zion, that there are no poor among them.
Pattern #6: Sacrifice
In Zion, each person "esteem[s] his brother as himself"[14] and "seek[s] the interest of his neighbor"[15] even if it means a sacrifice of time, resources, or convenience. Following the example of the Son of God, a willingness to sacrifice so that others may be blessed is a hallmark of Zion.
An attitude of entitlement permeates Babylon. Bred by pride and feelings of "victimhood," the people of Babylon feel that what they have is theirs by right. Not only do they not have to share what they already have, they have a right to get more of what they want. They are entitled.
Pattern #7: Work
In Zion, work is essential. It is the way we create things of value and take care of each other. It is ennobling and good. In Zion, "the laborer[s] in Zion . . . labor for Zion,"[16] and they work hard.
In Babylon, the ideal is something for nothing. Working hard is denigrated. Gambling is celebrated. The smart people of Babylon look for deals where they can take advantage of someone and get something for nothing.
These are patterns of Zion we must teach the rising generation. They need to see, understand, and live the patterns of Zion; and we need to help them recognize and flee from the attitudes and practices and doctrines of Babylon. I believe the key to meeting this challenge is in this statement by Enos, son of Jacob:
"Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man-for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord-and blessed be the name of my God for it."[17]
The nurture of the Lord is His warmth and kindness, support, comfort, lifting and strengthening power; His mercy and grace; His divine encouragement, good cheer, confidence, and hope. The nurture of the Lord is the pure love of Christ. We need to love the rising generation the way the Lord loves them.
The admonition of the Lord is the laws and commandments of the Lord, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the doctrines of salvation, the ordinances and covenants of the temple. The admonition of the Lord is the standard of the gospel. We need to teach doctrine and set high standards for the rising generation, especially by living them ourselves.
These two dimensions combine to create a framework I have found useful in thinking about how to teach and coach young people in the doctrines and the attitudes of Zion. This diagram maps our approach to teaching and coaching the rising generation in the nurture and admonition of the Lord:
| ← | Love | → | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Low | High | |
Setting Standards | High | Babylon | Zion |
↓ | Low | Babylon | Babylon |
With love-low to high-arrayed across the diagram, and setting standards-low to high-arrayed up and down, we get four zones: 1) low love, low standards; 2) high love, low standards; 3) low love, high standards; and 4) high love, high standards.
Whether you are a parent with children at home, a grandparent, a teacher, an advisor, or a Church leader, if you are teaching and coaching and mentoring the rising generation, you need to be in the upper right zone-you need to be in the zone of Zion, the zone of high love and high standards. There are two reasons.
First, the upper right is the only zone where we ourselves are fully living the gospel. It is the only zone where we follow the Lord's command to love one another, including young people, with the pure love of Christ. It is the only zone where we teach the standards of the gospel by precept and by example, the way the Savior would teach them.
Second, the upper right is the only zone where you can teach and coach the patterns of Zion effectively. Think about trying to teach a Zion pattern like forgiveness in any other zone. If you don't love them and don't show them that you care for them, you can tell them about forgiveness, even demand that they forgive, but you won't touch their hearts.
Even if you live the standards, you can't teach and coach attitudes unless the gospel is getting into their hearts. And if you don't teach and live the standards by forgiving others, you will not help them see the power of Zion, even if you have great love for them. They will feel your love, but your actions and your words will teach them that forgiveness is not important.
The zone of Zion is the best place to be; but I know from my own experience and the experience of many, many teachers and parents that many of us end up in the other three zones. We end up in the zones of Babylon. Sometimes we get there because we don't care enough to either nurture or admonish. Sometimes we get there because we emphasize only one of the dimensions of the framework-we love but set the standards too low, or we set high standards but love too little.
Being in the zone of Zion takes courage and discipline and faith. To be there you must do two things at the same time-you must show great love and support and encouragement; and, at the very same time, you must teach doctrine, set high expectations, and hold young people accountable. There are so many examples. When they are very young, you teach them the value of work by making them work.
I can hear the voice of my mother saying, "You can play baseball with your friends, but you have to get your work done first." When they are older, you teach them to be modest by being modest yourself. You love and support them, but you also expect of them a high standard of dress and behavior, even if that standard is unpopular. You help them to forgive by teaching them the doctrine of the Atonement, including the Savior's great love for them. You help them feel His love and develop a testimony of Him, and then coach them to forgive those who hurt them. You teach them not to be offended, and you hold them accountable to forgive.
And so, my dear brothers and sisters, this is my message: You and I are an important part of the nurture and admonition of the Lord for the rising generation. We can help the rising generation flee Babylon and come to Zion if we will love them and set high standards for them. That means the spirit of Zion must be in our hearts and the patterns of Zion evident in our lives.
The gospel of Jesus Christ must be deep down in our hearts. You and I know. We know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ. We know the gospel has been restored. We know the gospel is true. We know that Zion is being established all across the earth. We know that the patterns of Babylon-even in its rolling hills-lead to misery and heartache and destruction. We know the patterns of Zion will build Zion and that in Zion there is joy, happiness, peace, and power.
May God bless us to build Zion in our hearts, in our homes, in our wards and branches. And may we bring up the rising generation in the nurture and admonition of the Lord so that the doctrines, attitudes, and practices of Zion will go deep down in their hearts.
I leave you with my witness that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer. This is His church and kingdom, restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It will never be taken from the earth again. It will grow and flourish. With the help of heaven, you and I and the rising generation will accomplish the great work the Lord has for us to do.
Zion will be established in all of her millennial glory, and the Lord will come again to rule and reign, the King of Kings. I bear witness that these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2007, 186
[2] D&C 100:16
[3] D&C 101:18
[4] D&C 133:7, 9
[5] D. Todd Christofferson, "Come to Zion," Ensign, Nov 2008, 37
[6] D. Todd Christofferson, "Come to Zion," Ensign, Nov 2008, 39
[7] David R. Stone, "Zion in the Midst of Babylon," Ensign, May 2006, 90-93
[8] David R. Stone, "Zion in the Midst of Babylon," Ensign, May 2006, 90-93
[9] 3 Nephi 18:24-25
[10] Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "Come to Zion," Ensign, Nov 2008, 38
[11] D&C 82:19
[12] Alma 30:17
[13] D&C 1:16
[14] D&C 38:24
[15] D&C 82:19
[16] 2 Nephi 26:31
[17] Enos 1:1 (emphasis added)