Raising our Children in Zion

If you could create the most perfect community to raise your children in, what qualities and values would such a community have?

Zion refers to a couple of different things. Mostly it's the "pure in heart" or where the pure in heart reside. "Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn" (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21).

The Lord calls 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).

Remember the City of Enoch? In Genesis it reads:"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24).

A more detailed account is in Selections from the Book of Moses, which is "an extract from the book of Genesis of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible, which he began in June 1830" (Introduction). In it, it reads:

"And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is Fled" (Moses 7:69).

Wouldn't you want to live in a city like that? Where the pure in heart reside, where they are of one heart and mind, dwelt in righteousness, no poor and where they walked with God? How do you find such a community? You build it.

In the October 2008 general conference, D. Todd Christofferson said: "Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. . . . If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen" (Come to Zion).

Wherever we are, we are responsible to strengthen our communities. To build Zion. We need to be unified. We need to become a holier people. We need to care for the poor and needy with effectiveness. President Spencer W. Kimball gave us principles we can rely on to help us in this work: love, service, work, self-reliance, following the law of consecration, and accountability ("'And the Lord Called His People Zion'").

Wherever we are we have a responibility. If you want a such a community to raise your family in, a community where you live, you can begin the effort. You can make a difference.