32 What shall then answer the messengers of the nations? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.
(2 Nephi 24:32, Isaiah 14:32)
Zion is the name of an ancient city established by Enoch which was taken up to heaven (Genesis 5:24, Moses 7:69). An important characteristic of that city is that “there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). They took care of each other. It was a safe and supportive society.
In the passage above, Isaiah summarizes the lesson to be learned from the prior chapters, in which he prophesies the destruction of the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires, the conquerers and scatterers of Israel: “The Lord hath founded Zion,” he says, “and the poor of his people shall trust in it.” Wealth and worldly power may result in oppression for a time, but these will not last. God’s Zion will emerge from the ashes when these temporary foundations crumble.
The prophet Joseph Smith said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson has explained that we must do three things to establish Zion:
- “Become unified in one heart and mind”
- “Become…a holy people”
- “Care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us” (“Come to Zion,” General Conference, October 2008).
Today, I will do what I can to help God establish Zion in the world. I will be a peacemaker and a unifying influence. I will avoid corrupting influences and seek to be holy. And I will take action help people who are poor and the needy.