Who is Keeping You Out of Zion?

 I was reading the 1840 edition of the Book of Mormon this morning, near the end of 1 Nephi where he is explaining some Isaiah verses. (All scripture quotes are from the last chapter of 1 Nephi. No other references are given, because we don't all necessarily use the same version of this book.)

He wrote: "All that fight against Zion shall be destroyed."

That should give us pause.

If we are angry at each other - if we, in the stubbornness of our pride, are accusing others of being the reason we are not in Zion - if we are contentious and angry and will accuse, interrupt, and cut off those who are trying to explain their points of view  - if we are doing all this and more, WE are the ones fighting against Zion. WE are among those who will be destroyed.

Let that sink into your mind and heart.

 

1.  God . . . will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
2. He will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come.
3. The righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire.
4. All they who fight against Zion shall be cut off.
5. For the time speedily shall come that . . . all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; 

 Versus the following:

Because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power . . . he hath no power over [their] hearts for they dwell in righteousness and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.

We should not be accusing others of doing that which we, ourselves, are doing. (When I first heard that people were essentially saying, "You are the reason we don't have Zion," my mind was blown. NO ONE is preventing YOU from having a Zion in your own mind and heart. How do you know that God has not already begun to establish a physical Zion, but you don't know about it because he won't tell you on account of you serving the devil instead of him?) 

 Have we learned nothing from the experiences of the LDS pioneers who were driven from their homes and suffered all manner of attack on their persons and homes, including the deaths of too many of them and the violation of women? Do we not comprehend how serious this path is that we have embarked on? Are we so oblivious to the power demons have over the hearts of people today that we think we won't be punished in a similar horrendous fashion if we continue in the pride of and contention in our hearts?

 Are you aware that the reason God sent Denver was not just to try to establish a people worthy of Zion, but to also warn us of our destruction if we refused to repent? Folks, this is not a game. We need to take this task of creating Zion seriously - and I suggest we begin by looking into our own hearts and, with God's help, ousting pride, fear, sacred cows, the need to always be right.

Whose side are we really on? God's side - or the Devil's?