December 1, 2009 (written Feb. 15-16, 2009)
Re: Zion To be Built
From: Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard M. Pratt
“We believe that Zion will be built upon this, the American Continent.” The word Zion means, “The Pure in Heart” which could qualify only one people and that would be those who have been gathered by the Lord, had revealed to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was lost from the earth during the 1500 years of time called by the world, “the Dark Ages.”
This same gospel must be restored again which can only be done by revelation from God to man. And that man or men thru whom the Lord speaks is called by the Lord a Prophet.
The Old Testament prophet, Amos said, “Surely the Lord God doeth nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Now as the Lord will only work thru prophets and so-called Christendom denies prophets and revelation then their very denial is proof that they are not functioning under authority of God.
Therefore the church, as amply testified to by the Holy Bible, must either be restored with Prophets or there is no true church on earth.
Well it has been restored with an abundance of evidence and witnesses and we know that the warning voice of God is on the earth in the mouths of living witnesses of which I am one. Believe me, I know what I am writing is true. Please believe me! Therefore as we consider the topic, Zion ~ what it means ~ and where will it be located can be understood only by considering the words of living prophets. Yet there is ample discussion of Zion in both the Old and New Testaments to substantiate the claim of modern prophets as to the meaning , location, purpose and future to Zion.
There are many statements in the Old and New Testaments which say ~ “For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” Today they are confused as being one and the same which is not true. Isaiah 2:23, Micah 4:1-3 are good examples.
It appears that Jerusalem will be the gathering place for Judah and her people and Zion~established in the tops of the mountains would be the gathering place for Ephraim and the rest of Israel. This became very evident to the prophet Joseph Smith soon after he started translating the Book of Mormon. As he talked about it the members became anxious to know the site.
By revelation the Prophet was inspired to say that it would be in the West on the borders of the Lamanites (Indians)
In October 1830 Doctrine and Covenants 32 was given. In which Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson were called to go into the wilderness among the Lamanites and they were promised that nothing shall prevail against them.
(I hope you noticed the familiar name among the four men that were to go forth as directed until they found the site of Zion.)
From Parley P. Pratt’s journal we read ~ (wish you could read the whole chapter! Very exciting!) “Late in October we started on foot” (they traveled about 200 miles and called on Sidney Rigdon an old friend of Pratts and after a few days baptized him and about 125 others)
“We now pursued our journey for some days and stopped with the Wyandotte Indians, spent several days with them and were well received. Taking an affectionate leave of this people, we continued on to Cincinnati. We took passage on a steamer for St. Louis, arrived at the mouth of the Ohio River and finding the river blocked with ice the boat could go no further. We therefore landed and pursued our journey on foot for two hundred miles and spent several days near St. Louis and preached to large congregations.
In the beginning of 1831 we renewed our journey and traveled on foot for 300 miles thru vast prairies and thru trackless wilds of snow, no roads, houses few and far between; and the bleak northwest wind always blowing in our faces with a keenness which would almost take the skin off the face. We traveled for whole days, from morning till night, without a house or fire, wading in snow to the knees at every step and the cold so intense that the snow did not melt on the south side of the houses, even in the mid day sun. for nearly six weeks. We carried on our backs our change of clothing, several books and corn bread and raw pork. We often ate our frozen bread and pork by the way, when the bread would be so frozen that we could not bite or penetrate any part of it but the outside crust.
After much fatigue and some suffering we all arrived in Independence in the county of Jackson, on the extreme western frontiers of Missouri, and of the United States.
This was about fifteen hundred miles from where we had started, and we had performed most of the journey on foot. Thru a wilderness country. In the worst season of the year, occupying about four month during which we had preached the gospel to tens of thousands of gentiles and two nations of Indians; baptizing, confirming and organizing many hundreds of people into churches of Latter Day Saints. We were the first members of the church which were ever on this frontier (the Missouri River was our Western U.S. boundary.)
In February it was decided that one of us must return and report our mission and get a few books. I was selected to do so. I immediately started the long road back in nine days I reached St. Louis a distance of 300 miles. (averaged 33 ½ miles a day WOW! What a Grandpa we have!) He managed to go by boat then for a ways and again walked 250 miles came down with the measles, very sick, taken in by strangers and nursed for about ten days then continued homeward.
After a few weeks rest the Prophet had him return taking his brother Orson as a companion.
They didn’t know it yet but they had found the ancient and future site of Zion.
All of this time he is away from his wife with of course no mail, once he got, by word of mouth that she was ok.
As a result of this mission, the prophet, by the same tedious, process visited Jackson County Missouri and in July, 1831 by revelation declared; “Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence, Jackson county, Missouri is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse.
Wherefore, it is wisdom that land should be purchased by the saints, and also every tract lying westward, even unto the line running directly between Jew (Indians) and Gentile. And also every tract bordering by the prairies, in as much as my disciples are enabled to buy lands, behold, this is wisdom, that they may obtain an everlasting inheritance. D & C 57:1-5
Much land was purchased by the rapid influx of Saints, but because of dissension and disobedience the Lord allowed their enemies to drive them off and confiscate their land. By all the rights of law the land is still theirs!
In recent years the church has repurchased about twenty acres of the original sixty acres Temple site and have a church visitors center there on, adjoining this twenty acres is a three acre parcel owned by a small apostate group where four large stones mark the corners of the temple laid out by Joseph Smith and where someday a temple will stand, the Center Temple of Zion.
When we were there in 1965 this small group of about 600 people were very friendly and had approached the then President of the Church, (I think it was President McKay) about joining the two churches together. The Prophet smiled and said that would be real easy, “all you have to do is repent and be baptized....”
I don’t know the current status but when the Lord is ready we will not only have the temple site but all the land stolen from the Saints with apparently the open consent of the U. S. Government. At least they made no effort when appealed to. I believe it was President Buchanan who made the infamous statement to a delegation of three or four brethren including Joseph Smith. “Gentlemen, your cause is just but the government can do nothing for you.” What he was really saying was; “I can’t do anything for you or I’ll lose the next election.” (He lost anyway!)
I’ve so very briefly discussed the location and meaning of “Zion”. And only have three and a half pages to explain the “purpose and future.”
The purpose of Zion is to be one of the two capital cities from which the world will be governed under the Lord Jesus Christ. The other is of course Jerusalem. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law (Priesthood) and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Holy Bible and further revealed words of God)
both areas were so designated from the beginning. And in fact, the area around Independence was the site of the Garden of Eden. And from this center Adam and Eve went forth to populate the world.
About 1665 years later the so called “Noah’s Flood” wiped out everything even to changing drastically the geography of the world.
Where Noah build the Ark we don’t know except it was not close to an ocean. A year after it floated it came to rest on top of a mountain called Ararat at the head waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers between the Southern ends of the Black and Caspian Seas. Today it’s on the Russian - Turkish border. Here they left the ark descended down the rivers and commenced a new to populate the earth.
Of course all pre deluged land marks were washed away and or buried so modern “smart guys” claim that is where modern man started and that if there was a garden of Eden it was in the Mesopotamia area (means land between two rivers).
To fill its purpose, then Zion must be reestablished and rebuilt. Currently the site is heavily populated with the East - West superhighway #70 running thru the area.
Well it will all be removed to the point that there won’t even be a yellow dog to wag it’s tail in opposition to the return of the Saints. How? Lets leave it in the hands of the Lord. He is used to handling and solving the problems that come forth to block his plans.
But it appears from prophecies that their will be in those United States great upheavals of nature, floods, tornadoes etc. plus civil strife until every thing is prepared to build the eternal Zion from which will go forth the law by which God shall rule the earth.
Then shall the Saints return to Zion to build the city and the temple for the permanent eternal rule of the world.
A quote from Orson Pratt: “In that day the City of Zion will be the capital of the land - the seat of government; and the Lord will make her officers, peace officers, and her exacters will be clothed with righteousness. And the time will come when violence shall no more be heard in the land, neither wasting nor destruction within her borders. In those days swift ambassadors will be sent forth to foreign nations, with a law, offering peace and salvation to all who will become subject to the same. And it will come to pass, that many nations will say, “Surely Zion is the City of our God. Wherefore let us become subject to her laws, and many kings and honorable men of the earth will visit America, and go up to Zion, to be taught in the ways of the Lord, and to be instructed in his paths. Thus will the Holy One of Zion “Bring to pass his act, his strange act, and perform his work, his strange work.” from the discourses of Orson Pratt page 149
Look forward to it.....BE PART OF IT I PRAY!
All my love,
Dad, Grandpa brother etc.
Richard Pratt
I know that Dad would especially want a Christmas message to each of us. Look in Grandma’s autobiography pages 12-15 and enjoy what Christmas was like for her growing up. It includes the Kearl Christmas fruit cake! Yummy. Passed down from Germany.
Take a minute and look at the poems in Dad’s Autobiography on page 99, (by Kay) page111, I can’t and I can one Dad taught us and quoted often. page 221, I Am a Child of God by Dawn. These inspire me to set goals and work hard.
“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep. God is not dead nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail the right prevail with peace on earth good will toward men.”
Let the bells and feelings of Christmas ring in your hearts all year long. Where does this start? Within the walls of our own homes. As we come to know Christ and center our lives in him, we will be led to be kinder, more loving, more thoughtful, more forgiving, more gentle, indeed we will want to put on the whole armor of God becoming as he is. Dad and Mom set the example for us as did their parents before them.
Joy to the world , the tiny baby born of Mary in Bethlehem lived the life he was sent to live and did give it willing for us. Each of us is a treasured son or daughter of God and with that we can proclaim as did Nephi....I will go I will do as the Lord commands! Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all of you. May we fill our homes with the best of glad tidings.
Love, Rose and all
Dad’s blog site is to be shared with anyone you would like to send it to.
Http://www.prattmemos.blogspot.com/
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY ALL THE BEST FILL YOUR HOMES THIS YEAR! LOVE AND BEST WISHES.
