This is a talk given at Milnerton Ward of the Bellville South Africa Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 16 July 2023
Good morning, brothers and sisters. I speak to you as part of the diverse Church that we are and the great blessings that this brings to us.
The aim of
the Lord’s Church is to build Zion – the pure in heart[1],
all being of one heart and one mind.
In the context of the Saviour and His disciples living under tyrannical Roman rule, the Saviour specifically taught His disciples to be peacemakers. He said to love our enemies; to love one another as He loved God and His disciples – including us; to be one; to ‘love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might mind and strength, and to love thy neighbour as thyself’. Although He was limiting His ministry to the house of Israel at that time, He made it clear that it would in due course go to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, in their own languages.
The Church
in New Testament times started off with the House of Israel and it spread from
Jerusalem and Israel to the gentiles. Jesus Himself did extend His reach to the
woman in Samaria, and the woman who begged for help for her daughter, but in
general He limited His ministry to the House of Israel. The time was right
after Jesus had been resurrected and He sent His apostles to every nation,
kindred, tongue and people.
Saul of
Tarsus, who became Paul, had been a fierce Jewish persecutor of the Christians,
and he was called by the risen Jesus Christ specifically to be a missionary to
the gentiles. Now, indeed, every nation, kindred, tongue and people were being
invited to the Kingdom.
In the
latter days, the fullness of the Gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ were
restored in Harmony, Pennsylvania through the prophet Joseph Smith. The apostle
Dallin H Oaks spoke of Unity in Diversity in discipleship, and Elder D Todd
Christofferson said ‘Unity does not require sameness, but it does require
harmony’. The Church is created by gathering and uniting individuals from many
different cultures.
Wheels in a clock all work together to make the clock work, and so we also need all kinds and cultures to make Zion work.
Looking at Gospel Topics, we found some examples of diversity and people becoming Zion. Originally people migrated to Zion, but at this point Zion is being built everywhere so that the seed of Abraham, the House of Israel, can be leaven in every part of the loaf and lift the world everywhere, blessing the nations, and Temples dotting the Earth enable us to receive all of the covenants and promises in our own nations[2]. We can publish peace wherever we are, yea, tidings of great joy, and we and those around us can rejoice in how beautiful upon the mountains the Saints will be wherever they are, in the Temples wherever they are[3]. The righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations and shall come to Zion in our temples, chapels and homes, singing songs of everlasting joy.[4] Zion shall flourish, and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her; and she shall be an ensign unto the people.[5] Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice.[6] And I will bless her with blessings, and multiply a multiplicity of blessings upon her, and upon her generations forever and ever, saith the Lord your God.[7] Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God. Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered. They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion.[8]
Examples
from the scriptures include 4 Nephi that describes successful and then unsuccessful
examples of trying to live as one, with no poor among them, and no manner of
–ites. Love in their hearts. Following the blessing of the Saviour’s visit to
America they were left with complete peace for 200 years, so that was a state
of Zion.
The early
Christians are described in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6 – 9), uniting
of diverse people and having to accommodate customs, consecrating things to
build Zion, and now it is expanding to include the gentiles in all of the known
world.
Other
successful examples were the City of Enoch, and the attempt to establish Zion as
described in Doctrine & Covenants.
Joseph Smith sought an answer that was triggered by the lack of unity in the Christian groups of his day. He describes how ‘A scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.’[9]
In
conclusion, no blessings will be denied to the faithful of whatever nation,
kindred, tongue or people, black or white, bond or free, male or female. We are
diverse wherever we are and by embracing this unity where we are, we will build
Zion. Lifting others – we need to make sure that each person is included.
We now have
this very diverse church which has gone around the world to all countries and
continents, people of all languages, nations, races, cultures. It is this
diversity – if we embrace it – that will lead to the Church growing. Each
person in the world – each child of God – has the opportunity to become part of
Zion, being of one heart and one mind, the pure in heart.
If we are
disciples of Christ we will be able to bless the lives of all around us despite
the differences. This is how the Church will grow and how it will bless the
lives of all around the world.
There is a
constant emphasis in old and New Testament, and latter-day scriptures, to focus
on the Temple where our worship and covenants will unite us as individuals,
families, and as Saints to each other and to God for time and for all eternity.
Compared to
what the Church was in the early days, it has now become very diverse and the
Lord has made it clear that He wants us to be of one heart and one mind in
Zion. If we truly seek this, we will overcome the negative aspects of diversity
while focusing on the positive aspects of diversity around the world which will
become a strength. The Church has become so diverse that the only way that we
can truly become Zion, become one, is by embracing our diversity.
President
Howard W. Hunter taught: “The world in which we live would benefit greatly if
men and women everywhere would exercise the pure love of Christ, which is kind,
meek, and lowly. It is without envy or pride. … It seeks nothing in return. …
It has no place for bigotry, hatred, or violence. … It encourages diverse
people to live together in Christian love regardless of religious belief, race,
nationality, financial standing, education, or culture.”
Let us work
together to build this perfect state of Zion that the Lord wants us to
establish, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
