Zion—the New Jerusalem

Mormon History 1830-1844

Joseph

Bios

Zion—the New Jerusalem


Scriptures and statements regarding Zion and/or the New Jerusalem.
		Revelation
		And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.	Revelation 21:1–4

[June] 1830		Moses
		And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof …	Moses 7:62

September 1830		Manuscript History (Draft)
Hiram Page's revelations about Zion and the church		Brother Hyram Page had got in his opossession a certain stone <by> which he obtained certain revelations concerning the upbuilding of Zion the order of the Church and so forth, but which were entirely at variance with the order of Gods House …	1839 draft history in Papers 1:262. ¶ Hiram Page

		Joseph Fielding Smith
Ether 13 prompts Hiram's revelations	¶	… In reading the Book of Mormon (Ether 13) it was discovered that Zion, or the New Jerusalem, was to be built upon this continent. This prediction caused some speculation at that early day and Hiram Page endeavored to settle the question by means of revelation received through his stone.	History and revelation 1:125n1. Ether 13:1–13 refers to the city as the New Jerusalem. Zion does not apppear.

		D&C 28 (Ezra Booth Text)
Among the Lamanites	¶	And now behold, I say unto you, that it is not revealed, and no man knoweth where the City shall be built, but it shall be given hereafter.	Ezra Booth version (December 8, 1831). Cf. ¶ D&C 28:9–10. city: city of Zion, after 1835
		Behold I say unto you, that it shall be among the Lamanites.	among: on the borders by, BC 30:9

November 1830		Geauga Gazette
Descendants of Manesseh to gather into		DELUSION.—About two weeks since, three men, calling themselves Oliver Cowdry, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, appeared in our village, laden with a new revelation, … [They] have now gone west for a country they know not where, west of the Mississippi, where they say is a holy spot, and there are to establish a New Jerusalem, into which they say will be gathered all the [natives] who they say are descendants of Manesseh.— They say they are led by the spirit and will know the ground when they place their feet on it.	"Delusion," Le Roy Gazette, March 17, 1831, reprint of Geauga Gazette, issue as yet not found. Link to source at Dale Broadhurst website. Martin Harris was not with the Lamanite missionaries.

February 9, 1831		D&C 42
	9	… it shall be revealed unto you, from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared that ye may be gathered in one, that ye may be my people and I will be your God	BC 44:9. Cf. D&C 42:9

March [6–7], 1831		D&C 45
Gather riches to buy inheritance New Jerusalem, city of refuge	59	… and with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you, and it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the most high God;	BC 48:59–67. Cf. ¶ D&C 45:65–71.
Glory and terror, Zion	60	And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it:
Flee to Zion	61	And it shall be called Zion:
	62	And it shall come to pass, among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
All others at war	63	And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven:
	64	And it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
Wicked fear Zion	65	And it shall be said among the wicked, let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible:
	66	Wherefore we cannot stand.
Righteous sing	67	And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion singing, with songs of everlasting joy.

March [8–13], 1831		D&C 51
Save all you can to buy land	4	It must needs be necessary, that ye save all the money that ye can, and that ye obtain all that ye can in righteousness, that in time ye may be enabled to purchase land for an inheritance, even the city.	BC 51:4–6. Cf. D&C 48:4–6.
City location to be revealed	5	The place is not yet to be revealed, but after your brethren come from the east, there are to be certain men appointed, and to them it shall be given to know the place, or to them it shall be revealed; and they shall be appointed to purchase the lands, and to make a commencement, to lay the foundation of the city;
Presidency and bishop distribute land	6	And then shall ye begin to be gathered with your families, every man according to his family, according to his circumstances, and as is appointed to him by the presidency and the bishop and elders of the church, according to the laws and commandments, which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive; even so: Amen.	Red: added in 1835 Blue: dropped in 1835 The office of President of the High Priesthood was instituted November 11, 1831. Presidents of the High Priesthood

June [6], 1831		D&C 52
		Following the first Kirtland conference (Minutes of June 3–6, 1831), Joseph, Sidney, and other elders are called to go to Missouri, preaching as they travel. In Independence they are to hold another conference.
Gather in Missouri	43	And thus, even as I have said, if ye are faithful ye shall assemble yourselves together to rejoice upon the land of Missouri, which is the land of your inheritance, which is now the land of your enemies.	BC 54:43–45. Cf. D&C 52:42–44. Enemies
Lord will hasten the city	44	But, behold, I, the Lord, will hasten the city in its time,	BC 54:43–45. Cf. D&C 52:42–44. Enemies
Crown the faithful	45	And will crown the faithful with joy and with rejoicing.

June 14, 1831		Ezra Booth
28 missionaries Miracles anticipated Expect to remain in Missouri		After all the good followers of Jo Smith from York state had got fairly settled down in this vicinity, which Rigdon had declared to be their "eternal inheritance," Jo. must needs invent another "command from God." At a meeting of the tribe on the 3d inst. the fact was made known to them that 28 elders must be selected and ordained, to start immediately, for Missouri. … It is said they are about to commence an establishment some 500 miles up the Missouri where they contemplate building the New Jerusalem, and they have expressed doubts whether few if any of them will ever return to this "land of promise."	Painesville Telegraph qtd. in Revelations, 137n8. ¶ Ezra Booth Letters (4–6) emphasizes the expectation of the party to witness and perform miracles on their way. ¶ Ezra Booth Letters (4–6) also refers to the high hopes and expectations of the elders.

June 19, 1831		Manuscript History
		Joseph, Sidney, Martin Harris, W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, Sidney and Elizabeth Gilbert, and Joseph Coe leave Kirtland for Jackson County (900 miles).	MS history in Papers 1:356; also Times & Seasons, vol. 5 no. 4 (February 15, 1844): 434; HC 1:188.

July 14, 1831
		Joseph, Edward, Martin Harris, W. W. Phelps, and Joseph Coe reach Independence <.	Knight recollection, 39.

July 20, 1831		D&C 57 (Kirtland Revelation Book Text)
Gather in Missouri Independence the center place	¶	Hearken O ye Elders of my church saith the lord your God who have assembled yourselves together, according to my commandments in this land which is the land of Missouri which is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints Wherefore this is the land of promise and the place for the city of Zion	Kirtland Revelation Book, 89–91. Sidney Gilbert, W. W. Phelps, and Oliver move to Zion. Cf. D&C 57.
Location of the temple		And thus saith the Lord your God if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom behold the place which is now called Independence is the center place. [90] and the Spot for the temple is lying westward upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse
Purchase lands		Wherefor[e] it is wisdom that the Land should be purchased by the saints and also every tract lying {-} westward even unto the line running directly between Jew and {J}Gentile and also every tract bordering by the prairies in asmuch as my disciples are enabled to buy lands behold this is wisdom that they may obtain it for an everlasting inheritance
Convert Lamanites		… and also let my servant Sidney obtain a license Behold here is wisdom and whoso readeth let him understand that he may send goods also unto the Lamanites even by whom I will as clerks employed in his service and thus the gospel may be preached unto them.	Sidney: Sidney Gilbert Published versions (1835 D&C to present) omit reference to Lamanites.

February 16, 1832		D&C 76
Come to Mount Zion	66	[Those of the first resurrection] are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.	¶ D&C 76:66.

September 22, 23, 1832		D&C 84 (Newel K. Whitney Text)
Mount Zion called city of New Jerusalem	¶	…yea the word of the Lord concerning his church established in the last days for the restoration of his people as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets and for the gathering, of his saints to stand upon mount Zion, which shall be called the city of New Jerusalem,	Whitney papers. Cf. D&C 84:2–5, 98–102.
Begin at temple Dedicated by Joseph and others		which city shall be built begining at the temple lot which is appointed by the finger of the Lord in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jr. and others with whom the Lord was well pleased,
Build temple in this generation		verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathring of the saints begining at this place, even the place of the Temple,
Glory of the Lord shall fill it		which Temple shall be reared in this generation for verely this generation shall not all pass away untill an house shall be built unto the Lord and a cloud shall rest upon it which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord which shall fill the house …
New song		until all shall know me who remain even from the least unto the greatest and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up the their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song, saying
Lord hath brought again Zion Redeemed his people Satan bound God stands with people Full of mercy, justice, grace, truth, peace		the lord hath brought again Zion the Lord hath redeemed his people Israel, according to the election of grace which was brought to pass by the faith and covenant of the[i]r fathers, the Lord hath redeemed his people and Satan is bound and time is no longer the Lord hath gathered all things in one the Lord hath brought down Zion from above the Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath the earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength and truth is established in her bowels and the heavens have smiled upon her and she is clothed with the glory of her God for he standeth stands in the midst of his people, glory and honor and power and might be ascribed to our God for he is full of mercy Justice grace and truth and peace for ever and ever Amen
		Zion—City Plot Zion Regulations Temples of the New Jerusalem Jackson County Missouri Joseph Smith