One at a time...

[Zion] isn’t built in a day.

It isn’t built in comfort and it certainly isn’t built by one person alone.

Zion is the product of many hearts knit together, each one bending to the will of God and rising to lift the burdens of another. It's not a magical place we stumble into—it’s a life we build, choice by choice, moment by moment, every time we decide to love, to labor, and to listen.

The scriptures paint Zion as a people of one heart and one mind, dwelling in righteousness, with no poor among them (See Gen 4:4 RE). But how do we get there? "Dwelling", as we just read, is the key word...

One act at a time.

In scripture, the word ‘dwelling’ carries far more weight than we often realize. It doesn’t just mean to live somewhere—it means to abide continually in a chosen state of being, sustained by ongoing intent and devotion.

Every time we benefit the life of another—genuinely and quietly—we move closer to Zion. Not because we’re keeping score, but because Zion is the natural outgrowth of a people who live the Sermon on the Mount and the Doctrine of Christ by choice.

The Lord's kingdom is not built by grand gestures, but by steady sacrifice, creative labor, and consistent submission to His voice—not just for the near term, but for the long haul. It is forged in the quiet decisions that no one sees, the tireless effort that bears fruit over time, and the kind of faithfulness that keeps moving ahead when the work gets heavy.

Zion requires our effort.

It requires us to say “yes” to God—every time.

Every Time We…

  • give our full attention to someone who is hurting—we inch toward Zion.

  • lay aside our pride to forgive—we inch toward Zion.

  • share what we have, without expecting a return—we inch toward Zion.

  • see someone overlooked and pull them into the circle—we inch toward Zion.

  • choose to speak gently instead of retaliating—we inch toward Zion.

  • wake up early or stay up late to pray for someone else’s good—we inch toward Zion.

  • labor to build something that benefits others—we inch toward Zion.

  • create beauty to uplift a desolate soul—we inch toward Zion.

  • make a meal, clean a mess, or run an errand without needing praise—we inch toward Zion.

  • listen for God’s whisper before acting—we inch toward Zion.

  • include our children and let them lead—we inch toward Zion.

  • make space for another voice at the table—we inch toward Zion.

  • sacrifice comfort to stand in the storm with someone—we inch toward Zion.

  • let the Lord rearrange our plans for His purpose—we inch toward Zion.

  • repent quickly and fully—we inch toward Zion.

  • do something hard that love requires—we inch toward Zion.

Let’s not deceive ourselves—Zion will not come without cost. It will demand something from us that casual religion never taught: everything.

But it is - or can be - a joyful sacrifice. A rebuilding of what Eden once was, here among mortals again.

And it begins—every time—we choose to love like Christ, labor with purpose, and listen with submission.

One “every time” at a time.

 "....laborers in Zion must work for the good of Zion" (2 Nephi 11:17 CE)

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