“Building Zion in Our Wards and Branches: It Can Start with Me,” Liahona, Apr. 2025.
Building Zion in Our Wards and Branches: It Can Start with Me
Having a Zion-like ward or branch is a wonderful blessing. Here are some practical ways to do that.
What would it be like if the Savior attended your ward or branch on a Sabbath day? Would the members feel not only comfortable but also joy at having Him there? What Christlike attributes would He see in the members?
The Lord commanded the early members of the Church to establish the center place of Zion in Missouri (see Doctrine and Covenants 57:1–3). In our day, we build Zion within our stakes, wards, and branches—and each of us is part of this work.
What is Zion? “The Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18).
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught how to apply this scripture in order to “establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes. … It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen.”
As we look at our service and interactions with others at church, we can ask ourselves questions like the following:
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How do I treat visitors?
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Do I seek to create unity?
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Do I do my part to invite the influence of the Holy Ghost?
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Am I faithful in fulfilling callings and ministering?
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Am I committed to attend Church meetings and the temple?
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Do I support the poor and those in need and help them move toward independence?
Although we are imperfect, we can make a difference in every one of these efforts.
Building Unity
A Zion ward or branch is reflected in how members treat others. Elder Christofferson taught that we develop greater unity by following the Savior’s commandment “to love one another not only as we love ourselves but as He loved us.” We can work to promote beautiful unity within our congregations. What can we do to become of “one heart and one mind”? (Moses 7:18). Here are some ideas:
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One sister refused to say a negative word about anyone in her ward. This impacted many others who began to act the same way.
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One brother committed to learn all the ward members’ names and greet them as often as possible.
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In one ward, the bishopric invites new people to come to the front of the chapel after sacrament meeting so they can greet them and connect them with leaders from each organization.
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The Relief Society presidency in my ward invited new sisters to introduce themselves six weeks in a row. (This was before two-hour church, when we had Relief Society each Sunday.) We would laugh each time, but it allowed us to really get to know new sisters and connect.
Becoming a Holy People
Elder Christofferson explained, “Much of the work to be done in establishing Zion consists in our individual efforts to become ‘the pure in heart’ [Doctrine and Covenants 97:21].”
What specifically can we do to become a holy people? It starts with our individual efforts to live according to the covenants we have made with God.
I lived in a ward where one woman was like a beacon of righteousness. Jessica (name has been changed) radiated love and goodness every week in our meetings. She went from person to person, greeting them and loving them—especially those who were “hanging on the edges” of the ward. She invited the lonely to her home, talked to the shy ones, and went out of her way to spread her commitment to Christ and His gospel. It impacted the entire ward for good.
Each of us can also contribute to the spiritual nature of our Church meetings by promoting understanding of the doctrine and commitment to the gospel.
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We can come prepared to remember the Savior as we partake of the sacrament with a “broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:20)—and teach our families to do so as well.
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We can seek the constant companionship and sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as we “discover the joy of daily repentance.”
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We can take notes at Church meetings and try to make inspired comments that improve the learning of each class.
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Teachers can make diligent efforts to prepare and to increase the level of learning within their classes. Extra efforts show in the high levels of class participation and the spiritual nature of the classes.
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We can keep the covenants we have made in the temple. Worshipping in the house of the Lord as often as our circumstances permit will help us draw nearer to Him, and we can invite others to go with us to support them in their temple attendance as well.
As we each work to promote spiritual strength and righteousness within our ward or branch with humble, consistent efforts, the entire congregation will be blessed and inspired to greater spirituality and dedication.
Caring for the Poor and Those in Need
King Benjamin taught many truths that can help us establish Zion. Teaching us to care for the poor and those in need, he said, “Ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need” (Mosiah 4:16).
Each of us can be part of caring and sharing. We may ask, What can I do to relieve need in my ward or branch? How can I use my resources to help the poor and those in need?
As the General Handbook explains, “Leaders can often help individuals and families find solutions to their needs by drawing on the knowledge, skills, and service offered by ward and stake members.”
Here are some inspiring examples I’ve seen:
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A sister worked with ward members who were struggling with finances and taught them how to do a budget and stick to it.
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A brother offered short-term employment in his company to help members as they looked for long-term employment.
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A sister would secretly put bags of food on the porches of families in her ward who were struggling.
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A brother taught others how to repair cars so they could learn a new skill.
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Ward members offered services—such as cutting hair, doing taxes, babysitting, preparing résumés—that the bishop could draw on to assist those in need. Because the members were willing to serve, this saved families from having to spend much-needed money on those services.
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One ministering brother organized a yard cleanup for a family with long-term illness.
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A ministering sister organized a house cleanup for an overwhelmed mother.
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Another sister gathered donations of cleaning supplies for the single moms in her ward.
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When my husband had been unemployed for many months, a young mom from our ward came to our door and offered us some money to help us. I was stunned! I will never forget her generosity.
We can work together to promote self-sufficiency and independence. As we each make an effort to care and share with those in need, we will lift the temporal and spiritual well-being of our wards and branches.
A Zion People in the Book of Mormon
The people described in 4 Nephi illustrate some of the conditions that would exist when an entire people are seeking to establish Zion. Their example provides a helpful model for us to follow. After the Lord’s visit to the Nephites:
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“The people were all converted unto the Lord” (verse 2).
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“They had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor” (verse 3).
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“There was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people” (verse 15).
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“Neither were there … any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God” (verse 17).
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“And how blessed were they!” (verse 18).
In summary, the Lord has asked all members to help build Zion (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:6), and those who have received their temple endowment have covenanted to do so. We can all work together so that our ward and branch members are of one heart and one mind with no poor among us.
The author lives in Utah, USA.