D&C Section Thirty Eight

During December, Joseph had finished Moses Chapters 6 and 7. These dealt with Enoch and the city of Zion in Enoch's day. Sometimes we ask "Why?" when asked to do something. Here the Lord begins by saying who is doing the asking and then why he is asking them.And what he is asking is for the saints to gather in Ohio and teaches the importance of the gathering of Israel and establishing Zion. The gathering is both a spiritual and physical gathering. The spiritual gathering is missionary work bringing people to a true and correct knowledge of Christ, his atonement and his gospel. The physical gathering is the locating of saints in one geographic area to establish Zion. Zion is characterized by people who are pure in heart, worthy of the celestial kingdom. There are twelve characteristics of a Zion people given in this section:

1. They seek Zion with all of their hearts.
2. They hear the Lord's voice and follow it.
3. The are a free people who's lives are based on the Lord's laws. When he comes, the only laws will be his.
4. They teach one another according to the offices or callings they have received.
5. Every person esteems his brother (sister) as himself.
6. They practice virtue and holiness before the Lord.
7. They are united as one, as to the doctrine of the gospel.
8. They live the law of consecration.
9. They are endowed with power from on high. This power is both priesthood keys and an outpouring of the Spirit.
10. They see to the needs of the poor.
11. They are rich in both temporal and spiritual things.
12. They are mindful of pride and shun it.

There are some great individual verses in this section. Here a few:

"They day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day."

"Ye are clean... and there is none else with whom I am well pleased."

"I will be merciful unto your weakness."

"Hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people."

"Be one; and if ye are not one, ye are not mine."

"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

"Go out from among the wicked... Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord."