The Gathering to Zion
The gathering is for one person — the one who has read the revelations given through Joseph Smith, who has believed the promises concerning Zion, and who has quietly wondered whether those promises would be fulfilled in their lifetime.
It does not come by persuasion. Zion has never been built by persuasion, and the revelations are plain that the call to gather comes to each soul individually, by the voice of the Holy Ghost. What can be given is the whole story, told honestly, so that you may lay it before the Lord and judge for yourself whether this is the thing you have been waiting for.
The land appointed in 1831 was never revised, and the little season is ending. Weigh it. Ask God. That is the only invitation made here.
How the Community operates today
Consecration of time and talent
Upon joining the Order, members consecrate all of their time and talent unto the Lord and the building up of the kingdom of Zion. This is the heart of the covenant.
Private property and funds
Individuals and families own their own private property and keep their own accounts. Consecration in Zion does not abolish personal ownership.
Employment and taxes
Members hold ordinary jobs and are regularly employed sufficiently to cover their living expenses. That income is theirs, and individually taxable under the laws of the land, which the Community observes fully.
Consecrated stewardships
Beyond employment, each member spends part of their time as an unpaid volunteer — caring for the sick and serving neighbors, and in formal service to charitable organizations or to Zion Industries. It is given freely, with no expectation of compensation.
Zion Industries and Cooperative Associations
The productive enterprises of the Community — food, clothing, and other necessities — are largely established as Cooperative Associations under Missouri law, created for the benefit of the community as a whole.
Housing and education
Most members live in housing provided by the Order, for which they pay rent; housing is a service of the community, not an investment vehicle. Education is continual and encouraged. In Zion, learning is not a phase of life; it is a way of life.
Leaving the Order
Membership is voluntary and a member is free to leave, departing with their private property, their personal funds, and where applicable recovery of equity according to each Association's operating agreement. Consecrated volunteer time is never repaid in money, whether one stays or goes.
The document
The Gathering to Zion
An introduction to the Zion Community for those who have been waiting. It tells the whole story plainly — the prophecies, the principles, the history, and the practical order of the Community as it operates today — so that you can lay it before the Lord and judge for yourself.
It is not written to persuade. Read it carefully. Weigh it. Ask God.
Receive the document (PDF, opens in a new tab)The Zion Community
The Gathering
to Zion
An Introduction to the Zion Community for Those Who Have Been Waiting
Church of Jesus Christ in Zion