I was recently discussing the current political environment and the issues created by government “solutions”. I mentioned to him that with all the experience I’ve had in politics, and because of my religious beliefs, I have come to the conclusion that the only true way to eliminate the problems of the world is to instill a moral society. I spent the rest of the conversation trying to explain how a moral society wouldn’t need government handouts because people would come and help their fellow neighbors; giving examples of how people managed to survive hardship before Medicare, Social Security, and food stamps were invented.
The desire to live in a utopia society is something many LDS people have and still look forward to in mortality. We call this society Zion, but most of us believe it cannot fully happen until the return of Jesus to rain for the final millennium of the earth’s temporal existence. However, there are things we can do to create our own mini Zion within our own homes and lives; being in the world but not of the world.
In W. Cleon Skousen’s book The Cleansing of America, he suggests these 45 principles that we must follow to prepare ourselves for living in a “Zion Society”. Here is my summary of what that list suggests:
- Love the Lord thy God
- Love your neighbor
- Confess God’s hand in all things
- Repent
- Enter into a Baptismal Covenant
- Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
- Endure to the end
- Value life, yours and others
- Be honest with yourself and others
- Don’t covet, or want something for nothing
- Teach your children truth
- Take care of and show respect for your family
- Live the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
- Save sex strictly for proper godly and lawful marriage
- Respect your body, and it’s abilities, don’t abuse them; especially not sexually
- Honor your covenants; especially those made to God, don’t use his name in vane
- Be fruitful, work and give service
- Pay your employees an honest wage
- Give your excesses to the poor
- Help the helpless
- Don’t partake of addictive substances or practices, no illicit drugs, alcohol, or other excesses.
- Don’t be easily offended, be a peacemaker seeking for peaceful solutions, not war or contention
- Be clean and modest in your appearance
- Beautify and take care of your home, or any portion of the earth you have stewardship over
- Pray always, in secret with real meaning not vain repetition
- Acknowledge and seek to overcome your weaknesses
- Build your treasures in heaven, much more so then earthly treasures
- Don’t riot or form mobs
- Public servants shall not accept bribes
- Judge equitably, with equity and fairness, and do your own investigating to uncover the truth
- Honor and sustain lawful government
- Continually seek for and learn truth
- Organize your knowledge, and be prepared to answer questions
- Have provisions for emergencies: food storage, supplies, and an emergency fund
- Stay out of debt, it must only be used temporarily for basic needs
- Don’t gossip or spread rumors
- Bear each others burdens, morn with those that morn