This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| Zion (Latter Day Saints) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Zion |
| Caption | Symbolic depiction of Zion in 19th-century Latter Day Saint art |
| Founder | Joseph Smith Jr., Brigham Young |
| Founded date | 1830s |
| Founded place | Kirtland, Ohio, Independence, Missouri |
| Associated religion | Mormonism, Latter Day Saint movement |
| Notable texts | Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon |
Zion (Latter Day Saints) is a multifaceted concept in Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement that combines theological, communal, and geographic meanings. It appears in sacred texts such as the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants and influenced the practices of leaders like Joseph Smith Jr. and Brigham Young. Zion has shaped settlements from Kirtland, Ohio to Salt Lake City and remains a focus of identity across contemporary The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Community of Christ, and other denominations.
In Latter Day Saint theology Zion denotes an eschatological community rooted in scriptures including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and revelations to Joseph Smith Jr.; it is associated with concepts in the King James Bible and prophetic traditions of Isaiah. Doctrinal teachings by leaders such as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, and Oliver Cowdery link Zion to the New Jerusalem, the second coming described in Revelation (Bible), and covenants found in Psalms. Zion is defined in revelations delivered at places like Kirtland Temple and the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, and it features in instructions for temple ordinances and endowment practices, as articulated in versions of the Articles of Faith and early editions of the Pearl of Great Price. Theological interpretations by scholars such as B.H. Roberts, Fawn M. Brodie, Richard L. Bushman, and Jan Shipps debate Zion as a literal city, a spiritual state, and a social ideal tied to prophetic leadership and covenantal membership.
Early usage of Zion in the movement emerged from revelations received by Joseph Smith Jr. in the 1830s during events at Hiram, Ohio, Kirtland, and Independence, Missouri. The declaration of a designated site in Jackson County, Missouri connected Zion to conflicts involving Missouri Mormon War, Governor Lilburn Boggs, and militia actions culminating in the Extermination Order (1838). Key episodes include the planning of the City of Zion plat promoted by Edward Partridge and the Zion's Camp expedition led by Joseph Smith Jr. to aid displaced Saints. Early church councils and publications such as the Times and Seasons and the Millennial Star articulated Zion ideals amid interactions with neighboring communities like Far West, Missouri and Nauvoo, Illinois.
Throughout the 19th century Zion shaped communal experiments in locales including Nauvoo, Salt Lake Valley, Utah Territory, Haun's Mill, and settlements promoted by leaders like Brigham Young and John Taylor. The United Order and Law of Consecration were economic systems implemented to realize Zionic principles, advocated in conferences of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and practiced in communities such as Orderville, Utah and St. George, Utah. Conflicts with federal actors including President James Buchanan, United States Army, and legal instruments like the Edmunds–Tucker Act influenced how Zionic communities negotiated polygamy debates involving figures such as Wilford Woodruff and George Q. Cannon. Publications by Orson Hyde and defenses by Parley P. Pratt reflect the rhetorical construction of Zion amid migration on the Mormon Trail and settlement of the Deseret (state) region.
Leaders identified several physical loci as Zion: the originally designated Independence, Missouri site called the New Jerusalem, the communal centers at Kirtland Temple and Nauvoo Temple, and later the Salt Lake City Temple in Salt Lake City. Other identified sites include the Temple Lot in Jackson County, Missouri, settlements along the Mormon Corridor such as Provo, Utah and Logan, Utah, and proposed locations in prophetic writings referencing Mount Zion from Jerusalem traditions. Debates over the exact placement of the New Jerusalem surface in disputes involving the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ), the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leadership, often mediated through legal claims and publications in the Latter Day Saints' Millennial Star and court cases in Jackson County.
Different Latter Day Saint denominations interpret Zion in distinct ways. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasizes temple-centered community and global missionary work, while the Community of Christ focuses on the New Jerusalem mission in Independence, Missouri and reconciliation initiatives led by presidents like Wallace B. Smith and Stephen M. Veazey. Restorationist groups such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and smaller bodies like Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and Strangites maintain alternative Zionic claims tied to leaders including Strang (James Strang). Scholarship from institutions like Brigham Young University and Harvard Divinity School examines denominational divides over Zionic theology.
Zion influenced settlement patterns, legal contests, and cultural production across the American West. It informed community governance in Salt Lake City municipal structures, the cultural narratives in newspapers like the Deseret News, and artistic depictions by painters in the 19th-century American art scene. Political interactions with federal authorities such as President Abraham Lincoln and legislative responses like the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act shaped how Zionic populations negotiated citizenship and civil rights. Social reforms within Zionic communities intersected with movements led by figures like Emma Hale Smith and Eliza R. Snow, impacting gender roles, relief societies, and educational institutions such as University of Deseret.
Contemporary interpretations of Zion vary across academic, ecclesiastical, and communal contexts. Modern scholarship by Terryl Givens, Jared Farmer, and Matthew Bowman situates Zion within debates over utopianism, urban planning, and American religious identity. Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints articulates Zion through temple-building projects and humanitarian programs coordinated with agencies like LDS Charities, while the Community of Christ advances peacebuilding in Independence, Missouri. Independent scholars and local historians document sites such as Kirtland Temple and Haun's Mill in heritage initiatives and tourism programs managed by municipal authorities in Clay County, Missouri and state historic preservation offices.