Two Obstacles to the New Jerusalem
Book of Mormon Notes - Wednesday, June 12, 2024, Ether 13, Part 2
The New Jerusalem is fascinating.
In his article on the New Jerusalem for The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Graham W. Doxey shares an excerpt from the 1845 Proclamation of the Twelve:
He [the Lord] will assemble the Natives, the remnants of Joseph in America; and make them a great, and strong, and powerful nation: and he will civilize and enlighten them, and will establish a holy city, and temple and seat of government among them, which shall be called Zion.
And there shall be his tabernacle, his sanctuary, his throne, and seat of government for the whole continent of North and South America forever. In short, it will be to the western hemisphere what Jerusalem will be to the eastern ....
The city of Zion, with its sanctuary and priesthood, and the glorious fulness of the gospel, will constitute a standard which will put an end to jarring creeds and political wranglings, by uniting the republics, states, provinces, territories, nations, tribes, kindred, tongues, people and sects of North and South America in one great and common bond of brotherhood. Truth and knowledge shall make them free, and love cement their union. The Lord also shall be their king and their lawgiver; while wars shall cease and peace prevail for a thousand years [pp. 259-60].
Most of this proclamation is drawn from Ether’s prophecy. Let’s take a closer look at Moroni’s abridgment of Ether’s prophecy.
Moroni informs us that Ether taught the Jaredites of all things, from the beginning of man, and that the continent that we now know as the American continent became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord. As we were reminded in Elder Holland’s article “A Promised Land,” (a talk that my father features at the beginning of his book Just and Holy Principles: Latter-Day Saint Readings on America and the Constitution), this chosen land was also the setting of the Garden of Eden and Adam-Ondi-Ahman. The Lord’s purpose for this choice land, this chosen land - as Ether taught - was that all men who dwell upon the face thereof should serve God.
Ether also taught that this choice land would be the place of the future New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord. When the Lord visited the Nephites in Bountiful, He also taught and prophesied about the New Jerusalem:
And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you. (3 Nephi 20:22)
And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.
And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. (3 Nephi 21:23-24)
Perhaps this is why Moroni wrote of Ether’s visions of Christ in connection with his visions of the New Jerusalem:
Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land. (Ether 13:4)
What I mean is that although Ether may have received visions and revelations of Jesus Christ and His ministry in the Holy Land of the Old World, I believe that this verse pertains specifically to Ether’s visions and revelations of Jesus Christ’s ministry in America. When Moroni writes that Ether saw the days of Christ, it makes sense to me that Moroni refers specifically to the days of Christ during His ministry among the Nephites in Bountiful, which ministry included teachings and prophecies regarding the New Jerusalem.
We know that Mormon did not include the full record of our Lord’s ministry in Bountiful. I imagine that there were many other things that the Lord taught during His ministry in America regarding the New Jerusalem. Moroni’s abridgment of Ether’s prophecies about the New Jerusalem help us to better understand what the Lord may have taught the Nephites who were gathered at the Temple in Bountiful about the New Jerusalem.
But Ether also prophesied of the New Jerusalem in connection with the Old Jerusalem:
And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel-
And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.
For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.
Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.
And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.
And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.
And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first. (Ether 13:5-12)
In the same article on the New Jerusalem for The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Graham W. Doxey explains:
The prophet Isaiah declared that in a future time "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2.:2-3; cf. Micah 4:1-2). Latter-day Saints believe this refers to the two Zion headquarters in the two hemispheres from which the Messiah, the returned Son of God, will reign triumphantly over the whole earth.
Ether’s prophesies of the New Jerusalem intertwine with the visions of Isaiah, John the Beloved, Nephi, and others. The complete record or the fullest account may be in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon that may contain the rest of the Lord’s teachings to the Nephites at the Temple in Bountiful. Perhaps this is why the Lord prohibited Moroni from writing any more on this topic:
And I was about to write more, but I am forbidden; but great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether; but they esteemed him as naught, and cast him out; and he hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people. (Ether 13:13)
There’s obviously a lot more that Moroni wanted to tell us about the New Jerusalem, but what can we gather from the portion that he was allowed to give us? We learn that Ether foresaw the destruction and rebuilding of the original Jerusalem from whence Lehi came. This Old Jerusalem is also a holy city of the Lord, a world capital built up especially by the Jews, the House of Judah. The Old Jerusalem, like the New Jerusalem, was built up as a holy city of the Lord unto the house of Israel as part of the fulfillment of the Lord’s covenant with Abraham.
Ether also foresaw the building up of a New Jerusalem upon the American continent unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph. Thus the Old Jerusalem foreshadows the New Jerusalem, the work of the Jews (tribe of Judah) in the Old World foreshadowing the work of the Josephites (tribe of Joseph) in the New World. President Ezra Taft Benson’s excellent talk (also given in 1976, like Elder Holland’s great talk on America) “A Message to Judah from Joseph,” is helpful for understanding why the relationship between Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons Joseph and Judah has been and will be so important, even in the last days.
In fact, Ether prophesied that the events surrounding the life and works of Joseph provided a type for things that will occur in the last days. What is this type or symbol?
Moroni explains that Ether taught that Joseph’s rescue of his father Jacob (Israel) by bringing him into Egypt is a type, or symbolic of what the Lord will do for the seed of Joseph in the last days. In essence, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph (Lehi, Ishmael, and their families) out of the Old Jerusalem in order to preserve them in the Promised Land, just as the Lord preserved Jacob (Israel) and his family. It is not coincidental that the Prophet who was most instrumental in the fulfillment of this prophecy has the same name as the favorite son of Jacob (Israel). 2 Nephi 3 contains a beautiful prophesy and explanation of the role of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the fulfillment of these prophesies.
Just as the Lord showed mercy to Jacob (Israel) and his family in Egypt through the instrumentality of his son Joseph, the Lord will show mercy to the remnant of the seed of Joseph and the House of Israel through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Moroni records that Ether prophesied that a remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land (the American continent), and that it shall be the land of their inheritance. Ether also prophesied that the remnant of the house of Joseph shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old. This holy city will be Zion, the New Jerusalem, which terms are also found in the Bible:
The terms Zion and New Jerusalem both appear in the Bible. In the Old Testament, Zion is typically a synonym for the city of Jerusalem with its temple mount. New Testament prophecies foretold that the Lord would one day create the heavens and the earth anew. As part of this new creation, a city of God referred to as a “new Jerusalem” would come “down from God out of heaven.”1 Preachers in Joseph Smith’s day disagreed about the meaning of these terms. Some used the phrase “cause of Zion” as a name for the spread of Christianity.2
The city of Zion or the New Jerusalem is also foreshadowed by Enoch’s great city:
The Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s early revelations spoke of a future city of Zion that would serve as a gathering place for the scattered descendants of Israel in the last days. Joseph Smith’s inspired revision of Genesis gave an account of a “City of Holiness” called Zion built by the ancient prophet Enoch. Those who gathered to Enoch’s Zion eliminated poverty and were unified, righteous, and pure in heart. Eventually, Enoch and the inhabitants of Zion were taken up to heaven.3 Beginning in 1831, Latter-day Saints sought to establish a city of Zion where they could prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. One revelation called this city the “New Jerusalem.”4 Another referred to Zion more broadly as a people who are “pure in heart.”5
In 1830 the Prophet Joseph Smith received the following revelation regarding the future construction of the city of Zion:
And now, behold, I say unto you that it is not revealed, and no man knoweth where the city Zion shall be built, but it shall be given hereafter. Behold, I say unto you that it shall be on the borders by the Lamanites. (D&C 28:9)
In 1831, the Lord promised to reveal the timing and location for the building up of the city of Zion:
Until the time shall come when it shall be revealed unto you from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared, that ye may be gathered in one, that ye may be my people and I will be your God.
And for the purpose of purchasing lands for the public benefit of the church, and building houses of worship, and building up of the New Jerusalem which is hereafter to be revealed—
Thou shalt ask, and it shall be revealed unto you in mine own due time where the New Jerusalem shall be built. (D&C 42:9, 35, 62)
Soon thereafter, the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that He would soon reveal the timing and location for the building up of the city of Zion:
The place is not yet to be revealed; but after your brethren come from the east there are to be certain men appointed, and to them it shall be given to know the place, or to them it shall be revealed. (D&C 48:5)
Eventually, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation that the site for the city of Zion would be near the town of Independence in Jackson County, Missouri:6
Hearken Oh ye Elders of my Church, saith the Lord your God, Who have assembelled yourselves together, according to my commandment in this land which is the land of Missorie which is the Land which I, have appointed & consecrated for the gethering of the Saints.3 Wherefore, this is the land of promise4 & the place for the City of Zion. yea thus saith the Lord your God, If ye will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold the place which is now called Independence is the centre place, & the spot for the Temple is lying westward upon a lot which is not far from the court-house.5 Wherefore it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints6 & also every tract lying westward even unto the line runing directly betwen Jew & gentile7 And also every tract bordering by the Prairies8 in as much as my Deciples are enabled to buy lands. Behold this is wisdom that they may obtain it for an everlasting inheritance-- (see D&C 57:2 (1–3).
Bishop Edward Partridge purchased lands in Missouri and helped to settle new members as they arrived. Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency drafted a plan for the city that included a central lot for twenty-four Temples, civic and Church structures for various purposes.
The Lord’s purpose was and is to save His people by gathering them together in one at that day when He shall suddenly come to His temple. But Joseph Smith and his associates were prevented and driven out by the mobs of Missouri and their wicked leader Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. Citizens of Jackson County drove the Saints out of the county, and the Saints were forced to temporarily abandon their efforts to build the city of Zion.
As I understand this history, there were two obstacles - one external obstacle and one internal obstacle - to the building up of the city of Zion in the early Church. The external obstacle was obvious: the mobs of Missouri persecuted the Saints and drove them out. This was the Lord’s response to the external obstacle:
Therefore, for this cause have I accepted the offerings of those whom I commanded to build up a city and a house unto my name, in Jackson county, Missouri, and were hindered by their enemies, saith the Lord your God. (D&C 124:51)
The authors of the Church History Essay on Zion or the New Jerusalem explain:
In a series of revelations that followed, the Lord instructed the Saints regarding spiritual characteristics they lacked but which were necessary for any people who desired to build Zion and gave them instructions on how to move forward.8 The Saints began to prepare for “the redemption of Zion,” a time when they would return and reclaim their land in Missouri and resume building the holy city.
Thus, toward the end of 1833, the Lord also explained the nature of the internal obstacle to the building up of Zion or the New Jerusalem, and how to proceed:
Verily I say unto you, concerning your brethren who have been afflicted, and persecuted, and cast out from the land of their inheritance
I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions;
Yet I will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when I shall come to make up my jewels.
Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.
For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified.
Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble.
In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me.
Verily I say unto you, notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with compassion towards them. I will not utterly cast them off; and in the day of wrath I will remember mercy. (D&C 101:1-9)
My personal interpretation of these events is that the Lord promised to take care of the external obstacle to the building up of Zion or the New Jerusalem because it was outside of the control of the Saints, but the Lord commanded the Saints to take care of the internal obstacle to the building up of Zion or the New Jerusalem by repenting, enduring chastening, becoming sanctified, and hearkening unto the voice of the Lord and His counsel.
The rest of the Church History Essay on Zion or the New Jerusalem is helpful for understanding how members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now commonly think of the future redemption of Zion. I’ll share the rest of the article to begin my next post on this topic and our study of Ether 13.