The Inhabitants of Zion are Terrible

And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.

And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

D&C 45: 67-70

If you're like me, you may have wondered how the Lord will make Zion so terrifying to the wicked warlords of the world. I've imagined some kind of spectacular divine intervention, with fire from heaven and such power and confidence in the faces of the people of Zion that wicked people lose their courage at the mere sight of them. I've pictured miracles like those Enoch did, through his faith in our Savior:

And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

Moses 7:13

But maybe Zion's terribleness will include something more natural, as well. Over the past year, I've seen story after story where Latter-day Saints made the news by playing hero.

Erica Castrillo was in her living room on Monday night at 200 South and 500 West in Provo when she heard a noise outside and saw a man taking her husband's bike.

"I ran out the door barefoot and started chasing him down the street," she said. "I ran about a block and a half then I saw a girl stopped at stop light and I asked her if she would help me. She was super kind and let me in and we followed him and chased him down."

Provo police Officer Chris Chambers said... "Partnerships between police and community are essential to stopping crime... there is no better asset we can have to fighting crime."

Police: Barefoot woman catches bike thief in Provo, Daily Herald, 9 Oct. 2012

The whole essence of Zion is how the love of God affects our relationships with each other.

And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

Moses 7:18

And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

4 Ne. 1:15

If we really believe that a Zion society is possible, shouldn't we expect miracles, both simple and spectacular?

Fighting crime isn't something most young members of the LDS church ever expect to do while on their mission. But a pair of Mormon missionaries came to the rescue, busting a pair of suspected would-be burglars...

"I really believe that God is working through all of us and nothing is a coincidence, it all happens for a reason," says [Elder] Brown.

Mormon missionaries thwart burglars-to-be, MyFoxPhoenix.com, 24 Apr. 2013

With the love of God in our hearts, we're willing to help. With the power of the Holy Ghost, we're inspired to be in the right place at the right time. Small and simple miracles. But if the Lord needs something more showy, he seems to be fine with that as well:

[Mormon Bishop] Kent Hendrix woke up Tuesday to his teenage son pounding on his bedroom door and telling him somebody was being mugged in front of their house. The 47-year-old father of six rushed out the door and grabbed the weapon closest to him— a 29-inch high carbon steel Samurai sword.

He came upon what he describes as a melee between a woman and a man. His son stayed inside to call 911 while he approached the man along with other neighbors who came to help. The martial arts instructor didn't hesitate in drawing the sword and yelling at him to get on the ground.

"His eyes got as big as saucers and he kind of gasped and jumped back," Hendrix said by phone Tuesday afternoon. "He's probably never had anyone draw a sword on him before."

The man ran away down the street toward his car with the barefoot Hendrix and others in pursuit. Hendrix said he couldn't catch Eggersten before he fled in his car, but he picked up chapstick that the man dropped and memorized his license plate.

"I yelled at him, 'I've got your DNA and I've got your license plate: You are so done,'" Hendrix said.

Eggersten turned himself in to police an hour later, said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal.

Mormon Bishop With Samurai Sword Runs off Attacker, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2013

So, we're already capable of this. What will we be capable of when we have greater faith, in the future, when we're being held accountable for living the law of consecration?

Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God.

Lectures on Faith 6:7

I look forward to finding out what Zion will do.

Government and Equal Opportunity

The right to your own property is a sacred and fundamental part of modern constitutional republics, but taxation is a part of all effective governments. How do we distinguish, then, between taxation which is appropriate and that which isn't? It's their property, after all--should we abolish taxation entirely?

Of course not, because some things are absolutely essential. We need roads. We need a common defense. We need officials to enforce the law.

What I'm proposing is that giving to the hardworking poor and needy--the disabled, the injured, the widow, the neglected child--is absolutely essential. It's not an extra thing that the rich can do if they happen to feel like it. It's our obligation as a community to help those who can't help themselves.

Should we just give them handouts? Not if we can avoid it. I think we should follow the Church's plan and do everything in our power to help people get back on their feet. If people are disabled, let's find a way to let them give back to the community.

Are you homophobic or moral?

I write this article for anyone who opposes same-sex marriage. For a long time, I have believed that these people can be divided into two groups. Some of us oppose same-sex marriage but support gay rights in housing and employment, and and we try to be understanding and respectful of those with non-traditional sexual orientations and lifestyles. Others among us are truly prejudiced against anyone who is a self-described homosexual, attaching harmful stereotypes to them and treating them as inferiors.

There is also some evidence that we can have implicit prejudices. Consciously, we may believe that God wants us to treat everyone as equals, but without thinking about it, we may still treat people differently based on their ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. In 2009, the FBI documented well over a thousand hate crimes against homosexuals. (Hate crimes based on religion happen at about the same rate.)

To figure out which group you're in, I would like to propose a litmus test for you: how did you feel when J. K. Rowling announced that Dumbledore was gay? How did it make you feel to think that the wisest, most widely admired character in the Harry Potter series was attracted to his own gender? Did you feel uncomfortable? Angry? Frightened?

If so, I invite you to think on this: there is no indication that Dumbledore ever acted on this attraction in a sexual way. Ms. Rowling never suggested that he felt lust when he looked at other men, just attraction. In fact, the only time she says he fell in love with someone, the other man didn't return the feeling, and it was probably the single most damaging relationship of Dumbledore's entire life. It appears that he never found love and died alone. Rowling's announcement is a far cry from an endorsement of same-sex marriage; however, it is certainly a proclamation that people can be good and great regardless of their sexual orientation.

I have a confession to make: when I first heard that Dumbledore was gay, I felt uncomfortable. I wasn't angry, and I didn't suddenly despise Dumbledore, but I didn't really know what to make of it. Now, years later, after reading about the actual experiences of several gay people, I don't feel that way any more. I feel sad for Dumbledore, and I admire his courage throughout a challenging life.

If you still feel angry about Dumbledore's orientation--an orientation he never really acted on--I suggest you get to know a gay person. It's a good way to change your assumptions, to remove implicit prejudices. Different people deal with homosexual orientation in many ways. One of the most insightful stories I have read is that of Josh Weed; I'd suggest it to anyone trying to reconcile their religious beliefs with the reality that many people are attracted to the same gender, by no choice of their own. It's the choices they make that matter.

NOTE: I apologize for using the word "homophobic;" it's a silly term, as homophobia doesn't usually refer to a fear or phobia at all, and it's often used as a pejorative term, an unanswerable insult, like comparing someone to Hitler. I use it here because homophobia is the most commonly used term to describe prejudice or ill feelings towards those who are attracted the same gender, regardless of whether or not they act on their attraction.

The Rubik's Cube of Goodness

This morning, as I watched my wife solve a Rubik's Cube, it occurred to me that the orange side looked truly chaotic, even though she'd been working on the cube for a few minutes. Then, I laughed at myself.

She was solving the red side first.

This is a great metaphor for the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many principles that we must learn and obey, but we don't always do them in the same order. For example, the first principle of the gospel is always faith in Jesus Christ, but my faith may be different than someone else's faith. I may have unbounded faith that He will give me personal revelation when I need it, but I might not really believe, with my whole heart, that He loves me.

One reason the Lord is so merciful is that many of us are improving our relationship with Him, but only one step at a time. One person is perfectly honest but sometimes uncaring; another is full of compassion but doesn't see the need for priesthood authority. Line upon line, precept upon precept, grace for grace.

Of course, being perfectly honest without charity would be like having a "fake" solved side, when it appears to be solved, but the pieces actually need to be rearranged to align with the adjacent sides. "Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail--but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever."

Sharing Love and Testimony

When we truly feel the love of God and have a sure knowledge that God lives, we want to share that with others.

Understanding of God's love comes in stages. First, we understand it theoretically. Then, we understand that God loves us, values us, and wishes us well--we understand that we need God. We understand His love as a child understands a parent's love. Finally, we begin to understand that love means sacrifice. As we slowly begin to understand Christ's infinite Atonement, the unbounded sacrifice He made for us and the daily sacrifices He still makes in serving us, we simultaneously begin to serve and bless those around us as well. (The reverse is just as true--the more we serve, the more we can understand Christ.) The love of service and sacrifice has potentially infinite power.

Testimony works similarly. At first, we believe because others tell us it is true, and it seems to make sense. Later, we receive our own spiritual experiences that confirm it. Finally, we may receive the grand spiritual gift of a burning knowledge and desire to share the gospel. Before my mission, I had a strong testimony, but it did not begin to burn within me until I specifically asked for that blessing. I find that it slowly wanes unless I continue to thank the Lord for it and ask for it to continue.

Ask, and ye shall receive. This is specifically applied both to charity (Moroni 7:48) and to testimony (Moroni 10:3-5) in the Book of Mormon.