LDS Freedom Forum

Mark said on another post to ....Zionize your family. That has been on my mind lately. How do we Zionize our families? It seems to me that there is more to it than just normal, active church membership. That is not enough. I feel the Lord reaching after me, putting thoughts in my mind...that there is something more, something we each have to find. It seems to me that moving onto a "zion" level is a shift that takes place mostly in our own heads. Another question, how do we know when we have moved up into a "zion level" of being?

For now I'm just working on getting my kids to stop screaming at each other...

I do believe that the seminary answers are the answers though, and they are enough. It's that darn agency that keeps us from "getting it" that hedges up the way.

A home that is loving, where parents lead by example, where members refrain from gossip, where daily scripture study, family prayer, FHE, and mealtimes together, with savings, living below their means as much as possible... all of these little things really do add up.

In participating in Bountiful Baskets for 4 weeks now there have been some interesting observations -

1) In a Provo location the volunteer coordinator threatened to quit because he alone unloaded the truck and set up the baskets for everyone. He was blatantly angry due to lack of volunteers (selfish people). When he commented on it two women responded loud enough for several bystanders to notice that they didn't see what the big deal was and why not just increase the price to compensate people? One could also ask why they didn't shop instead at the store where people were compensated...

2) In other locations in Salt Lake, Sandy, etc....similar problem but people just keep doing the majority of the work for the selfish people uncomplaining. Despite clearly being taken advantage of they cheerfully serve week after week (albeit they may not have unloaded a truck alone at 5 am while in their mid-50's).


Something I've been pondering lately - Where do we fit in life? Do we cheerfully serve each other no matter the situation? Or do we get our back up if its not a team effort or we don't receive the recognition we think we deserve?

fwiw - no preaching as my tendency is the latter.

simple........use charity, repent.......be patient, repent.....long suffering, repent...........then repent and assemulimate the atonement

It is funny Mark mentioned that as advice to me in the other thread - it is something I have been getting prompted about and have had disucssions with the wife and boys. We are making progress, but clearly not doing enough. I guess that is where the hopelessness comes in - it jsut seems like it is never going to be enough, the Lord wants consecration, and we are trying to do better, we really are but are we there yet? Not hardly. And it seems like the time available to get there is short short short.

The problem is not knowing what to do, it's doing it.

reese wrote:Mark said on another post to ....Zionize your family. That has been on my mind lately. How do we Zionize our families? It seems to me that there is more to it than just normal, active church membership. That is not enough. I feel the Lord reaching after me, putting thoughts in my mind...that there is something more, something we each have to find. It seems to me that moving onto a "zion" level is a shift that takes place mostly in our own heads. Another question, how do we know when we have moved up into a "zion level" of being?

There are a lot of steps to accomplishing this, but one things we've done recently to be "not of the world" (that phrase always reminds me of my seminary days) is to stop watching the television in our home, except for movie night once a week. By removing that worldly influence, we now have much more time to play games, read scriptures, and bond. We've got a ways to go to becoming a zion family, but now that we don't have to contend with that we've seen some noticable changes.

Original_Intent wrote:It is funny Mark mentioned that as advice to me in the other thread - it is something I have been getting prompted about and have had disucssions with the wife and boys. We are making progress, but clearly not doing enough. I guess that is where the hopelessness comes in - it jsut seems like it is never going to be enough, the Lord wants consecration, and we are trying to do better, we really are but are we there yet? Not hardly. And it seems like the time available to get there is short short short.

The problem is not knowing what to do, it's doing it.

Your right it is just doing. I wonder if we will ever know if we "have arrived", I mean before it is obvious when we are standing before the Lord. Which reminds me of something that sbsion said on another thread...about having the constant companionship of the holy ghost and tapping into it...something like that. Do we ever reach a point where we move beyond the phrase of having the holy ghost always with us, and are able to "tap into" it purposely. The scriptures say it contains the record of heaven and will bring to our rememberance all things. Can we arrive at a place within ourselves where we can receive information from the holy ghost "on demand"(for lack of a better phrase)?

yes..........................WE CAN...............do it now......btw, He promised us that

Mummy wrote:In participating in Bountiful Baskets for 4 weeks now there have been some interesting observations -

1) In a Provo location the volunteer coordinator threatened to quit because he alone unloaded the truck and set up the baskets for everyone. He was blatantly angry due to lack of volunteers (selfish people). When he commented on it two women responded loud enough for several bystanders to notice that they didn't see what the big deal was and why not just increase the price to compensate people? One could also ask why they didn't shop instead at the store where people were compensated...

2) In other locations in Salt Lake, Sandy, etc....similar problem but people just keep doing the majority of the work for the selfish people uncomplaining. Despite clearly being taken advantage of they cheerfully serve week after week (albeit they may not have unloaded a truck alone at 5 am while in their mid-50's).

Wow, are you describing Bountiful Baskets or the ________ (fill in the Blank) Ward?

On a serious note: My co-worker asked me a similar question today! He had been listening to Hugh Nibley Approaching Zion. Hugh said that we should have Zion on our mind all the time, and Zion couldn't come until thats what we were concentrating on all the time. My friend asked " how can I do that I gotta go to work, and I can't read my scriptures all day long and besides I like to watch movies...."

I couldn't find the quote, and I don't have an answer. But I will have FHE tonight and maybe I will try to murmur less, and spend less time thinking about all the horrible things that might could happen and ponder the good things that surely can happen.

For those of us 'out in the mission field', what's "Bountiful Baskets"?

reese wrote:

Original_Intent wrote:It is funny Mark mentioned that as advice to me in the other thread - it is something I have been getting prompted about and have had disucssions with the wife and boys. We are making progress, but clearly not doing enough. I guess that is where the hopelessness comes in - it jsut seems like it is never going to be enough, the Lord wants consecration, and we are trying to do better, we really are but are we there yet? Not hardly. And it seems like the time available to get there is short short short.

The problem is not knowing what to do, it's doing it.

Your right it is just doing. I wonder if we will ever know if we "have arrived", I mean before it is obvious when we are standing before the Lord. Which reminds me of something that sbsion said on another thread...about having the constant companionship of the holy ghost and tapping into it...something like that. Do we ever reach a point where we move beyond the phrase of having the holy ghost always with us, and are able to "tap into" it purposely. The scriptures say it contains the record of heaven and will bring to our rememberance all things. Can we arrive at a place within ourselves where we can receive information from the holy ghost "on demand"(for lack of a better phrase)?

As a missionary I experienced a conduitt of information at my disposal whenever the need arose for the Lords purposes, but not for my own purpose or desire. I felt like I had a broadband connection linked into heaven to recieve wisdom and inspiration to help those around me (but this was as an instrument and was never for my own gain).

We all should carry with us the gift of revelation which is through the Holy Ghost. If we are missing personal revelations by varying degrees, it is a symptom of our need for repentance and turning our heart back towards God; sometimes for even seemingly small things that we do wrong.

buffalo_girl wrote:For those of us 'out in the mission field', what's "Bountiful Baskets"?

Its a co-op for fruits and vegetables....like a buying club.

http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Started in Arizona and now expanding into Washington and elsewhere. Near as I can figure somebody at Knight Transportation got the bright idea to buy bulk and share the savings.

I figured for sure that people that ran drop off locations got paid....but found out that they volunteered. I don't know who gets paid and who doesn't....but basically a person or family volunteers to run a location where food is dropped off. Truck delivers food - volunteers unload truck and sort food to roughly equal levels in baskets which people then pick up.

You pay up front on Mon/Teus and pick up on Fri/Sat. Awesome distribution model. Very little overhead (lights, building, location, etc.)....if it was a for profit the grocery stores could probably end its existence....and frankly if it gets big enough I think they will try.

This is definitely a model I could see working in Zion....distribution to each block of 10, 50, 100, etc families....and volunteers taking turns to get it done at lowest economic cost.

To Zionize your family means to have Vision.

A Zion family is the family who has developed a vision, a purpose, and are anxiously engaged in pursuing that vision.

God Bless,
Darren

Darren wrote:To Zionize your family means to have Vision.

A Zion family is the family who has developed a vision, a purpose, and are anxiously engaged in pursuing that vision.

God Bless,
Darren

Right on Santa Clause. I see way to may people on sites like this one concentrating and focused on the dreadful part of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Overload of this brings fear and trepidation to ones heart. We need to refocus our vision on the Great part of things. The Savior will become our lawgiver and we will live in peace and harmony for a millennium with our families and friends soon enough. Our focus needs to center more on those upcoming events and leave those dreadful thoughts for Satan and his minions to lament over in their own miserable existence. Everyone together now. "More faith; less fear." @-)

Darren wrote:To Zionize your family means to have Vision.

A Zion family is the family who has developed a vision, a purpose, and are anxiously engaged in pursuing that vision.

God Bless,
Darren

Well said!!!

Mark wrote: Right on Santa Clause. I see way to may people on sites like this one concentrating and focused on the dreadful part of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Overload of this brings fear and trepidation to ones heart. We need to refocus our vision on the Great part of things. The Savior will become our lawgiver and we will live in peace and harmony for a millennium with our families and friends soon enough. Our focus needs to center more on those upcoming events and leave those dreadful thoughts for Satan and his minions to lament over in their own miserable existence. Everyone together now. "More faith; less fear." @-)

I see this in the Church as well. Hopelessness is the fruit of fear. Too many people in the Church have chosen the wrong one of the 4 ways to be.

1. negative about negative things.
2. negative about positive things.
3. positive about negative things.
4. positive about positive things.

Only one of these ways to be bears the fruits of faith and love. And yes I like being Santa Claus on this forum, he is so positive about positive things. We can only have Zion once we have developed our ability to be positive about positive things. Be for what works, and that displaces the bad.

God Bless,
Darren

what is more positive, than............BRING ON ZION NOW?

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities. ETB

Together as a family we need to focus--If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

I do fine when I am by myself or on my own turf, but when I associate with others, all those ugly sins raise their heads, judgement, pride, envy, lack of understanding and compassion, it's someone else's problem, gossip....brother, if I am ever going to make it, I need to get out more to practice!!