Zion: The Pure in Heart
- bryceggorrell
- 15 minutes ago
- 5 min read
The following is a sermon given a Sacrament meeting of the Independence 1st Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on December 28, 2025.
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Becoming a Zion people in the upcoming new year
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What is Zion?
In our time, an understanding of Zion has unfolded line upon line.
Very early in the course of the unfolding of this, the dispensation of the fullness of times, the idea of Zion was pressed upon the mind and heart of Joseph Smith. Zion has been, and is still understood by many as referring to sites in the land of Jerusalem, and to sites in the new world. For Latter-day Saints, it includes the area that now surrounds us here in the center of North America. Expanding in scope within his own lifetime, Joseph Smith identified the whole of North and South America as the land of Zion. But it was upon the expulsion of His followers from Jackson County, Missouri, that God revealed the best, the clearest, the most complete definition of Zion yet.
If we believe Joseph to be a divinely inspired prophet, seer and revelator, we ought to take the Lord at His word and let His own definition guide our understanding, and our yearnings.
According to Him whose we claim to be, Zion literally means “the Pure in Heart.”
God cares a lot less about where we get our mail, than He does about how we receive Him and His words. He cares far less about our physical location than He does our spiritual direction. He cares about where you’ve been only as far as it gives Him tools and materials He can turn into everlasting beauty. No matter the depth of the ash heap, He has a way forward for you. No matter the depth of your past pride, selfishness or stubbornness, He can change you if you want Him to.
What does a pure heart look like?
I’ve gained some insight as I’ve struggled with my family through heart problems of various kinds, including physical heart defects in three out of four of us in my little earthly family. The Lord has used failing, even broken hearts to teach me, and many others, some mighty lessons. But, what about more general teachings given to us as a people?
In our world of media-induced fear and anxiety, fueled by knee-jerk reactionary outrage, we can find a sure anchor to our souls in a story told by Jesus.
“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
“And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
“And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
“And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
“And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
“He that shewed mercy on him. (Not the ones who shared his culture or religion). Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”
Luke 10: 30-37
Walk the road to Jericho. Don’t lump people together into caricatures or stereotypes presented through internet media, which is designed to make you feel fearful, angry, and defensive. Go out and talk to your neighbor. Walk the road to Jericho yourself.
Keep Jesus Christ at the center of your worship. Worship Him. Give Him your whole soul as an offering.
“Fast and pray oft, … wax stronger and stronger in [your] humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling [your soul] with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of [your heart], which sanctification cometh because of [your] yielding [your heart] unto God.”
Helaman 3: 35
Take His name upon you. Seek for everything you do, to be done in His name. Not only “religious” or “spiritual” things. All things. All that thou doest, do in His name. (Moses 5: 8)
If applying His name to a chosen activity would be blasphemous, don’t do that thing. Seek another activity to replace it, which is worthy of bearing the label of His holy name. This can provide you and me with a tight filter for the kinds of things worthy of our time here on Earth. Work towards making your conversations, your interactions, your reactions, your words, indeed your every action, appropriate to seal up unto Him in His own Name. Think of yourself as moving through your every day, from one moment to the next, concluding each act in the Name of Jesus Christ. Look unto Him in every thought. Doubt not. Fear not.
Building a Zion people is not a spectator sport. In fact, it is precisely the opposite of a spectator sport. We don’t simply show up to some predetermined location, and wait for the spectacle to unfold before us. It begins in one’s own heart. Leo Tolstoy may have said it best: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
And, a century later, we can sing along to the words of one who said, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror.”
Changing you is how you change the world. Is this trite? No, it’s true. Though hard to do, it’s very simple.
Let’s become more like the Master. Let’s stop asking, what can the Lord (or His church) do for me? Instead, let’s ask ourselves, what can I do to be more like Jesus Christ? What can I contribute? Who do I see that I can help?
May we strive to develop this pure love (charity) by a pure heart, and keep the first and the second Great Commandments.
Purifying your heart changes the way you perceive the world and everyone around you. With a pure heart, you are better enabled to see by the lens of faith, even in a lost and fallen world. Seeing through an often-filthy glass, darkly, we nevertheless can improve our view of ourself and others, and approach the wonderful state of seeing things as they really are.
Then, in a coming day, ably organized in a harmonious brotherhood and sisterhood under the perfect Parenthood of God(s), we shall be gloriously united as we share our view of the descending Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who shall appear unto us as He really is, for we shall be like Him. (1 John 3: 2-3; Moroni 7: 47-48)
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