After reading all that background from part 1, your ready for more? Well what follows is just that. Now focussing on two more sources, let’s start with the last bit of part 2:
Exploring Zion continued…
Perhaps enough Examples? (There are more in both documents that draw connections to “Zion”) Before we get to my reflections and my thoughts from which the tile of this post comes, however let us explore a couple more items…. The recent “We Share” (You can skip to the next part if you wish 
)
First is the recent “We Share: Identity, Mission, Message, and Belief” document and the following within it :
Early in its history, the church, often referred to as the restoration movement, perceived the call to share the fullness of the gospel throughout the world (Doctrine and Covenants 1:4) and to “seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:3). Today, we understand this as the call to share the peace of Jesus Christ in all of its personal, interpersonal, community, and worldwide dimensions.
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and
We Promote Communities!
We promote local and worldwide communities that signal (exemplify, reveal) the peaceful reign of God on earth. In some areas of the world this is known as the
cause or hope of Zion.When we effectively proclaim Jesus Christ by sharing our witness, ministries, and sacraments, and promote Christ-centered communities of justice and peacefulness,
we are sharing the peace of Jesus Christ.And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; —1 Nephi 3:187
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The second is some references from the inspired documents that have been embraced as scripture by Community of Christ in my lifetime, in chronological order, dates are when canonized by act of the World Conference, (Chief legislative body of the Community of Christ), the names are the prophet-president of the church who presented the inspired council, commentary and or emphasis if any is mine: (feel free to jump through, some quotes are long, i just had a hard time editing it down to small bits at times)
…the time for hesitation is past. The earth, my creation, groans for the liberating truths of my gospel which have been given for the salivation of the world…. The Call for is for workers in the cause of Zion….
–Wallace B. Smith canonized 30 March 1982
Doctrine and Covenants 155:7-8The temple shall be dedicated to the pursuit of peace. It shall be for reconciliation and for the healing of the spirit. It shall also be for a strengthening of faith and preparation to witness. By its ministries an attitude of wholeness of body, mind, and spirit as a desirable end toward which to strive will be fostered. It shall be the means for providing leadership education for priesthood [ordained ministers] and member. And it shall be a place in which the essential meaning of the Restoration as healing and redeeming agent is given new life and understanding, inspired by the life and witness of the Redeemer of the world.
Dear Saints, have courage for the task which is yours in brining to pass the cause of Zion. Prepare yourselves through much study and earnest prayer. Then, as you go forth to witness of my love and my concern for all persons, you will know the joy which comes from devoting yourselves completely to the work of the kingdom…
–Wallace B. Smith canonized canonized 5 April 1984
Doctrine and Covenants 156:5,11….Be Faithful to the spirit of the Restoration, mindful that it is a spirit of adventure, openness, and searching. Walk proudly and with a quickened step. Be a joyful people. Laugh and play and sing, embodying the hope and freedom of the gospel.
Become a people of the Temple—those who see violence but proclaim peace, who feel conflict yet extend the hand of reconciliation, who encounter broken spirits and find pathways for healing. Fulfill the purpose of the Temple by making its ministries manifest in your hearts…. Let it stand as a towering symbol of a people who knew injustice and strife on the frontier and who now seek the peace of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
Open your hearts and feel the yearnings of your brothers and sisters who are lonely, despised, fearful, neglected, unloved. Reach out in understanding, clasp their hands, and invite all to share in the blessings of community created in the name of the One who suffered on behalf of all. Do not be fearful of one another. Respect each life journey, even in its brokenness and uncertainty, for each person has walked alone at times. Be ready to listen and slow to criticize… Be patient with one another, for creating sacred community is arduous and even painful. But it is to loving community such as this that each is called. Be courageous and visionary, believing in the power of just a few vibrant witnesses to transform the world. Be assured that love will overcome the voices of fear, division, and deceit….
Do not neglect the smallest among you, for even the least of these are treasures in God’s sight. Receive the giftedness and energy of children and youth, listening to understand their questions and their wisdom. Respond to their need to be loved and nurtured as they grow….
Stand firm in the name of the One you proclaim and create diverse communities of disciples and seekers…. Heed the urgent call to become a global family united in the name of the Christ, committed in love to one another, seeking the kingdom for which you yearn and to which you have been always been summoned. That kingdom shall be a peaceable one and it shall be known as Zion.
–W. Grant McMurray canonized canonized 7 April 2000
Doctrine and Covenants 161:1b-3c, 4a, 6Listen to the Voice that echoes across the eons of time and yet speaks anew in this moment. Listen to the Voice, for it cannot be stilled, and it calls you once again to the great and marvelous work of building the peaceable kingdom, even Zion, on behalf of the One whose name you claim.
Listen carefully to the many testimonies of those around the world who have been led into the fellowship of Community of Christ. The richness of cultures, the poetry of language, and breadth of human experience permit the gospel to be seen with new eyes and grasped with freshness of spirit. That gift has been given you. Do not fail to understand its power. It is for divine purpose that you have been given the struggles as well as the joys of diversity. So must it always be in the peaceable kingdom.
Do not be defined by the things that separate you but by the things that unite you in Jes Christ. Over and over again you have been counseled to be reconciled, to seek the unity that is imperative to the building of the kingdom. Again the Spirit counsels the church to not allow the forces of division to divert you from your witness. Listen together to one another, without judgment or predisposition. Do not assume that answers to matters of conflict have yet been perceived. There is much labor to be done. Reason together in love, and the Spirit of truth will prevail.
From the earliest days you have been given a sacred principle that declares the inestimable worth of all persons. Do not forget. The One who created all humankind grieves at the shameful divisions within the human family. A prophetic people must work tirelessly to tear down walls of separation and to build bridges of understanding. You hold precious lives in your hands. Be gentle and gracious with one another…. Even as the One you follow reached out to those who were rejected and marginalized, so must the community that bears his name.
…. Be fervent in your witness, passionate in your discipleship, and vigorous in your labour on behalf of peace and justice…. Continue your journey, O people of the Restoration…. Go forth with confidence and live prophetically as a people who have been loved, and who now courageously choose to love others in the name of the One you serve. Amen.
–W. Grant McMurray canonized canonized 31 March 2004
Doctrine and Covenants 162:1b, 4-6, 8b-8c
(first section for which I was one of the delegates of the World Conference)“Community of Christ,” your name, given as a divine blessing, is your identity and calling. If you will discern and embrace its full meaning, you will not only discover your future, you will become a blessing to the whole creation. Do not be afraid to go where it beckons you to go.
Jesus Christ, the Embodiment of God’s shalom, invites all people to come and receive divine peace in the midst of the difficult questions and struggles of life. Follow Christ in the way that leads to God’s peace and discover the blessings of all of the dimensions of salvation. Generously share the invitation, ministries, and sacraments through which people can encounter the Living Christ who heals and reconciles through redemptive relationships in sacred community. The restoring of persons to healthy or righteous relationships with God, others, themselves, and the earth is at the heart of the purpose of your journey as a people of faith.
You are called to create pathways in the world for peace in Christ to be relationally and culturally incarnate. The hope of Zion is realized when the vision of Christ is embodied in communities of generosity, justice, and peacefulness. Above all else, strive to be faithful to Christ’s vision of the peaceable Kingdom of God on earth. Courageously challenge cultural, political, and religious trends that are contrary to the reconciling and restoring purposes of God. Pursue peace.
God, the Eternal Creator, weeps for the poor, displaced, mistreated, and diseased of the world because of their unnecessary suffering. Such conditions are not God’s will. Open your ears to hear the pleading of mothers and fathers in all nations who desperately seek a future of hope for their children. Do not turn away from them. For in their welfare resides your welfare. The earth, lovingly created as an environment for life to flourish, shudders in distress because creation’s natural and living systems are becoming exhausted from carrying the burden of human greed and conflict. Humankind must awaken from its illusion of independence and unrestrained consumption without lasting consequences. Let the educational and community development endeavors of the church equip people of all ages to carry the ethics of Christ’s peace into all arenas of life. Prepare new generations of disciples to bring fresh vision to bear on the perplexing problems of poverty, disease, war, and environmental deterioration. Their contributions will be multiplied if their hearts are focused on God’s will for creation.
…. The Twelve are sent into the world to lead the church’s mission of restoration through relevant gospel proclamation and the establishment of signal communities of justice and peace that reflect the vision of Christ. As the apostles move out in faith and unity of purpose, freeing themselves from other duties, they will be blessed with an increased capacity for sharing Christ’s message of hope and restoration for creation.
…. It is not pleasing to God when any passage of scripture is used to diminish or oppress races, genders, or classes of human beings. Much physical and emotional violence has been done to some of God’s beloved children through the misuse of scripture. The church is called to confess and repent of such attitudes and practices….
The Temple is an instrument of ongoing revelation in the life of the church. Its symbolism and ministries call people to reverence in the presence of the Divine Being. Transformative encounters with the Eternal Creator and Reconciler await those who follow its spiritual pathways of healing, reconciliation, peace, strengthen of faith, and knowledge. There are additional sacred ministries that will spring forth from the Temple as rivers of living water to help people soothe and restore brokenness and pain in their lives. Let the Temple continue to come to life as a sacred center of worship, education, community building, and discipleship preparation for all ages. As those ministries come to fuller expression, receptive congregations… throughout the world will be revived and equipped for more effective ministry. Vital to this awakening is the understanding that the Temple calls the entire church to become a sanctuary of Christ’s peace, where people from all nations, ethnicities, and life circumstances can be gathered into a spiritual home without dividing walls, as a fulfillment of the vision for which Jesus Christ sacrificed his life.
Collectively and individually, you are loved with an everlasting love that delights in each faithful step taken. God yearns to draw you close so that wounds may be healed, emptiness filled, and hope strengthened….
God is calling for a prophetic community to emerge, drawn from the nations of the world, that is characterized by uncommon devotion to the compassion and peace of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Through divine grace and wisdom, this faith community has been given abundant gifts, resources, and opportunities to equip it to become such a people….
–Stephen M. Veazey canonized canonized 30 March 2007
Doctrine and Covenants 163:1-3b,4,5a,7c, 8, 10a, 11a
To be continued… reflections start in part 3
Peace be with you,
— Lyle II