Come, Follow Me
What is Zion?

What is Zion?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The Lord commands us to “seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:6). Zion refers to the Lord’s people who are of one heart and one mind and dwell together in righteousness (see Moses 7:18). We can establish Zion by building unity and spiritual strength in our homes, wards or branches, and communities.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

How do you strive to live the principles of Zion in your life and family? When have you felt a spirit of unity in a ward or in your family?

Are the young women unified as a sisterhood? What can they do to establish Zion? What obstacles might they face?

What can the young women do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

In every setting the Savior was the example and mentor for His disciples. He taught them to live by the way He lived. How will your example of love and unity affect the young women’s desire to strive toward Zion?

Video: “We Act”

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Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our class: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our responsibilities: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the class of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a class presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the class; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help class members understand the doctrine.

  • Write Zion on the board, and ask the young women to list words that come to mind when they think of Zion. Invite them to read Doctrine and Covenants 97:21, Moses 7:18, and pages 189–90 of True to the Faith to add to their definition. What is our role as women in building Zion?

  • Is there a brief game or team-building activity you could play with the young women to demonstrate the need for unity? For example, you could play “human knot” by having the young women stand in a close circle and connect left hands with one person across from them and right hands with a different person. Invite them to work together to “untangle” themselves without letting go of each other. How was unity necessary to complete this activity? Invite the young women to pick one of the stories or examples about unity in Elder Joni L. Koch’s message “Apart, but Still One” or Sister Reyna I. Aburto’s message “With One Accord,” review it, and share what they learned with the class. What experiences can they share when they were able to accomplish something great by being unified with others? What can we do to build unity in our homes and class?

  • What did Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teach in his talk “Songs Sung and Unsung” about how the Church is like a choir? To help the young women understand Elder Holland’s metaphor, invite one or more people who have sung in a choir to share their thoughts about how singing in a choir helps them understand the need for diversity in God’s kingdom. How can we build Zion by making “room” in our class, in our Young Women group, or in the ward for people who may not feel like they fit in with us? What counsel did Elder Holland give that could help us do this?

  • Read as a class 4 Nephi 1:1–5, 11–18; Doctrine and Covenants 38:27; and Moses 7:18–19. What words can the young women find that describe a Zion-like society? What do these words mean to them? Why is unity such an important part of building Zion? Divide one of the conference talks in this outline among the young women, and ask them to find principles that could help us achieve more unity in our families and as a Young Women class. Invite the young women to write the principles they find on the board. What are some obstacles that prevent young women from achieving unity? How can they overcome these obstacles? Encourage the young women to set personal goals to apply one of these principles to increase the unity in their families. Work together to set a similar goal to be more united as a class.

  • Divide the class into two groups. Ask one group to read and discuss Mosiah 18:21 and Doctrine and Covenants 97:21, and ask the other group to read and discuss Doctrine and Covenants 38:27 and Moses 7:18–19. Invite the groups to plan an object lesson they could use to teach the rest of the class what they learned from their scriptures (if they need help, share with them “Use Stories and Examples to Teach Gospel Principles” on page 22 of Teaching in the Savior’s Way). Ask them to share their ideas with each other. What do they learn from these scriptures that can help them build Zion in their families, their class, and their ward or branch?

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the class presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young women to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a class to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young women a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young women that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.