A Zion Ward

 

Building Zion in Our Wards and Branches: It Can Start with Me

By Merrilee Browne Boyack

Building Unity

A Zion ward or branch is reflected in how members treat others. Elder Christofferson taught that we develop greater unity by following the Savior’s commandment “to love one another not only as we love ourselves but as He loved us.” We can work to promote beautiful unity within our congregations. What can we do to become of “one heart and one mind”? (Moses 7:18). Here are some ideas:

• One sister refused to say a negative word about anyone in her ward. This impacted many others who began to act the same way.

• One brother committed to learn all the ward members’ names and greet them as often as possible.

• In one ward, the bishopric invites new people to come to the front of the chapel after sacrament meeting so they can greet them and connect them with leaders from each organization.

• The Relief Society presidency in my ward invited new sisters to introduce themselves six weeks in a row. (This was before two-hour church, when we had Relief Society each Sunday.) We would laugh each time, but it allowed us to really get to know new sisters and connect.

Becoming a Holy People

Elder Christofferson explained, “Much of the work to be done in establishing Zion consists in our individual efforts to become ‘the pure in heart’ [Doctrine and Covenants 97:21].”

What specifically can we do to become a holy people? It starts with our individual efforts to live according to the covenants we have made with God.

I lived in a ward where one woman was like a beacon of righteousness. Jessica (name has been changed) radiated love and goodness every week in our meetings. She went from person to person, greeting them and loving them—especially those who were “hanging on the edges” of the ward. She invited the lonely to her home, talked to the shy ones, and went out of her way to spread her commitment to Christ and His gospel. It impacted the entire ward for good.