The Development of the Concept of Zion in Mormon Theology
Florida State University
1983
Ph.D. diss.
"This study demonstrates both constancy and change as co-existent elements in the religious tradition of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with a particular focus upon the place of the concept of Zion in the development of the faith. It is the thesis of this dissertation that "Zion" is the central concept in the theological tradition of the Latter-day Saints. This is demonstrated through a consideration of three major meanings of Zion: (1) Zion as place, that is, geographical location; (2) Zion as community of the Saints; and (3) Zion as an internalized spiritual state. Chapters two through four demonstrate how a specifically theological concept (Zion) took on social, economic, and political aspects as the Church grew. Chapter five considers the restoration of ancient Israelite worship as an integral part of the Zion community, among a people who view themselves as modern children of Israel. Zion is shown to be the constant and the variable, the one factor which has provided focus and vision for the LDS people, but the variable whose adaptation has made it possible to face the challenges of a modern secular world. This study asks three major questions: (1) What was the original meaning of Zion to the Latter-day Saints? (2) How has the concept of Zion contributed to the historical and doctrinal development of the Church? (3) How has the concept of Zion developed, and how have these developments helped to provide definition and direction for the modern Church?" [Author's abstract]