Thinking of My Mom Patsy, by Steve Goates

Steve on top of Dixie with Patsy

I’ve been thinking a lot about my Mom the past few weeks - it’s been just over two years since she passed on from this mortal life into the eternities - the next chapter.

She lived her life in such a way that she showed EVERYONE around her what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. She gave her life to God and gave her time and energy to her family, her friends, her neighbors, and even to strangers - she was the epitome of LOVE and CHARITY. She’s one of my heroes. She was not perfect, but she was literally the best example in my life of what it is to be Christ-like.

At her funeral, I was asked to speak, and one of the themes that emerged from that experience was that she spent her life teaching us that she, of herself, was nothing special (though she actually was VERY special). She was so consistent to ALWAYS point us to Christ - she gave Him all the credit for any good that she ever did in her life. Christ was her ROCK. Christ was her HOPE. Christ was her STRENGTH. Christ was her EVERYTHING. She taught us that we were to look to Christ for the strength and support we needed, to gain our own testimonies… and she was there, selflessly and faithfully as our mother, to guide us to HIM.

In John 17:3, we learn: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

I’m so grateful that she taught me that. I’m so grateful to know God and His Son Jesus Christ. I’m a weak, fallen man, and I need Jesus so much - I feel guilt and shame for my constant shortcomings - I truly know that I, like all of us, “… have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

Christ - "I need thee every hour"… Take my brokenness and make me whole, I pray. I have faith that He will. I have faith that He’s already paid the price to rescue my soul from hell. I love Jesus - HE IS EVERYTHING.

May we all try to be a little better, a little more kind, more giving of our time and our talents to lift up and bless those around us in this dark and fallen world - Like Christ did - Like my Mom did. ❤️❤️❤️

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This was a priceless piece of writing I have chosen to include as a chapter in my memoirs with Steve’s permission. I believe it captures the essence of her impact on one of her sons. I’m certain there will be others who would second Steve’s observations, and I encourage all of you to contribute something about her if you would like to. I have the power to make you a “published author” if you do.

It’s wonderful to ponder our shared memories, especially in light of recent events on the world stage. As the fall season begins, I am filled with so many similar thoughts, alone as I am in my home these days.

I was in the Jordan River Temple today, and reflected on all my blessings as I frequently do in sacred precincts. I was performing a vicarious ordinance. He had been waiting years for his endowment to be done, and I got to perform that sacred ordinance on his behalf. Chief among those blessings are Patsy and all of our shared posterity. I can’t imagine anyone out there as favored and loved by our Heavenly Father as I am.

I visited an aging ward member this week, and asked him, “So how are you doing?” His response: “I’m all the way up to miserable.” He’s depressed, has lost his short-term memory, and has difficulty gathering his thoughts. His wife passed away about four years ago, and he lives alone. (He couldn’t remember his birthdate or how old he is when I asked). So I focused instead on our shared memories of the past Church assignments we shared, and he perked up as I reminded him about how many lives he had blessed through his service. I left hoping I had cheered him up a little beyond his self-described “miserable” status.

My thoughts are drawn out continually wondering what Patsy might be doing in her place in the spirit world today. As I minister to others, I feel her presence ministering to me, guiding and inspiring me. I felt her presence every moment as I was fasting and praying over the safe arrival of Benjamin Joshua Mann last week. What a consummate blessing this choice son is in answer to our united petitions!

Straight from Heaven

I love you all, and pray the Lord’s choicest blessings might be yours in all you are doing every day.

ZION - Now More Than Ever

This has been a momentous week in my personal history. I have withheld comment about it until now purposefully. I was somewhat stunned when I realized this is entry #800 on these poor pages.

First, I celebrated my 78th birthday in the Bountiful Temple, while President Russell M. Nelson was observing his 101st birthday on the same day. He’s 23 years older than me, and no matter how fast I run I can’t ever seem to catch up to him! I have to say that life is good right now. I am so grateful to be able to move about freely and with good health for the most part. As part of my birthday celebration we gathered many of the family in the Orem Temple on Saturday for a sealing session conducted by Hank Nelson, my dear friend. The temples are where I feel closest to heaven, and particularly my beloved Patsy.

Bountiful and Orem Temples

Second, this is also the week of the commemoration of the events of 9/11/2001, when the Twin Towers in New York were astonishingly levelled by the malevolent attacks perpetrated by terrorists who flew highjacked airplanes into them. Another flew into the Pentagon and exploded upon impact a few miles away, and a fourth was diverted by brave passengers who sacrificed their own lives to crash the plane they were on into a field in Pennsylvania. I witnessed those events in our home as the scenes were portrayed on my TV screen in living color throughout the day. It was an unbelievable and shocking event in world history. Osama bin Laden was ultimately identified as the perpetrator/mastermind, and he was summarily brought to justice and executed later.

9/11/25

Third, Charlie Kirk, an outspoken and stalwart voice for conservatives in this country, was assassinated in Orem, Utah, on the campus of Utah Valley University while he was giving a rally. Regardless of his politics and the positions he espoused, those who opposed him made an arbitrary decision to take him out with a single sniper’s bullet. Just this morning as I write, President Trump announced the shooter had confessed his act to his father, apparently, and it was his father who turned him in to authorities in St. George, Utah. Governor Cox, yesterday, reminded the world that Utah still upholds the death penalty for perpetrators of such crimes, and this individual will be held accountable to the “fullest extent of the law.”

Charlie Kirk at UVU

Fourth, and perhaps most satisfying of all to me personally, Aaron Judge hit two home runs (Nos. 45 and 46) in a game against the Tigers in Yankee Stadium, now tying him with Joe DiMaggio on the all-time Yankees home run list with 361 career homers. President Trump was in attendance for the commemoration of 9/11, and told the Yankees in their locker room before the game started that they would win that game. Final score: Yankees 9 Tigers 3.

So, would you say it was an eventful week? I vote “YES.” Honestly, you can’t make this stuff up, can you?

I have been pondering all week about ZION, and this morning as I write I am wearing my ZION sweatshirt in memory of those precious ideals I attempted to capture in my compilation those many years ago. It would seem after the shocking events of this week that we are now more than ever further away from ZION than we have ever been. But, I have a differing viewpoint based upon all I know. It is instructive, I believe, that no matter how devastating the historical events may be, we somehow seem to survive and eventually thrive despite the evidence to the contrary. We are resilient as a nation, and we can choose resilience as individuals too.

I wrote the following ten years ago on April 15, 2015:

Zion’s Four Facets

I continue to get questions from people I know well about the end of the world. It seems the political upheavals we are witnessing continue to trouble even the most grounded saints. These concerns arise as a natural consequence of the bad news we hear every day.

The budget and deficit spending in America is out of control. The prophets of doom and gloom continue to spread fear and uncertainty all around. Conspiracy theories abound. Few are escaping the effects of the 2008 financial market meltdown. Widespread doubts about the future are escalating. Inflation is eroding purchasing power. Gas prices are averaging $4 per gallon in five states, and continue rising in more. The price of basic food is rising at the grocery store. It is a troubling time for most.

In the aftermath of General Conference two weeks ago, I’ve had a chance to review the content, topics and themes we heard expressed by the living prophets. Patsy and I were asked to speak about the prophets in a recent sacrament meeting.

I chose to focus on the two senior Apostles - President Thomas S. Monson and President Boyd K. Packer. What did you hear from them two weeks ago? I heard a clear emphasis on priesthood power as it relates to family. Temple ordinances and marriage covenants were also themes. Missionary work and proclaiming the gospel throughout the world also came up more than once. Entering into temple marriage was a plea from the Prophet to young single men.

So where were the themes of doom and gloom, predictions of the pending demise of the planet being ground into dust? Conspicuously absent. Rather, we hear the announcements of three new temples echoing each opening statement by the Prophet as General Conference begins each six months. Just this week a new “super building” housing 5 stakes and 48 wards in Provo was announced. The City Creek project surrounding Temple Square in Salt Lake is on time, set for opening in a year from now.

Time and again we hear, “and this is just the beginning” in the promised establishment of Zion in the midst of Babylon. Living prophets are decidedly optimistic because of their absolute faith in the plan of salvation. There seems to be no fears in any of the living prophets.

Many years ago I began putting it all together on paper. I discerned four facets related to our understanding of the word “Zion” in the scriptures. I found that in each scriptural reference to Zion one could pinpoint one or more applications of the word. These four facets are people, place, condition or time.

People

Zion is a covenant people, set apart, consecrated, and sanctified from the rest of the world. They are different, they are peculiar and they are pure. They have come out of the world, entered in at the gate of baptism, are born of the Spirit and have taken hold of the iron rod. They reject the clarion voices from amid the mists of darkness, and ignore the taunts and jeers of those in the spacious building of sin. God has purged his people in all the other dispensations of which we have record, and the purification has come as a result of extreme adversity and affliction. Gold is never refined in an air conditioned chamber. If the covenant people cannot sacrifice and consecrate their lives to God, it has forever been the case that the rest of the world was willing to cast them out, throw them into the lions’ den, or stoke up the fiery furnace. Let us never be deluded into thinking we will inherit Zion in any other way, nor be worthy of the company of earlier martyrs at that future wedding feast unless we consecrate.

Place

Zion is two world centers of righteousness and judgment that are ultimately joined together physically. One is Independence, Missouri, the “centerstake,” from which “the law” will emanate, the other is Jerusalem, from which “the word” will go forth. Those who love and cherish the Constitution of the United States, it would seem, will rally to Zion and her stakes (and by extension her temples) upon the American Continent and throughout the world wherever they may find themselves. Christ will come to the Earth and sit in his temples in Jerusalem and in Jackson County, from which will go forth His word. They will combine eventually in the Lord’s timetable with the heavenly Zion when the earth enters the terrestrial phase of its existence, thus returning to the status it once enjoyed referred to in the 10th Article of Faith as “paradisiacal glory.” This telestial world in which we now live will give way to a terrestrial world that will stand for one thousand years, a period of time referred to as “The Millennium.” This is the place at the end of the path in Lehi’s vision where the tree of life grows.

Condition

Zion will stand apart from all worldly influences. Men and women of honesty and truth will seek the peace Zion affords, trust their temporal and spiritual welfare to each other, or sink lower and lower with the rest of the world who will be at war. There will be no middle ground - either total acceptance of God’s salvation, or Lucifer’s damnable embrace of death and destruction. Zion will be the light on the hill, and so formidable will be her strength and beauty because of God’s overshadowing presence that her enemies will shrink at the sight of her. The society will be characterized by people of one heart, one mind, and one objective spreading the truth of God’s salvation over the face of the earth as with a flood.

Time

Zion will come to pass in the due season of the Lord, and that season is upon us even now. We live at the end of the sixth seal of John’s Revelation, meaning the end of the sixth thousand-year period since the Fall. It is called “today” in the scriptures, and it is a day of sacrifice. It is not a day in which to trust in the arm of flesh, seeking security in the carnal pleasures of today’s society. Zion’s time is not fully ripe until the Bridegroom comes to accept the Bride, as John foresaw. The paradox of Zion’s timetable is that she will be nurtured as it were in the bull rushes like Moses, in the midst of unparalleled wickedness and abominations among men. The wheat and tares continue growing together, and the tares keep looking more and more like the weeds they are. And we also see the fig tree putting forth its leaves every day.

The Spirit whispers the truth that Zion will indeed have to be led out of bondage as the children of Israel were led out under Moses. While we are in the midst of spiritual bondage right now, the scriptures are replete with types and shadows of a physical bondage yet to come that will precede the day when all things are fulfilled.

We will not see the establishment of the headquarters of Zion until the temporary landlords who now occupy the sacred sites of the habitations of the New and the Old Jerusalem are swept off. The reclamation of those lands will come in the wake of destruction as foretold by all the prophets who witnessed the promised day, and that time is not far distant. Without an understanding of the impending destruction as the lynch pin to prophecy, the promises of the Lord to Israel that she will ultimately redeem the promised lands of her inheritance seem incomprehensible.

One need not read far into The Book of Mormon to discover that this land is not promised to the Gentiles who now occupy it. Rather, it will be given as an inheritance to the scattered remnants of the House of Israel now being gathered, and to those relatively few Gentiles who repent, embrace the gospel and by adoption become Israel. To think otherwise would be to deny the very faith that gave the prophets their utterance. And this despite the obvious evidence that the Gentiles who occupy this Promised Land today have material wealth and military might beyond even the wildest imaginations of the prophets who foresaw their destruction.

Ephraim’s descendants will figure prominently in the leadership of the House of Israel in the development of Zion, but it would be a gross error to assume that Zion is the private domain of Ephraim. The scriptures speak plainly of all the tribes coming to their inheritances in their various lands. We are witnessing the emergence of all these long-lost cousins in Israel in our day, as adversity, lawlessness, and political upheavals continue to drive them to our borders of freedom. They come because of wars, famines, diseases, natural disasters, and the love of freedom, but whatever the reasons they are coming to claim their promised blessings at the hands of Ephraim. Let us never be so surfeited by the things of this world that we cannot embrace them, when they come with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Conclusion

There is not a clear road map to Zion, a “checklist” if you will, that will land us unerringly at the gates of the Holy City. To come to Zion requires clean hands, a pure heart, and pure faith. To be a consecrated saint is to hearken to the voice of the Lord by the power of the Holy Ghost, to receive revelation upon revelation, and to possess a submissive heart that endures all that the Lord sees fit to inflict upon us. All the inhabitants of Zion are as little children, full of faith, and eager to do the will of the Father in all things.

We are not worthy of Zion’s society in our present state, but the chastening is in full effect and the spiritual mettle of us all will be put to the test in due time. Those who persist in their hidden sins while proclaiming their beliefs with their lips only, will fail to accumulate the needed midnight oil droplet by droplet over a lifetime of faithfulness. Those who cling steadfastly to their institutional faith, never risking the failure of individual responsibility for their decisions will sink in the depths of forgotten dust with the discarded baggage. We cannot endure the journey to Zion on borrowed light, nor will we find the oil of the Spirit to buy at midnight.

We must beware of repeating the patterns of old. Zion is a steadily progressing caravan of strangers and foreigners seeking a city built without hands. It is to be expected that the “corporate” Church would have difficulty implementing the celestial principles upon which Zion will be built. That reality does not make the Church’s doctrines any less true, nor the need for the Church’s organization less compelling. One laudable development is that the Church is adapting to the worldwide need for simplicity, as evidenced by the priesthood and Relief Society manual of instruction – it’s back to basics with Gospel Principles.

This is an important point that cannot be glossed over. The Church members’ compromise with Babylon is nearly complete. In a forthcoming day there will be an entire separation of the righteous from the wicked. Babylon is slated for destruction. That fact is a well-documented scriptural reality, and so is the establishment of Zion.

We are in the world as never before in our history, and we are more of the world too. From the days of Brigham Young whose mission was to separate the saints from the world by leading them to these remote valleys of the Mountain West, to the administration of Gordon B. Hinckley who has welcomed the world with the red carpet, we have come full circle. Living prophets lead the way.

But never doubt for one minute - the caravan is on course, though there will always be those among us who cling to the past fiercely, as though we are going to return somehow to the purity and simplicity of an earlier time. These somehow wish they could live in the days before the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and started rolling downhill. We are picking up speed as the little stone rolls forward. But let us not be smug.

God will cut short the work in this last dispensation of the fulness of times. The Bride may have grown weary while waiting and defiled herself with the world, but this time there will be a wedding with the Bridegroom and the Church will become the Bride of Christ. The best course we can take is individual repentance and to let the rest of the Church and the world who fail to repent go their merry way to destruction. As midnight draws nigh there will be fewer opportunities to obtain oil to light our little lamps of faith. Unconsecrated material possessions in that hour will be a poor store of value - ancient prophets used the word “slippery.” (Helaman 13:31).

Now I offer this final observation. Patience with the unfolding timetable of the Lord is indispensable to the true disciple. Many, knowing what the scriptures reveal concerning conditions in a Zion society, and observing these circumstances do not now exist in the Church, and thinking they have somehow been “called” to lead the way, have made unwise and premature decisions to move out in front of the caravan. Like the ancient Rechabites of Jeremiah’s day they prefer the separatist life to the heat of the day in the kingdom with all its paradoxes, contradictions and ironies. They are never wise stewards, and seem to lack the faith they proclaim.

The keys of the priesthood reside with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and those keys and this kingdom will never again be taken from the earth. The path to Zion is first discovered deep within the hearts of men and women, and they gravitate to others who have made a similar discovery, all of whom are subject to the Lord’s mouthpiece. That man, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like Moses who stood at the head of another caravan, will lead Israel out of whatever form of bondage enslaves us. Until that promised day comes, it is enough to hear the Lord whisper again, “Be still, and know that I am God.” His promises will never fail, and the gates of the Heavenly City await us.

So put away your Mayan calendar, and add to your food storage in the spirit of faith not fear.

* * *

Finally, I offer this concluding statement for your consideration:

I promise you all, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we can each be filled with the spirit of prophecy to guide us unerringly toward the implementation of Zion principles now and forever. It is within our grasp even now, and it is never too late. 

Making Peace in a War-Torn World

 Because we live in the United States of America, we can be forgiven if we do not fully appreciate the agony of those who are living in war-torn countries around the world. I will not undertake a complete listing of those countries, but suffice it to say there are many right now.

Perhaps top of the list might be the 3½ year-old conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The principal leaders are Putin and Zelenskyy, neither of which has shown a willingness to consider peace. In the meantime, lives have been lost on the battlefield.

The Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, escalating a conflict that had been simmering since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Initially, Russia aimed for a swift takeover, but Ukrainian resistance, supported by Western military aid, halted major advances. Over time, the war has evolved into a prolonged and grinding conflict, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Russia has captured some territory in eastern Ukraine, while Ukraine has conducted counteroffensives with mixed results. Diplomatic efforts have stalled, and recent reports indicate that the U.S. and Russia have discussed potential resolutions to the war without Ukraine’s direct involvement. Meanwhile, military aid and financial support from Western allies, particularly the U.S., continued to play a crucial role in sustaining Ukraine’s war effort.

And then Trump said, “Enough,” and foreign aid from the U.S. ceased. Europe has stepped up to some degree to assist in opposition to Russia’s naked aggression, but now Putin and Trump have concluded a private meeting in Alaska on Friday, to be followed by a meeting tomorrow in Washington between European leaders and Trump. The rhetoric is extreme, and truthfully none of us can decipher what is really happening. Trump is positioning himself solely as the mediator, because as he said, “This isn’t my war.”

The loss of over a million lives needlessly is what is most troubling in my heart and mind. All of this high-stakes drama on the world stage is causing uncertainty and a high degree of speculation, depending upon where one turns for news.

We have almost become numb, I believe, to the rumors of wars and the actual wars. It has become a commonplace piece of our existence. The closest I ever came to war was the Vietnam War during my era as a young man. In those days I read D&C 87:2:

And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. (Kirtland, Ohio).

That was not comforting news to me as a young man who had hoped to establish a temple marriage and a family. It disrupted my plans. I was not assured of anything, but my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ sustained me through that period of doubt, as it will for all of you.

Now a new generation faces similar challenges. Will Donald Trump be successful in mediating between the warring factions yet again? The pundits and the talking heads on all the media platforms continue their diatribes in full force. I frankly cannot tune in for all the commentary. I am reveling instead in the knowledge of my faithful posterity, many of whom are enlisting in the service of the Lord as missionaries in their far-flung assignments.

The latest to join the ranks is Jonny, who received his endowment yesterday in the Payson Temple. I was told he selected that temple because it was the first temple open house he attended and he said he would one day return to engage in temple work himself when he was older. And so he did!

With Elder Jonny Bayles Yesterday

The world may be in turmoil all around us, it is true, but in the House of the Lord there is peace and solemnity of soul.

I pray for all the peacemakers in the world, including Donald J. Trump. He seems to be transcending politics as usual. I pray others may follow his example in seeking peaceful resolutions to their conflicts. I say all of this knowing full well that the world will continue to pursue war on a widespread scale as prophesied. Nevertheless, we can CHOOSE peaceful resolutions whenever we can.

While I waited briefly for the session to begin yesterday, my pages in the Book of Mormon landed on these verses:

And now it came to pass in this year, yea, in the two hundred and thirty and first year, there was a great division among the people.

And it came to pass that in this year there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ; and among them there were those who were called by the Lamanites—Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites;

Therefore the true believers in Christ, and the true worshipers of Christ, (among whom were the three disciples of Jesus who should tarry) were called Nephites, and Jacobites, and Josephites, and Zoramites.

And it came to pass that they who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; and they did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did wilfully rebel against the gospel of Christ; and they did teach their children that they should not believe, even as their fathers, from the beginning, did dwindle.

And it was because of the wickedness and abomination of their fathers, even as it was in the beginning. And they were taught to hate the children of God, even as the Lamanites were taught to hate the children of Nephi from the beginning.

And it came to pass that two hundred and forty and four years had passed away, and thus were the affairs of the people. And the more wicked part of the people did wax strong, and became exceedingly more numerous than were the people of God.

And they did still continue to build up churches unto themselves, and adorn them with all manner of precious things. And thus did two hundred and fifty years pass away, and also two hundred and sixty years.

And it came to pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton.

And also the people who were called the people of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, and become vain like unto their brethren, the Lamanites.

And from this time the disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world.

And it came to pass that when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto another.

And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic. (4 Nephi 1:35-46, emphasis mine).

Many churches, many “ites” - most stunning was that they TAUGHT THEIR CHILDREN WICKEDNESS AND HATRED. The story of the people in those days is a cautionary tale for our day. The book was written, compiled and translated to come forth in this last dispensation of the fulness of times.

Contrast that with what you are all trying to do, and that is to teach your children righteousness instead. You are disciples of Jesus, and you are in the minority, always have been, always will be. I give you my assurances that you are in the right path. Your children will one day rise up and call you blessed because of what you have taught them in your homes.

This is the generation who will prepare the way for the Savior’s Second Coming, even as we witness more wickedness than we have ever seen before. I love you all for your steadfastness.

What Book Has Made a Significant Difference in Your Life?

 My first response this morning to Shauna’s newest question was obvious - the Book of Mormon. It is the pinnacle upon which the Church was established in this dispensation. It is the bedrock upon which my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was first founded. I won a contest in Seminary for reading it from cover to cover as the fastest to complete the task.

And then I reflected more deeply and came up with another answer, again one that should surprise no one who knows me well. For me it became my own “fifth standard work.” I speak of the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I carried it with me for a lifetime during the years I was doing my teaching in various Church callings. I wore out the binding as it began to fall apart in my hands through overuse. I marked it throughout, and cross-referenced it to the scriptures again and again.

The author/compiler was Joseph Fielding Smith when he served as the Church Historian. He was a grandson of Hyrum Smith, the Prophet’s brother and co-martyr in Carthage Jail, and later became the tenth President of the Church. He was Grandfather Harold B. Lee’s seatmate companion in the Quorum of the Twelve for many years, and he called President Lee as his first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church. I loved Joseph Fielding Smith all the days of his life, and I still revere him for his composite scholarship in compiling the Prophet Joseph’s core teachings.

When I say “scholarship” in today’s world, few will appreciate that back in the day before personal computers there was no such thing as a digital assist in researching Church history. Truth be told, we are still uncovering treasures not available back in the day to President Joseph Fielding Smith when he put together his seminal volume. It still stands the test of time when I consider the avalanche of materials that continue to surface in our day.

I undertook my studies way back in the days I occupied my meager basement office in our home at 2034 Ashton Circle. I had my books and an electric typewriter. That was it, coupled with my overarching desire to discover truth independently from all others. I loved the content of my “five” standard works, particularly the Prophet’s teachings, arranged as they were in chronological sequence by President Joseph Fielding Smith.

I will never forget my discovery of the size of the future city of Zion, as described by Joseph Smith. I painstakingly ferreted out that hidden treasure by calculating the miles on a map of the United States. Using Independence, Missouri, as the centerstake point on my map, I laid out the dimensions of a perfectly square city extending in all directions to discover a “city” that stretched from the Canadian and Mexican borders on the north and south and the Rocky Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains on the west and the east! The key was revealed in Revelation 21. All it took was a little elementary math being applied to convert furlongs into miles. I showed my finding to my father, who in turn excitedly took it to Elder Bruce R. McConkie. Elder McConkie’s response to my father was, “Oh yes, I saw that many years ago too.”

That little story illustrates how magnificent the process of revelation can be for each truth seeker who is willing to put in the time to learn. God rewards effort with knowledge. It is often difficult to escape the self-imposed boundaries of our own finite lives to grasp the scope of the work of the Godhead, who have created “worlds without end.” I became immersed in the attempt to understand their thinking and their expansive vision for us as true followers.

Today, the work of temple building continues unabated throughout the world. Those temples each represent a local Zion community where they stand as a central place for gathering and worship worldwide in the midst of all the foreseen wars and rumors of wars that were prophesied anciently. We are living witnesses of the fulfillment of all the prophecies about the establishment of Zion.

The terms Zion and New Jerusalem both appear in the Bible. In the Old Testament, Zion is typically a synonym for the city of Jerusalem with its temple mount. New Testament prophecies foretold that the Lord would one day create the heavens and the earth anew. As part of this new creation, a city of God referred to as a “new Jerusalem” would come “down from God out of heaven.” Preachers in Joseph Smith’s day disagreed about the meaning of these terms. Some used the phrase “cause of Zion” as a name for the spread of Christianity.

The Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s early revelations spoke of a future city of Zion that would serve as a gathering place for the scattered descendants of Israel in the last days. Joseph Smith’s inspired revision of Genesis gave an account of a “City of Holiness” called Zion built by the ancient prophet Enoch. Those who gathered to Enoch’s Zion eliminated poverty and were unified, righteous, and pure in heart. Eventually, Enoch and the inhabitants of Zion were taken up to heaven. Beginning in 1831, Latter-day Saints sought to establish a city of Zion where they could prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. One revelation called this city the “New Jerusalem.” Another referred to Zion more broadly as a people who are “pure in heart.”

In 1831, Joseph Smith received revelation that the site for the city of Zion would be near the town of Independence in Jackson County, Missouri. Today there is a physical monument marking that spot. Bishop Edward Partridge began to purchase lands in the area and help settle new members as they arrived. In the summer of 1833, Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency sought divine guidance as they drafted a plan for the city, which included a grid of roads and 24 civic and church structures all consecrated as “temples” for different purposes. That summer, however, citizens of Jackson County drove the Saints out of the county, forcing them to abandon their land and their efforts to build the city of Zion.

In a series of revelations that followed, the Lord instructed the Saints regarding spiritual characteristics they lacked but which were necessary for any people who desired to build Zion and gave them instructions on how to move forward. The Saints began to prepare for “the redemption of Zion,” a time when they would return and reclaim their land in Missouri and resume building the holy city. Some in the Church still hold to the belief that a future gathering as foretold will take place there, and only there.

The Saints’ attempts to redeem Zion, including appeals to the United States legal system, did not result in an acknowledgment of their rights or in an immediate return to Jackson County. In a January 1841 revelation regarding the failed attempt to build a temple-centered Zion in Jackson County, the Lord explained, “It behooveth me to require that work no more … but to accept of their offering.” (D&C 124). The same revelation commanded the Saints to build a temple in Nauvoo, Illinois, and establish that city as a new place of gathering.

In Nauvoo, Joseph Smith taught that Zion “consisted of all North and South America,” adding that, in one sense, “any place where the Saints gather is Zion.” He also emphasized the importance of the temple for Zion and the gathering, declaring that “where we can get a [temple] built first, there is the place.” Joseph anticipated that a temple city such as Nauvoo would serve as the center of gathering, and that stakes of Zion would be established in many places, each serving as a refuge for the faithful. (Joseph Smith Discourse, April 8. 1844).

The Latter-day Saints continued to hope for a return to Jackson County, Missouri. At the same time, Church leaders such as Brigham Young taught the importance of building Zion wherever the Saints were. Not long after they settled in the Salt Lake Valley, President Young spoke of their growing city as a New Jerusalem and the rising Salt Lake Temple as the focal point of the gathering. (Brigham Young discourse, Sept. 11, 1853, in Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: LDS Booksellers Depot, 1854–86], 1:78; Franklin D. Richards discourse, Oct. 6, 1853, in Journal of Discourses, 1:321).

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Church began to establish stakes of Zion in many locations around the world. Describing this effort, Elder Spencer W. Kimball explained that “the First Presidency and the Twelve see great wisdom in the multiple Zions, many gathering places where the Saints within their own culture and nation can act as a leaven in the building of the kingdom.” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982], 440).

Today, this notion of “multiple Zions,” cannot possibly be misunderstood as the expansion of missionary work and temple building continues worldwide. Latter-day Saints gather to local stakes of Zion and build temples in many countries, and Church leaders emphasize the importance of becoming a people who live up to the ideals of Zion — unity, godliness, and charity. (D. Todd Christofferson, “Come to Zion,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 37–40).

I think we all hold our breaths at General Conference time in eager anticipation of the announcement that might come of a future temple yet to be built in Jackson County, Missouri. I illustrate my early efforts at understanding Zion from the perspective of the Prophet Joseph Smith for the purpose of underscoring the allowance that must be made for continuing revelation to the LIVING prophets among us. They are the only true and viable source for guidance we must embrace as we live in anticipation of the Second Coming.

Consider these inspired words from President Russell M. Nelson:

"My dear brothers and sisters, in a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ!

"Come unto Christ and 'offer your whole [soul]' to Him. This is the secret to a life of joy!

"The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ." (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/57nelson?lang=eng).

I was first introduced to the thinking of the Prophet Joseph Smith through the book The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I devoured it from cover to cover and every page in between. I endorse it wholeheartedly to all of you…

… And at the same time I encourage and invite you to feast upon the words of the living prophets among us who will NEVER deceive us in these perilous last days.

Do You Favor Politicians or Business People?

It's no secret, I am certain, to those who follow this page that I have increasingly eschewed politicians in general. I have mostly lost interest in the copious and omnipresent onslaught of reporting on political intrigues and the back and forth verbal battles that play out every day. Frankly, it's exhausting.

What has become painfully obvious to me and perhaps to you too is that the career politicians historically have not been interested in seeking solutions for the American people. Why? Their own self-interest was always at the forefront of their endeavors. 

Some career politicians like former President Joe Biden, who was re-elected for a lifetime in politics, finished as a multi-millionaire, and he is just one among many who amassed a personal fortune in ways that are only now becoming apparent. 

Term limits on the members of the House and the Senate cannot be far behind if it ever came to a vote that could be put on a ballot. Also, surprisingly to many, American citizenship at birth is currently not a requirement, and that fact should also be addressed in coming days.

President Donald J. Trump

It cannot have escaped your notice that President Donald J. Trump is only six months into his administration, and the list of substantive achievements for the benefit of the American people is staggering by anyone's calculations. The thin margins in both the House and the Senate with the whole House up for re-election each two years, perhaps explains the urgency we have witnessed.

Securing the borders was first and foremost on the Trump agenda. The speed and the sweeping success of accomplishing that goal was simply stunning to observe. Deportations mounted as illegal immigrants were rounded up and sent packing back to their countries of origin. Self-deportations have increased, no doubt because those who were here illegally got the message that America was transforming quickly into a law and order posture.

On other fronts, the first six months of Donald Trump's second presidency have been the most "successful" of any American president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, according to an analysis conducted by Newsweek.

The legislative efforts paid off in passage of his flagship "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a tax and spending package. It narrowly passed along strictly party lines illustrating once again we are a narrowly divided nation politically. The reductions in taxes and spending were staggering, and makes one wonder how any right-thinking politician from the other party could oppose it.

Newsweek asked "ChatGPT" to rank the accomplishments of 20th and 21st century U.S. presidents in their first six months, taking account of the level of support they enjoyed in Congress.

The model gave Trump an overall score of "very high," thanks to legislation such as the One Big Beautiful Bill and Laken Riley Acts.

On July 4, 2025, Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law after it narrowly passed both the House and Senate. The legislation slashed certain taxes, including extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts; raised the U.S. debt ceiling; increased spending on the military and border control; and cut some funding from Medicare and other welfare programs. According to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the package will add $3.3 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade.

Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on January 29, with the bill taking its name from a Georgia college student who was murdered by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in February 2024. The legislation requires noncitizens charged or convicted of a range of offenses, including theft and assaulting a police officer, to be held without bond. It also gives states more freedom to sue the Department of Homeland Security over immigration enforcement.

The analysis cited above concluded that the first six months of Trump's second term were the most productive since Roosevelt's first term in 1933. In his first 100 days, Roosevelt passed 15 New Deal statutes, including the Emergency Banking Act.

Third in the calculation was Biden's first 100 days, which saw the package of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan designed to combat the economic effects of coronavirus, along with the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. This package was passed despite the Democrats and Republicans being tied in terms of 50 affiliated Senators each, giving then-Vice President Kamala Harris a tiebreaking vote.

At the other end of the spectrum, the analysis gave the worst score for the first six months to Theodore Roosevelt, who became president in 1901, arguing that he passed "no major statue before March 1902."

Bill Clinton was also ranked poorly, with the conclusion his only major legislative reform during his first six months was the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act.

Here's some insight from a foreigner, Dafydd Townley, an American politics expert at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., who told Newsweek: "While Donald Trump has achieved some legislative successes, they are more reflective of the partisan support in Congress. Not every president in the modern era has had such a one-dimensional party to support his legislative agenda. The Democratic Party has long been a coalition of diverse voices, making it difficult to appease every member of Congress. Both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama found this out during their first term in office.

"Until the George W. Bush era, Republicans failed to hold both House and Senate majorities in the modern era, apart from two years in the first Eisenhower administration. Even during the Bush years, control of the Senate shifted back and forth on several occasions, making legislative efforts difficult, if not impossible. Reagan's ability to bridge the partisan divide and work with congressional Democrats on specific bills, such as Social Security reform and immigration policies, suggests a White House capable of achieving ideological success despite congressional barriers. The same applies to Richard Nixon, who gained considerable legislative success despite having a Democrat-controlled House and Senate when he entered office.

"Democrat presidents of the early Cold War had to contend with conservative Southern Democrats in Congress, despite Democrat majorities in the House and Senate. These long-serving members dominated congressional committees, thereby limiting the legislative success of John F. Kennedy, for example. The successful passage of a huge number of bills as part of his Great Society program is a testimony to Lyndon Johnson's management of Congress.

"Trump has been much more reliant on the use of executive orders to implement Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's blueprint for Trump's second term in office. The Trump-inspired legislation in this Congress is more likely to consolidate power within the executive branch and lead to less congressional interference in the president's management of the White House and its agencies."

Left unstated in this analysis by Newsweek, and in my mind more substantive, is Trump's experience as a deal maker among the nations of the world. He imposed tariffs, thought my many "experts" to be disastrous. Instead, the heads of nations have been making historic trade deals with America that have the potential to increase revenues we haven't seen for decades, reduce the deficit spending, and provide American jobs. Those results have already been witnessed, with more to come.

My conclusion: I would much rather have a Donald J. Trump in the White House today than any other politician you can name who would undermine these achievements we have witnessed to date.

If Republicans lose control of either the Senate or House in the 2026 midterm elections, it will make it significantly harder to get the party's bills approved by Congress.

I believe the American people are "woke" now to the possibilities of what may yet be done.

I hope I am right.