We’ve talked about Heavenly Father – Jesus Christ – now we will get into Religious traditions and the fight for Truth – you see our religious traditions often keep us from greater truth! We see this historically when there were crusades – when Catholics fought against Presbyterians…

We see this with Jews fighting against – Christians or shall I say – Christians who used Jewish faith – against them and committed crimes of destruction by using the powers of war against a religion or faith – unfortunately this is not new – many races have battles against others or different beliefs, groups or tribes forever – from slavery to wars of many kinds – this has been a sad part of human history – it never seems to end – but it will and the time is coming that Christ will end these wars! How? By taking Satan or Lucifer and his angels out of the picture – by binding them up and controlling their influence over the hearts and minds of people!!

So these traditions that often have been a cause for strife and wars of all kinds will end after – Satan and his angels are bound – spiritually stopped! By the power of Jesus Christ – by the power of righteousness of people saying no more – it is done – we no more will kill for a cause etc. etc.

Until Christ comes – we will still be a war one with another – in fact the whole world will be in turmoil – it will seem that family and nations, peoples and many factions will be fighting against one another – largely this will be true – BUT – there is another side so few have remembered – a True Zion will be established and there is where peace will be found and I quote!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/45?lang=eng

26 And in ^athat day shall be heard of ^bwars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall ^cfail them, and they shall say that Christ ^ddelayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

Notice the whole earth is in commotion – wars etc. – so much so that some will say Christ is not coming or delays his coming – but that will not be so!

27 And the ^alove of men shall wax cold, and ^biniquity shall abound.

28 And when the times of the ^aGentiles is come in, a ^blight shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my ^cgospel;

We have now reached the time of the gentiles is over or coming to an end, and the time of the Jews – or time of bringing back Israel and his people is fast approaching – with only less then a decade away – or it fulfillment, soon to be accomplished by angels, 144,000 – and others – great signs to be given in the earth – in the heavens and in the wars of men etc.

29 But they ^areceive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their ^bhearts from me because of the ^cprecepts of men.

30 And in that generation shall the ^atimes of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

In this same section of the Doctrine and Covenants we find the following! Section 45 –

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/45?lang=eng

Again the times of gentiles are soon to be fulfilled!

Zion is more than a place – it’s in the homes and hearts of a people!

The whole earth shall be a war one with another – but there will be places of peace and safety – in New Jerusalem and Zion –

66 And it shall be called the ^aNew Jerusalem, a ^bland of ^cpeace, a city of ^drefuge, a place of ^esafety for the saints of the Most High God;

67 And the ^aglory of the Lord shall be there, and the ^bterror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his ^aneighbor must needs flee unto ^bZion for safety.

69 And there shall be ^agathered unto it out of every ^bnation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at ^cwar one with another.

Will the world as a whole accept this restoration? No because of sin, because of traditions and because of fear of men and their lack of Faith!

So the Lord put it this way in the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants! –

The Doctrine and Covenants

Section 1

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, on November 1, 1831, during a special conference of elders of the Church, held at Hiram, Ohio. Many revelations had been received from the Lord prior to this time, and the compilation of these for publication in book form was one of the principal subjects passed upon at the conference. This section constitutes the Lord’s preface to the doctrines, covenants, and commandments given in this dispensation.

( This a warning to all men – everywhere – none are to escape this warning and all will be judged by – their acceptance or rejection of this warning!)

1–7, The voice of warning is to all people; 8–16, Apostasy and wickedness precede the Second Coming; 17–23, Joseph Smith is called to restore to earth the Lord’s truths and powers; 24–33, The Book of Mormon is brought forth and the true Church is established; 34–36, Peace will be taken from the earth; 37–39, Search these commandments.

1 ^aHearken, O ye people of my ^bchurch, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose ^ceyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.

2 For verily the ^avoice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to ^bescape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ^cear that shall not hear, neither ^dheart that shall not be penetrated.

3 And the ^arebellious shall be ^bpierced with much ^csorrow; for their iniquities shall be ^dspoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.

( The acts of all men will be revealed and none shall escape – come the judgement day – for all are alike unto the Lord! )

4 And the ^avoice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have ^bchosen in these ^clast days.

5 And they shall ^ago forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.

6 Behold, this is mine ^aauthority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my ^bcommandments, which I have given them to ^cpublish unto you, O ^dinhabitants of the earth.

( This priesthood authority has be restored and given to Christ’s modern day prophets – and members of his church – for god will not be mocked in these things – come the judgement day! )

7 Wherefore, ^afear and ^btremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have ^cdecreed in them shall be ^dfulfilled.

8 And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to ^aseal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and ^brebellious;

9 Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the ^aday when the ^bwrath of God shall be poured out upon the ^cwicked without measure—

10 Unto the ^aday when the Lord shall come to ^brecompense unto every man according to his ^cwork, and ^dmeasure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.

11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:

12 Prepare ye, ^aprepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is ^bnigh;

( The second coming will be soon – with in maybe 10-12 years – the time is not important – the fact is – Christ will come – now is the time to get ready for that great day! ) ZION WILL SOON FULLY COME!