\"Imagine approaching the gates of that great city in the years before it became Zion. At
its start, it probably had many things like other cities of its time. Works of faith on the part of
many, including the prophet Enoch, set the foundation for what came later. It was not so much a
matter of laying out plots of land for houses, buildings, or streets, nor was it a matter of specific
city laws needing to be established or government buildings constructed. We can be sure the city
of Enoch had all of the things it needed in that respect, but ultimately, it was the love of God that
built the city of Enoch. It was built by persons just like us––persons obedient to the Lord’s
commandments and His called servants on earth. The Spirit spoke to them in their prayers, and
they listened; parents listened, and children listened. Therefore, there was no weeping, only joy,
in the heavens for the city of Enoch!<\/span><\/p> <\/p>
\"To my left and right here on the stage are paintings of the North Ogden and Springville
temples. These two communities are good reference points that we can learn from. <\/p>
<\/p>
\"The Great Salt Lake is known to be somewhat salty, but what about the members of the
Church here in Salt Lake County?\" <\/p>
<\/p>
The speaker and audience laughed together.<\/p>
<\/p>
\"We, the members of the Church, are imperfect; that goes without saying. We have
achieved great success in Utah and the other Latter-day Saint communities throughout the world,
but the time has come for us to lay a new foundation and set higher goals.<\/p>
<\/p>
\"Imagine what a city of Zion under construction might look like here in the Salt Lake
Valley. The greater Salt Lake community, we could say in a figurative sense, has been built over
the years upon a less ideal foundation of salty waters. To rid ourselves of the salty foundation, it
might require days and days of powerful rainstorms from the heavens, the resulting flood waters
creating a beautiful fresh water lake that divides the valley into two sections of land. In each
section, there is a city and a temple––the city and temple of Salt Lake that exists today on one
side and, on the other, a beautiful new city under construction that includes a Zion-class, twin-
temple complex even larger than those of Springville and North Ogden. A bridge spans the
waters between the two cities, old and new, allowing workers to commute across and do work in
their free time on the new temple and the new city while still living and doing their normal day
jobs in the old city. Standing atop the dome of the state capital building at night, one might look
off on the horizon and see the high-powered beam lights used by workers at the new construction
site.<\/p>
<\/p>
\"This is how Zion can be built in our stakes. We live our lives in the imperfect world of
today, doing our day jobs, performing our callings in the Church as always, and obeying the
commandments. But then, after all is done, we find ourselves inspired by the Spirit of Enoch and
caught up into a vision of Zion, desiring to do more than that which has been commanded. The
Lord responds to this additional consecration of our lives by opening the windows of heaven and
powering new blessings down upon us. <\/p>
<\/p>
\"The ground upon which we build Zion will almost always be the same ground upon
which we are currently living—the same home, the same neighborhood, the same ward, and the
same city or town. Therefore, contrary to my example, we won't have need for a physical bridge
to connect us to a new city. Instead, the bridge to the ideal is built in our hearts. The section of
land off at a distance is the higher spiritual plane that we wish to reach. The new city under
construction is the improved ward or stake that we will have, day by day, as it becomes
sanctified more and more by the Spirit of God.<\/p>
<\/p>
\"Let me ask a question: <\/p>
<\/p>
\"How great do you think the stakes of Salt Lake City, the capital city of the pioneers, can
become in the eyes of the Lord? <\/p>
\"Are there not a few members of the Church here in Salt Lake City ready at a moment's
notice to come running and raise the title of Zion? Of course, there are. The valley is filled with
many such people.<\/p>
<\/p>
\"And what about the other stakes along the Wasatch Front––those in Provo, Ogden,
Orem, Bountiful, Farmington, Centerville, Clearfield, Roy, and Layton... as well as those in St
George, Logan, Brigham City, Nephi, Cedar City, and all locations in between? And, of course,
what about the saints in the other states of the United States and in the other countries of the
world?<\/p>
<\/p>
\"If it's possible to have two stakes at the two-dollar level in the Church, then why not ten,
fifty, or even a hundred of them? Why not all of them?<\/p>
<\/p>
\"That's the main question I would have you consider as you return to your homes after
this conference.\"<\/p>
<\/p>
With these last words, the introduction to Domine Deus<\/i> was complete, and the music
started again.<\/p>
<\/p>
The oboe melody was calm, innocent, and unpretentious, as if a shepherd were playing a
soothing tune for his flock of sheep. The soprano voice was, like those of Laudamus te<\/i>, simply
delightful, representing the attempts of the boy to cut the lawn better and better each week in
tireless fashion; and then finally, many weeks later, after many hours of hard work on that last
day, and after it had become somewhat dark outside, he had reached the five-dollar level. <\/p>
<\/p>
From the story, we read:<\/p>
<\/p>
I followed this secret for the rest of the day, dozing for a few minutes every hour to <\/i>regain
my<\/i> perspective and replenish my strength. Between naps, I mowed four times, two times
lengthwise, two times across, until the lawn looked like a green velvet <\/i>checkerboard. Then I dug
around<\/i> every tree, crumbling the big clods and smoothing the soil with my hands, then finished
with the edger, meticulously lining up each stroke so that the effect would be perfectly
symmetrical. And I carefully trimmed the grass between the flagstones of the front walk. The
shears wore my fingers raw, but the walk never looked better.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
Finally about eight o'clock that evening it was all completed. I was so proud I didn't even
feel tired when I went up to her door.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"Well, what is it today?\" she asked.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"Five dollars,\" I said, trying for a little calm and sophistication.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"Five dollars? You mean four dollars, don't you? I told you that a five-<\/i>dollar lawn job
isn't possible.\"<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"Yes it is. I just did it.<\/i>\"<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"Well, young man, the first five-dollar lawn in history certainly deserves some looking
around.\"<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
We walked about the lawn together in the light of evening, and even I was quite overcome
by the impossibility of what I had done.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"Young man,\" she said, putting her hand on my shoulder, \"what on earth made you do<\/i>
such a crazy, wonderful thing?\"<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
I didn't know why, but even if I had, I could not have explained it in the excitement of
hearing that I had done it.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"I think I know,\" she continued, \"how you felt when this idea first came to you of caring
for a lawn that I told you was impossible. It made you very happy when it first came, then a little
frightened. Am I right?'<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
She could see she was right by the startled look on my face.<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>
\"I know how you felt, because the same thing happens to almost everyone. They feel this
sudden burst in them of wanting to do some great thing. They feel a wonderful happiness but
then it passes because they have said, <\/i>'<\/i>No, I can't do that. <\/i>It's impossible.'<\/i> Whenever something
in you says, <\/i>'<\/i>It's impossible,<\/i>'<\/i> remember to take a careful look and see if it isn't really God asking
you to grow an inch, or a foot, or a mile, that you may come to a fuller life.\"<\/i><\/p>
<\/p>"}