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Show uninhabited expanses of the Great Basin where there would be no outside interference, the Kingdom of God would be built. The last act of the Mormon drama--the act of preparing the earth for the Savior's return--would then be played out in the Intermountain West. Building Zion The establishment of Zion geographically did not preclude a continued interest by the Saints in the "time" of the Second Coming. The question of when they could expect the Advent remained a topic of much discussion. Because the imminent arrival of the millenium could not be implied, as it was 'in Mormon scripture, and still be ignored, the Prophet informed the faithful that Christ would not appear until "everything for the Bridegroom is ready. 1131 Part of this readiness could be witnessed i~ outside events. Both natural and man-made disasters became "signs of the times" to the Saints watching for indications that the Last Days were upon them. In addition to waiti~g h:ad and watching, the MormonsAa theology of activism--theirs was a "work hard and you shall be rewarded" approach to salvation. 32 The Saints would not, as had the followers of William Miller in 1844, lock ( thems ,ves into a doctrine promising the miraculous.and catac ~ mic creation of Zion at the time of the Second Coming. 33 Quite the reverse--the Mormon Zion would be built and prepared by the labor of the Saints themselves. Speaking in Salt Lake City in 1857, Brigham Young addressed the i?sue of those members who failed to understand the nature of their calling: "They gather here with the spirit of Zion resting upon them, and expecting to find Zion in its glory, whereas their own 42 |
