We believe that “Zion will be.” The kingdom of God in heaven will join with his kingdom on earth. This city, called “New Jerusalem” by John in the book of Revelation, will be centered in Independence, Missouri (D&C 57:1b, LDS D&C 57:2). The kingdom is the child and the woman is the church spoken of by John in Revelation 12:2. It is from the woman, the church, that the kingdom of God on earth will come forth.

Latter-day revelations confirm this truth. In sections 6, 10, and 11 (LDS 6, 11, and 12) of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord instructs his servants in the early days of the restoration of Christ’s church to “bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.” On April 6, 1830,  the very day that the church was organized, God spoke to the church saying that he inspired Joseph Smith, Jr. to “move the cause of Zion in mighty power for good” (D&C 19:2d, LDS D&C 21:7).

After Christ’s church was restored to the earth, the commandment to the church became to “establish Zion” (D&C 83:18b, 98:10b, LDS D&C 84:104, 101:73). The “cause of Zion” the Lord spoke of was the church of Jesus Christ. Through the marriage between Christ and his church, and the power and authority placed within that church, the kingdom will come forth, even as John prophesied of in the twelfth chapter of Revelation.

We believe that the church of Jesus Christ remains on the earth today, through those who remain faithful to its doctrine and ordinances. When apostasy took hold in the early church after Christ’s ascension into heaven, we are told that Christ’s church “fled into the wilderness” to a place prepared by God (Revelation 12:5). The church did not apostatize; its leaders and eventually its members did. The same holds true today. Brigham Young led many into apostasy by introducing false doctrines (polygamy, Adam-God, etc.). Similarly, the leaders of the RLDS church worked to destroy the church of Christ by changing its doctrine and ordinances (ordaining women to priesthood, open communion, acceptance of homosexuality, etc.). Though these leaders apostatized and led many astray with them, the church of Jesus Christ remains on the earth today, waiting with great pain to deliver her child – the kingdom of God which we believe will soon come to the earth.