3 Nephi 21:14, 22-28 14 Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they repent; … … 22 But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance; 23 And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem. 24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. 25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst. 26 And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. 27 Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name.
Gathering to Zion: Gentiles
As used in the Holy Scriptures in the strict sense, the term Gentile refers to non-covenant peoples of the earth. Nations and individuals who have made covenant agreements with God, either now or in the past, are termed “The House of Israel”. All others are “Gentiles” if they come from traditionally Christian countries or “Heathen Nations” if they are from non-Christian countries.
The City of Zion, also known as the New Jerusalem, is the key place of gathering, and is to be centered in Jackson County, Missouri, specifically Independence, where the great Temple is to be built. Right now, baptized converts stay in their current locale. They “gather” only in the sense of meeting together. Eventually all of the House of Israel (except Judah) will be Latter-day Saints and they, along with well intentioned non-Latter-day Saint Gentiles will come to the center place of Zion and build up the New Jerusalem as a place of safety and security in a very tumultuous world.
What about our current “gentile” population and gentile governments in the US and Canada? They’ll need to assist in building Zion or be “swept from the land”. It’s not the faithful Latter-day Saints that do it but rather the judgments of God that come when the level of evil reaches the tipping point. Internal conflict and invasion from the south accomplish the deed.
The word of God is very explicit concerning the establishment of Zion in Missouri: It’s going to happen for sure. The only question is who gets on board and who gets swept away. However the future of the North American gentile peoples is not fixed. The scriptures do not decree their fate but lay out two distinct scenarios: 1) Fight against Zion and be destroyed; or 2) join in building up Zion and be prospered.
My personal take on it is that there are a great many good people in the US and Canada who will support the cause of Zion once it becomes evident to them that God is behind it. Many do not currently support the truth because they really don’t yet know about it or have been deceived regarding it. But that won’t last forever.
As the portentous events of the latter-days develop a great division in our North American societies occurs. We can see it developing already and the division will grow to the point where gray areas shrink and the choices become stark. Those avoiding physical conflict and who want to be governed by honest leaders who follow true principles of democracy, as found in the divinely inspired US Constitution, will come physically to The City of Zion.
I try not to say anything in this blog that is not already in the Holy Scriptures in very plain speech. If you haven’t heard about these things then I suggest to read the words of Jesus on the subject. Here is an example from 3 Nephi 21 in the Book of Mormon: