Introduction

In the plat of Zion, the three buildings 1, 2 and 3 are entitled “The House of the Lord, for the Elders of Zion, an Ensign to the Nations”. The elders are mentioned in the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants and other scripture and historically have had the role of serving the community and teaching it about the law[1]. They also act as guides to the community, while also being mentors and coaches to the community members. Elders in the understanding of the plat documents are one of a set of offices dedicated to details of the community’s economic and social well-being. The understanding of the terms “elder” and “ensign” are used in the context of Early Modern English, which was mainly used in England in the 16^th century, and which was standardized after  William Tyndale’s Bible translation. As noted in the introduction, the church and state were not separate during this time, which accounts for the use of language with strong scriptural references. 

In the Bible, elders are the local officials who serve the community[2] at its basic level – the village, which is a collection of families. The elders are responsible for providing guidance to the village as it attempts to meet its basic needs, including food and shelter, as well as security.   The Village Bureau, which has the bulk of the community’s public servants, can be able to offer the needed assistance.

The original meaning of “village” as used in the Bible is a shelter, inhabited by a small band of people with a common identity or interest, ranging from peasant farmers to nomadic herders. The elder would, therefore, be the one organizing the settlement in the first place and controlling its affairs. Kfar (כְּפָר) is the original meaning as used in 1 Samuel 6:18 and Nehemiah 6:2.

Scriptural background

Elders are portrayed in the Bible and relevant scripture as serving the community through protection, guidance, and teaching. Elders are the members of the community who have a wealth of experience, which gives them the necessary knowledge and wisdom to assist with certain community-related decisions such as housing and stewardship.

The role of elders as members of government can be found in the Old and New Testaments. For example, in Exodus 3:18 God tells Moses that the people of Israel “shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shall come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him.” The implication here is that the elders assisted Moses in his duties.

Still in Exodus (12:21), Moses “then…called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover.’” This further illustrates the role of the elders in guiding and teaching the community. Joshua 20:4 says, “and when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.” Here, the elders have the duty and authority to provide living space to those who come into the community. It is only reasonable to expect that they also have the same ability to provide for those already in the community. An elder is a teacher, who helps guide people on the right way of providing for themselves, and  finding out ways through which they can be more productive and comfortable. this can be assumed as a form of mentoring and coaching, quoting from Proverbs 27:17, which says that as “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

In the New Testament, Elders have similar roles as in the Old Testament—that is, they are community servants and providers. In Mathew 15:2, the Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus, “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat.” This, in turn, shows that in the society at the time, the elders were the ones responsible for setting and safeguarding the law, which Jesus’ disciples were accused of violating. A similar instance is seen in Mathew 21:23, where Jesus is confronted by the elders and chief priests: “and when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, by what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?” This shows that the elders considered themselves as the office responsible for ensuring that laws were followed.

Key instructions are provided in 1 Peter 5:1-4: “the elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither a being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock”. The verses are yet another telling definition of the role of elders in society: shepherds and overseers. Titus 1:9 further elaborates on this role: “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”

The Book of Mormon has similar definitions of the role and position of elders in the community. A significant difference, however, is that the elders are usually consecrated (ordained). This can be argued to mean that the community needs to ensure that elders have the requisite knowledge of the community, support its ideals, and can be depended upon to defend them. The consecration of elders among other officials is mentioned in Alma 4:7: “Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, priests, and elders to serve the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.” This reaffirms the role of elders to, among other things, guide their people in adhering to the laws set for them, hence their grief when they failed to do so.

D&C 20 highlights the role of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as the first and second elders of the church, respectively. D&C 20:38 states one of the roles of elders as baptism. For emphasis, the LDS Church’s Gospel Principles (page 115, 2009) states that it is only by baptism that a person can truly join the community. This further underlines the elders’ role (as seen in Joshua 20:4) of being the community servants who are expected to welcome and recruit participants into the community and give refuge for those who need it, besides providing for the people within the community. D&C 20:41-43 states some of the other duties of the elders: “to confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the scriptures; And to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church; And to confirm the church by the laying on of the hands, and the giving of the Holy Ghost”.

D&C 66 gives some of the duties which elders are expected to perform in the community. Elders are to preach, bear witness of God’s message, and reason with the people regarding the gospel and the ideals that Joseph Smith propagated. D&C 88:72 talks of God sending elders to the people, to His flock, so that they can know of the things which God expects of them; the elders are to be used to guide the people in the right way, as per the established laws and policies of the community: “Behold, and lo, I will take care of your flocks, and will raise up elders and send unto them.”

In the Pearl of Great Price, the calling of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to be the first and second elders of the church is further discussed. In The History of Joseph Smith 72 and 73, their anointing and subsequent baptism of the two helped them better understand the scriptures, as well as the revelations which they had and were yet to receive. Elders, then, are to be beacons of wisdom in the community. They will guide the people and act as custodians of the law of the land. They will act as shepherds, guiding their people but also providing their material needs.

An Ensign to the Nations

The plat describes the buildings 1,2 and 3, for the elders, as an Ensign to the Nations.  The term “ensign” is synonymous with “standard”, “banner”, and “flag”, among others. It is a symbol that the people rally to, a sign of their identity, and a source of hope, inspiration, and strength. This is variously referred to in various scriptural sources, particularly in Isaiah. The Book of Isaiah was written during and after the Babylonian captivity of Israel, and it depicts the people of Israel as being apostate and rebellious but still savable, should they follow the Lord’s command.

Isaiah 2:2 prophesies of a time in the last days when “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it”. The Lord’s house will be established as a banner, to which all people will rally. In some instances, Isaiah refers to the dispersed people of the tribe of Judah, such as in Isaiah 11:12: “And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth”.

The message is, however, more general, addressed to all inhabitants of the earth as in 2 Nephi 15:26, which prophesies a time where, after great suffering, the Lord will help the people, “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them”.

The entire community, Zion, which is meant for all people, is an ensign by itself. It is the place that will offer an improved and different way of life. The people who will come in will not “be weary”, nor will they “stumble”.

Within the community, however, there is the bureau which helps bring in the people, which will carry the “hiss”…” from the end of the earth”. Once they have come, they will be prepared to enter into the system, and will thereafter be able to take advantage of what the community has to offer.

The ensign to the nations is the Village Bureau. It handles the recruitment of participants in the community. In coordination with other bureaus, it ensures that their financial standing and skills level is aligned with what the particular community wants. Moreover, as Gordon Hinckley said, an ensign to the nations is a light to the world. Such a light would direct the people to a better place. The light would include the tools needed to make them fully active participants in the community system, as given by the elders: recruitment, orientation into the system, rentals of housing and equipment, and assistance in business.

Main Terms

From the scriptural references, the following terms offer more insight into what is expected of the elders in a current setting. One of the most used terms in the community setting is “active participant”, also referred to as the “people” (as opposed to visitors and dependents). Participants, as discussed in the introduction, are individuals who have been taken through the entry process (baptism, laying of hands), and are formally recognized as such. They have economic pursuits in the community as business owners and subcontractors. Therefore, to “participate” refers to the economic production of the people within the community, who have already been approved by the various agencies involved.

Term/ Phrase	Origin	Original meaning	Contextual meaning in community
Elders of Zion	Old English – ieldra	Originally synonymous with older, it came to mean those who, by virtue of their age and the wisdom and experience gained over time, held positions of authority in their communities.	Elders of Zion serve the community in the villages. They guide, provide for and shepherd the village members in accessing basic needs including human resource services, rental of housing/physical plant/equipment, and assistance in developing the individuals’ stewardship.
Ensign to the Nations	Latin – insignia	Signs of office, referred to a banner, flag, or other symbols of a nationality or a people	Elders are the standard that would-be participants, and those who are already in the community, see as the symbol of their community. They look up to them for the fulfillment of their basic needs as discharged by the three agencies. Additionally, the elders motivate, guide and coach, and advise participants on work and businesses.
Baptism	Ecclesiastical Greek –  baptizein	Sprinkling or immersing a person in the water, as a sign of their formal admission into the Christian faith. Original meaning: cleanse/ ceremonial washing (involving immersion)	Before participants can join the community, they are thoroughly prepared and vetted, to ensure that they are suitable for the set-up. Among other offices, the elders participate by providing recruiting and thereafter providing orientation to new participants. The participant is immersed in the ideals of the community and becomes a new person in terms of their social and economic outlook. The elders certify or confirm that the individual is qualified to be a community steward.
Consecrate	Latin – consecrare	To dedicate or devote for a religious purpose	Elders are consecrated to signify their roles are not merely bureaucratically providing information on housing, work, and businesses. They are required to have a specific level of dedication in watching over the community and providing the guidance and motivation required by participants to achieve their roles properly. They are therefore likely to be experienced participants who are well versed in community principles.
Watch over flock	Old English – flocc	A band of people; in Christianity, a group of believers, under the direction of a minister	Elders serve their villages by guiding what the participants do with their stewardship. It is akin to what a shepherd would do in Psalm 23

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[1] The elders’ role in protecting the community and teaching it about the law is not confined to physical defenses and literal teaching. In James 5:14 for instance, the elders are concerned with the community members’ welfare in other ways too, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:”

[2] In Genesis 50:7, elders of the households, implying the representatives of the various families or groupings of families, accompany Joseph to bury his father. In Exodus 24:9, priests and 70 elders accompany Moses in a ceremony, their role being representative, as well as signifying their position as the core administrative office in the community. Timothy Willis points out that elders in the bible arose out of tribal connections, where extended families – effectively, villages, lived close to each other and had respected members serve in maintaining order and guiding the people.