Working Toward Zion: Principles of the United Order for the Modern World

By James W. Lucas

Book Overview

Saints both ancient and modern have found Enoch's Zion compelling - a society where there "were no poor among them." In Working Toward Zion, authors Lucas and Woodworth point the way for Latter-day... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1562362283
• ISBN13: 9781562362287
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Aspen Books
• Length: 484 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.5" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Why did it take so long to write this book?

So why did it take so long to write this book? Most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints know they have an obligation to help the poor, and the businessmen, by virtue of having more money, have the greater obligation. Kudos to Lucas and Woodworth for all of the extensive research into the early United Orders, for distilling the Order's essentials, and then applying them to our modern economy. This book is a practical guide to setting up a business based on the principles of the United Order, which is what all LDS-owned businesses should have been in the first place! The principles are the key. As they repeat over and over again, Messrs. L and W are not advocating a rogue Restoration neo-Amishism. In their correct reading of Adam Smith (which is a rare thing), the principles of Free Enterprise are based upon principles of morality (p. 63, c. f. Aristotle "Ethics" Book V, Chapter 5). In fact, it is only within a free enterprise system that respects personal liberty and property rights that the economic Zion can be established. The book contains numerous examples of small, collective co-ops that already exist and have worked for several decades that can serves as models. Written in 1996, the authors make a passing reference to the Perpetual Immigration Fund (p. 333), which becomes more striking considering the subsequent creation of the Perpetual Education Fund. This book is written with the pre-Business undergrad or MBA candidate in mind, or the small businessman. Since they have the necessary capital, they have to make the first move. However, the message can be adapted to anyone wanted to help out more. I felt that some background reading would help. First, an understanding of the Gospel is essential, with a particular emphasis on the passages that talk about the United Orders-Moses 7, Alma 18, and the relevant sections in the Doctrine and Covenants. Furthermore, since this book is a response to Nibley's "Approaching Zion," you need to read it first for context. It would also be helpful to know the basic principles of economics, so read Frederic Bastiat's "The Law," then Thomas Sowell's "Basic Economics" and "Applied Economics" in that order. Arrington's "Great Basin Kingdom" would be helpful, but not required. I see only four problems with this book-which, considering the subject matter makes this book a gold medal winner. The first problem is metaphysical: why are people poor in the first place? The second deals with statism. The recent Kelo v. New London ruling means that no one's personal property is safe. Couple that with a junior senator recent comment: "We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut [Bush's tax cut] short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." As pointed out, one of the reason why the early Utah orders failed was due to state greed (p. 338-339). With comments and ruling like this, we all sho

thought provoking and thorough

This book gives fantastic context for the law of consecration : historical, social, political, scriptoral, legal, religious and more. It includes background on co-ops in Europe, Britain, and the US (both religious and secular) and has insight from prophets, scholars and historians. The depth and breadth of the discussion are incredible - and it includes dozens of ways to apply the principles of the law in modern capitalistic life. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has wondered what this law was really about and how it applies today.I only regret that the book was not written later to include 1) the perpetual education fund, which addresses many ideas presented in the book and 2)the recent corporate fraud cases in which investors - and particularly employee stock option holders - were robbed billions of dollars by bogus accounting practices. Both topics would fit beautifully in the discussion.