As found in the Salt Lake Weekly Tribune on October 8th, 1871
Few persons understand, in its fulness, the liberality and expansiveness of the Zion Movement, and its adaptation to the wants of the age.
The words “Church” and “Zion” are objectionable to a certain class of free-thinkers. They think because we call our Movement a Church that it must, like churches of the past, be limited by creeds; that it must claim a right to dictate the souls of its members, and put people in some sort of mental or spiritual restriction.
Nothing of this kind is the case. The Church of Zion is a system which aims to give the benefits of religious association and spiritual culture to its members, and at the same time free them from every species of mental trammels.
It may be asked, why use the word “church” at all? We reply, because by long association that word is allied to the idea of a body combined for the development of holiness and purity of life. When freed from its misuse and perversion by its connection with dogmatic creeds, no word so beautifully expresses the idea of a combination of [people] seeking after God and the development of their highest attributes. Again, Churches are allied to the affections of millions whose deepest and best religious experience is interblended therewith. Such minds now emancipating themselves from the false theology appertaining to such systems, still call for religious truth, the only difference being that they now want it founded on nature and true philosophy instead of faith and mystery. Rationalism, Spiritualism, and other forms of free thought, while appealing to the intellectual side of their nature, fail to meet this want. What the age demands is a universalian Church of progress, in which intellectuality and spirituality shall be equally combined; and which, by its very constitution, shall be incapable of limitation in doctrine and principle, and shall thus be ever open to the greater light and experience which future times are bound to bring.
As to the word “Zion,” we attach no fanatical or sectarian meaning to it. We use the word simply because it expresses the idea of something consecrated to the spiritual and the divine. Indeed, the Church of Zion is the steady opponent of cant and sanctimonious phrases of every kind. It believes in no religion except that which is pure, simple, natural, and spontaneous.
Other persons – more particularly some who have belonged to orthodox Mormonism – labor under the idea that, if they come into the Movement they must accept and endorse the divine mission of certain moving minds who originated it, or that they will have to admit their spiritual control in some way.
Nothing of this sort is necessary. The Church of Zion, as an organization, has, of course, its managers or directors, and circumstances may require the originators of the Movement, for a longer or shorter period, to sustain prominent positions on account of their acquaintance with its true spirit and object; but so far as they are concerned, beyond brotherly confidence and regard, nothing is required as a condition of membership. Those who lead the Movement will always do so by virtue of the will and desire of the members of the organization, and not of any supposed arbitrary right imparted to them from the heavens. It is true that certain [people] connected with the Movement do claim to have had missions – and divine ones, too – to educate and enlighten their fellows, but they claim no right to preside over any person on that account.
If the question is asked, what it takes to enable a [person] to become a member of the Zion movement, we reply [they have] but to assent to its platform, and believe in combining together to develop spirituality of character and heavenly traits in the soul. So long as [people] assent to the general truths embodied in the Zion platform, they can believe what they will about theological details. A wider field was never opened since the world began. The Church of Zion is an attempt to build up a system in which [people] who differ as to the range of their spiritual and intellectual vision, and who desire to cultivate their spiritual qualities and develop heaven in the heart and bless humanity, may meet together side-by-side, while they differ as to the philosophy of many things of a speculative character both in heaven and on earth.
In addition to this, there is nothing tied down to stakes in the Church of Zion. It lays itself, in all its doctrines and organization, open to eternal change and improvement.
As a system, it abhors man-worship, priestly rule, and spiritual dictation. It calls upon [people] to combine together to build up a divine church of intellect and spirituality, which shall encourage in [humanity] unlimited freedom of investigation and progress.
If the reader, then, wishes to see a church built up freed from all sanctimonious cant – a church of spirituality, but in harmony with nature – if [you wish] to see a church established which shall discard the dogmas and superstitions of the past – that that shall feed [your] religious nature without fettering [you] mentally, one which calls upon [you] to worship and reverence no [one], its founders or otherwise, but a system whose main object is the development of Christ-like qualities in the life – let [yourself] combine [your] efforts with those of the Church of Zion and seek to build up its principles, and do [your] part to develop the good which is in [your] own soul and bless and emancipate humanity; for such is the mission and purpose of the Zion Movement.