This past few days my husband and I have gotten in some long-winded, heated, passionate discussions on a point I had brought up while we were studying the scriptures. While I was studying it reminded me of something that was in my Patriarchal Blessing. There were a couple of quotes. Now this was done in 1982 before I had even been to the temple or know about temple ordinances. I had been working on my genealogy since very young long before I knew of the church and became a member. This Stake Patriarch did not know me or anything about me.
“I bless you that you may know that there are those of your forefathers who are interested in you and in the work you do and in the knowledge that you have received baptism by the hands of the servants of God upon the earth. You are given opportunity of serving them in the house of the Lord in due time.  The Lord loves you Sister Haysom and would have you know it and is mindful of you and knows the problems and difficulties through which you pass from time to time. He is constantly holding out his arms to you and will enfold you in the embrace of His love and guide you into all truths, if you will permit Him to do so. Put your hand in the hand of the Lord and he will direct your paths in righteousness and for good.
“I bless you in the days to come you will be known as a Savior on Mount Zion and that you will exercise the gifts and talents given you to enable you to prepare in the House of the Lord, a records which will be acceptable, that the ordinances of salvation may be brought to those of your family who have departed this life, without the opportunity and knowledge of the gospel.
“There are many who await these ordinances being performed for them, many of who have accepted the gospel as it is taught in the spirit world, and cannot do anything about it, I bless you that the Lord will plant in your heart the promises he made to his fathers and the hearts of the fathers be turned to them to bring to pass those things in their lives. We call it life because they are more alive then we are, the spirits of the dead. I bless you that you may know that by this great work husbands and wives who may be living separately in the spirit world will be brought together, when these ordinances are performed in the House of the Lord as husband and wife.â€
My question to my husband was that to me there is only ONE Saviour so why was that mentioned in my blessing? Also to me Mount Zion is only going to be at the next Millennium. Does that mean I will still be alive then? Â My husband asked me how many people attending our annual Finding Your Roots seminar this past October and I said over 350. He said all these people faithfully do their genealogy. they have to no idea why they just know inside they need to. Your job is to help them gather these names because in the next millennium all will be revealed. Because of the literal thousands and thousands of people I have found and helped joined to their families he considered it for what it was said.
Your idea and what can you back that up with?
It’s not one of my favorite phrases, but “saviors on Mount Zion” has a very specific meaning in the Church. It simply refers to those who perform temple work on behalf of others, and, by extension, those who submitted the names. It does not imply that their contribution is comparable to that of Christ–he is The Savior (with no “Mount Zion” tie). But it is necessary for the salvation of those folks, so the term is not inaccurate. (As for Mount Zion, I interpret it in this instance as a reference to temples in general, not to the millennial New Jerusalem.)
I think it is important that we never shorten the phrase, but instead treat it as if it were a single word. If you can come up with a single-word replacement, I say go for it. I checked the scriptures, assuming the phrase appeared somewhere in the D&C, but the only instance is in Obadiah and its link to temple work is tenuous at best. Joseph Smith used the phrase in an address and it has stuck ever since. But being essentially noncanonical, I think it could be replaced. (Saint Bernards would be my candidate, but some would find that too Catholic, and there are WoW implications with the brandy kegs and all.)
Last Lemming is correct.
i think also last lemming saying right
I dont know what word you are trying to be but im sure if you try real hard you can be it. Life in a dictionary is boring though.
I would suggest the following book for the origin of the phrase.
“Chapter 41: Becoming Saviors on Mount Zion,†Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),468–478
The prophet, Elijah, often stayed at her home (he and his servant). One day, Elisha sent his servant to ask the woman what Elisha could do for her. She asked for nothing. Elisha then called the woman to him and gave her a prophesy. He told her that she would have a child. Her husband, it is said, was old. But, indeed, she had a child, and the child grew up. One day, the child got sick and died. The woman laid the child on Elisha’s bed. Why? The child was dead. Did she expect a miracle? She then went with haste to the home of Elisha. After hearing her, he offered for his servant to take his staff and go and lay it on the child. She would not leave Elisha until he consented to go. Did she expect a miracle? It seems so. Did her making a special room for Elisha and his servant (where he could rest as he ministered in that area), have anything to do with her miracle? I wonder!
as noted above, last lemming explained correctly. It’s not as if you are a literal Savior, but a savior in the sense that you are helping doing work for those that can’t do it for themselves. By helping fulfill one part of the 3 fold mission of redeeming the dead, you are bringing to pass the work and the glory of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that Latter-day Saints are to become saviors on Mount Zion. He explained:
“How are they to become saviors on Mount Zion? by building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances . . . upon their heads, in behalf of all their progenitors who are dead, and redeem them that they may come forth in the first resurrection and be exalted to thrones of
glory with them†(History of the Church, 6:184; see also obadiah 1:21).