D&C 84

With the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the saints learned that Ether -

"...spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land." (Book of Mormon Ether 13:4)

"...that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord." (Book of Mormon Ether 13:3)

There was probably great interest in the bringing forth of the Holy City or Zion. And again in modern day came -

"..the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 84:2)

Enoch saw our day and the millenium and that -

"...before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve..." (Pearl of Great Price Moses 7:61)

How will they be preserved? -

"...righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem." (Pearl of Great Price Moses 7:62)

Having been previously instructed on the location of the New Jerusalem, came the instruction in our day -

"Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 84:4)

It is apparent that Zion would continue to grow from this place or and the gathering will encompass more places. For these places were to be -

"...a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 45:66)

Isaiah saw the gathering of Israel in the last days saying -

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes..." (Old Testament Isaiah 54:2)

"For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 82:14)

It becomes clear that stakes are other places of gathering that are considered part of Zion, established -

"...that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 115:6)

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught -

"We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. When wars come, we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says, Ye shall not have time to have gone over the earth, until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, fires, and earthquakes; one pestilence after another, until the Ancient of Days comes, then judgment will be given to the Saints. . . . The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes." (Teachings, pp. 160–61.)