Saviors “up on Mount Zion"

Here is a little background on the book of Obadiah in the Bible. Obadiah is a Biblical theophorical name, meaning "servant of God" or "worshipper of Yah." This book teaches us how to become the best servants of God who worship him in all that we do. I will focus my post today on the book Obadiah and specifically what it means by “…saviors up on mount Zion.”

These verses are so important. We must do temple work and we must do the work for the dead. This is how we deliver the faithful. The temple represents holiness because it is the Lord’s house and his precious and sacred work is being done in them. We learn in Obadiah 1:17 that upon mount Zion there will be holiness and there shall be deliverance. Obadiah 1:21 tells us that the kingdom shall be the Lords. These verses teach us that it is upon mount Zion that the temples are to be built and they will be holy and they are of the Lord, they are the Lord’s houses.

We get more detailed in the Doctrine and Covenants section 128. Verse 5 teaches us that “…by conforming to the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead should die without a knowledge of the gospel.” We know that every child of God will have the opportunity to hear the gospel and either accept it or not but the dead will have the opportunity in the afterlife to be taught the gospel. The next step is up to us. We must go to the temple and do their work for them, so if they chose the gospel they can be saved also.

Verse 15, on D&C 128, teaches us that these principles are important for the dead and the living and it “Cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation.” We cannot be made perfect unless the dead are also made perfect. It is important to do the work for our ancestors but it is also essential for us do to our own work and continue to go to the temple. We were not meant to only go once for ourselves, we are commanded to go as frequently as we are able. It is important for our salvation to go to the temple and continue to do the work for those who can’t do it themselves. I have heard people say that these people are on the other side, anxiously waiting for us to do their work.

The student manual gives more insight on Obadiah 1:21, specifically when it says that there will be saviors on mount Zion. I think that this is meaning disciples; there will be many saviors, or disciples, on mount Zion. How are we to become saviors on Mount Zion? I really liked the answer given in this student manual by the prophet Joseph Smith.

“By building their temples, erecting their baptismal fonts, and going forth and receiving all the ordinances, baptisms, confirmations, washings, anointings, ordinations, and sealing powers 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; and herein is the chain that binds the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, which fulfills the mission of Elijah.’ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, [Deseret Book, 1968], p. 330.)” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1972, pp. 47–48.)”