It’s a favorite punchline about Latter-day Saints. Here’s what they actually believe about Zion, Missouri and the Second Coming.
Latter-day Saints believe a New Jerusalem will be built in Independence, Missouri, and Christ will be there, but His Second Coming is for the whole world. The tenth Article of Faith teaches that “Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent” and “Christ will reign personally upon the earth.” The Book of Mormon foretells “a New Jerusalem … upon this land” (Ether 13:6), and D&C 57:3 names Independence “the center place.” Yet scripture also says “every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7) and that He will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
The short answerA city in Missouri, a coming for the whole world
Latter-day Saints believe a holy city called Zion, or the New Jerusalem, will be built in Jackson County, Missouri, and that the Savior will be there. The tenth Article of Faith says: “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel … that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth” (Articles of Faith 1:10).
But Latter-day Saints don’t believe the Second Coming is a local event in Missouri. Scripture teaches He will appear in several places, including the Mount of Olives, and that at His coming “all flesh shall see me together” (D&C 101:23). “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7).
A New Jerusalem: in the Bible and the Book of MormonTwo Jerusalems
John “saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven” (Revelation 21:2), and Isaiah foresaw that “out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2–3): two centers, not one.
The Book of Mormon places the New Jerusalem in the Americas. Ether “spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land,” distinct from the old Jerusalem which “should be built up again,” and said “a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph” (Ether 13:3–6). The risen Christ promised the Nephites, “it shall be a New Jerusalem … yea, even I will be in the midst of you” (3 Nephi 20:22), and that the gathered would “build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem” (3 Nephi 21:23–24).
Why Missouri“The center place”
In July 1831 the Lord revealed the location: “this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion … the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse” (D&C 57:1–3). It will be “a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God … and it shall be called Zion” (D&C 45:66–67).
The Lord also named Spring Hill in nearby Daviess County “Adam-ondi-Ahman, because … it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (D&C 116:1).
“A temple in this generation”?Answering the failed-prophecy charge
Critics point to D&C 84:4, which said the city “shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation” (D&C 84:2–4). The revelation came in September 1832; in late 1833 mobs drove the Saints out of Jackson County.
The Lord addressed exactly this: “when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might … and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings” (D&C 124:49). The Bible has the same pattern of conditional promises, such as Nineveh in Jonah 3. Zion’s redemption is still promised (D&C 105:34). See Deuteronomy 18:22, Jonah and D&C 84.
What it means for believers nowZion is a people first
Before Zion is a city, it is a people “of one heart and one mind,” with “no poor among them” (Moses 7:18). Latter-day Saints build Zion now in their wards and stakes worldwide while looking forward to the day Christ “shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem” (D&C 133:56). See Do Latter-day Saints Believe in the Rapture?.
Check the premiseThe presuppositions baked into the question
Before this question can be answered fairly, the person asking has to justify a few assumptions packed inside it:
- That Latter-day Saints think the Second Coming happens only in Missouri. “Every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7); “all flesh shall see me together” (D&C 101:23). He also stands on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
- That a New Jerusalem is unbiblical. Revelation 21:2 describes a “new Jerusalem”; Isaiah 2:3 names both Zion and Jerusalem.
- That D&C 84 is a simple failed prophecy. D&C 124:49 explains that God accepts the offering when enemies prevent His people from finishing a work.
- That Zion means only a place. Moses 7:18: Zion is a people “of one heart and one mind.”
FAQQuick answers
Do Latter-day Saints believe Jesus will return to Missouri?
They believe the New Jerusalem will be built in Independence, Missouri, and Christ will be there, but His Second Coming will be seen by the whole world (Revelation 1:7).
What is the New Jerusalem?
A holy city of Zion to be built in the Americas (Ether 13:6; 3 Nephi 20:22), with its center in Independence, Missouri (D&C 57:3).
What is Adam-ondi-Ahman?
A place in Daviess County, Missouri, where “the Ancient of Days shall sit” (D&C 116:1).
Will Christ come to Jerusalem too?
Yes. “His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4; D&C 45:48).
Why wasn’t the temple in Independence built in Joseph Smith’s day?
The Saints were driven out by mobs; D&C 124:49 says God accepts the offering when enemies hinder the work.
What is Zion in Latter-day Saint belief?
Both a place and a people: “this is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART” (D&C 97:21).
Does the Bible mention a New Jerusalem?
Yes. “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven” (Revelation 21:2). The Book of Mormon adds that a New Jerusalem will be built in the Americas (Ether 13:6).
Are Latter-day Saints supposed to move to Missouri?
No. Today members gather in stakes of Zion wherever they live, building up the Church in their own lands.
SummaryKey takeaways
- Zion, the New Jerusalem, will be built in Independence, Missouri (D&C 57:3).
- The Book of Mormon foretells a New Jerusalem in America (Ether 13:6).
- Christ’s coming will be seen by all, and He will stand on the Mount of Olives.
- D&C 124:49 explains why the temple wasn’t built in Joseph’s day.
Read Ether 13 and 3 Nephi 20–21 for the Book of Mormon’s New Jerusalem prophecies. For quick, sourced answers, open Galatians18, and follow me on X at @TraviXai.
Sources
- King James Bible (churchofjesuschrist.org): Isaiah 2:2–3 · Zechariah 14:4 · Revelation 1:7 · Revelation 21:2
- Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 20:22 · 3 Nephi 21:23–24 · Ether 13:3–6
- Doctrine and Covenants: D&C 45:48 · D&C 45:66–67 · D&C 57:1–3 · D&C 84:2–4 · D&C 101:23 · D&C 105:34 · D&C 116:1 · D&C 124:49 · D&C 133:56
- Pearl of Great Price: Articles of Faith 1:10 · Moses 7:18
- Featured image and in-article graphic: original graphics by thebookofmormon.ai (painterly backgrounds; no photographs or likenesses of real people).
