Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the restoration, was well known for his ability to mix with his followers in intimate ways. He would freely join in their conversations and in their sports activities, and was not at all shy about sharing in the work that needed to be done. These characteristics bonded him with his followers in a remarkable way. They loved him not only for the truths that he taught them, but for his willingness to be an integral part of everything they did—their work, their play, their sorrows and their joys.
This sculpture, Preparing for Zion, depicts Joseph as he happily assists in the preparations to move with the saints to Independence, Jackson County, Missouri—where God had revealed that the city of Zion would be located. But it expresses much more than that; it is symbolic of the willingness of the Sons and Daughters of God—wherever they are in the world—to willingly, and joyfully, give of their time and means to promote the cause of Zion.
I am pleased to have had the opportunity to depict this moment in time; for the Holy Spirit has borne witness to my soul that Joseph Smith was truly a Prophet of God, and that he prepared the way for the exaltation of every man and woman who lives upon the earth by restoring the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the reality of Zion, and of a Zion society, to the earth again.
