Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: “The building up of Old Jerusalem in Palestine and the establishment of the New Jerusalem in America are both destined to occur before our Lord returns. Both events are yet future. As to the American Zion that is to be, one of our scriptures proclaims: ‘The Son of Man cometh. … But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness. … Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.’ (D&C 49:22, 24–25.) We, as the seed of Jacob, now flourish in the wilderness of western America, and at the appointed time the saints shall gather to their promised Zion in Missouri” (New Witness, 362).