Building Zion Podcast
by smashly85
Building Zion is the podcast for faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who believe the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is near—but also understand that Zion won’t simply appear after Christ returns. It must be built before He comes again. Each episode explores practical, spiritual, and deeply personal ways to build Zion within your own heart—because Zion will rise one covenant keeper at a time. As you transform your inner world, that light naturally expands to your family, your ward, and eventually your community. Through scripture-based insights, stories, actionable tools, and uplifting conversations, Building Zion helps you: • Strengthen your discipleship and deepen your conversion • Cultivate Christlike attributes needed for a Zion people • Create greater unity and love within your home • Influence your community for good as a disciple of Christ • Prepare spiritually and emotionally for the S
Episodes
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Spiritual Warfare-Part 4
In this deeply personal episode, we continue our Spiritual Warfare series as I share the story of how the Lord has opened my eyes to the reality of the unseen battle around us. From childhood experiences of fear to learning how to recognize and cast out darkness, this episode is an invitation to...
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Spiritual Warfare-Part 3
In this episode we continue the conversation about spiritual warfare—not by giving the enemy more attention, but by shining the light on how God shows up. Through two powerful personal stories (one from early marriage and one from just last year), we look at how Satan gains access, how priesthood...
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Spiritual Warfare-Part 2
In this episode we continue our spiritual warfare series by examining two of the adversary’s most common and personal strategies: temptation and oppression. We explore how Satan attacks our thoughts, identity, and core beliefs, and how these attacks are designed to keep us from becoming a Zion...
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Spiritual Warfare-Part One
In this opening episode of the Spiritual Warfare series, we begin by arming ourselves before exploring the darker realities of the conflict. The war that began in the premortal realm is ongoing—and intensifying—as we draw closer to the time when Christ will reign. Satan is cornered and raging.…
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Not Your Typical General Conference Tips
Hearing God at General Conference, Prepares our hearts for Personal Revelation. General Conference is more than an event—it is a sacred invitation to hear the voice of God and take one more step toward Zion. In this short episode, Ashley shares five simple but powerful ways to prepare your heart…
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Celestrial Thinking
In this episode I share what happened after the conversation with my son’s football coach—and the beautiful ripple effect that followed when I chose empowerment over the drama triangle. From there we explore the different levels of learning available to us in mortality (Telestial, Terrestrial…
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From Drama to Empowerment – Building Zion One Role at a Time
In this episode we explore Stephen Karpman’s Drama Triangle (Victim, Hero/Rescuer, Villain) and its powerful counterpart, the Empowerment Triangle (Creator, Coach, Challenger). Drawing from personal notes and real-life patterns, we look at how these roles show up in everyday relationships,...
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The Stories We Tell Ourselves (and How They Keep Us from Zion
We all create stories in our minds about what other people mean, especially when something triggers us. Most of the time those stories aren’t true—but we still ruminate on them, project them onto others (and sometimes onto God), and let them shape our relationships. In this episode we explore why...
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Sermon on The Mount/Transcending the Mind to Zion Thinking
In this episode we go deeper into the power of the mind. We explore how the three main parts of the brain—especially the ancient reptilian survival brain—shape our automatic reactions, and how Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is actually an invitation to move out of that reactive circuitry into higher,...
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Tending the Garden of Your Mind
Your thoughts are real forces. They are seeds. And the mind is a living garden that God has entrusted to you. In this episode we explore how repeated thoughts take root in the subconscious, shape neural pathways, and eventually appear as the circumstances of our lives. Drawing on the law of cause...
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Spiritual Gifts: Discovering, Developing, and Using Them for Zion
In this episode we go deeper into spiritual gifts—what they really are, how they differ from talents, how to recognize the light and dark sides of every gift, and how to intentionally work within them. Drawing from personal experiences, scripture, and teachings from Elder Bednar and Elder…
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Dreams and Visions-Part 3
In this episode we move into the practical heart of the series: how to properly interpret a dream. You’ll learn how to discern whether a dream is from the Lord, how to receive clear yes-and-no answers through the Holy Ghost, how to carefully unpack symbolism, and why every true dream carries a…
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Dreams and Visions Part 2
In this episode, Ashley explores the sacred gifts of dreams and visions. She distinguishes between divine dreams, spirit-led dreams, and adversarial dreams, explains how visions differ from dreams, and shares personal experiences that illustrate their power. Listeners are invited to approach…
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Dreams and Visions Part 1
In this episode of the Building Zion Podcast, Ashley shares a deeply personal story of how the Lord used dreams to guide her through multiple miscarriages and ultimately bring her son Ethan into the world. She explores how dreams and visions are a real form of communication from the Lord when our...
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The Language of God: Unlocking Symbolism
What if the scriptures are far richer than we’ve been taught? In this episode, we explore symbolism — the language of God — and how learning it transforms our understanding of the scriptures, our covenants, and our personal relationship with the Savior. Using the Parable of the Good Samaritan as…
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Opening Our Spiritual Eyes and Hearing God in the Ordinary
In this vulnerable and faith-filled episode, I share the sacred personal stories of how God used birds — and other ordinary things — to speak to me during pivotal moments in my spiritual journey. From my very first “bird tap” on my birthday to a full flock answering my doubts and a winter bird...
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No Coincidences: How Spiritual Sight Changes Everything on the Path to Zion
What if one of the clearest signs you’re being born again is learning to see life through spiritual eyes? In this episode, Ashley shares powerful personal stories of divine protection, answered prayers, and tender mercies that taught her to recognize God’s hand instead of coincidence. Discover…
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From Weakness to Zion: Letting God Transform Us
Do you ever catch yourself saying, “That’s just how I was born”? In this episode, we explore how God calls us higher than our natural tendencies and weaknesses. Discover why our struggles are not random but part of a divine plan to help us become like Him. Through the power of the Atonement…
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Born Again Part 2
In this powerful episode, we explore what it really means to be “born again”—moving from a church-centered life of routines and checklists to a deeply personal, Christ-centered relationship with the Savior. Even when we’re doing all the “right” things—attending church, praying, studying...
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Born Again-Part 1
In this episode, we explore the transformative journey from a church-centered life to a Christ-centered one—and what it really means to be spiritually reborn. Drawing from President David O. McKay’s powerful vision of those who have “truly been born again,” Lehi’s dream of the Tree of Life, and…
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Identity in Christ
We often learn to identify ourself by our hobbies, occupations, failures, successes, traumas, or by what others identify us as. But do those identities always serve us or are they really us? When those identities start to create tension in our life, God is often inviting us to upgrade our…
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Sitting In The Goo
Life is hard. God wants us to transform and grow. That growth comes from allowing ourself to become a new creature. Learning to sit in the tension, and work through our emotions, beliefs, and shadows allows for that transformation. Clink on the link below to schedule an Emotional Release Session:...
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Sweet and Bitter
To often we get caught up in checklists and black and white thinking. However, as we mature in our faith we start to realize that the gospel isn’t as black and white as we thought. When we learn that we can hold two opposite truths at the same time, we stop warring within ourselves. If you’d like...
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Mirror Mirror
In our mirroring episode, we talk about how naturally reflecting someone’s energy, body language, tone, or emotions can really deepen your connection with them. We got into why it works (mirror neurons, rapport-building, all that good stuff), shared some real-life stories, and looked at when it’s...
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Shadow Work/Atonement Work
Have you ever been triggered by someone else’s behavior or something they have said? We all have. These are times that they are actually mirroring to us something inside ourselves that we have suppressed. These are times we can pull those characteristics out of ourselves and bring them to the...
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Shadow Work Meditation
Continuing from last weeks episode, we have a simple meditation that will help you meet and accept any part of you that you have rejected or suppressed. This powerful tool, will open your heart to the gift that part plays in your life. This creates that oneness inside of ourselves. To schedule an...
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Bringing Darkness to light
How many times have you heard that we need to overcome the natural man? How do we do that though? Too often we think that entails suppressing or rejecting parts of ourselves. But this isn’t the pattern Christ teaches on how to overcome though. Shadow work is the sacred journey of turning inward…
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The Power of Asking
God honors agency. If we don’t ask we will not receive. But are we asking the right questions? Sometimes we ask for things but that isn’t really what we want. Getting clear on what we want and why opens up more blessings. Check out this episode as we learn how to get really clear on what we want...
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How Trying to Control God Blocks Revelation
Have you ever prayed and prayed for a specific outcome and then felt defeated when God doesn’t bless you with that specific thing? If so, there is a chance you might be trying to unintentionally control God. Faith is trusting that God will provide what is of the most worth to us, it is trusting...
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Steps To Revelation
Have you ever prayed and prayed for something and it just feels like the heaven’s are closed to you? Sometimes we are praying for the end result, but the Lord needs us to take several steps before we can get to the end result. If revelation has ever felt hard, try this technique taught in this...
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Buffer and Bounce Back
Have you ever binge eaten, binge watched, over cleaned, over exercised, or over worked? If so, you’re probably buffering from life and avoiding your emotions. But guess what, we ALL do it! We all buffer! Buffering though, causes us to block God, as we turn to other sources for peace and comfort…
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Increase stewardship, Increase Revelation
Have you ever prayed and prayed to increase your financial situation or to connect more with your kids? These are things we have stewardship over. When we recognize that God is over everything, we can turn to Him to see how we can be better stewards over all that He has given us. In this episode…
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How Trauma Can Block Revelation
Our beliefs, shape our reality and our behavior, and we can start to see life through the lenses of those beliefs. It can also shape how we hear the Lord. Come with me this week as we talk about how our trauma can affect our lives, how it shows up as an adult, and how we can heal. If you would…
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The Power of Inner Child Work
Have you ever reacted in a way that isn’t normal for you? There is a good chance that you were responding from a younger version of yourself. God will give us multiple opportunities for growth and to choose the Atonement. These opportunities, when taken, bring about healing and peace in our…
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The Power of the Heart
The heart holds the blueprints for the lives we desire, our hopes, and dreams. The Lord Requires the heart. The heart is central to everything we do. But when we block the heart, we block those dreams. Explore with me how a blocked heart can affect our belief systems, our relationships, our…
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Power of Emotions Part 2
Learning to feel our emotions and allow them to flow through us enhances our relationships and our lives. Being emotionally mature means that we can show up better and increases our agency. All emotions have a softer form and a more intense form. If we can recognize them in their soft form, then…
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The Power of Emotions
We have been taught to suppress and reject our emotions. However our emotions are part of who we are and this mortal experience. God is a God of emotions. If we want to be like Him, we too need to learn how to process our emotions. Our emotions are meant to serve us. They hold messages for us, to...
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How Our Bodies Can Affect Receiving Revelation
Have you ever considered how your body can actually affect revelation? We have been taught that one of the main reasons for coming to Earth is to get a body. But have you ever considered, what is so special about this body? Join this weeks episode as we talk about the importance of our physical...
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Blocks that Prevent Revelation
Have you ever desperately needed an answer from the Lord but have felt like the heaven’s were closed to you? I use to believe that revelation was like a light switch. Either God was taking to me or He wasn’t. It wasn’t until I discovered that revelation is more like to sun always shining, and it...
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Practicing Revelation
Do you ever wonder if your prayers are reaching heaven? Have you ever felt like you were suppose to do something, and wondered if that prompting was from the Lord or just your own thoughts? What if I was to tell you that there is a way to gain confidence in your ability to know that those...
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Agency
We fought an entire war in heaven over agency, and yet, the only thing we talk about is that we fought a war over it. We came to this earth to practice agency. Agency is a Godly trait. Listen in on how to practice agency, how to gain more agency, how to use its power, and to become agents unto…
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Beliefs Shape Our Reality
Have you ever found yourself saying something or reacting in a way that isn’t normally you? Many of us can get triggered and start operating from a younger version of ourselves that formed beliefs. These beliefs have caused us to act in certain ways, which may not always serve us. Listen in as we...
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My Personal Liahona
Many people begin the New Year by setting goals or picking a word. All of these are fun ways to find purpose in the upcoming year. In this episode, we look at another way of approaching the year. This way invites the Lord into our Year. To schedule an Emotional Release Session, click the link:...
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Creating Goals Following the Lord’s Patterns
Have you ever not accomplished your New Year's Resolution? If not, maybe it's time to try following the patterns laid out for us in the temple. The Lord teaches us how to set and create goals in our lives. We are creators. We are meant to create in our lives. To schedule an Emotional Release...
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The Red Tablecloth: Finding Safety in Zion
In this episode the host shares a personal story of childhood neglect and how a simple red tablecloth came to symbolize love and safety. They explore the purpose of Zion as a spiritual and physical refuge in the last days, explain why God allows purification, and introduce future episodes focused...
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Building Zion
Host Ashley Parker reveals a surprising shift: Christ is waiting for us to build Zion before His return, and Zion must begin in our hearts. She explores Enoch’s example, modern revelations, and Church history to show that Zion is both a people and a place and that spiritual preparation matters...
About this show
Building Zion is the podcast for faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who believe the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is near—but also understand that Zion won’t simply appear after Christ returns. It must be built before He comes again.
Each episode explores practical, spiritual, and deeply personal ways to build Zion within your own heart—because Zion will rise one covenant keeper at a time. As you transform your inner world, that light naturally expands to your family, your ward, and eventually your community.
Through scripture-based insights, stories, actionable tools, and uplifting conversations, Building Zion helps you:
• Strengthen your discipleship and deepen your conversion
• Cultivate Christlike attributes needed for a Zion people
• Create greater unity and love within your home
• Influence your community for good as a disciple of Christ
• Prepare spiritually and emotionally for the S
Hosted by
smashly85
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