There is a bit of Zion in all of us, but often we wander about to find a certain assigned place instead of looking at where we are spiritually and what our relationship is with the Lord.

"Discovering Zion Within" was the theme for the recent Mormon single adult conference in Kirtland, Ohio, was the reason why many of the 245 attendees gathered together from the northeastern and mid-western U.S. and eastern Canada. But some came just because it was in Kirtland where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had so much growth in doctrine and membership under the Prophet Joseph Smith's leadership in the 1830s. Others came to find spiritual refreshment and share the feeling of understanding and unity with those in the same life struggles.

Keynote speaker Catherine Stokes of Salt Lake City, currently serves on the executive committee of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. She pointedly and humorously talked about the challenges of her membership in the LDS Church and charged the attendees to "keep the commandments and the covenants made in the temple and prepare to move forward as you counsel with God. Zion within is coming unto Christ," she said. "It is bringing all that we have in service to God."

There were many ways to discover what Zion is and how that could affect each of those that attended the conference hosted by the five northeast Ohio stakes of Akron, Cleveland, Kirtland, Toledo and Youngstown and conducted by the single adult representatives of each stake in conjunction with the Northern Ohio Conference Committee. Kirtland Stake President Michael B. Haymond presided over the activities that included Historic Kirtland site tours and a Red Cross Blood Drive that yielded 44 units of blood.

Twelve presenters gave workshops about seeking personal revelation, "The Touch of the Master's Hand," Babylon versus Zion, finances, improving all the relationships in your life, single parenting, employment, apartment gardening and the martyrdom of Joseph Smith by Mark H. Taylor, a descendant of John Taylor who witnessed the slaying of the prophet and his brother Hyrum by a mob in the Carthage jail.

Kirtland historian Karl Anderson talked of Kirtland's significance as an historic site. He related that there had been several visitations by the Savior and Heavenly Father to the historic site that he feels is the most sacred place in the land.

"This is the holy ground of our dispensation," he said and cited President Howard W. Hunter's observation that Kirtland and Jerusalem were the only two places of all he had visited where the feeling of the nearness of the Savior and the Father is so deeply felt.

"There's something about the ground that changes after their appearance," Anderson said.

That feeling of holiness and closeness of the Holy Spirit permeated the Kirtland Temple as testimonies were borne during a special sacrament meeting on Sunday morning.

"I've learned discovering Zion within is not about me, it's not about you, it's about the Savior and making him your best friend," Maureen Miles of Detroit said as she bore her testimony. Those who joined her in sharing their testimonies echoed what was so personally experienced during the conference about their spiritual journeys to discover their own Zion within.

The conference ended with a lively panel discussion in which written questions submitted by the single adults to Anderson, Stokes, Columbus Ohio Temple President Richard N. Christensen and his wife Pamela, President Haymond and presenters Joe Kwan and Nancy Gould.

The questions ranged from race relations in the church, acceptance of the "singleness" of nearly one-third of the church membership and the doctrine of temple sealing concerning single families.

The advice given by the panel was to "Face it. Face your singleness. Face your ethnicity, face who you are and make a commitment to make and keep temple covenants and you will find the pathway to Zion."