There are three assumptions which must precede these remarks. First is that the Lord is speaking to those members of the kingdom of God on earth in the latter-days, my people with whom the Father hath covenanted (v. 19). The second assumption is that he is speaking about events to take place primarily in the New World (see v. 14-28). Third, the term, Zion, as used in the scriptures refers to the New Jerusalem which is yet to be built on the American continent. Given these scripturally sound assumptions, what are the implications of this prophecy, Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries? Spiritually speaking, certainly, the Church has long had its hand lifted up against the adversaries of evil and wickedness, but the scriptures speak of this in more literal terms.
Remember when the Lord counseled the saints to sue for peace until the army of Israel becomes very great…But first let my army become very great, and let it be sanctified before me, that it may become fair as the sun, and clear as the moon, and that her banners may be terrible unto all nations; That the kingdoms of this world may be constrained to acknowledge that the kingdom of Zion is in very deed the kingdom of our God and his Christ (DC 105:26-32). There will come a day when the people of Zion will be the only people that shall not be at war one with another. And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand (DC 45:69-70).
And so the scripture speaks of a time in which the kingdom on earth will make a mighty transition, from a religious organization to a political and social force. In the Millenium, the kingdom will be a theocracy, and the government shall be upon his shoulder (Isa 9:6). This is the time spoken of by Daniel, And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him (Dan 7:27). The kingdom spoken of is the same which he likened to a stone which was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces…and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth (Dan 2:34-35). The kingdom was to break in pieces the kingdoms of the earth then present, And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever (Dan 2:44). That kingdom is unmistakably the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This is the people with whom the Father hath covenanted. At the Second Coming, he will make them strong, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people (v. 19). But this will not be done with a military force organized among the saints, for the Lord has promised, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles (DC 105:14, italics added).
Mark E. Petersen
"... in these, the last days, the Lord has predicted that there shall be two simultaneous movements. One of these movements is the great tribulation that shall come upon the world. The wicked will destroy the wicked.
"The other great movement which will be going forward simultaneously is that there shall be a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it shall roll forth and eventually fill the whole earth. The Church to which you and I belong is that stone. It has been cut out of the mountain without hands, and your destiny and mine is to help roll it forth. (D&C 65:2.)
"Now do you suppose for one moment that the judgments of God are going to interfere with the progress of his work? He is consistent, isn't he? Although he will pour out his tribulations upon the wicked, he nevertheless will carry forward his work, and his people, under divine protection, will roll forth that stone until eventually it fills the whole earth.
"And so says the Book of Mormon:
"For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.
"Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. (1 Nephi 22:16-17.)
"I believe that. In the midst of all these tribulations God will send fire from heaven, if necessary, to destroy our enemies while we carry forward our work and push that stone until it fills the whole earth!
"Your destiny is to do that very thing, and this is the kind of protection you will have. You do not need to fear about world conditions. You do not need to fear about anybody. Just serve the Lord and keep his commandments and build the kingdom, and as you do so you will be protected in these last days. God will have his hand over you, and you can plan your lives in confidence. (Conference Report, October 1960, pp. 81-83. as taken from D. Ludlow's A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p.122-3)