Don't do arithmetic on the date object. Use manual formatting for a desired time zone, as described here:
Ignition datetime objects are instances of java.util.Date, and are fundamentally UTC. That is, they have no timezone of their own, but display in whatever time zone the JVM is using. That means they can be sent across a network and remain true to the instant in global time with which they were created, regardless of time zone.
The implication is that you should always think about these objects as UTC. Another, more elaborate discussion: