THE BOOK OF ENOS |
||
|
|
|
|
CHAPTER 1Enos prays mightily and gains a remission of his sins—The voice of the Lord comes into his mind promising salvation for the Lamanites in a future day—Nephites sought to reclaim the Lamanites in their day—Enos rejoices in his Redeemer. [Between 544 and 420 B.C.] |
||
|
1 BEHOLD, it came to pass that I,
aEnos, knowing my
father that bhe was a just man—for he
ctaught me in his language, and also in the
dnurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the
name of my God for it—
2 And I will tell you of the awrestle which I had before God, before I received a bremission of my sinsa.
|
2a I received a remission of my sins Now some consider that Enos was initially a wicked man. This is NOT what the Book of Mormon states. Like all men, and we all do, Enos had commited various sins. Even Joseph Smith at the age of 17, after having seen the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove at age 14, was but seeking for a forgiveness of what he considered to be his sins when the angel Moroni did appear unto him in his room by night. We all are in need of seeking God's forgiveness of our sins. Joseph Smith did, Enos did and I dare say that all of God's worthy prophets have so besought the Lord that he would forgive their sins. And more than likely, they continue to do so from day to day. For none are perfect. Even Nephi and the Apostle Paul spoke of themselves as 'wretched men' before God, and Nephi did seek for his own forgiveness even well after being God's prophet leader and king of the Nephite people. We all are in need of being continually diligent in seeking to have our sins remitted by the Lord. And as we progress line upon line, there will be added such short comings and failings which beset us from time to time that we will and always should continue to repent continually before our God. |
1a
Jacob 7:27 b 2 Nephi 2:3 (2-4) c 1 Nephi 1:1; Mosiah 1:2 d Eph. 6:4 2a Gen. 32:24-32; Alma 8:10; TG Repentance b TG Remission of Sins
|
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words
which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life,
and the ajoy of the saints, bsunk
deep into my heart.
4 And my soul ahungered; and I bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ccried unto him in mighty dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. 5 And there came a avoice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are bforgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. 6 And I, Enos, knew that God acould not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
|
3a
TG
Joy b 1 Ne. 10:17-19; Alma 36:17; TG Teachable 4a 2 Ne. 9:51; 3 Ne. 12:6; TG Meditation; TG Motivations b TG Reverence c Ps. 138:3; TG Perseverance d TG Prayer 5a TG Revelation b TG Forgiveness 6a TG God, the Standard of Righteousness
|
|
|
7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
8 And he said unto me: aBecause of thy bfaith in Christa, whom thou hast never before heard nor seenb. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee cwholeA.
|
8aBecause of thy faith in
Christ Christ did not have to first suffer in the Garden of
Gethsemane or upon the Cross of Calvery in order to work the miracle of
forgiveness of sin. He did forgive many in his ministry before any such
events took place. Further, throughout the Old Testament, the Great Jehovah,
who is the same as Jesus Christ, did also have such power to forgive man's
sins. The requsite to such forgiveness is to believe upon the Messiah, who
was and is Jesus Christ. Many Old Testament age men of faith had their sins
removed and forgiven them and the process was based upon the same such process
of Enos. Through faith on the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, in whom is to be
found Salvation men before the time of Christ's atonement could also be
forgiven based upon such faith exhibited in God.
8anever before heard nor seen Adam walked and talked with God, yet Adam's children of this fallen mortality would have to first accept and believe in God by faith. God does only reveal himself to man contingent upon man's faith in God. Enos' faith would have to be tested prior to his witness from God came that his sins had been forgiven him by a voice from heaven. And when Enos received that voice he did begin to converse with the Lord. 'How is it done?' And the Lord did answer him. |
8a
Ether 3:13 (12-13); b TG Faith c Matthew 9:22 TG Man, New, Spiritually; Reborn; TG Steadfastness
8A thy faith hath made thee
whole Ignorant critics who
do not consider what they say condemn this phrase as being copied from the
New Testament Matthew 9:22
where the Savior Jesus Christ states this in reference to the woman who was
with issue of blood or in
Luke 17:19 where the
Savior pronounces the same truth, again 'quoting himself', when he states to
the Samaritan leper, that 'thy faith hath made thee whole'. They must not
understand that the Lord God Jehovah, who is the same being as Jesus Christ,
is he who is speaking to Enos. Thus this critic
has just assulted the Lord for quoting Himself in explaining that such acts
of God are based upon the faith which man has in God. And that it is this
faith of man in God by which all such acts are performed and the explanation
is by the same means whether yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever as to
'how is it done'.
Enos had and exhibited great faith in God. His prayer of repentance was filled
with the faith that God had such power over all things to be able to forgive
and remove his burden of sin from him. He belived that God had this power of
deliverance just as centuries later the woman had such faith that the Lord
could heal her. The power of such faith can move mountains, heal the sick and
the infirmed. And by such faith in God, Jesus Christ, even Jehovah, does God
forgive and remove the sins of men, making their sin strained soul whole.
|
|
9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to
feel a adesire for the bwelfare of my
brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did cpour out my whole
soul unto God for them.
10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my amind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have bgiven unto them this land, and it is a holy landa; and I ccurse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their dtransgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.
|
10a it is a holy land Much is said about this land of America being a choice land above all other lands, but what is not often further understood is that it is a Holy Land unto God. This is not only in conjunction with it being the land of Adam and from whence the city, people or nation of Enoch was taken from, but it is a holy land unto the Lord in that it would be the land of restoration of all things. And it would come to pass that the New Jersalem would be established upon it. And unto this New Land of the Peace of God would come the Second Coming of Christ to establish his people upon this land and to recieve again at the commencement of the Millennium the return of the city of Enoch. And from this would come the workings of the earth receiving its paradisical glory to be celestialized and an established part of the eternal Kingdom of God for ever more. |
9a
1 Nephi 8:12;
Alma 36:24 b Alma 19:29; TG Benevolence c Num. 21:7; 1 Sam. 1:15; 1 Sam. 7:5; Jer. 42:4; 2 Nephi 33:3; Alma 34:26-27 10a TG Inspiration; TG Mind b 1 Nephi 2:20 c Gen. 8:21 (20-22); Ether 2:9 (7-12) d TG Transgression
|
|
11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my
afaith began to be bunshaken in the Lord;
and I cprayed unto him with many long
dstrugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.
12 And it came to pass that after I had aprayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy bdesires, because of thy faith. 13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be adestroyed, and the Lamanites should not be bdestroyed, that the Lord God would cpreserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be dbrought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be ebrought unto salvation—
|
11a
TG
Faith b TG Steadfastness c Gen. 20:7; 1 Sam. 7:5; 2 Ne. 33:3; W of M 1:8 d Eph. 6:18 12a Morm. 5:21; Morm. 8:25 (24-26); Morm. 9:36-37 b Ps. 37:4; 1 Ne. 7:12; Hel. 10:5 13a 1 Ne 15:5; Morm. 6:1 b Lev. 26:44 c W of M 1:7 (6-11); Alma 37:2 d 2 Ne. 3:15; Jacob 1:13; Alma 37:19; Morm. 7:9 (8-10); Ether 12:22; D&C 3:18 e Alma 9:17; Hel. 15:16
|
|
|
14 For at the present our strugglings were avain in
restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that,
if it were possible, they would bdestroy our records
and us, and also all the traditions of our
fathersa.
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to apreserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it. 16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would apreserve the brecords; and he covenanted with me that he would cbring dthem forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
|
14a if it were possible, they would destory our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers It was the goal of the Lamanites, those who dwindled in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers, who did not believe in Christ, that according to their hatred of the Nephites, that they would seek to destroy all evidence of the Nephite people. In the latter end of the Book of Mormon this is exactly what those who called themselves Lamanites did do. The exterminated all the Nephites, all they who believed in Christ. And they utterly destoryed all evidences of them, their writings and ALL their traditions of the fathers which had any semblance of the worship of the true God. Thus there is NOT to be found in the remaining people of the Americas ANYTHING that is Nephite or of the traditions of Jesus Christ. And only a few vage traditions even remain as to their origin from accross the sea. And those who attempt to see Nephite traditions in the remaining traditions and practices of the American natives do but see total corruptions of God, human sacrifice and pagan deities. At best they still look unto God as that 'Great Spirit' when we know that because of the condescension of Jehovah he did come to earth and take upon himself a tabernacle of flesh and bone and thus he no longer is merely a 'Spirit', but is an exalted divine personage of embodiment, a completed soul of spirit housed in a body of flesh and bones. |
14a
Jacob 7:24 b 2 Ne. 26:17; Morm. 6:6 15a TG Scriptures, Preservation of 16a 3 Ne. 5:14 (13-15); D&C 3:19 (16-20); D&C 10:47 (46-50) b TG Book of Mormon c 2 Ne. 25:8; 2 Ne. 27:6; Morm. 5:12 d 1 Ne. 19:19; TG Israel, Restoration of
|
|
17 And I, Enos, aknew it would be according to the
covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine.
|
17a
TG
Trust in God
|
|
|
19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among the
people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of
the things which I had heard and seen.
20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to arestore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our blabors were vain; their chatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil naturea that they became wild, and ferocious, and a dbloodthirsty people, full of eidolatry and ffilthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in gtents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the hbow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.
|
20a led by their evil nature What is not understood by the common man who is not of a religious mind, is the relationship between the spirit that is in man and 'natural man' of the physical temporal being who is carnal by nature. What is good, praiseworthy and of good report comes of God by way of the spirit whether it be that spirit of goodness which is in man or through the influence of the Spirit of God from on high. Left to one's carnal 'motives' of the flesh, one is left to become but an animal with no morals or common human decency. Often one will but consider that 'human decency' is but a function of higher intelligence. Being true to an extent, what is not comprehended is that 'higher intelligence' comes from within as a part of the spirit of man which is but descendant from God, He being the Father of our spirit. And thus the very concept of right and wrong extends beyond the nature of the temporal creature alone. It comes of the spirit and intelligence of the higher being within us and is of God. The Lamanites had reverted solely to thier 'nature' as the carnal 'natural man'—survival of the fittest and without conscience. Sad as it may be, today's science has also in part reverted to such to base their scholarly man derived precepts. For instance the concept that one is subject to their carnal 'self' in such things as sexual orientation. The sexual drive is of the natural man and without the guiding control of the higher spiritual being within us, like an animal, the sex drive may be satisfied in relationships with either sex or even upon self and artificial stimulus alone. Such a state is like unto that of being 'led by one's evil nature', the natural carnal man, even as the Lamanites had become in many ways. Yet science and the evil design of the devil is to justify this behavior and not call it what it is, that is giving into nothing but carnal lustful gratification without any higher purpose in it. It is evil and not according to God's plan for man and their 'higher potential' of becoming even as the God's are. If one but yeilds themselves to the 'natural man' without any such higher purpose and conscience, then they are lost unto God and will become spiritually dead, being but an animal with only the carnal nature of the animal to guide them. |
20a
Jacob 7:24 b Morm. 9:6 c 2 Ne. 5:1; TG Hate d Jarom 1:6 e Mosiah 9:12; TG Idolatry f TG Filthiness g Gen. 25:27 h Mosiah 10:8; Alma 3:5 (4-5); Alma 43:20 (18-21)
|
|
21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land,
and araise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and
bflocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of
every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses.
22 And there were exceedingly many aprophets among us. And the people were a bstiffnecked people, hard to understand. 23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding aharshness, bpreaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually creminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up dcontinually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them.
|
21a
1 Ne. 8:1;
Mosiah 9:9 b 1 Ne. 18:25; Ether 9:19 (18-19) 22a W of M 1:16 b Jarom 1:3 23a 1 Ne. 16:2 (1-3); 2 Ne. 33:5; W of M 1:17 b TG Preaching c Hel. 12:3 d Jarom 1:12; Alma 4:19; Alma 31:5
|
|
|
24 And I saw awars between the Nephites and
Lamanites in the course of my days.
25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, *and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi aleft Jerusalem.
|
24a
1 Ne. 12:2-3;
Morm. 8:7-8;
TG
War 25* [420 B.C.] a 1 Ne. 2:2-4
|
|
~ 420 B.C. ~Lehi had left Jerusalem 600 years before the coming of Christ. Nephi was about age 11 at that departure, being exceedingly young. Lehi's party would dwell in the valley of Lemuel some 8 or more years before departing for their journey in the wilderness. Jacob and Joseph were born during that journey. If we appoximate Jacob's birth at about 591 B.C. therefore, then by the time that Nephi builds a temple unto the Lord in the land of promise, about 570 B.C. and builds up his followers in that first city of Nephi to 560 B.C. (see 2 Nephi 5), Jacob would be from 19 to 29 during that span of time. For Enos to be living and soon to die at about 420 B.C., it would seem that both Jacob and Enos would have lived a lengthy duration of time. The Book of Mormon states that the Nephite people did multiply exceedingly. They must have also multiplied over a sizable length of duration having many children over a great number of years. Considering Enos to be one of Jacob's youngest and that Jacob had children into his sixties, is would mean that Enos was still well over 100 years old by 420 B.C. For even on that time table, Enos would be born approximately 530 B.C. or so. Now this is all of course unless Jacob when speaking of his 'son Enos' is actually speaking in terms of a 'grand-son', considering all of his posterity during his life as his 'sons' and 'daughters'. |
||
|
26 And I saw that I amust soon go down to my grave,
having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy
unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in
Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above
that of the world.
27 And I soon go to the place of my arest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall brest. And I rejoice in the day when my cmortal shall put on dimmortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the emansions of my Father. Amen. |
26a
1 Cor. 9:16;
Ether 12:2;
TG
Duty 27a TG Rest b 2 Nephi 33:6 c TG Mortality d TG Immortality e Ps. 65:4; John 14:2-3; Ether 12:32-34; D&C 72:4; D&C 98:18
|
|
| This BM Book | Previous BM Chapter | Next BM Chapter | Next BM Book | Commentary Page | Home Page |