Enos

(All of my own thoughts are in red type.5/20 green 3/21 orange 5/22 Brown 2023)

The Book of Enos

Chapter 1

Enos 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—The Nephites sought to reclaim the Lamanites—Enos rejoices in his Redeemer. About 420 B.C.

  1 Behold, it came to pass that I, ^aEnos, knowing my father that ^bhe was a just man—No matter what my kids choose for themselves, I want them to know who I am and what I really believe for he ^ctaught me in his language, is this a literal language like English, or is it a language of the Spirit or or thinking? and also in the ^dnurture and admonition of the Lord—Nurture - "here is how caring and loving and concerned God is". Admonition - "Here is what the Lord says you should and should not do" and blessed be the name of my God for it—confess God's hand in all things.
  2 And I will tell you of the ^awrestle which I had before God, he did not say wrestle 'with' God. Was this just a back and forth conversation with himself? Was it the wrestle to fully submit to God and give up the natural man? before I received a ^bremission of my sins. Perhaps we all need to have this wrestle. He doesn’t say what his wrestle was about but is sounds like he may have been repenting. I think it is the wrestle we all must have to be born again. Can we assume he's been baptized and confirmed, and yet here he says he hasn't received a remission of his sins. I think that is different than what we experience at age 8 or our water baptism.
  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. Parents - don't be afraid to speak. Your children will remember your words and it can influence them at any time. I think it’s interesting to hear that what he remembered were positive words from his father and not negative. (although talk of 'eternity' can be negative if you are in hell...could be talking about remember those words) Or...they sank deep into his heart because he was not feeling worthy of the joy of the saints or worried about his eternal life...perhaps “the joy of the saints” is referencing the fruit of being born again. Maybe he was realizing he had not experienced this joy and knew he must be redeemed or he could not be saved and was starting to worry...have you? Are you worried?
  4 And my soul ^ahungered; if his soul hungered then he was lacking something and I ^bkneeled down before my Maker, We can pray to God anytime and anywhere, but sometimes we actually need to stop and kneel before Him and I ^ccried unto him in mighty ^dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; Is crying part of making a prayer mighty? Do we have to have some awful realization to feel this intensely about our awful situation? Why would he be crying for his own soul if he weren’t repenting of something. Perhaps he was just realizing his need to be redeemed and born again and receive the knowledge of God for himself and not just rely on his Father’s witness. 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. This sounds like a vocal prayer? In the BOM video it shows him taking different positions and even moving to different locations as he continued to pray. Was the length of his prayer in proportion to the seriousness of his sin? Was he among those his father so seriously called to repentance? I think now he was just crying for a remission of all sins and a desire to receive the “mighty change”
  5 And there came a ^avoice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are ^bforgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. There seems to be a pattern that one's sins are forgiven before God appears to someone or speaks audibly to them. Or was it audible..
  6 And I, Enos, knew that God ^acould not lie; Probably because of the teachings that were firmly planted in his mind about God from his father Jacob and Uncle Nephi and grandfather Lehi wherefore, my guilt was swept away. This sure knowledge only comes through the Holy Ghost. This 'guilt' is a real thing for we must all stand before the Lord to be judged and we need to stand clean through the remission of sins via the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
  7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
  8 And he said unto me: ^aBecause of thy ^bfaith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. Unlike his father who had seen him. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee ^cwhole. Faith in Christ brings forgiveness of sins. When you are forgiven of sin you are clean and when you are clean, you are whole. Which alludes to when you sin, you are not whole. Something is missing or not complete. And if we endure in the faith that brought the remission of sins, we can stay clean.
  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; Were these is fellow friends and sinners that he was now worried about? wherefore, I did ^cpour out my whole soul unto God for them. Salvation is individual. Exaltation is collective. We put our own oxygen mask on first, then assist others. Self, family, others...A fruit of the mighty change is the gift of charity. This is more evidence he received it.
 10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, what does this look like? behold, the voice of the Lord came into my ^amind again, So the 1st time it was a voice in his mind as well saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. This surely applies to all, even today. God visits us according to our diligence in keeping His commandments. Particularly the first two - to Love Him first, with all our soul and then to love our neighbor, like ourselves. Sometimes we focus on all the "other" things we call commandments and are guilty of not obeying the first two, which are really all that matter.  I have ^bgiven unto them this land, and it is a holy land; Do we consider that we live in a ‘holy’ land?  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. After praying for the Nephites, the Lord basically says its up to the Nephites to choose. They have to keep the commandments that they have been clearly given to be visited by him and blessed. These words apply in our day as well. 
 11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my ^afaith began to be ^bunshaken in the Lord; I wonder why these words increased his faith to the point of moving him to 'unshaken faith'? Maybe it wasn’t what the words were, but the fact he was hearing the voice of the Lord through the Spirit and knew it was real. and I ^cprayed unto him with many long ^dstrugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites. What did these strugglings look like?
 12 And it came to pass that after I had ^aprayed and labored with all diligence, how does one labor diligently in prayer? the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy ^bdesires, because of thy faith. Notice God grants his desires BECAUSE of his faith. It wasn't because it was already God's will. It sounds like his faith actually activated the blessing desired. Which means without it, the blessing may not have been given. Why is this prayer granted and not the one for the Nephites?
 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—It seems like Nephi would have shared his vision of this very thing - that the Nephites do become wicked and the Lamanites do survive. I think he even saw the record preserved and carried forth to them. Did Enos not know this? Did he know it but doubt it? Did he just want a confirmation? I don't think he was the first to pray for this.
 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 fathers. Thus the need for this prayer to preserve the scriptures.
 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. I am praying 'his own due time' is soon. The Lamanites in America are suffering greatly now. Perhaps God is preparing them with the humility necessary to receive this knowledge.
 17 And I, Enos, ^aknew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest. I find it interesting that they took such great interest in the well being of future generations. I don't know that culturally we give it much thought...Something to learn here. Is this part of the 'hearts of the fathers turning to their children' so they pray in faith and secure promised blessings for their future children?
 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. Enos was only adding his faith to Jacob, Nephi, and Lehi's. Sounds like the promise was already granted, so Enos must have just been adding his faith and asking for personal confirmation - perhaps that his own line would be included.
 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. Once you receive a witness you are able to preach and prophesy.  And maybe are even required or compelled to...
 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 nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a ^dblood-thirsty 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. I just read a talk by Lorenzo Snow where he called the Indian “savages”. It seemed harsh but this description is pretty savage!
 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. Somewhere I read the idea that the Sons of Helaman were protected because they had changed from eating only meat to a grain-based diet (Word of Wisdom) as referenced that the converted Lamanites had begun to til the ground)
 22 And there were exceedingly many ^aprophets among us. And the people were a ^bstiffnecked people, hard to understand. Interesting about there being so many who were called prophets? Was this a spiritual gift kind of prophet and not one of office like the apostle and the President of the church? I think it is evidence that many had received a sure witness too so they could prophesy as well. Again, you may be compelled/required to prophesy once you have received this witness. Makes me think one should not ask for this witness unless you are willing to open your mouth...
 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. This goes back to what Enos possibly meant when he was recalling the words about eternity from his father...This is an important verse. Notice the Nephites were being obedient, but not so much out of love and desire. It was more out of fear. Interesting that the "fear" obedience wasn't very sustaining. They had to keep being reminded. Why is that? But look at the mercy of God to send them so many prophets to keep them in the right way. I think these prophets were trying to persuade them to fully come to Christ as they had and partake of the fruit of the tree.
 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. This would be like from 1841 to today. How connected do we feel to that history of our father from that day? Do you even know much about your ancestors who were alive then? Do their testimonies ring in your ears today? It's so easy to lose sight of this perspective when reading this sweeping history...
 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. With great revelation comes great responsibility. You must be willing to preach this as well if you want this same witness. You cannot be saved without it! I like the expressions "above that of the world"...we must value this witness above anything the world teaches or any consequence from being rejected because of it.
 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. This is the peace that passeth all understanding! It makes me think that he was not blessed to "see" Christ in his life, but it didn't matter. He had the assurance that he would soon see the 'rest' of the Lord (which is His presence).