March 27, 2020
#30 MARCH 23-29, Enos – Words of Mormon
Unprecedented times
It’s never been like this – not in my lifetime! Temples and chapels are closed! Missionaries are home on quarantine or stuck in their apartments all over the world. General Conference will be presented before a live audience of a dozen or fewer. Counties, states and nations are on lockdown or stay-at-home orders. Financial markets are in turmoil. Unemployment is skyrocketing. The world seems to have almost ground to a halt! (Unless you are a healthcare provider or part of the supply chain for toilet paper.) I don’t think I can say anything profound about these times or how to feel about the world right now that has not already been said better by someone else.
It’s been a bit of comic relief to follow and share memes with family and friends and bring a little humor into an otherwise really distressing time. Perhaps the best meme I’ve seen is this one from our good friend and neighbor, Lesli Rice: (I’ll type the words since it won’t paste very well here.)
Satan: I will cause anxiety, fear and panic. I will shut down businesses, schools, places of worship and sports events. I will cause economic turmoil.
The Lord: I will bring neighbors together, restore the family unit, and dinner back to the kitchen table. I will help people slow down their lives and appreciate what really matters. I will teach my children to rely on me and not on the world. I will teach my children to trust me and not their money and material resources.
Kind of puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it?
As I suspect you are all aware, our prophet, Pres. Nelson, has invited members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all around the world to fast this coming Sunday in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his message, Pres. Nelson invited us to, …call upon God and His Son, the Master Healer…in a worldwide fast…to pray for relief from the physical, emotional and economic effects of this global pandemic…this Sunday, March 29th. He also encouraged us to plead for spiritual, physical and other healing throughout the entire world. And he assured us of the love of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus Christ for us and of his love for us, as well.
As you prepare for the third week of “church” at home this Sunday, I hope that what I have written here will add to your understanding of and love for this part of the Book of Mormon and that you’ll find ways to share your feelings and insights with those you love.
Book of Enos
Introduction
In their excellent Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Millet and McConkie wrote of Enos:
Enos, the grandson of Lehi and Sariah, was undoubtedly one of the leading spirits of his age. His book, though brief, reflects the zeal with which he sought to serve the Lord. He was a prophet, priest, and historian. Enos seems to have inherited the faith and devotion of his father, Jacob. He wrote of a hungry soul, and of “struggling in the spirit.” Introducing his record he said: “I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.” It is not “cheap grace” of which he speaks. Enos placed a proper price upon the blessings of heaven; yet he did so in such a way as to encourage those who in like manner seek the light and mercy of heaven. Having tasted of such things, he sealed his book in the spirit of rejoicing in Christ.
Enos is a good model for us
Enos has a great heritage! He comes through the lineage of prophets. His father (Jacob), uncle (Nephi) and grandfather (Lehi) were prophets. He was definitely of “believing blood”, i.e. the blood of Israel. But we don’t inherit faith from our genealogy and can’t rely on our genetics to define our relationship with God. Enos had to discover for himself if what he was taught by his father (and certainly by his mother, as well) was really true.
Enos is a good model for us in discovering truth. Lehi, Nephi and Jacob each saw in vision the premortal Jesus Christ. That is wonderful and they, with Isaiah, are the great pillars of testimony on which the Book of Mormon begins. But they are a little hard for us to relate to. I’ve never seen Christ and I doubt that many (if any) of you have. We need a model we can relate to for discovering truth and our spiritual origins. Enos is such a model. As far as we can tell from the record, he never saw Christ (Though it’s possible that he did and didn’t put it in the record. Most of those who see the Savior never speak or write openly of their experience.) but he did have a life-changing experience in prayer. Our experience may be different from his. But we, too, can know and connect with God using a similar pattern to his.
In today’s world, the “rising generation” takes the position that, “This church with its teachings may be true for my parents and work for them, but it’s not true for me. Everyone needs to find their own truth. They can’t impose their truth on me. I will find my own truth.” But, as I have written before, “The truth is the truth, regardless of where we stand in relation to it.” Satan would have us believe that there are no absolute truths, that all truth is relative, and one person’s truth may not be true for someone else so should not be inflicted upon them. This is a lie from the father of lies. There are immutable, unimpeachable truths in God’s universe that are and will continue to be true regardless of whether everyone, anyone or no one believes in them.
We have a loving Father in Heaven, who is the Father of our spirits. We lived in a heavenly home and were raised by Heavenly Parents before this life. Jesus Christ is the Firstborn in the Spirit and the Only Begotten Son in the flesh. He lived, died and lives again for us. Because of His atonement, we may return to our Heavenly Parents by the power of the redemption and the resurrection and live with them again. Our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the young lad, Joseph Smith, 200 years ago this spring and through him restored to the earth Their true church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has all of the doctrine, priesthood, keys and ordinances necessary to provide the covenant path back to our heavenly home and guide us along the way. The heavens are open again. Ancient and modern scripture have been added to the canon of the Bible, including the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. We are led today by apostles and prophets who, though mortal men and definitely not perfect, lead this restored Church of Jesus Christ under His direction.
These are truths which are not negotiable. They are not up for vote. They don’t depend on our believing them for their veracity. They are immutable truths. Enos gives us a pattern for how we can learn for ourselves. Each of us, like Enos, needs to pay the price to find out for ourselves if we want to know and have the blessings in our lives of these truths. So let’s look at the experience of Enos and see what we can learn for ourselves.
My father was a just man
Similar to his uncle Nephi, Enos begins his entry on the Small Plates, which he received from his father Jacob, by following the colophon convention (see comments on 1 Nephi 1:1-3 in blog post #8). He identifies himself, his parentage or origins and gives his qualifications for writing.
I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man—for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it— (v.1)
He identifies himself, Enos (a Hebrew word meaning “Mankind.” See Welch Notes for this week at Book of Mormon Central) and refers to his father, though not by name. I believe he figures we will know his father’s name since Jacob has been writing on the plates immediately preceding Enos. The last verse Jacob wrote begins, I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos: Take these plates. (Jacob 7:27) Enos is probably writing on the same sheet of metal as his father used to write those words. So he doesn’t feel the need to identify his father by name.
But Enos tells us that his father was a “just man.” In a scriptural context, that means his dad was more than just fair or good, but that he was a “justified” man, meaning that he was right with God. From the Millet and McConkie Commentary:
A just man is one that has kept his covenants with exactness and honor. Just is a legal term derived from the Latin jus, meaning “right” or “law.” An action that is justified in the eyes of the law is one which, upon examination, can be found to be right or lawful. … The doctrine of justification embraces the idea that one who has been obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel has the rightful expectation of obtaining an exaltation.
Enos also tells us that his father “taught me in his language”. Enos is qualified to write because his father taught him the language of the Small Plates, Reformed Egyptian. Good fathers teach their children. (See below). Without this knowledge, he would not have been qualified to write on these plates. We don’t know how widely taught this language or form of writing was known, but it appears to have been passed down in the lineage of the prophets from Lehi to Moroni and is the language in which the plates were written.
Enos tells us in his colophon that his father (with his mother) also taught him “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” This is a good pattern for parents. Not only are we to “nurture” – provide for, care for and love our children – but we are to “admonish” them – teach them, correct them when necessary, and encourage them to be all they can be. Further, parents should teach children in the “admonition of the Lord.” Not all admonition is of equal value. Encouraging people to follow the Lord and His covenant path is the most important admonition of all.
Both are important. All “nurture” and no “admonition” makes for spoiled, entitled, lazy kids and adults. All “admonition” and no “nurture” makes for driven, outwardly successful but emotionally and socially deficient teenagers and adults. To grow into productive, emotionally healthy adults, children and youth need both “nurture” and “admonition.” Those who are taught in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” will “bless the name of God” for their good and faithful parents.
I will tell you my story
Enos is going to share with us his conversion story. He writes, I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins (v. 2). Who is the “you” that he is going to tell? He may be writing for his children and posterity. But I believe he is also writing for us. We are the “you” to whom he is writing. It’s as if Brother Enos, a venerable older brother in our ward, stood up in testimony meeting on Fast Sunday (back in the “old days” when we used to go to church in our ward buildings on Sunday and have fast and testimony meetings once a month) and said that he was going to tell us of his experience with the Lord in receiving a remission of his sins. This is autobiographical. His short book does not contain any sermons or doctrinal expositions. It’s just his story, mainly his experience with the Lord praying in the wilderness. There is only a little bit of history later in the single chapter of this book.
It’s hard to know how old Enos was when this event happened to him. It sounds like he was a fairly young man. I guess older men can go hunting, too, but it sounds like this event was foundational in his life and served to guide him and direct his efforts to reclaim his brethren. It’s also hard to know how old he was when he wrote about this experience in the Small Plates. I suspect he was fairly old with most of his life behind him when he wrote this story. If that is true, he is writing with the perspective of his mature years. Surely, he knew the event was important when it happened. But its importance most likely became even more evident to him as he lived out his life based on this experience. For many of us, myself included, who are getting a little older, as we age, we now see foundational experiences from our youth and young adult years in perspective for how they have shaped us and directed our lives ever since. That is one of the reasons why the years of our youth are so important. I recall Brother Michael Wilcox, an author and wonderful teacher, speak on one occasion about what he called the “decade of decision” – from about age 15 to about age 25. He spoke of the importance of those years and the decisions we make during that time in our lives in providing the foundation and direction of our lives. He said, “Win that decade and you win life. Win life and you win eternity.” It’s scary to think that decisions we make during those crucial years may have eternal implications for us, but it is true.
Parenthetically, it’s unfortunate that many wonderful young people in our church who “won” that decade, i.e. they served missions, chose an eternal companion, married worthily in the temple and began raising children in a household of faith but have somewhere in the next two decades, between about 25 and 45, fallen off of the covenant path for one or more of several reasons. It’s distressing to see how many millennials in the Church are choosing for themselves (and for their children and grandchildren) to go a different direction. Obviously, this is a huge subject to discuss and well beyond the scope of this blog. I have just one suggestion. If someone you love or minister to or for whom you have responsibility in some way is in this situation, you may find a recently-published book by David B. Ostler useful to you. (The “B” in his name is for Boyer. David, a former stake president and former mission president, is the second son of my oldest sister Barbara, so he is my nephew.) His book is entitled Bridges – Ministering to Those Who Question. It tells of his experience working with many people in the 25-to-45-year age group who have become disaffected from the Church. He has done some excellent research which sheds very interesting light on the reasons for their choices to leave. Based on his experiences and research, he also makes some very useful suggestions for how best to support and help them. I’m not trying to sell books for my nephew, but his book is an important contribution to Church literature in ministering to the millennials of our church today.
A wrestle for remission of my sins
In introducing his story, Enos says he will tell us of “the wrestle I had before God” to receive “a remission of my sins.” How do we wrestle with God? Obviously, this was not a physical wrestling match with God. But it reflects the effort he put into his prayer to receive a remission of his sins. Meaningful, purposeful, sincere prayer is work! At the beginning of his mission to Ammonihah, Alma the Younger labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer (Alma 8:10). Perhaps there is no accident in Enos’ choice of the word “wrestle”. His father’s namesake, Jacob (who later became Israel), wrestled all night with a messenger after which he had an important encounter with the Lord. (See Genesis 32:24-25)
Have you ever wrestled with God in prayer? I have, not to the extent that Enos or Alma did, but once as father, I have prayed for a daughter and on another occasion for a granddaughter, each with a life-threatening illness, and pled with the Lord for their lives and recovery promising Him my faithfulness and wishing I could take their illnesses upon me. Gratefully, both are alive and well today. Not all prayers are answered the way we plead for them to be, but, in these two cases, our prayers were answered, for which we are deeply grateful. I’m still trying to live my part of the “bargain” by being a faithful, obedient servant.
As a priesthood leader, I have “wrestled” with the Lord in prayer for repentant ward or stake members pleading with Him to forgive them for their sins, though some were definitely “as scarlet” (see Isaiah 1:18). I recall one time when I listened painfully to the confession of a brother detailing his years of egregious infractions of Church laws and commandments. I then listened sadly to the pleadings of his broken, contrite heart. After he left the office, I knelt by my desk to apologize to our Father in Heaven for the actions of this man and to plead for him asking Heavenly Father to apply the atoning blood of His Son in behalf of this brother, a sinner, and forgive him. The words came very clearly into my mind, “I already have!” I was amazed! The Lord forgave him before I did! Our Father in Heaven is a loving, patient and forgiving Father! I needed to know that the Lord had forgiven this brother so we could take the necessary steps to move forward and open the door for him to be baptized again into the Church and later receive a restoration of his blessings. He is doing well today and is, as far as I know, staying on the covenant path.
The words of my father … sunk deep into my heart
Brother Enos is now telling his story. He went into the forest to hunt beasts but something became much more important to him than hunting.
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 joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. (v. 3)
Perhaps it was the solitude of the forest that caused him to ponder the words of his father. I find in my life that when I turn off the radio in the car, my AirPods as I peddle my bike or other audible distractions in my life, I turn on my mind and it soars. The Lord through His Spirit can pour ideas into my mind that don’t come when my mind is being driven by whatever I am listening to, however good it may be.
However it happened for Enos, the words of his father about “eternal life” and “the joy of the Saints” “sunk deep into my heart.” I have to wonder as a father if anything I have said or tried to teach or model for our children has sunk deep into their hearts. I hope so! I hope that each of them knows and has felt deeply about "eternal life and the joy of the saints" because of my teachings and example. I hope my own son and sons-in-law are teaching their children, our grandchildren, "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
In what setting did Jacob teach Enos? Was it working in the fields together or sitting by the fire at night? Maybe he and his father had been hunting in that very forest together and the memory of being there with his dad made Enos ponder on the words of his father. We need to find times and places and ways to teach our children and share with them the deepest feelings of our hearts hoping that our feelings will sink into theirs. I think I got to know my father when I went on my first mission as a young man. Sure, we played tennis together and worked together in the yard, but we seldom if ever talked about deep things of the Spirit when I was a teenage boy growing up at home. But through the medium of letters sent back and forth between England and the US, my dad and I got to know each other in a way and in a depth we had never known before. Letter writing is such a lost art! Last year as a missionary in England and Wales, I wrote a personal letter to each of our children and in-law children for their birthday and actually printed, signed and mailed it to them, hoping that it would have a little longer shelf-life than just an email. I hope it was meaningful to them. It certainly was for me. Today it is all texts, tweets, IMs, memes, gifs, photos, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. It’s hard to get a teenager to focus long enough to even check their email let alone read a lengthy message from someone important in their life. But we need to find ways to connect with them. Somehow, we need connect heart to heart so that, hopefully, one day when they are in the “forest” in their lives, our words deep in their hearts will bubble up into their consciousness.
My soul hungered
Enos, in telling his story, now gives us a remarkable pattern for prayer. Here are the steps that worked for him:
1. My soul hungered (He had great desire);
2. I kneeled down before my Maker (He humbled himself before God);
3. I cried unto Him in might prayer and supplication (He prayed fervently and with power. It wasn't a few quick trite phrases and be done with it.);
4. All the day long did I cry unto Him; (He prayed with patience and persistence. He was not rushed or distracted.);
5. When the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. (He prayed out loud.)
Desire – humility – faith – patience! That is a powerful formula for prayer! Not every prayer needs to last all day. But sometimes we need to pray longer and struggle more than on other occasions. Even the Savior did on one occasion. … being in an agony he prayed more earnestly (Luke 22:44). Some prayers require more effort than others. Some prayers require all we have to give and need to take all the time it takes. Just praying out loud makes a difference, especially when we are alone. It may seem a little awkward at first, but, if you’ve never prayed out loud when alone, I suggest you try it. It worked for Joseph Smith! It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. (JS-H 1:14).
I remember well the first time I prayed out loud when alone. Of course, I had prayed out loud with my family, at church, with my companion, etc., but never alone. I was a young missionary in southern England. I decided one night to try praying out loud. After my companion climbed into bed and seemed to be asleep, I slipped out of bed and went downstairs into the room where we studied in the morning. (Mission rules weren’t as strict then. Missionaries shouldn’t do that today.) I knelt down and said out loud in a normal voice, “My Father in Heaven,” I stopped and couldn’t say any more. I’d never felt before what I felt then. He was there! Or, at least, He was near. It was as if there were no ceiling on the room. I didn’t hear any voices, but I knew He was listening. There was no specific message. He just wanted me to know that He was there and was listening to my prayer. It was wonderful! It lasted for less than a minute, but the joy was with me for days afterward and I still tenderly remember the experience and the feeling over 50 years later.
Have you ever prayed all day?
Enos prayed all day. … 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. (v. 4) In the Book of Mormon video which portrays the experience of Enos, we see him kneeling in prayer but also continuing to pray as he walks and as he lies down at night. He wasn’t on his knees all day, but he prayed all day.
Once I prayed all day and read the Book of Mormon, the whole book, that day! As a young man after my mission, I was struggling to know if I should marry the young woman I was dating (not Lori), so I fasted for two consecutive days. (Fasting for more than 24 hours is not recommended.) The first day, I spent in the mountains praying and reading the Book of Mormon. I'd taken a speed reading class and could read really fast. I read the whole book that day in the mountains. It was like watching a movie of the Book of Mormon to "see" it all in one day! And, like Enos, I prayed all day! I would read, ponder, pray, hike and repeat the process. Maybe that’s what Enos did. The next day I spent in the temple and continued to pray. Interestingly, I didn't get an answer at that time, but subsequent prayers and choices led me to the wonderful woman whom I later married. When I prayed about her after our first date, my answer came. I knew she was the one for me. The answer was so clear and so strong that I almost felt silly asking - I knew! It was like asking if it is light in the middle of the day when the sun is shining brightly.
Elder Robert Hales said, In my life I have learned that sometimes I do not receive an answer to a prayer because the Lord knows I am not ready. When He does answer, it is often “here a little and there a little” because that is all that I can bear or all I am willing to do. “Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will be Done”, October, 2011
Sometimes we aren't ready for the answer we seek. Sometimes we need to create a place in our heart for the answer. That's what I needed to do and then it came.
Enos receives an answer
In 11 words (at least, as they are translated into English), the Lord answers the day-long, heart-felt prayer of Enos. Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed (v. 5). It only took 8 words for our Father in Heaven to answer Joseph Smith. Joseph, this is my Beloved Son, Hear Him! Any word from the Lord is enough!
Any of us would give anything to hear the voice of the Lord! But would we give a day in prayer and supplication? Like the father of Lamoni, would we give away all our sins to know Him? (see Alma 22:18) What price is too great? Are we willing to pay the price?
Enos had his answer. He knew that God could not lie; wherefore, [his] guilt was swept away (v. 6). It was enough!
My experience in those rare times when the veil parts and prayers are answered directly, is that the Lord is willing to give more than that for which we asked. Enos asks, perhaps almost incredulously, Lord, how is it done? (v. 7)
True to His nature as the Giver of good gifts, the Lord gives Enos more. Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.
Enos is not just forgiven, but he is made whole. Ten lepers were healed of their leprosy by the Master, but only one went away whole. (See Luke 17:19) Enos was not only forgiven (justified) but he was made whole (sanctified, redeemed) by his faith in Christ, the Son of God, who would not come for more than 400 years. It is wonderful! He would never be the same.
The voice of the Lord comes again to Enos
With his heart-felt concerns for his own forgiveness and salvation solved, Enos finds his thoughts and feelings turning toward his brethren, the Nephites. Just as Lehi, after partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life in his dream, was immediately desirous to share it with his family (See 1 Nephi 8:12), Enos wants his brethren, including his family, to feel the joy that he now feels.
… when I had heard these words, I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them. And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; (vs. 9-10)
Notice that this time, Enos says that the voice of the Lord “came into my mind again.” It is most unusual to audibly hear the voice of the Lord. It is more likely that, when Enos said earlier that there came a voice unto me (v. 5), it was also a voice in his mind, the voice of the Lord.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the voice of the Lord as clearly or distinctly in my mind as it appears Enos did, but I have learned to listen to a voice that comes into my mind when I am in the Spirit and speaks to me in the second person. When it comes, it is clear, succinct, to the point, precisely answers the question I have asked, is accompanied by the feeling I have come to recognize as the spirit of the Holy Ghost and is often accompanied by emotion. I wish it happened more often. We cannot control it, predict it or create it at will. The wind bloweth where it listeth… (John 3:8). It is always a tender mercy to be treasured when it comes.
By the way, notice that the Lord refers to the land where Enos and his brethren live, not just as a promised land, but as a “holy land.” Places are made holy by the things that happen there. The promised land to which his fathers were led nearly 200 years ago is becoming a holy land because of their righteous lives, building the temple and efforts to keep the commandments. Not only should we endeavor to “stand in holy places” (my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved, D&C 45:32) but we can make holy the places where we make our stand (our homes, our churches, the temple and other important places in our lives) by our lives and the things we do there.
An expanding circle of concern
With his heart settled regarding his brethren, the Nephites, Enos’s circle of concern now expands to encompass his enemies, the Lamanites. … my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites. (v. 11) The Savior said to, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you. (3 Nephi 12:44). That’s what Enos is doing. Once more, the Lord hears and answers his prayer. After I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith (v. 12). The Lord then goes on to promise Enos that He will preserve his brethren and that the record of his people will be preserved to help bring them unto salvation.
Enos has his answer. He, like his father before him has obtained his errand from the Lord. (See Jacob 1:17).
In the remainder of the Book of Enos, he tells us of their efforts to strength their brethren, the Nephites and to reclaim their enemies, the Lamanites. He isn’t laboring alone.
There were exceedingly many prophets among us (v. 22).
There was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually 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. (v. 23)
The circle of his concern is broad. Having settled himself about his own salvation (though he still had to stay faithfully on the covenant path and endure to the end), he can now concern himself for an expanding circle of those around him.
One Saturday evening, a minister was trying to prepare his sermon for the next day. He was supposed to be tending his young son, who wanted all of his attention. A little frustrated, the minister thumbed through a magazine until he found a picture of the world. He carefully tore it out of the magazine and then tore it into many little pieces. He put them on the table and told his son that it was a puzzle for him to put together. He went back to his desk to work on his sermon. In just a few minutes, his boy came to him with the picture perfectly reassembled. The dad asked him how he did it. The boy replied, “Well, dad, I didn’t really know what the world was supposed to look like. But I found that there was a picture of a man on the other side of the picture. I knew what the man should look like. So, I took a piece of paper and put the man together on top of the paper and then carefully turned it over. I knew that if I got the man right, the world would be right.” The preacher complimented his bright son and said, “Thanks, my boy. You have given me my sermon for tomorrow.” We need to start with ourselves and get ourselves right with the Lord before we can go about to make the world right.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote in Gifts from the Sea,
My life cannot implement in action the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds. I cannot marry all of them, or bear them all as children, or care for them all as I would my parents in illness or old age. … When we start at the center of ourselves, we discover something worthwhile extending toward the periphery of the circle. We find again some of the joy in the now, some of the peace in the here, some of the love in me and thee which go to make up the kingdom of heaven on earth.
Enos paid the price to find the “center of himself” and then expanded that center to include all those in his sphere of influence. Joseph Smith said, A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race. (HC 4:227) If we will, like Enos, pay the price, we can also be filled with the love of God and then not only bless our own family but “range” through our whole world “anxious to bless” everyone within our circle of concern.
The Order of Caring
This pattern of expanding circle of concern is known in some literature in our Church as the “order of caring.” It describes the expanding circle of caring and support that surrounds a person with significant needs to be met – emotional, physical, financial, and/or spiritual. The first line of defense is the person themself. They need to do all they can to meet their own challenges. The next circle of defense is their immediate family followed by their extended family. Families should take care of their own. Only after the individual and his or her family have done all they can to help, should they then turn to the safety net of the Church through their bishop, who has access to the “storehouse of the Lord” – all the resources of the Church and its willing members. Unfortunately, too often when people are in trouble, they want to jump immediately into the safety net of the Church and have their good bishop solve all their problems. As hard as the bishop may try, if the individual doesn’t do their part and if their family doesn’t provide the support it can give, any solutions he can provide or recommend are at best temporary and won’t last. Enos got it right!
Thank you, Enos! Yours is a small but remarkably powerful and inspiring contribution to the Book of Mormon. We hope, like your father and uncle, to meet you in person one day, as well. You have earned your reward.
I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, 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 mansions of my Father. (v. 27)
Book of Jarom
Jarom is obedient to his father, Enos
Jarom is the son of Enos. The name Jarom is a Hebrew name likely meaning “Jehovah is exalted.” (Welch notes, Book of Mormon Central). Millet and McConkie have written of Jarom:
Jarom is a small book written by a man large in spirit. It is a book of strong doctrine. It speaks of revelation as the province of the faithful. “As many as . . . have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit,” it declares. There is no hedging here. If you have faith you receive revelation; conversely, we must reason, if you are without “communion with the Holy Spirit” it is because faith is lacking. … Be it said of the book of Jarom that its language is plain, its spirit strong, and its message universal.
In his short book, in contrast to his father Enos, who wrote autobiographically, Jarom doesn’t tell us much about himself. He must have been a good man, a prophet, because he refers to his “prophesying” and to his “revelations”. But he is being faithful to the command of his father to write on the Small Plates.
As these plates are small, and as these things are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites, wherefore, it must needs be that I write a little; but I shall not write the things of my prophesying, nor of my revelations. For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me. (v. 2)
A formula for enjoying the companionship of the Holy Spirit
Jarom is not the only righteous man. The Nephites are generally righteous at this time, having many prophets and being led by righteous kings – a good combination! He tells us about his people in the following verses. Notice some of the characteristics of righteousness of his people:
There are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith. ... They observed to keep the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord. And they profaned not; neither did they blaspheme. And the laws of the land were exceedingly strict. (vs. 4-5)
Because the people had faith and were not stiffnecked, i.e. they were not proud, they enjoyed the “communion with the Holy Spirit”. They were obedient to the law of Moses, kept the sabbath day holy and did not profane or blaspheme. The same can be true for us. If we will have faith, be humble and do our best to be obedient (We don’t have to be perfect, just try to be good!), we, too, can enjoy the companionship of the Holy Spirit. Note the importance of Sabbath Day observance and having clean language in enjoying the blessings of the Spirit.
The Nephites proper and are industrious
Because they are righteous and industrious, the Nephites prosper and spread out on the land. They are not as numerous as the Lamanites, but in 200 years have become a large body of people.
We multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and weapons of war—yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the javelin, and all preparations for war. (v. 8)
There is an interesting article in Book of Mormon Central about the Books of Enos, Jarom, Omni and Words of Mormon by Neal Rappleye with some fascinating archeological insights and correlations with these books from MesoAmerica. With regard to Jarom, he writes that
[It] turns out in Mesoamerica around the 4th century BC, the nature of warfare was changing. … The Nephites in Jarom’s day were evidently being forced to adapt to the more sophisticated arts of war being developed by their surrounding cultures and the threat such developments posed to their cities.
The Nephites believed in Christ
During this righteous period among the Nephites, though they were obedient to the Law of Moses, they believed in Christ “as though He already was.” That is powerful faith!
The prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them. (v. 11)
Jarom carries us to 238 years after Lehi left Jerusalem, i.e. approximately 342 BC. The plates are small, so he will pass them on to his son Omni.
Book of Omni
The small Book of Omni is actually a compilation of several writers. We’ll focus only on the last of them.
Omni admits I of myself am a wicked man (v. 2) so doesn’t write much. He carries the story to 282 years after Lehi left Jerusalem (about 318 BC) and gives the plates to his son Amaron.
Amaron tells us that by 320 years after Lehi left Jerusalem, the more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed … nevertheless, he did spare the righteous that they should not perish, but did deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. (vs. 5, 7) He gives the plates to his brother, Chemish.
Chemish writes only one verse but makes the interesting statement, I write, in the same book with my brother; for behold, I saw the last which he wrote, that he wrote it with his own hand; (v. 9). These were real people!
Abinadom is the son of Chemish. He writes only two verses, making the observation, I know of no revelation save that which has been written, neither prophecy; wherefore, that which is sufficient is written. (v. 11) He gives the plates to his son Ameleki, the last writer of the Small Plates.
Amaleki lived in the days of King Mosiah I, who being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness (v. 12). Mosiah departs from the land of Nephi, where the people have lived for over 400 years. They were led by many preachings and prophesyings (v. 13) to the land of Zarahemla. There they discovered a people who had also escaped Jerusalem shortly after Lehi, Ishmael and their families departed and before the time when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 587 BC. They were led by Mulek, the one surviving son of Zedekiah, king of Judea. The Mulekites were also led to the promised land. They didn’t keep records so we know nothing of their journey except that they landed north relative to where Lehi landed. The land south was called Lehi, and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south. (Helaman 6:10)
Let me say at this point that I discovered this week an excellent resource for understanding the geography of the Book of Mormon, not the exact locations in present day North, Central or South America, but the relationships of the places referred to in the Book of Mormon to each other. In their weekly podcast (which is, by the way, very good!) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJA9uYQkTYs), Tyler Griffin and Taylor Halverson refer to a project on which they have been working to create a map of the Book of Mormon using only the references to relationships and directions contained in the Book. I like this kind of map. It doesn’t claim to correlate with any specific geographic location but helped me understand the relationships of places like the Land of Nephi, Zarahemla, Bountiful, etc. You can find their map and lots of other good information including a model of “Mormon’s Cave” at virtualscriptures.org.
Back to Mosiah. He wins the favor of King Zarahemla and his people merge with the Mulekites living in the land of Zarahemla. Without records, the language of Zarahemla’s people has become corrupt, so Mosiah teaches them his language and becomes their king. They bring him a large stone, a Stella, which tells of one Coriantumr, the last king of the Jaredites, who lived with the Mulekites for 9 months after they arrived.
If you are lost, we’ll review all this when we talk about the Book of Ether later this year. l But I have something that may help you. Our good neighbor, Ray Short, brought me a chart today (Don’t worry! We kept our social distance!) listing all of the keepers of the Book of Mormon plates. I can't figure out how to attach a .pdf file to a post. I'll try to post it on the B of M Blog Facebook page. If you can't find it, email me and I'll send you the file.
Amaleki says that he was born in the days of Mosiah and I have lived to see his death; and Benjamin, his son, reigneth in his stead. (v. 23) He goes on to say, I began to be old; and, having no seed, and knowing king Benjamin to be a just man before the Lord, wherefore, I shall deliver up these plates unto him, (v. 25). So, Benjamin gets the Small Plates of Nephi from Amaleki. They have been passed down through the lineage of the prophets and descendants of Nephi and Jacob since their time. Benjamin doesn’t write on them because they are full, but he puts them with the Large Plates which have been passed down through the lineage of the kings and which contain the more detailed history of the people. Hundreds of years later, Mormon will discover the Small Plates and put them with his abridgment of the Large Plates, as we will shortly see below.
Before concluding his words on the Small Plates, which are now full, Amaleki gives one of the most eloquent “Come unto Christ” invitations in all of scripture:
And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved. (v. 26)
Thank you, Amaleki, for that powerful invitation and for being faithful in writing on the plates. Lord bless you, good brother!
Words of Mormon
A most unusual book!
We now come to a short but most unusual book. In fact, it doesn’t even have the name of “Book” but is the “Words of Mormon.” These “Words” function as a bridge between the Small Plates and Mormon’s abridgment of the Large Plates. But they also appear to be some of his final words near the end of his life and in them, he gives some important history. We could write a lot about these “Words”, but I’ve already written too much, so I’ll try to be brief. If you want to know more, go to the notes by John Welch for this week at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/enos-words-mormon. There are some fascinating insights.
We’ve told the story before, but to briefly remind you. Mormon abridged the record of Lehi and his descendants to the time of Mosiah from the Large Plates of Nephi and called it the Book of Lehi. It was the hand-written manuscript of this translation which was lost by Martin Harris in the summer of 1828. Knowing the end from the beginning, the Lord inspired Mormon to search among the stacks of records (plates) which had been delivered to him and find some small plates written by Nephi and prophets after him to the time of Amaleki and include those without abridging them with his own plates as a second record covering essentially the same time frame.
After I had made an abridgment from the plates of Nephi, down to the reign of this king Benjamin, of whom Amaleki spake, I searched among the records which had been delivered into my hands, and I found these plates, which contained this small account of the prophets, from Jacob down to the reign of this king Benjamin, and also many of the words of Nephi. (v. 3)
I shall take these plates, which contain these prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren. (v. 6)
The Lord instructed Joseph Smith not to translate the Book of Lehi again but to let the translation of the Small Plates of Nephi suffice for a record of the time from Lehi to Mosiah. Mormon doesn’t know why he is inspired to do this any more than Nephi knew why the Lord inspired him to make a second record on the Small Plates.
I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will (v. 7)
The Words of Mormon are his explanation for the insertion of the Small Plates and serve as a bridge to the remainder of Mormon’s abridgment of the Large Plates.
After Amaleki had delivered up these plates into the hands of king Benjamin, he took them and put them with the other plates, which contained records which had been handed down by the kings, from generation to generation until the days of king Benjamin. And they were handed down from king Benjamin, from generation to generation until they have fallen into my hands (vs. 10-11)
Make sense? I hope so!
King Benjamin
In closing his Words, Mormon gives some information about King Benjamin, who will be the next person we read about in the Book of Mormon. We learn that he fought in the strength of the Lord (v. 14) and defeated the Lamanites. He also, with the assistance of the holy prophets who were among his people (v. 16), was able to put down false Christs and false prophets who plagued his people.
Benjamin himself, though a warrior and king, was a holy man, and he did reign over his people in righteousness (v. 17) and by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.
These are the last words of Mormon in this transitional book. We will next read more about this King Benjamin in the book named after his son, the Book of Mosiah.
Three-week hiatus
Next week is General Conference on April 4 & 5. Even though the Conference Center will be empty (Only the First Presidency and those who will speak and pray will be gathered in a small conference room to broadcast conference.), the conference will go on. There is no assigned Book of Mormon reading for next week. Perhaps we could use the time to prepare for this very special conference in which we will remember the 200-year anniversary of the First Vision. President Nelson has invited us to so prepare. For instance, there have been several articles in each of the Ensign issues for this year to help in preparation. If you have missed reading some of those, like I have, this may be a chance to go back and catch up a little. I won’t be writing a Book of Mormon blog for next week. Maybe I’ll take the week off. Or I may take the chance to write a little about General Conference and make some suggestions for how you might get even more out of conference. There is a great model for General Conference in Mosiah 1. Maybe we’ll sneak a look at that before conference.
The following Sunday (April 12) is Easter Sunday. There is a really good Come, Follow Me lesson for that week. It’s not on the Book of Mormon, but focuses on the Savior, His Atonement and Easter. I haven’t decided, but may try to write something about Easter, as well. We’ll see how the battle with COVID-19 is going by then and decide.
So, the next Book of Mormon blog post will be in advance of Sunday, April 19, three weeks from this Sunday. For that week, we’ll be reading Mosiah 1-3 and will talk about the remarkable sermon by King Benjamin. If not sooner, I’ll see you then.
I hope we can all stay healthy and focus on our blessings rather than our fears and the inconveniences in our lives right now. And I hope that you each enjoy and are edified by General Conference and have a wonderful, holy Easter Sunday, even if worshipping at home rather than in a church building. Lord bless you all!
Thanks for reading!
Richard
