Enos 1:1 Behold, it came to pass that 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.
2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my 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 joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer 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.
11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve 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 preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
God will hear and answer my prayers.
The story of Enos demonstrates God’s willingness to bless and direct us in response to personal prayer. The account of the Nephites who fled the land of Lehi-Nephi illustrates that God also directs His people through prophetic warnings and counsel. Through personal prayer and by following the prophet, we gain a testimony of the Lord’s infinite love and care for us.
REVIEW Enos 1:1–17
READ Enos 1:1
-What does “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” means?
READ President Ezra Taft Benson…in Additional Resources
-What happened to those who were not taught about Christ?
-Why are not all the truths the same value?
READ Verses 2-3
-What words describe his efforts in prayer?
READ A Wrestle Before God…in Add’l Re
READ Verses 4 & 11
-Describe the changes in Enos’ prayers.
READ Verses 15-17
-What did Enos desire of the Lord in case the Nephites were destroyed?
-How did the Lord answer pleas?
-How does this demonstrate his love for his fellow man?
READ A Desire for the Welfare of Others…in Add’l Res
-What do I learn from Enos that can help me improve my prayers?
16 BofM CFM April 15-21 Enos-Words of Mormon ““He Worketh in Me to Do According to His Will”
D&C 6:15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth;
D&C 8:2 2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.
3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.
3 Nephi 18:21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.
Moroni 7:33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
Enos 1:5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
8 And he said unto me: 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.
The Lord can help me influence my family for good.
REVIEW AGAIN Enos 1:1-4 on the preceding page
Perhaps there’s someone in your family who you wish you could help come unto Christ, but you wonder if your efforts are making any difference.
-What can you learn about Jacob’s influence on his son Enos from these verses?
-How can you invite His influence in your home?
Revelation or inspiration comes in several ways, including thoughts, impressions, and feelings. In the 10th verse of Enos 1, the prophet says “the voice of the Lord came into my mind.”
READ D&C 6:15; 8:2–3
-What do we learn from these verses
READ Elder Boyd K. Packer…in Add’l Res
-How will guidance from the Lord come to you?
Two additional verses that provide guidance for us as we seek to influence those we love.
READ 3 Nephi 18:21
READ Moroni 7:33
-What are your feelings after reading these two verses
I can receive forgiveness as I exercise faith in Christ.
After Enos prayed all day (4), and even into the night
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.
READ Enos 1:5-7
-What effort did Enos have to put forth to receive forgiveness? v4
Jarom 1:8 And 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.
9 And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.
Omni 1:5 Behold, it came to pass that three hundred and twenty years had passed away, and the more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed.
6 For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land.
7 Wherefore, the Lord did visit them in great judgment; nevertheless, he did spare the righteous that they should not perish, but did deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.
Alma 37:13 O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence.
As I strive to keep His commandments, God will bless me.
The books of Jarom and Omni both describe the relationship between righteousness and prosperity.
READ Jarom 1:8-9 and Omni 1:5-7
READ Alma 37:13
-How are worldly definitions of prosperity different from the Lord’s definition?
-What is the relationship between prosperity and deliverance?
-What can we learn from the preparation of the Nephites? v9
-How does the Lord help His people prosper?
The book of Omni is the last book on the small plates of Nephi. It covers 230 years and includes the writings of five Nephite scribes. It is named after the first. The final scribe, Amaleki wrote the most and then turned the record over to Benjamin. In this short account, we also learn of three groups of people whom the Lord brought to the land of promise in the Western Hemisphere. Amaleki’s writing describes the relationships between the Jaredites, the people of Zarahemla and the people of Mosiah. From King Benjamin’s time forward, the religious and the historical information were kept on the large plates. The small plates were not added until after 130 B.C. Mosiah through 4 Nephi is Mormon’s abridgement of the large plates.
READ Why was so little written by the first 4…in Add’l Res
SEE the Chart on Who are the peoples of Mosiah, Zarahemla & Coriantumr…in Add’l Res
READ Why were the small plates given to…Add’l Res
Omni 1:25 And it came to pass that 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, exhorting all men to come unto God, the Holy One of Israel, and believe in prophesying, and in revelations, and in the ministering of angels, and in the gift of speaking with tongues, and in the gift of interpreting languages, and in all things which are good; for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil.
26 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.
Words of Mormon 1:1 And now I, Mormon, being about to deliver up the record which I have been making into the hands of my son Moroni, behold I have witnessed almost all the destruction of my people, the Nephites.
2 And it is many hundred years after the coming of Christ that I deliver these records into the hands of my son; and it supposeth me that he will witness the entire destruction of my people. But may God grant that he may survive them, that he may write somewhat concerning them, and somewhat concerning Christ, that perhaps some day it may profit them.
3 And now, I speak somewhat concerning that which I have written; for 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.
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“Come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel.”
READ Omni 1:25-26
The invitation “Come unto Christ” appears often in the Book of Mormon. In fact, one of the book’s main purposes is to extend this invitation to everyone.
-Who is this that is writing now?
-According to his words in v 25 where does all good come from?
-Parenthetically, where does evil come from?
-What does Amaleki ask of us in v 26?
-What words or phrases do you find that describe how to come unto Christ?
READ Offer your Whole souls as an Offering…in Add’l Res
In this same spirit, In the Sunday afternoon session of GC, Elder Christofferson, urged us to yield our hearts of God.
-What will you do to come unto Him more completely?
God will work through me as I follow His guidance.
Words of Mormon are a bridge between the Small and Large Plates of Nephi The large plates primarily contained the secular history of the people, while the small plates included the sacred history (1 Nephi 9:2–4). The books of 1 Nephi through Omni were recorded on the small plates of Nephi. The books of Mosiah through 4 Nephi are Mormon’s abridgement taken from the large plates. (Institute Manual)
One reason the Lord inspired Mormon to include the small plates of Nephi in the Book of Mormon was because He knew that the first 116 translated pages would be lost. (CFM, April 15-21)
REVIEW Words of Mormon 1:1-8
-What is Mormon’s situation? 1
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4 And the things which are upon these plates pleasing me, because of the prophecies of the coming of Christ; and my fathers knowing that many of them have been fulfilled; yea, and I also know that as many things as have been prophesied concerning us down to this day have been fulfilled, and as many as go beyond this day must surely come to pass—
5 Wherefore, I chose these things, to finish my record upon them, which remainder of my record I shall take from the plates of Nephi; and I cannot write the hundredth part of the things of my people.
6 But behold, 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.
7 And 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.
8 And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.
D&C 10:45 Behold, there are many things engraven upon the plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel; therefore, it is wisdom in me that you should translate this first part of the engravings of Nephi, and send forth in this work.
-What does he say about Moroni? V2
-After abridging the large plates what has he now found? 3
-What is pleasing about these to Mormon? 4
-Why does he choose these plates? 6
-Does he know what the wise purpose is? 7
-If not, who does? 7
READ “The Lord Knoweth All Things Which…” in Add’l Res
It is clear that the Lord knew that pages would be lost and obviously planned ahead. Elder Holland offers additional comments on this.
READ Jeffrey R. Holland…in Add’l Res
LAST WORDS: In his book “Enos: His Mission and His Message,” BYU Professor Dennis L. Largey wrote: “Just prior to his death, Jacob gave Enos stewardship of all the sacred records Nephi had entrusted to him….Although Enos’ words are few, his doctrine and commentary support other prophet’s words.. Gospel principles are embedded in his struggle to know God and in his determination to serve him. There are nine such supported precepts or “instructions in righteousness” that make Enos a most significant “voice from the dust.”
1. To All Nations, Kindreds, Tongues, and People—Jesus Is the Christ. Speaking to Jew or Hindu, Moslem or Buddhist, Catholic, Baptist, or Latter-day Saint, Enos witnesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Redeemer of all humanity.
2. Forgiveness Sometimes Requires a “Wrestle Before God.” The story of Enos teaches us that there is a price to pay both in effort and attitude before we can receive forgiveness of our sins.
3. Forgiveness Comes Through Faith in Jesus Christ. At some point during Enos’ lengthy prayer, he heard a voice say, “Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed” (Enos 1:5). Awed by the immediate relief he felt, Enos inquired, “Lord, how is it done?” The Lord responded, “Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou has never before heard nor seen . . .. Wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole” (Enos 1:8).
4. Removal of Sin Must Precede Removal of Guilt. Guilt is a God-given protection designed to encourage positive change.
5. Charity and Good Works Follow True Conversion. When Enos entered the forest to pray, his first concern was for his own soul. Upon hearing the voice of the Lord announce that he had been forgiven, Enos recorded, “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” (Enos 1:9).
6. Revelation. In addition to bearing testimony of the doctrine, “Ask, and it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 13:7), the story of Enos teaches an important principle concerning how revelation is received.
7. The Lord Visits Us According to Our Diligence in Keeping the Commandments. In answer to Enos’ prayer for his brethren, the Nephites, the Lord said: “I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments.
8. The Lord Keeps His Covenants. Enos’ prayer for the Lamanites was that the Nephite record would be preserved for the welfare of their posterity…. His faith enabled his soul to rest because he knew that God was perfectly honest in keeping all his promises.
9. Parents in Zion Need to Teach the Gospel to Their Children. Perhaps if Enos could speak with parents today, he would plead with them to talk often in their homes about the gospel. The story of Enos is a powerful example of the truth of this principle.
The book of Enos gives us important “instructions in righteousness” which, if we follow, will bring us nearer to God. His remarkable conversion, his ministry, his life of diligent service, and his proving himself faithful in all things after being “born of the spirit,” all earned Enos the confidence he expressed just prior to writing his last amen: And 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. Amen (Enos 1:27).
The Book of Mormon is true, the Book of Enos is true. Have a great week-------------------------Greg
A Desire for the Welfare of Others
After feeling the blessings of the Atonement for himself, Enos prayed for the welfare of his own people, the Nephites, and then for the spiritual welfare of his enemies, the Lamanites. Elder Robert D. Hales spoke about the concern those who have been converted feel for others: “The scriptures confirm that the truly converted do more than just forsake the enticements of the world. They love God and their fellow men. Their minds and hearts are centered on the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. From the moment of their respective conversions, Enos, Alma the Younger, Paul, and others turned wholeheartedly to the task of bringing themselves and their fellow men to God” (CR, Oct. 2000, 6)
Elder Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, discussed how we can recognize the voice of the Lord:
“Answers to prayers come in a quiet way. The scriptures describe that voice of inspiration as a still, small voice. …
“I have come to know that inspiration comes more as a feeling than as a sound. …
“Put difficult questions in the back of your minds and go about your lives. Ponder and pray quietly and persistently about them.
“The answer may not come as a lightning bolt. It may come as a little inspiration here and a little there, ‘line upon line, precept upon precept’ (D&C 98:12).
“Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration. The promptings will be clear and unmistakable” (CR Oct. 1979, 28, 30)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
President Ezra Taft Benson counseled fathers to follow the pattern of teaching modeled by righteous fathers in the Book of Mormon:
“What did the righteous fathers of the Book of Mormon teach their sons? They taught them many things, but the overarching message was ‘the great plan of the Eternal God’—the Fall, rebirth, Atonement, Resurrection, Judgment, eternal life. (See Alma 34:9.) Enos said he knew his father 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’ (Enos 1:1).
“Those in the Book of Mormon who were taught nothing concerning the Lord but only concerning worldly knowledge became a cunning and wicked people. (See Mosiah 24:5, 7.)
“All truths are not of the same value. The saving truths of salvation are of greatest worth. These truths the fathers taught plainly, frequently, and fervently. Are we fathers doing likewise?” (CR, Oct. 1985, 47).
A Wrestle before God Enos did not wrestle with God. The record states that Enos wrestled before God in prayer. Such wrestling is the struggle to find and express one’s real desires under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Praying in this manner requires that a person eliminate vain, trite, or insincere repetitions and to pour the deepest desires of his or her heart into words. Each phrase becomes an expression of yearning and desire to do God’s will. Such prayers are assisted and guided by the Holy Spirit, “for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). (Institute Manual)
Why were the Small Plates given to King Benjamin?
“The fact that King Benjamin ruled over the Nephites seems to suggest that the kingship had moved away from Nephi’s descendants. However this is not the case. Mormon assures his readers that during the kingship reign of Nephite history, ‘the kingdom had been conferred upon none but those who were descendants of Nephi’(Mosiah 25:13). What is apparent in the names of King Mosiah and King Benjamin is that the honorific title of Nephi had been discarded. However, the lineage of Nephite Kings remained. When Amaleki, who did not have children, gave the small plates to King Benjamin, Benjamin already had in his possession of the large plates of Nephi that contained the secular history of the Nephites.” (Black, 400 Questions and Answers, 129)
“Offer Your Whole Souls as an Offering unto Him”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught the meaning of offering ourselves to the Lord: “Real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed!” (CR, Apr. 1995, 91)
On the same topic, Elder Maxwell later taught: “As you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give” (CR, Apr. 2004, 48)
Why was so little written by the first four writers of the book of Omni? “Omni kept the record for 44 years….Amaron kept the record for at least 38 years….Chemish…. did not state how long he kept the record, but….it was probably less time than the others. Abinadom…[stated] that there had been wars with the Lamanites and an absence of revelation and prophecy.” (Nyman,To Learn with Joy, 204)
(Adapted from Garner, Search These Things Diligently: 127-28)
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles affirmed that the portion of the Book of Mormon that comes from the small plates provides more information than was lost on the 116 pages:
“At least six times in the Book of Mormon the phrase ‘for a wise purpose’ is used in reference to the making, writing, and preserving of the small plates of Nephi (see 1 Nephi 9:5; Words of Mormon 1:7; Alma 37:2, 12, 14, 18). You and I know the wise purpose—the most obvious one—was to compensate for the loss of the earlier mentioned 116 pages of manuscript.
“But it strikes me that there is a wiser purpose than that. … The key to such a suggestion of a wiser purpose is in verse 45 of D&C 10: (READ on page 5)
“So, clearly, this was not … tit for tat, this for that—you give me 116 pages of manuscript and I’ll give you 142 pages of printed text. Not so. We got back more than we lost. And it was known from the beginning that it would be so. It was for a wiser purpose. We do not know exactly what we missed in the 116 pages, but we do know that what we received on the small plates was the personal declarations of three great witnesses [Nephi, Jacob, and Isaiah], three of the great doctrinal voices of the Book of Mormon, testifying that Jesus is the Christ. …
“In fact, I think you could make a pretty obvious case that the sole purpose of the small plates was to give a platform for these three witnesses” (“A Standard unto My People” [CES symposium on the Book of Mormon, Aug. 9, 1994],
. “The Lord Knoweth All Things Which Are to Come” Nephi did not make the small plates until 30 years after Lehi’s colony left Jerusalem (see 2 Nephi 5:28–31). He did not understand why he was commanded to make a second set of records, but he had faith that it was “for a wise purpose” in the Lord (1 Nephi 9:5). Nearly 1,000 years later the prophet Mormon echoed similar words to Nephi’s when he testified that in addition to his abridgment of the large plates of Nephi he was including the small plates of Nephi “for a wise purpose” (Words of Mormon 1:7).
Joseph Smith started the translation of the Book of Mormon with Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi. He had completed 116 manuscript pages when Martin Harris pleaded with Joseph to let him take the manuscript and show it to family members. Joseph asked God three different times if Martin could take the manuscript, and permission was finally given. The manuscript fell into the hands of wicked men (see D&C 10:8) and became known as the lost manuscript, or the lost 116 pages.
The loss of the manuscript clearly demonstrates why the Lord commanded Nephi to write the small plates and why Mormon was inspired to include them. Joseph Smith was told not to retranslate the portion he had already completed, but to replace it by translating the small plates of Nephi (see D&C 10:30, 38–45). The translation of the 116 pages covered 600–130 B.C.—from the time of Lehi to the time of King Benjamin. The small plates also covered 600–130 B.C.— from Lehi to King Benjamin. The Lord in His omniscience had the second record, the small plates, cover the exact time period that was covered in the stolen 116 pages. This also allowed the Lord to keep His covenant with Enos that “he would preserve the records” (Enos 1:16). (Institute Manual)
Nephite. Record Keepers This is the link to the chart below:
The best of the week, couldn’t choose so included all three.