Six generations after Adam, there was a remarkable seer named Enoch. He lived in a time when many people had turned their hearts away from God (Moses 6:27-30). He felt unqualified to teach (Moses 6:31). But the Bible tells us that he “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). He saw amazing things, and he taught the gospel with boldness and with great power (Moses 6:32-47).
His father, Jared, “taught him in all the ways of God” (Moses 6:21). He may have learned from earlier generations as well, including from Adam, himself. As the following graphical representation of Genesis 5 shows, Adam was still alive for most of Enoch’s life.
Enoch taught the core doctrines of the gospel, including the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the importance of repentance and baptism. He also described Adam’s baptism, indicating that this ordinance has been part of the gospel from the beginning. (See Moses 6:48-62.)
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from Enoch, with relevant blog posts:
- Just as we honor our parents and grandparents, we should recognize and appreciate our earliest ancestors: The Ancient of Days (Genesis 5:3-5).
- God is both just and merciful. These two attributes are not in conflict with one another: (What Does It Mean That the Savior Is “Full of Grace and Truth?” (Moses 6:52).
- God’s power over death includes not only the resurrection but also translation—the power to convert people into an immortal state without dying: Was Alma Translated? (Genesis 5:24).
- The Fall of Adam and the Atonement of Jesus Christ have made us agents; we are now in a position to learn how to make good choices: Agency (Moses 6:54-56).
Blog Posts: January 18-23
A Book of Remembrance
Nephi opens the Book of Mormon by expressing gratitude to his parents for, among other things, the gift of literacy. He writes his record in his parents’ language, which consists of “the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians” (1 Nephi 1:2). Nephi’s nephew, Enos, also expresses gratitude that his father taught…
“Slow of Speech”
Enoch was shocked when God called him to preach the gospel. “Why is it,” he asked, “that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31). Communication effectiveness can’t be measured, and it’s easy to be hypercritical as…
“Behold the Seer”
MUSTAFA: Do you know what you would like this evening, sir? EGO: Yes, I think I do…. You know what I’m craving? A little perspective. Ratatouille (2007), screenplay by Brad Bird There was a lot to be unhappy about in the time of Enoch. Just six generations after the Fall of Adam and Eve, people…
Water, Spirit, and Blood
What does it take to be born again? When Jesus warned Nicodemus that we can’t enter the kingdom of God without being reborn, He specified that we must be “born of water and of the Spirit” (John 3:3-5). We usually associate this instruction with the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, but is that sufficient? According…
All Things
When Alma testified to Korihor that “all things denote there is a God,” he listed a number of things which most of us don’t pay much attention to during a typical day: “the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form” (Alma…
The Covenant Path
In April 2007, Sister Elaine S. Dalton used an expression which had never appeared in a general conference talk before. Quoting a recent article by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, she said: Beginning with our baptism, we make covenants as we follow this path to eternal life, and we stay on the path by keeping them….…
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