Jacob said that all of the prophets have testified of Christ (Jacob 7:11). Samuel the Lamanite and the Savior Himself made the same declaration (Mosiah 13:33, 3 Nephi 20:24).
So it’s not surprising to learn that Enoch saw the future ministry and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ in a vision. After seeing God mourn over the wickedness of His children, Enoch joined in the lamentation, saying, “I refuse to be comforted.” But God responded with a message of hope: “Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look” (Moses 7:44). When Enoch saw the Savior’s death, he immediately connected it with his own sanctification, and that of his people:
Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying: The Righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me.
Moses 7:47
Shortly after, he saw the crucifixion and resurrection in more detail:
The Lord said unto Enoch: Look, and he looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men;
And he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of glory; …
And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father.
Moses 7:55-56, 59
Enoch had previously seen that his own city would be lifted up to dwell with God. He now saw the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the enabling power for that miraculous event. He recognized that his city’s sanctification was not merely a moral accomplishment but was rather a direct result of the Savior’s sacrifice on behalf of all humanity. Like subsequent prophets, Enoch saw the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a manifestation of God’s love that defied temporal constraints, blessing him and the people he loved millennia before it happened.
Today, I will find hope in the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. I will remember that through His atonement, He has comforted people and carried them home to God throughout all ages of the earth.
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