Enos Seeks Welfare of His People

Event 38

Reference: Enos 1:1-27

BEHOLD, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my fatherthat he was a just man—for he taught me in his language,and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—andblessed be the name of my God for it— 2 And I will tell youof the wrestle which I had before God, before I received aremission of my sins.EnosLand of Nephi545 to 422 B.C.3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the wordswhich I had often heard my father speak concerning eternallife, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. 4And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before myMaker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer andsupplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did Icry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raisemy voice high that it reached the heavens. 5 And there camea voice unto me, saying:Forests near landof NephiEnos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.The Lord6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, myguilt was swept away. 7 And I said:EnosLord, how is it done?8 And he said unto me:Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heardnor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifesthimself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made theewhole.The Lord9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words Ibegan to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, theNephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul untoGod for them. 10 And while I was thus struggling in thespirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mindagain, saying:EnosI will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping mycommandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holyland; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity;wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; andtheir transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their ownheads.The Lord 11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith beganto be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him withmany long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.EnosForests near landof Nephi545 to 422 B.C.12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and laboredwith all diligence, the Lord said unto me:I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.The Lord13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired ofhim—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites,should fall into transgression, and by any means bedestroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, thatthe Lord God would preserve a record of my people, theNephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, thatit might be brought forth at some future day unto theLamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought untosalvation— 14 For at the present our strugglings were vainin restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in theirwrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy ourrecords and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers. 15Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able topreserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for hehad said unto me:EnosWhatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shallreceive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.The Lord16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he wouldpreserve the records; and he covenanted with me that hewould bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own duetime. 17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to thecovenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.18 And the Lord said unto me:EnosThy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall bedone unto them according to their faith; for their faith was likeunto thine.The Lord19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about amongthe people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, andtestifying of the things which I had heard and seen. 20 And Ibear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently torestore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But ourlabors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were ledby their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious,and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness;feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, andwandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdleEnosLand of Nephi about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill wasin the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many ofthem did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they werecontinually seeking to destroy us.EnosLand of Nephi545 to 422 B.C.21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till theland, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocksof herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind,and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses. 22 Andthere were exceedingly many prophets among us. And thepeople were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand. 23And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness,preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, anddestructions, and continually reminding them of death, andthe duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power ofGod, and all these things—stirring them up continually tokeep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothingshort of these things, and exceedingly great plainness ofspeech, would keep them from going down speedily todestruction. And after this manner do I write concerningthem. 24 And I saw wars between the Nephites andLamanites in the course of my days.25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, and anhundred and seventy and nine years had passed away fromthe time that our father Lehi left Jerusalem. 26 And I sawthat I must soon go down to my grave, having been wroughtupon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesyunto this people, and declare the word according to the truthwhich is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days,and have rejoiced in it above that of the world. 27 And Isoon go to the place of my rest, which is with myRedeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoicein the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, andshall stand before him; then shall I see his face withpleasure, and he will say unto me:421 B.C.Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in themansions of my Father.The LordAmen.Enos