Enos (Book of Mormon)
Encyclopedia
According to the Book of Mormon
, Enos, was a son of Jacob, a Nephite
prophet
and author of the Book of Enos
.
, a set of metal plates containing the spiritual and secular history of the Nephites. Enos was given charge of the record by his father, Jacob, son of Lehi
and brother of Nephi
. Both Nephi and Jacob had kept the record previously, recording First and Second Nephi and the Book of Jacob
, respectively. Enos's contribution to the record, the Book of Enos, consists of a single chapter, told in the first person, describing his own conversion and subsequent ministry.
Following Enos's death the record of the Nephites was kept by Enos' son, Jarom
.
said, "Like many sons of good families he strayed. How heinous were his sins I do not know, but they must have been grievous".
Having obtained personal forgiveness, Enos continued to pray on behalf of his people, the Nephites, and was given to understand that they would be blessed "according to their diligence in keeping [God's] commandments". His faith being strengthened by these revelations, he began to pray for "[his] brethren, the Lamanites", who have become estranged from the Nephites and are now their enemies. He received a promise that the record of the Nephites would be preserved and would be brought forth to the Lamanites in the Lord's "due time".
At the close of his record, Enos testifies of his unshakeable faith in his Redeemer.
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, Enos, was a son of Jacob, a Nephite
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...
prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
and author of the Book of Enos
Book of Enos
The Book of Enos is the fourth book of the Book of Mormon. According to the text it was written by Enos, a Nephite prophet.The short book consists of a single chapter and relates Enos's conversion after praying all day and all night, and his subsequent dialogue with the Lord. It also discusses the...
.
Family
Nephite record keeping
Enos was third in the series of record keepers who maintained the record of the NephitesRecord of the Nephites
The phrase record of the Nephites has two distinct but related usages. The primary use is to describe the collection of inscribed metal plates on which the Nephites recorded their history. An abridged version of this record, inscribed on gold plates, was the source of the Book of Mormon, according...
, a set of metal plates containing the spiritual and secular history of the Nephites. Enos was given charge of the record by his father, Jacob, son of Lehi
Lehi (Book of Mormon prophet)
According to the Book of Mormon, Lehi was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem during the reign of king Zedekiah . Lehi was an Israelite of the Tribe of Manasseh, and father to Nephi, another prominent prophet in the Book of Mormon...
and brother of Nephi
Nephi
According to the Book of Mormon, Nephi was the son of Lehi, a prophet, founder of the Nephite people, and author of the first two books of the Book of Mormon, First and Second Nephi.- Early life :Nephi was the fourth of six sons of Lehi and Sariah...
. Both Nephi and Jacob had kept the record previously, recording First and Second Nephi and the Book of Jacob
Book of Jacob
The Book of Jacob is the third book of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is The Book of Jacob: The Brother of Nephi. According to the text, it was written by the ancient prophet Jacob, brother of the prophet Nephi, believed to have lived during the 6th century BC.While this book contains some...
, respectively. Enos's contribution to the record, the Book of Enos, consists of a single chapter, told in the first person, describing his own conversion and subsequent ministry.
Following Enos's death the record of the Nephites was kept by Enos' son, Jarom
Jarom
According to the Book of Mormon, Jarom was a Nephite prophet, the son of the prophet Enos, who lived from about 420 BC to about 361 BC. Jarom is thought to have authored the Book of Jarom, which comprises 15 verses in the Book of Mormon....
.
Early life
No details of Enos's early life are given except that he had been taught by his father "in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord". Because Enos begins his story by telling of his "wrestle which [he] had before God, before [he] received a remission of [his] sins", it is sometimes assumed that he had been rebellious prior to that time. President Spencer W. KimballSpencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
said, "Like many sons of good families he strayed. How heinous were his sins I do not know, but they must have been grievous".
Conversion
Enos relates that, while hunting wild beasts in the forest, his "soul hungered" and he knelt and prayed for forgiveness. His prayer continued throughout the day and into the night, until he heard a voice, saying: "Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed".Having obtained personal forgiveness, Enos continued to pray on behalf of his people, the Nephites, and was given to understand that they would be blessed "according to their diligence in keeping [God's] commandments". His faith being strengthened by these revelations, he began to pray for "[his] brethren, the Lamanites", who have become estranged from the Nephites and are now their enemies. He received a promise that the record of the Nephites would be preserved and would be brought forth to the Lamanites in the Lord's "due time".
Ministry
Following this powerful conversion, Enos went forth prophesying to the Nephites. He testifies that the Nephites tried to "restore the Lamanites to the true faith in God", but that they were unsuccessful. He describes the Lamanites as having become "wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people". The Nephites, in contrast, are industrious at farming and herding, but Enos makes it clear that they were "stiffnecked" and continual preaching of the word of God was necessary to keep them from "going down speedily to destruction".At the close of his record, Enos testifies of his unshakeable faith in his Redeemer.