Enos 1:1-5

The Book of Enos

Enos prays mightily and gains a remission of his sins – The voice of the Lord comes into his mind promising salvation for the Lamanites in a future day – Nephites sought to reclaim the Lamanites in their day – Enos rejoices in his Redeemer. About 420 B.C.

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.

5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

As Jacob ended his record, he told us that his son, Enos would receive and keep the plates.  Enos begins by telling us Jacob was a just man.  Jacob taught Enos “in his language.”  This was not unusual in the Book of Mormon.  For example, at the beginning of Mosiah we read, “And [King Benjamin] caused that [his sons] should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord” (Mosiah 1:2).

But, what did Enos mean when he wrote his father taught him “in his language”?  This is something we would expect, so why did Enos make a point of telling us this?

Enos was passing on information about how the Book of Mormon was written. 

“The phrase language of his fathers does not occur in the Bible. In the Book of Mormon, language generally refers to speech or words ... and also in a more technical sense, to a system of written communication … Speculation as to what Benjamin meant by the language of his fathers has varied. Apparently Benjamin taught his sons Egyptian and … Nephi ‘choose to record his message … in a world language rather than in his own tribal Hebrew’ (Nibley, Lehi in the Desert/The World of the Jaredites/There Were Jaredites, 1994, 17). He may also have taught them Hebrew or other language…”[1]

John L. Sorenson explains further.

“Evidently, full mastery of the Nephite script system required that the meanings of hundreds of characters had to be committed to memory, along with a knowledge of their symbolic, geographical, and mythological backgrounds and contexts (compare Enos 1:1 and Mosiah 9:1).”[2]

Robert Smith explains the use of Egyptian in the record. 

“Since Israelites (and Canaanites) had had close political, commercial, and cultural ties with Egypt during much of the previous thousand years or so, and since this included Hebrew settlements in Egypt, it should not seem odd that the brass plates of Laban were engraved in Egyptian or that Nephi and his successors kept their records in Egyptian (1 Nephi 1:2; Enos 1:1; Mosiah 1:2–6; Mormon 9:32–34). After all, foreigners had been learning Egyptian since at least the time of the Twelfth Dynasty.”[3] 

“Enos wants to share with us “the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.’  The choice of words may tell us something about Enos.  It is possible ‘Enos had his ancestor Jacob in mind is found in his words ‘I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God’ (Enos 1:2). In Hebrew the words before God would be liphney el, literally ‘to the face of God.’ The name of the place where Jacob wrestled all night, Peniel, is from the same Hebrew phrase. ‘And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved’ (Genesis 32:30).”^[4]

Enos’s story begins with him hunting beasts “in the wilderness.”  “A surprising part of the Book of Mormon history takes place in the wilderness. Of the first generation we have already said enough. In the second generation we find the righteous Enos hearing the words of the Lord as he ‘went to hunt beasts in the forests’ (Enos 1:3).”[5]

During this time of solitude, Enos had been contemplating his father’s teachings.  He specifically was considering the words he spoke “concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints.”  They had made a great impression on him.

His soul hungering, Enos followed his father’s advice.  Jacob had taught, “Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy.  Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness” (2 Nephi 9:51).

He got on his knee and cried to the Lord.  He pleaded for forgiveness.  He prayed all day long and through the night.  Hugh Nibley described Enos’s wrestle before God.

“He had to come to peace with himself. It is an intensely personal story. If he had nothing better to do than to hunt by himself, he was wasting his talents and he knew it: he knows he is missing something, that this is not what he should be doing – his father had told him about that. ‘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’ (Enos 1:4). He prayed all night long, determined to find release from an intolerable situation.”[6]

And finally, the wrestle ended.  He heard the voice of the Lord.  “Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.”  David wrote about pleading with the Lord.  “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul” (Psalms 138:3).

Clifford Jones explains why Enos received his forgiveness.

“It is true that Enos received revelations while hunting, but only after the teachings of his father ‘sunk deep into’ his heart and his soul ‘hungered’ such that he prayed fervently to the Lord (Enos 1:3–5).”[7]

The Savior made this clear.  “And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 12:6).

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[1] Complete Text of Benjamin’s Speech with Notes and Comments, Maxwell Institute.

[2] Mormon’s Sources, John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute.

[3] Epistolary Form in the Book of Mormon, Robert F. Smith, Maxwell Institute.

[4] FARMS Update - Jacob and Enos: Wrestling before God, Maxwell Institute.

[5] The Nature of Book of Mormon Society, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute.

[6] The Book of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute.

[7] The Great and Marvelous Change: An Alternate Interpretation, Clifford P. Jones, Maxwell Institute.