13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of
him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into
transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be
destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites;
even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth
at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought
unto salvation—
14 For at the present our strugglings were vain in
restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it
were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the
traditions of our fathers.
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to
preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me:
Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the
name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would
preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth
unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the
covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also
required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their
faith; for their faith was like unto thine.
Enos 1:13-18
Enos tells us what he desired from the Lord. Should the Nephites
fall into sin and are destroyed, and the Lamanites are not destroyed, Enos
asked the record be preserved.
Nephi also saw the destruction of his people. “And it came to pass that I was overcome
because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great
above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall”
(1 Nephi 15:5).
When including these plates (the small plates of Nephi) Mormon explained why they were and would be preserved.
“But behold, I shall take these plates, which contain these
prophesyings and revelations, and put them with the remainder of my record, for
they are choice unto me; and I know they will be choice unto my brethren.
“And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth
me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And
now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to
come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his “Words of Mormon 1:6-7).
Speaking of the records, Alma2 told Helaman1,
“And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I
have done, upon the plates of Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I
have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are
kept” (Alma 37:2).
Mormon wanted these records preserved and brought forth at
some future time. He wanted them to go to the Lamanites with the hope they will
be brought to salvation.
Alma2 explained this to Helaman1. “And
now behold, one purpose hath he fulfilled, even to the restoration of many
thousands of the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; and he hath shown
forth his power in them, and he will also still show forth his power in them
unto future generations; therefore they shall be preserved” (Alma 37:19).
Mormon invites the remnant of the Lamanites to accept this
book which is “written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye
believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know
concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the
power of God among them” (Mormon 7:9).
In this dispensation, the Lord told Joseph Smith, “this
testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and
the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their
fathers, whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites,
because of their iniquities and their abominations” (D&C 3:18).
In spite of the Nephite’s best efforts, they were
unsuccessful in their efforts to restore “them to the true faith.” Jacob wrote
about other Nephite efforts. “And it came to pass that many means were devised
to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it all
was vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an eternal
hatred against us, their brethren. And they sought by the power of their arms
to destroy us continually” (Jacob 7:24).
The Lamanites had also vowed to destroy the Nephites and their
records. Mormon would write he was “commanded of the Lord that I should not
suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were
sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would
destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid
up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the
hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni”
(Mormon 6:6).
Enos was assured the Lord would preserve this record. King Benjamin would emphasize this when teaching his sons. “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct” (Mosiah 1:5).
“Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations. Nephi said: ‘The Lord God promised unto me that these things which I write shall be kept and preserved, and handed down unto my seed, from generation to generation’ (2 Nephi 25:21). His brother Jacob, who succeeded him, wrote similar words: ‘For [Nephi] said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation.’ Enos and Jarom both indicated that they too were writing not for their own peoples but for future generations.”[1]
Enos was told by the Lord he would keep His covenant and
preserve the records. “Now these things are written unto the remnant of the
house of Jacob; and they are written after this manner, because it is known of
God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid
up unto the Lord that they may come forth in his own due time” (Mormon 5:12).
“The holy scriptures are the word of God given to us for our
salvation. The scriptures are essential in receiving a testimony of Jesus
Christ and His gospel. The scriptures given to us by God in these latter days
are the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and
Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These sacred records bear testimony of
the Savior and lead us to Him. That is why great prophets like Enos cried unto the
Lord in faith to preserve the scriptures.”[2]
Having made the covenant with the Lord, Enos tells, “wherefore
my soul did rest.”
The Lord also told Enos he had made this covenant with other
Nephite prophets. It will be fulfilled according to their faith.
[1] The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion, President Ezra
Taft Benson, October 1986 General Conference.
[2] Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,
Elder Robert D. Hales, October 2006 General Conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment