Category Archives: Pearl of Great Price

Summary of the Pearl of Great Price

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Summary of the Pearl of Great Price

“A merchant man, seeking goodly pearls … , when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45–46).

The Pearl of Great Price contains four books and the Articles of Faith; Selections from the Book of Moses, The Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith Translation of the Gospel of Matthew and the History of Joseph Smith. The Articles of Faith outline the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. All of the books are divine in nature, and were originally published in Church publications and were declared by Joseph Smith to be; “a source of much instruction and edification to many thousands of the Saints, who will by an acquaintance with its precious contents, be more abundantly qualified to set forth and defend the principles of our Holy Faith before all men” (Millennial Star, 15 July 1851, 217).

The book of Moses is a small excerpt from Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible. It is a more complete record of Moses’s writings at the beginning of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. It contains many doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and gives additional information about the plan of salvation, the creation of the earth, and the Lord’s dealings with Adam and Enoch.

The book of Abraham is a translation of ancient records written on papyrus that came into the possession of the Church in 1835. The records were translated by Joseph Smith through revelation. This book contains truths about the premortal Council in Heaven, the creation of the earth, the nature of God, and the priesthood.

 

 

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Summary of Abraham

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Summary of Abraham

Joseph_Smith_Papyrus_I

The book of Abraham is a translation of ancient records written on papyrus that came into the possession of the Church in 1835. The records were translated by Joseph Smith through revelation. This book contains truths about the premortal Council in Heaven, the creation of the earth, the nature of God, and the priesthood.

In Chapters 1-2: We learn more about Abraham and his family life and how he came to be part of the Abrahamic Covenant that he made with God. We learn about how the gospel had been lost and how the ancient Egyptians had fallen into idolatry.  Abraham is given a promise; The Abrahamic Covenant (see also: Genesis 17); “…I give unto thee a promise that this right [the priesthood] shall continue in thee…shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of eternal life.” (Abraham 2:11)

                In Chapter 3: We learn about the stars and the heavens. We learn that God lives near a star named Kolob. The Lord continues to speak with Abraham and shows him all of His great works, he explained; “…This is Shinehah, which is the sun… Kokob, which is start…Olea, which is the moon… Kokaubeam, which signifies stars, or all the great lights, which were in the firmament of heaven.(Abraham 3:13) The Lord also shows Abraham the intelligences that formed the earth from the foundation thereof. God tells Abraham that; “…thou wast chosen before thou wast born…” (Abraham 3:23)

In Chapters 4-5:  We learn about the Creation and how the world was planned spiritually before it was constructed physically. We learn that it was the council of Gods who did this with God the Eternal Father overseeing His creative plans. “…the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.” (Abraham 4:1) Abraham gives us information that we did not have from Genesis, that “Gods” created the world. This in no way takes away from the importance of the one and only God the Father. Rather, from this we learn that God the Father has other God’s who work underneath His creative masterpieces

Abraham 5

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Abraham 5: The Creation of the Plans

“…thus we will finish the heavens and the earth…” (Abraham 5:1)

 Day 7:

                “…the Gods said among themselves: On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work… and sanctified it…” (Abraham 2-3)

The Gods rested on the seventh day from all their labors and sanctified that day as a Holy day, the Sabbath Day. Abraham explains that everything was created spiritually before it was created physically, the Gods rested from their plans on the seventh day.

“…there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground… the Gods created man from the dust of the ground… the Gods planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there they put man… And out of the ground made the Gods to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food… the Gods took man and put him in the Garden of Eden, to dress it and keep it.” (Abraham 5:6-9;11)

Abraham chapter 5, goes over the story of Adam and Eve and how they were put into the Garden of Eden. Eve was formed from the rib of Adam and thus became a woman.  They became one flesh and were naked and not ashamed.

 

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Abraham 4

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Abraham 4: The Gods Make Plans for the Earth

                Abraham Chapter 4 gives us a little more insight into The Creation of the world, compare to Genesis 1)

“…the Lord said: Let us go down. And they went down at the beginning, and they, that is the Gods, organized and formed the heavens and the earth.” (Abraham 4:1) Abraham gives us information that we did not have from Genesis, that “Gods” created the world. This in no way takes away from the importance of the one and only God the Father. Rather, from this we learn that God the Father has other God’s who work underneath His creative masterpieces. Although we do not know much about God and who it was referring to when He said; “…Let us make many in our own image…male and female created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27) We know that the Co-Creator was Jesus Christ, so one of the ‘Gods’ was most likely Jesus Christ, but who were the others?

I personally believe that besides having a Heavenly Father, we also have a Heavenly Mother and that she was also present in the Creation, and was one of the ‘Gods’ who assisted in creating the Earth and in the Creation of man; ‘male and female’. –( DISCLAIMER: These are my personal beliefs, and DO NOT necessarily represent LDS DOCTRINE)

The Creation

Day 1:

“…(the Gods) said: Let there be light; and there was light… they divided the light, or caused it to be divided, from the darkness. And the Gods called the light Day, and the darkness they called Night. And it came to pass that from the evening until morning they called night; and from the morning until the evening they called day; and this was the first, or the beginning, of that which they called day and night.” (Abraham 4:3-5)

The Gods create light and darkness, the day and the night.

Day 2:

“…the Gods also said: Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and it shall divide the waters from the waters. And the Gods ordered the expanse, so that it divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; …And the Gods called the expanse, Heaven…” (Abraham 4:6-8)

The Gods create the heaven and the earth and cause dry land and seas to appear.

Day 3:

“…the Gods ordered, saying: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the earth come up dry; and it was so as they ordered; …the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they, Great Waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed. And the Gods said: Let us prepare the earth to bring forthgrass; the herb yielding seed; the fruit tree yielding fruit, after his kind, whose seed in itself yieldeth its own likeness upon the earth…” (Abraham 4:9-11)

The Gods finish creating the waters and the land, and create plants, seeds and all vegetation.

Day 4:

“…the Gods organized the lights in the expanse of the heaven, and caused them to divide the day from the night; and organized them to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years; …the Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; with the lesser light they set the stars also; …the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to cause to divide the light from the darkness.” (Abraham 4:14;16-17)

The Gods create time and the seasons upon the earth.

Day 5:

“…the Gods said: Let us prepare the waters to bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life; and the fowl, that they may fly above the earth in the open expanse of heaven… the Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind. And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.” (Abraham 4:20-21)

The Gods create animals upon the face of the earth.

Day 6:

“…the Gods prepared the earth to bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so, as they had said… the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey.

And the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go down and form man in our image, after our likeness; and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Abraham 4:26-27)

The Gods finish creating all the animals on the earth and also create men and women.

Abraham 3

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Abraham 3: Kolob

                Abraham is given a device that helps him to see some of the mysteries of God, this device is called a Urim and Thummim. With this device, Abraham sees; “…the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it; …Theses are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me…” (Abraham 3:2-3) Here we learn that God dwells near a star named Kolob, which is near other large stars which help to govern.

Abraham is then told that; “…according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord… it being one thousand years according to the time…whereon thou standest [earth]…” (Abraham 3:4) So roughly one thousand years is equivalent to one day of the Lord’s time. The concept we have for time is much different from God’s, so this might only be an example to help us. Either way we can understand that the Lord sees time from the perspective of eternity (no beginning or end), whereas we see time as a beginning and end (linear time).

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The Lord continues to speak with Abraham and shows him all of His great works, he explained; “…This is Shinehah, which is the sun… Kokob, which is start…Olea, which is the moon… Kokaubeam, which signifies stars, or all the great lights, which were in the firmament of heaven.(Abraham 3:13) The Lord also shows Abraham the intelligences that formed the earth from the foundation thereof. God tells Abraham that; “…thou wast chosen before thou wast born…” (Abraham 3:23)

God also tells Abraham that when He was searching for a savior, He asked: “…Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry [Satan], and kept not his first estate; and at that day, many followed after him.” (Abraham 3:27-28)

Abraham 2

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Abraham 2: Jehovah Appears to Abraham

                God causes a famine in the land of Ur, Abraham’s brother Haran dies, but his father Terah survives. We also learn that Abraham takes Sarai to be his wife. Abraham is commanded by the Lord to leave the land of Ur and to go into the land of Canaan. Unfortunately Abraham’s father falls again into Idolatry while in the Haran.

Jehovah appears unto Abraham and tells him that he needs to take Lot and leave to a strange land; “…which I will give unto thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession, when they hearken to my voice.” (Abraham 3:6) Anyone who receives this “…Gospel shall be called after thy name…” (Abraham 2:10)

Abraham is given a promise; The Abrahamic Covenant (see also: Genesis 17); “…I give unto thee a promise that this right [the priesthood] shall continue in thee…shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of eternal life.” (Abraham 2:11)

                After been given this promise, Abraham continues his journey to the land of Canaan, and they dwell in tents along the way… until the reach Egypt. However, they find out that the famine is widespread throughout all the land.

Abraham 1

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Abraham 1: Abraham Seeks Blessings of the Patriarchal Order

“…at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful to obtain another place of residence;” (Abraham 1:1) Abraham sought for a higher knowledge and the blessings that come from the Patriarchal Order, however Abraham lived in a home that discouraged his advancement in the Gospel or forbid him to practice the Gospel, so Abraham explained; “… I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right where unto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.” (Abraham 1:2-3)

Because Abraham was a follower of righteousness he desired to have the blessings of the priesthood and be able to bless with the priesthood. Abraham explains that this priesthood was; “…conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time, even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam, or first father, through the fathers unto me.” (Abraham 1:3) Abraham’s Authority was given to him from a long line of Authority through his fathers. Abraham explains that he had followed the commandments of God, whereas the rest of the people decided to follow after other gods; “For their hearts were set to do evil, and were wholly turned to the god of Elkenah, and the god of Libnah, and the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; Therefore they turned their hearts to the sacrifice of the heathen in offering up their children unto these dumb idols, and hearkened not unto my voice, but endeavored to take away my lifeby the hand of the priest of Elkenah. The priest of Elkenah was also the priest of Pharaoh.” (Abraham 1:6-7) These people were wicked and had turned their hearts from the Lord to sacrifice children to idols that could not speak.

 

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                “Now, at this time it was the custom of the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to offer up upon the altar which was built in the land of Chaldea, for the offering unto these strange gods, men, women, and children. And it came to pass that the priest made an offering unto the god of Pharaoh, and also unto the god of Shagreel, even after the manner of the Egyptians. Now the god of Shagreel was the sun.” (Abraham 1:8-9)

Several hundred years after the flood, the inhabitants of the earth multiplied throughout. However, their knowledge of God had nearly disappeared. President Joseph Fielding Smith commented on the Egyptian Human Sacrifice;  “Abraham was of the [tenth] generation from Noah. Several hundred years had passed since the flood, and people had multiplied and spread over the face of the earth. The civilizations of Egypt, Chaldea, Assyria and the petty nations of Canaan, had been established. In the midst of this scattering the true worship of the Father was nearly lost. Sacrifice instituted in the days of Adam and continued in the practice and teaching of Noah, in the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of Man, had become perverted. Instead of offering clean animals, such as the lamb and bullock, the apostate nations had dwindled in unbelief to the extent that human sacrifice was offered to their idol gods” (The Way to Perfection, 85).

Abraham was not alone in his desire to worship the one and only God, there were three virgins [direct decedents of Ham, who was the son of Noah] who were going to be sacrificed because of their virtue, for they; “…would not bow down to worships gods of wood or of stone, therefore they were killed upon the altar…” (Abraham 1:11) Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints compared these three virgins to the story of ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego – see Daniel 3:12-30’. He described these three women as; “marvelous models on enduring uncertainty and on trusting God… Matching those three young men are three young women whose names we do not have. They are mentioned in the book of Abraham, remarkable young women about whom I am anxious to know more. They were actually sacrificed upon the altar because ‘they would not bow down to worship [an idol] of wood or stone’. Some day the faithful will get to meet them” (“Not My Will, But Thine” [1988], 119–20).

Abraham explains that they came and laid violence upon him; “…that they might slay me also, as they did those virgins upon this altar…” (Abraham 1:12) As they were about to take his life, Abraham cried out to the Lord; “…and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands; And his voice was unto me: Abraham, Abraham, behold, my name is Jehovah, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee…” (Abraham 1:15-16) God promised to deliver Abraham from these people and carry him away into a land in which he knew not. God then destroyed all of Potiphar’s Hill in the land of Ur.

Abraham went down to the land of Egypt, where he found a government which was patterned after the patriarchal governments of old, but was devoid of all revelation and priesthood. This ultimately lead the Egyptians into idolatry.  The land of Egypt was founded by the daughter of Ham; ‘Egyptus’ who had a son named ‘Pharaoh’.

The first government of Egypt; “…was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal” (Abraham 1:25)

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote:

“Egypt was not the only nation, in these early times, which attempted to imitate the patriarchal order of government. We have seen in Abraham’s record that this was the order of government in the reign of Adam, and down to the time of Noah.

“Naturally that form of government would be perpetuated in large degree by all tribes as they began to spread over the face of the earth. As men multiplied they organized first in the family group, then into tribes and eventually into nations. The greater powers would naturally occupy the most favored spots. Stronger tribes would overcome the weaker and force them to join the national government, or else they would be subdued and treated as slaves, or placed under tribute. As the patriarchal order was handed down from father to son so also would the political authority be perpetuated with the same claims to authority…” (The Progress of Man, 3rd ed. [1944], 100–101.)

Abraham explains that the rights of the priesthood were only handed down from proper Authorities and that The Pharaohs; “…would fain claim it from Noah…” (Abraham 1:27) Fain means “content or willing to accept an alternative when the more desirable thing cannot be attained” (Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, 2nd ed., 657). Therefore this “Fain Claim” was not proper authority.

Abraham ends this chapter by explaining that he had preserved records; “…concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands; therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.” (Abraham 1:31) Abraham kept records of the creation, the planets and the stars in order to preserve this record for the posterity that shall come after him.

Summary of Moses

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Summary of Moses

The book of Moses is a small excerpt from Joseph Smith’s inspired translation of the Bible. It is a more complete record of Moses’s writings at the beginning of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. It contains many doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and gives additional information about the plan of salvation, the creation of the earth, and the Lord’s dealings with Adam and Enoch.

Moses 1:

The events described in Moses 1 are portrayed as taking place sometime after Jehovah spoke to Moses out of the burning bush but before Moses had returned to Egypt to deliver the children of Israel. Moses is given a description of God’s wonderful works and a confirmation of the work to which he had previously been foreordained as a “son of God.” Moses is then showed the creation of the World, Moses is given the opportunity to behold every particle of the earth and all of its inhabitants.  God then speaks with Moses face to face, explaining that His work [God’s Work] is to; “…bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)  Chapter one closes, by alluding to the Restoration of lost words of scripture (The Book of Mormon).

Moses 2-8:

These chapters (2-8) generally follow the first chapters of the Book of Genesis, but often provide alternative interpretations of the text or significant additional detail not found in the Bible. Among the notable differences are the following:

Moses 2 (compared to Genesis 1): The idea that all things were created “by mine Only Begotten” [Jesus Christ, in his premortal state] is made clear, as is the Son’s identity as the co-creator at the time when God said “Let us make man.” Otherwise the story of the Creation between Moses 2 and Genesis 1 are the same.

Moses 3 (compared to Genesis 2): God explains that He: “created all things… spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth.” (Moses 3:5) Again, Jesus Christ was a co-creator of the world. An example could be that Jesus Christ was the builder and God was the Architect. We learn in Moses 3:17 that God placed Adam and Eve in a situation where they were required to exercise freedom of agency in order to continue their progression through the experience of earth life. The Qur’an agrees with Moses and sees the transgression of Adam and Eve and positive and needed step to further mankind in this ‘preparatory school, in order to return to live with our Heavenly Father.

Moses 4 (compared to Genesis 3): Comparing Moses 4 to Genesis 3, one will see that four verses are added to the beginning of Moses version, which interrupts the flow of the story to give an account of heavenly councils where the nature and purposes of creation were discussed and decided. These verses coincide with stories from the Jewish Midrash recording that God took counsel with the righteous before the creation of the world. We are also told more about how Satan became the devil and how the story of the Fall of Adam and Eve and the Fall of Satan coincide as one story.

Moses 5 (compared to Genesis 4): The Book of Moses adds fifteen verses to the beginning of the Genesis account. We learn more about how Adam took to his new job of tilling the earth and how Eve took to replenishing the earth by bringing forth children. Both Adam and Eve were going to live a harder life outside of the Garden of Eden, because they chose to progress mankind.  We learnt that Satan made a murderous pact with Cain, which lead to the first establishment of “secret combinations” which would start the wickedness on the earth.

Moses 6 (compared to Genesis 5): Though the biblical account of Enoch’s life occupies only two verses, his story fills most of chapter 6 and all of chapter 7 of the book of Moses. From Moses 6 we also learn a lot about the Plan of Salvation, and how we can return to live with our Heavenly Father.

Moses 7-8: We learnt that Enoch teaches and leads the people and the city of Zion is established. Enoch sees a vison of the coming of Jesus Christ and His ultimate Atonement and crucifixion, which would give the inhabitants of the earth the ability to return to live with God, because of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Enoch sees that Zion would be removed from the earth to dwell in the presence of the Lord. Enoch also sees the Restoration of the Gospel in the Last Days and the return of Zion before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Moses 8 picks off around Genesis 7 with the Flood. We learn that Noah was called to be a prophet and that he tried to warn the people to repent, but they would not. Because the people were so wicked, God decided to flood the world… to cleanse it and give it a fresh start.

Moses 8

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Moses 8: Noah and His Sons Preach the Gospel

Enoch passes away at the age of 430, his son; Methuselah was not taken up with his father so that he might fulfill the covenants of the Lord.

“…Methuselah prophesied that from his loins should spring all the kingdoms of the earth (through Noah), and he took glory unto himself. And there came forth a great famine into the land, and the Lord cursed the earth with a sore curse, and many of the inhabitants thereof died.” (Moses 8:3-4) From this, Methuselah lived to 187 years, before he bore Lamech. Methusaleh died 782 years later at the age of 969.

Lamech bore a son named Noah, at the age of 182. He blessed his son Noah saying; “…This son shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.” (Moses 8:9) Lamech died at the age of 777. Noah had children named Japheth, Shem and Ham. His children were called the “…sons of God.” (Moses 8:13)

As the men began to multiply on the face of the earth, the daughters born unto them were taken as wives. This angers the Lord, for; “…The daughters of thy sons have sold themselves; for behold mine anger is kindled against the sons of men, for they will not hearken to my voice.” (Moses 8:15)

Because of this Noah began to prophesy among the people and he taught the things of God, even from the beginning of man. The Lord tells Noah; “…My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he shall know that all flesh shall die; … and if men do not repent, I will send in the floods upon them.” (Moses 8:17) Here we learn that God will not always have patience with His children!

Because Noah spoke these things the giants who lived on the earth [giants did live on the earth during the time of Noah], those giants; “…sought Noah to take away his life; but the Lord was with Noah, and the power of the Lord was upon him. And the Lord ordained Noah after his own order, and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his Gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch.” (Moses 8:18-19) God calls Noah as a prophet like He did in times past to preach unto His children and encourage them to repent! Noah called upon the people to repent; “…but they hearkened not unto his words; …And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.” (Moses 8:20;22)

God saw the wickedness of men, even while Noah pleaded with them and even warned them that God was going to flood the earth because of their wickedness. The Lord speaks to Noah and says;

“…I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Noah that I have created them, and that I have made them; and he hath called upon me; for they have sought his life… thus Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; for Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation; and he walked with God, as did also his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth… And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold I will destroy all flesh from off the earth.” (Moses 8:26-27;30)

Noah tried to warn the people and pleaded with them to repent. However, the people did not repent and instead sought to destroy Noah. God saw this and comforted Noah, but told Noah that He would destroy all of the earth; man and beast. This is the Great Flood.

Moses 7

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Moses 7: Restoration, Second Coming and Return of Zion

Enoch speaks to the people;

“…Behold, our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have believed not, and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.”

Enoch explains that as he was prophesying near the place Mahujah, there came a voice unto him that told him to go to the top of Mount Simeon.  There he saw the Lord, who; “…stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and he said unto me: Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations…  I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum… and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents… And the Lord said unto me: …Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan;” (Moses 7:4-7)

Because of this, the Lord will curse the land with great heat and the land shall become barren. The people of Canaan were also cursed with a blackness and were despised among all people.

“…the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked, and I beheld the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannihah, and all the inhabitants thereof; And the Lord said unto me: Go to this people, and say unto them—Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die.” (Moses 7:9-10)

The Lord commanded Enoch that he should preach unto those people repentance, that they might become baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Enoch preached mightily throughout the land, so much that when; “…he spake the word of the Lord… the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; …the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.” (Moses 7:13) Enoch was a true prophet, which had been called of God. God gave Enoch the power and Authority to do these things in the name of the Lord.

Even though there were many wars throughout the land, the people still feared the Lord. Those who truly feared the Lord were called the people of Zion; “…because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them… Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.” (Moses 7:18-19) Enoch exclaimed to the Lord that the city of Zion should dwell in safety forever! The Lord explained to Enoch that the inhabitants of Zion he has blessed, but the rest of the people he had cursed.

“…the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld…  Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven… Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them. And after that Zion was taken up into heaven…” (Moses 7:21-23) Because of the righteousness of Enoch and his people, they and the entire city in which they dwelt were lifted up into the heavens to be with God and His Son.

After this happened, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth, and Enoch saw angels descending out of heaven saying; “…Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth.” (Moses 7:25) Enoch saw Satan, who; “…had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.” (Moses 7:26) During this time many Angels came down to earth to bear testimony of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and as many as believed; “…were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.” (Moses 7:27) Enoch explained that he saw God cry because of the inhabitants of the world. Enoch explains that this weeping is when the heavens; “…weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains…” (Moses 7:28)

Does God Cry?

Enoch asks the Lord

“…How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (Moses 7:29) and the Lord responds to Enoch; “…Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; …But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” (Moses 7:32-37) God made it clear; He created the Heaven and the Earth. He created man and gave men knowledge and agency. Satan tempted his children and made them hate their own Father and their own blood. Because of this, God weeps because He is sad to see His children fail.

The Lord gives Enoch the ability to see all of the wickedness from God’s perspective, and Enoch; “…looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook… Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation; …Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.” (Moses 7:41-43) When Enoch saw this he was saddened, but the Lord told him to be glad. Enoch saw the destruction of the flood and begged the Lord; “…I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods.” (Moses 7:50) The Lord agreed and covenanted with Enoch and made an oath that; “…he would stay the floods…” (Moses 7:51)

                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 my father…” (Moses 7:47) Here we learn that Jesus Christ was ordained before the Foundation of the World to become the Savior, who would Atone for the sins of ALL mankind!

Enoch is given a vision of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ;

“…Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying: When the Son of Man cometh in the flesh, shall the earth rest? I pray thee, show me these things… 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 as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day.” (Moses 7:54-57) Enoch was told about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and we learn that when Jesus Christ died on the cross that the Saints arose from the grave. Those who were in Spirit Prison (like Purgatory) that chose to be on the right hand of God were permitted to pass into Spirit Paradise and those who did not would wait in darkness until the Judgment Day.

When Shall the Earth Rest?

“…again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the earth rest?” (Moses 7:58)

“…the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah; And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth [The Book of Mormon] will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.” (Moses 7:60-62) God answers Enoch and tells him that YES, the EARTH SHALL REST. However, before the world will come to its rest; great darkness and tribulation must precede this rest.  Jesus explains to Enoch that the Book of Mormon will come forth from the earth and that heavenly messengers will come down before the End, to help declare the word of God. In the first resurrection, all men that are righteous [the ‘elect’ of God] will be gathered from the four corners of the earth and he shall prepare a city for them, the New Jerusalem. There, Enoch and his people will also meet at the New Jerusalem and shall; “…fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.” (Moses 7:63-64) Shortly after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ the elect will be gathered, the New Jerusalem and Zion shall be established and there shall be one thousand years of peace.

“…the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy’ …all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years…. Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is Fled.” (Moses 7:67-69) Enoch and his people were taken up to the bosom of the Lord. Zion is Fled… but will return in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.