THE BOOK OF ENOS
Enos 1
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.
6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept
away.
7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
8 And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never
before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest
himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.
9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a
desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out
my whole soul unto God for them.
10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the
Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to
their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this
land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of
iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and
their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.
11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken
in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my
brethren, the Lamanites.
12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence,
the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires,
because of thy faith.
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.
19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among the people of
Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of the things which I
had heard and seen.
20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore
the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. $ But our labors were vain; their
hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became
wild, and ferocious, and a bloodthirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness;
feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the
wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven;
and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of
them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking
to destroy us.
21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise all
manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of
cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses.
22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people
were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.
23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and
prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually
reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and
the power of God, and all these things — stirring them up continually to keep
them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things,
and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going
down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning
them.
24 And I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in the course of my
days.
25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy
and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi left
Jerusalem.
26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought
upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people,
and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have
declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.
27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I
know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall
put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with
pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place
prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.
