The Book of Moses

Moses 7:13 so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God... to battle against them "Three thousand years before the birth of Christ, the peace in which the people of the Lord had been living was broken as fierce enemies moved against them. History does not record the reason for the hatred that drove the attacking army, but they seemed intent on exterminating these early Saints. The soldiers must have felt very confident as they marched in battle array toward the peaceful land. But instead of victory they would find an ignominious defeat, which came about in ways they could not have imagined. "At least 65 years before the invasion, Jared and his wife, followers of God, had welcomed a son into their home. They named him Enoch, a word meaning 'teacher.' Enoch grew in righteousness until, apparently when he was 65 years old, the Lord called him to be a spokesman. The Lord promised him, 'My Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course' (Moses 6:34). "The Lord was not speaking in hyperbole. Enemy armies approached, 'and so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; ... and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch' (Moses 7:13). "It takes little to imagine the wonder that must have struck that advancing army as the land quaked and heaved and whole rivers swept out of their courses. The record tells us that the attacking army fled to a 'land which came out of the depth of the sea,' and 'there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God' (Moses 7:14, 15). Few people have ever wielded such formidable power, but Enoch had proven himself worthy in the eyes of God to exercise it." (Richard D. Draper, "Enoch: What Modern Scripture Teaches," Ensign, Jan. 1998, 29) Jeffrey R. Holland I ask all of you to remember Enoch as long as you live. This is the young man who, when called to a seemingly impossible task, said, "Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, [I] am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech ..." (Moses 6:31.) Enoch was a believer. He stiffened his spine and squared his shoulders and went stutteringly on his way. Plain, old, ungifted, inferior Enoch. And this is what the angels would come to write of him. "And so great was the faith of Enoch, that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and 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). Plain, old, inadequate Enoch! Whose name is now synonymous with transcendent righteousness. The next time you are tempted to paint your self-portrait dismal gray, highlighted with lackluster beige, just remember that so have this kingdom's most splendid men and women been so tempted. I say to you as Joshua said to the tribes of Israel as they faced one of their most difficult tasks, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Josh. 3:5). (New Era, Oct. 1980, 11) Moses 7:14 there also came up a land out of the depth of the sea Hugh Nibley Instead of the flood sent over a surprised community one fine day, we have in Enoch the picture of a long period of preparation during which the mounting restlessness of the elements clearly admonishes the human race to mend its ways... The earth itself in Enoch's day became increasingly restless. The sea was first drawn back and the fishes were flopping around; and in the Joseph Smith version, sure enough, "There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea." (Moses 7:14.) Then the wicked invaded the new land, as Enoch had foretold, and all the people were in fear and trembling: "And fear shall seize them to the extremities of the earth, and the high mountains shall be shaken and fall down and be dissolved, flow down and be turned into side channels and shall melt like wax before a flame, and the earth will be rent with a splitting and cracking, and everything on earth shall be destroyed." This passage from the Slavonic version (one apocryphal account) describes the same scene as in Moses 7:13-14, where the mountains flow down, the rivers are changed, and the earth shakes, when Enoch spoke the word of the Lord. The mountains shook, and all people were afraid; the rivers were turned from their courses, and the land rose up from the sea-the same picture. This does not sound as fantastic as it once did. Any catastrophe of the magnitude of the flood must have been accompanied by large-scale preliminary disturbances, plus side effects, exactly like those described. (Enoch the Prophet, edited by Stephen D. Ricks [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1986], 12-13) Moses 7:15 the giants of the land, also, stood afar off Fairy tales of beanstalks, ogres, and monsters give us fanciful, imaginary ideas when we think of the term giants. In the scriptures, the term simply means a group of people of great stature. They were not supernatural. They had no special powers. They were just big. The result was that they were feared as an enemy because of their size. The Bible records a giant race up until the days of Joshua (Josh. 11:20-22). The Anakim clan was particularly tall and put fear into the hearts of some faithless Israelites (Num. 13:31-33). Moses 7:16 from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them The days of Enoch are a type for the latter days. The latter-day prophets, from Joseph Smith to today, have the collective assignment to do what Enoch did-to bring us along until we are worthy of another great city of Zion. The pattern is set. The people of the world will deteriorate. There will be progressively greater wickedness until war and bloodshed will be among all people that do not belong to the kingdom of God, "it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another" (D&C 45:69). Joseph Smith The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes. I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of Man has said that the mother shall be against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? No; I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long you will have good crops, and the famine be kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 233) Moses 7:17 The fear of the Lord was upon all nations When God fights your battles, it engenders great fear in the enemy. "When all the kings of the Amorites... and... Canaanites... heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over... their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more." (Josh 5:1) As Zion is built in the latter days, the effect upon the people will be the same as in the days of Enoch or Joshua. And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God; And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion. And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety. And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another. And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand. And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy. (D&C 45:66-71) John Taylor There is a scripture which says, the time will come when he that will not take up his sword to fight against his neighbor, must needs flee to Zion for safety. And they will come. But we must prepare ourselves. We have got to have the invigorating influence of the Spirit of God to permeate all of our organizations, all feeling that we are under the guidance and protection of the Almighty, every man in his place, and every man according to the order of the priesthood in which God has placed him. . . . This is the kind of feeling we should have and be governed by. (The Gospel Kingdom: Selections from the Writings and Discourses of John Taylor, selected, arranged, and edited, with an introduction by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941], 71 - 72.) Moses 7:18 the Lord called his people ZION "The glorification of Enoch and his city has provided the pattern for all other societies of Saints to follow... "Coming as these revelations did at the beginning of the history of the Church, they also provide a pattern for Saints of the last days, who-under the direction of proper prophetic and apostolic authority-endeavor to establish Zion in accordance with the Lord's command. As Joseph Smith taught, 'The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight.' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 231.)" (Kent P. Jackson, "An Age of Contrasts: From Adam to Abraham," Ensign, Feb. 1986, 30) Bruce R. McConkie Please note: Zion is people; Zion is the saints of God; Zion is those who have been baptized; Zion is those who have received the Holy Ghost; Zion is those who keep the commandments; Zion is the righteous; or in other words, as our revelation recites: "This is Zion-the pure in heart." (D&C 97:21) (Ensign, May 1977, 115-18) David O. McKay Zion we build will pattern after the ideals of its inhabitants. To change men and the world we must change their thinking, for the thing which a man really believes is the thing which he has really thought; that which he actually thinks is the thing which he lives. Men do not go beyond their ideals; they often fall short of them, but they never go beyond them. Victor Hugo said: "The future of any nation can be determined by the thoughts of its young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five." Thus it is easy to understand why the Lord designates Zion as "... the pure in heart ..." (D. & C. 97:21); and only when we are such, and only when we have such shall Zion "... flourish, and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her." (Ibid., 64:41.) The foundation of Zion then will be laid in the hearts of men; broad acres, mines, forests, factories, beautiful buildings, modern conveniences, will be but means and accessories to the building of the human soul and the securing of happiness. (Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953], 335) Brigham Young When we conclude to make a Zion we will make it, and this work commences in the heart of each person. When the father of a family wishes to make a Zion in his own house, he must take the lead in this good work, which it is impossible for him to do unless he himself possesses the spirit of Zion. Before he can produce the work of sanctification in his family, he must sanctify himself, and by this means God can help him to sanctify his family. Story of picking Dad up from nursery. “My business, my business. Mankind was my business.” Moses 7:18 they were of one heart and one mind "A vital principle of the gospel is unity. In fact, it is a principle of the celestial kingdom, and Zion cannot be built up until we adhere to all of the laws. "This problem of unity is one of the great challenges to the Church today, since the gospel net gathers God's children from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Each of us in the Church and each of those who would join the Church lives in a different world from every other person. In some instances the differences are striking; in other instances the differences may be rather subtle. Whatever the degree, though, each of us has inherent differences, and each of us is influenced by differing forces-cultural, geographic, economic, social, and on and on. "And yet out of this diversity must come unity, oneness, and love. "Unless we are 'united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom,' (D&C 105:4) this people will not be sanctified and prepared to receive Christ." ("Editorial: Unity in Diversity," Ensign, Aug. 1971, 89) Moses 7:18 there was no poor among them "The commandment to reestablish Zion became for the Saints of Joseph Smith's day the central goal of the Church. But it was a goal the Church did not realize because its people were not fully prepared. In the wisdom of God, who comprehends the end from the beginning, the redemption of Zion will assuredly come as promised, but not until he has a prepared people who can live by Zion's laws. "So it becomes vitally important for us to consider (1) the law of consecration and operation of the united order, (2) why the 1831-34 effort to implement this order failed, and (3) how the Lord is now preparing a people for Zion's eventual redemption." (William O. Nelson, "To Prepare a People," Ensign, Jan. 1979, 18-19) ...it must needs be that there be an organization of my people... for the poor of my people, both in this place and in the land of Zion- For a permanent and everlasting establishment and order unto my church, to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven; That you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things. For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things; For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you. (D&C 78:3-7) Hugh Nibley The law of consecration is expressly designed for the establishment of Zion, where "they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." (Moses 7:18.) For that, we must consecrate everything we have to the whole; and yet we lose nothing, for we are all one. To consecrate means to set apart, sanctify, and relinquish our own personal interest in the manner designated in the book of Doctrine and Covenants. It is the final, decisive law and covenant by which we formally accept the Atonement and merit a share in it. ("The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Part 4," Ensign, Oct. 1990, 27) Gordon B. Hinckley If we are to build that Zion of which the prophets have spoken and of which the Lord has given mighty promise, we must set aside our consuming selfishness. We must rise above our love for comfort and ease, and in the very process of effort and struggle, even in our extremity, we shall become better acquainted with our God. (Ensign, Nov. 1991, 59) Spencer W. Kimball As we travel and visit throughout the world, we recognize the great temporal needs of our people. And as we long to help them, we realize the vital importance of their learning this great lesson: that the highest achievement of spirituality comes as we conquer the flesh. We build character as we encourage people to care for their own needs. As givers gain control of their desires and properly see others' needs in light of their own wants, then the powers of the gospel are released in their lives. They learn that by exercising the principle of love they ensure not only temporal salvation but also spiritual sanctification. And as a recipient receives with thanksgiving, he rejoices in knowing that in its purest form-in the true Zion-one may partake of both temporal and spiritual salvation. Then they are motivated to become self-sustaining and able to share with others. Isn't the plan beautiful? Don't you thrill to this part of the gospel that causes Zion to put on her beautiful garments? When viewed in this light, we can see that Welfare Services is not a program, but the essence of the gospel. It is the gospel in action. ("And the Lord Called His People Zion," Ensign, Aug. 1984, 3-4) Story of talking with Rachel about tithing (HAS, retirement). “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He just wants to know that if He were to ask, you’d give it all.” Moses 7:19 he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion Hugh Nibley The best news-indeed the only wholly good news that can come to the inhabitants of this wicked earth-is the bringing again of Zion to bless the earth with the only order of society acceptable to God and unreservedly beneficial to man. Zion is any society in which the celestial law is operative, "and though we cannot claim these promises which were made to the ancients, for they are not our property," the Prophet Joseph reminded his people, "... yet if we are ... called with the same calling ... and embrace the same covenant ... we can ... obtain the same promises ... because we, ourselves, have faith ... even as they did." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 66.) Zion is a glorious ideal, albeit a rare reality, in the world's history; it is "the Holy Order that God has established for his people in all ages of the world when he has had a kingdom on the earth. We may call it," said Brigham Young, "the Order of Enoch, the Order of Joseph, the Order of Peter, or Abraham, or Moses, and then go back to Noah ..." who, of course, takes us to Enoch. (Journal of Discourses, 17:113.) (Hugh Nibley, "A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 12," Ensign, June 1977, 81-82) Harold B. Lee To be worthy of such a sacred designation as Zion, the Church must think of itself as a bride adorned for her husband, as John the Revelator recorded when he saw in vision the Holy City where the righteous dwelt, adorned as a bride for the Lamb of God. Here is portrayed the relationship the Lord desires in His people in order to be acceptable to our Lord and Master, even as a wife would adorn herself in beautiful garments for her husband. The rule by which the people of God must live in order to be worthy of acceptance in the sight of God is indicated by the revelation found in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 82. This people must increase in beauty before the world and have an inward loveliness that may be observed by mankind as a reflection in holiness and in those inherent qualities of sanctity. The borders of Zion, where the righteous and pure in heart may dwell, must now begin to be enlarged; the stakes of Zion must be strengthened-all this so that Zion may arise and shine by becoming increasingly diligent in carrying out the plan of salvation throughout the world. (See D&C 82:14.D&C 73:1) (D&C 11:111, p. 138) (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1996], 409) Brigham Young We have no business here other than to build up and establish the Zion of God. It must be done according to the will and law of God, after that pattern and order by which Enoch built up and perfected the former-day Zion, which was taken away to heaven, hence the saying went abroad that Zion had fled. By and by it will come back again, and as Enoch prepared his people to be worthy of translation, so we, through our faithfulness, must prepare ourselves to meet Zion from above when it shall return to earth, and to abide the brightness and glory of its coming I have Zion in my view constantly. We are not going to wait for angels, or for Enoch and his company to come and build up Zion, but we are going to build it. We will raise our wheat, build our houses, fence our farms, plant our vineyards and orchards, and produce everything that will make our bodies comfortable and happy, and in this manner we intend to build up Zion on the earth and purify it and cleanse it from all pollutions. Let there be an hallowed influence go from us over all things over which we have any power; over the soil we cultivate, over the houses we build, and over everything we possess; and if we cease to hold fellowship with that which is corrupt and establish the Zion of God in our hearts, in our own houses, in our cities, and throughout our country, we shall ultimately overcome the earth, for we are the lords of the earth; and, instead of thorns and thistles, every useful plant that is good for the food of man and to beautify and adorn will spring from its bosom. (Discourses of Brigham Young, selected and arranged by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], 443) Story of patterns, copying, walk like you, talk like you. Walk with me. James’ dance. Caroline teaching her son.