Genesis 5
“Four generations and some five hundred years later, according to Adam’s book of remembrance, Enoch, of Seth’s line, was called to become a great prophet-missionary-reformer. His ministry was needed, for the followers of the line and cult of Cain had become numerous, and violence was rampant already in the fifth generation after Cain ( Moses 5:28–31, 47–57 ). Unto those who had become sensual and devilish Enoch preached repentance. The sons of God, distinguished from the ‘sons of men,’ were obliged to segregate themselves in a new home called ‘Cainan’ after their forefather, the son of Enos.” (Do not confuse this Cainan with the wicked people of Canaan of Moses 7:6–10 ).
Mention of this great man is also found in the New Testament ( Jude 14 , 15 ; Hebrews 11:5 ) and in the Doctrine and Covenants. Enoch is fabled for his greatness, but most of his record has been lost, or at least not entrusted to us yet by the Lord. In the Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Mosestells us more about Enoch than any other scripture. A “Book of Remembrance” had been kept by Adam and his birthright descendants. The “Adamic language” was a pure language delivered unto Adam and his posterity by the Lord Himself.
And then began these men to call upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them; And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration; And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled. Now the same Priesthood, which was in the beginning, shall be in the end of the world also.
Now this prophecy Adam spake, when he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. And this was the book of the generations of Adam, saying: In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him (Moses 5:4-8)….
And they were preachers of righteousness, and spake and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent; and faith was taught unto the children of men.
And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them — repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off;
And for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam (Moses 6:26 – 28).
When the Lord first called Enoch to be a prophet, Enoch felt inadequate for the job:
And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant (Moses 6:31)?
Later on, Moses himself would have the same reaction to a call from the Lord. God offered Enoch protection and promised him that if he but opened his mouth, the Lord would give him utterance:
Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you. Behold 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; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore, walk with me (Moses 6:34).
After his call, Enoch began to boldly go forth, prophesying and calling the wicked to repentance. He was so bold, that he became somewhat of a spectacle. No one dared to molest him, because the power of God was obviously with him. Enoch said, “For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language. And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence” (Moses 6:46, 47).
Enoch called the people to “…repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name…” (Moses 6:52).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church on earth that has the scriptures and prophecy to reveal unto its members that the atonement of Christ has been taught on earth since the very beginning. The Lord said to Enoch eons ago:
Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying: That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;
Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment. And now, behold, I say unto you: This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time (Moses 58-63).
The followers of Enoch established a city of righteousness. There were no poor among them, and they all saw eye to eye. The city was called Zion, or the City of Enoch. The Book of Moses reports the great visions of Enoch. Enoch saw the coming of Christ in vision. He also spoke with the Lord face to face:
And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and said unto me: Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations (Moses 7:4).
This is one more testimony that God is a corporeal being, albeit He is glorious and powerful beyond description. Enoch’s visions of the wickedness of mankind and the crucifixion of the Savior not only caused him to weep, but the Lord to weep.
As promised, Enoch and his people exercised the power of the priesthood in the City of Enoch:
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).
The remainder of the Lord’s children were growing in wickedness, and the Lord planned to destroy them. The people of the City of Enoch were caught up and translated, taken from the earth before the flood. This is the birth of the saying, “Zion is fled.” During the millennium, the people of Enoch will return to help build the kingdom of God on Earth. (Read Moses 7.) As time progressed toward the flood, the righteous were caught up to join the people of Enoch. They were translated, as were the people of Enoch. This probably includes Methuselah, who was promised that Noah would come from his loins:
A careful examination of the record of the patriarchs in this section of Genesis shows that Methuselah died in the year of the Flood. Some have wondered why he was not taken on the ark with Noah and have concluded that he may have been wicked. The book of Moses, however, shows that the lineage given in this part of the record traces the righteous patriarchal line (see Moses 6:23 ), and Methuselah was in that line. Moses 8:3 records that Methuselah was not taken with the city of Enoch so that the line could be continued. Also, Methuselah prophesied that through his own seed would spring all nations of the earth (through the righteous Noah). Clearly, he too was righteous. Then is added this sentence: “And he took glory unto himself” ( Moses 8:3 ). Once his work was done he may have been translated too, for during the nearly seven hundred years from the time the city of Enoch was translated until the time of the Flood the righteous Saints were translated and joined Enoch’s people (see Moses 7:27 ; see also McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 804).
“Methuselah lived till the very year in which the flood came, of which his name is supposed to have been prophetical . . . methu, ‘he dieth,’ and shalach, ‘he sendeth out’ ; as if God had designed to teach men that as soon as Methuselah died the flood should be sent forth to drown an ungodly world. If this were then so understood, even the name of this patriarch contained in it a gracious warning.” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 1:68.)
Go to Noah.