Enoch is
the greatest example of what God can make of us. He should be known more for
his process of becoming than for the fact that he and his city were translated,
as important as that is.
Enoch was
only 25 years old when he was ordained by Adam to the Priesthood, long before
his father and grandfather (D&C 107:48). He grew up in the land of Cainan
among the people of righteousness and was taught ‘in all the ways of God’ by
his father (Moses 6:41).
Not only was
he relatively young compared to his predecessors who were well into 3 digits
when called to the ministry, he had a serious problem. He pointed out to the
Lord that he was very unqualified. He was young, he had a speech impediment and
people hated him (Moses 6:31). It was also a perilous time, a time when Satan
had great dominion among the people, when wars and bloodshed raged and ‘a man’s
hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret
works, seeking for power’ (v 15).
But God
needed something that Enoch had going for him to preach repentance to a failing
society. He was righteous and He trusted God. The Lord acknowledged his
lack of confidence and gave him some iron clad promises that would ensure his
success, namely, that no man will afflict him, that He will give him utterance
and will justify all his words and that He will make him so powerful that mountains will flee
before him and the rivers will turn from their course (Moses 6:32-34). And then
this: “Therefore walk with me” (v 34). Have courage, have no fear, have only
trust in me.
Enoch did
walk with God (v 39) and because of it
he became a brilliant young prophet whose words pierced the hearts of the
crowds who came to hear him: “The mobs surrounded the hills and high places
from which he spoke and the scripture says “all men were offended because of
him” (Moses 6:37)….and his reputation spread like the east wind before him. The
people anticipated his arrival in each new locality and messengers brought
words that he drew near…(v 38)” (W. Cleon Skousen, “The First Two Thousand
Years” p 160)
And because
he walked with God “no man laid hands on him; for fear came on all them that
heard him” and “the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence."
(Moses 6:39,47).
Unfortunately,
not only the converted feared but the proud and the wicked multitudes who had
assembled to hear him became highly offended by his preaching and eventually
came pouring over the hills and plains to slaughter the people of God. And this
is when came the display of incredible power of God through a young prophet
called 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)
It was an incredible
life of an incredible patriarch. He who allowed God to make something great of
him to participate in God’s greatest work and His glory, that of ‘bringing to
pass immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39).
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: My Father's Work by Chris Brazelton)
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