MORONI'S LAMENT

 

I was led to read Ether 12 this morning and paid particular attention to Moroni’s interlude on faith amongst his account of the Brother of Jared’s experience with the Lord.

I actually sorrowed for this man as I read his lament over the Nephite’s inadequacy in writing because of their ‘awkwardness of hands’ (v 24). Having just dealt with the written account of the Brother of Jared, Moroni felt even worse, for the words of the Brother of Jared were ‘overpowering of man to read them’ (v 24)…..something he felt the rest of the writers of the golden plates lacked.

Moroni worried that the Gentiles will mock the Book of Mormon because of this lack of skill (v 25). I have always considered Moroni’s interlude on faith and abridgement of the Jaredite story as one of the gems of the Book of Mormon, if not the greatest gem.

Imagine my surprise when, immediately after reading Moroni’s account, I went to Hugh Nibley’s book, “An Approach to the Book of Mormon” with the intent to read a broader view of the Jaredites and came across something that left my mouth gaping:

“Nothing in the Book of Mormon has elicited louder whoops and howls of derision than the account in the second and third chapters of the book of Ether of the ships of the Jaredites…..”  Hugh Nibley then went on to list some critics who basically left me speechless:

“According to J.C. Bennett, the illumination by shining stones, was the “climax” of all of Joseph Smith’s indiscretions, in which he “used his utmost endeavours to see how far he could impose on the gullibility of mankind. It would be useless to make further comments to prove the absurdities of this extraordinary book”.

“In 1855 T. Taylder declared this story to be nothing less than “a libel on the wisdom of God”. “It seems impossible”, another investigator wrote, “for sensible men to credit such trash”.  “My soul is filled with disgust at this monstrous absurdity”, cried the Reverend C. Fenwick Ward as he perused the pages of Ether, “that I dare not trust myself to comment upon it”.

Fawn M. Brodie claimed that “Joseph Smith wrote the book of Ether as a sort of afterthought to cover up the scientific blunders and inaccuracies of the rest of the Book of Mormon which were causing him disturbing doubts and misgivings”.

-        Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, p 340,341

Brother Nibley quoted all the sources of these criticisms and I honestly wondered how he could stomach reading such books.

Brother Nibley also quoted many ancient sources that have since come to light comparing the Brother of Jared’s stones to that of Noah who also had a stone for light in the ark and many other ancient practices with likewise stones. He pointed out that none of these ancient sources would have been available to Joseph Smith in his time or to the critics of his day.  And the critics of our day wouldn’t bother searching them.

I sorrowed even more for Moroni and his efforts to bring the Book of Mormon to the light of day but was comforted by the Lord’s advice to him:

“Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness.”  (Ether 12:26)

I thought of all the people I know who have turned their backs on the Church and those who have discounted and rejected the Book of Mormon and I hoped that the Saviour’s mercy will be sufficient…..

I am astounded that anyone could read the Book of Mormon and not be affected by the spirit of it. Once again, I am reminded of: “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27).  If you believe, you are that sheep…..I am comforted knowing many who are.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)

A STEP CLOSER TO GOD PART 2

 

 

The bestowal of the priesthood of the Great High Priest who is Christ the King to men of this earth would have to be the greatest gift He could possibly give us for our earthly sojourn, for “without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (D&C 84:22) It is a huge step that brings us closer to His Godhood and ultimately, ours.

My understanding of the priesthood is pretty basic. I haven’t been schooled in it like the men in the Church have so my offering here will be more of a personal one as opposed to a doctrinal one.

I wrote a couple of days ago about my gratitude for the Aaronic priesthood being the gate to salvation through baptism. This priesthood is the beginning of our path to God and our experience with ‘the power of godliness’ (D&C 84:20)

I have been very fascinated with the promise of this power that is given us through the priesthood ordinances, and this is why. In his vision of us, Nephi indicated that in the last days ‘the power of the Lamb descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb and upon the covenant people of the Lord….and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory’ (1 Nephi 14:14).

This has been one of my favourite scriptures for a long time. It gives me hope that I, as one of the covenant people, can overcome the influence of Satan in my life and conquer the enemy of all righteousness (Moroni 9:6)

Here are some benefits I have notice in my life that fulfil the promise of ‘the power of godliness’ through the priesthood ordinances:

1.      The Sacrament: my focus on the Saviour in remembrance of Him has invited His spirit into my life daily. It wasn’t always so but it’s been cumulative over the years.

2.      The Temple: I have noticed that the stricter my obedience to the covenants I have made in the Temple, the greater my desire for righteousness and the more refined my spiritual nature gets.

3.      Priesthood Blessings: This is my favourite priesthood ordinance. It has been many a time that I have wept through a priesthood blessing because I could hear God’s voice just for me. He has told me things that would apply to only me, personal things that only He knows about. It has many times affirmed to me the fact that God knows me, loves me, and is heavily invested in my spiritual progression and my struggles in this life.

This, however, is my greatest appreciation for the Melchizedek Priesthood. This Holy Priesthood is “the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God” (v19). It has been my greatest desire for many years to come to ‘know’ God…..as much as a person can get to know Him in this life. I thirst for this……

My second desire has been to know the ‘mysteries of the kingdom’. Mysteries are, of course, the aspects of Christ’s kingdom we do not yet understand…..and they are available to all worthy saints (D&C 76:5-10).  I thirst for this also…….

Such wonders and blessings overwhelm me. And I owe it to Joseph, the prophet of this dispensation who under the hands of Peter, James and John received the restored Holy Priesthood ‘after the order of the Son of God’ to bless my existence now and forever…… 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Restoration by Liz Lemon Swindle)

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

 

 

There is something significant in Christ’s explanation to the Nephites as to why the Church should be called by His name. Besides saying that it is His Church and should therefore bear His name, He explained how this can happen: “Have [you] not read the scriptures which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?” (3 Nephi 27:5). In other words, we are the Church and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 12:12,13).

When I was a missionary, we were told that we were representatives of Jesus Christ and that we should think, speak and do what the Saviour would do because this would show the world what the Church is about.

This mandate should not be confined to missionaries only. The reputation of the Church is built upon our backs. We are the light on a hill by which others can see the way to glorify our Father which is in heaven (3 Nephi 12:14-16).

The Church is only as good as we are. The Saviour confirmed this responsibility that we bear by saying we are built upon His gospel and we should do all things in His name and then the warning, if our works are built upon the works of men or upon the works of the devil, we will have an undesired end (3 Nephi 27:9-12).

When we take upon ourselves Christ’s name, we should represent Him in what we think, say and do. When I was baptised years ago, I heard this very poignant thought: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence? Imagine being arrested for being a Latter-Day Saint, would there be enough evidence to prove the fact?

Each Sunday as we partake of the sacrament, we renew our willingness to bear the Saviour’s name. What we do as members of His Church is a reflection of our commitment to this promise, our love and connection to Christ, and our devotion to His teachings.

As Christians we are resilient to life’s trials, we forge forward with faith, we love and sacrifice for each other, we endure persecution, we resist temptation, we don’t despair…… we are the body of Christ and we reflect His works, His character, His love and when in clouds of heaven He appears, and we stand in the shadow of His frame, we will want to hear the Saviour say:

 

I love what you have done with my name!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Sign of the Dove by Liz Lemon Swindle)

A DISCIPLE

 

 

“Behold, I am Mormon…..I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God…”  (3 Nephi 5:12,13, 20)

I don’t know that anyone in the Book of Mormon deserves the title of the ‘disciple’ more than Mormon. Consider the meaning of what being a disciple means:

“To be a true disciple [of Christ]…..is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other disciple compares…in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of a saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind and strength.” (Chauncey C. Riddle, ‘Becoming a Disciple’, Ensign Sept 1974, p 81)

A Christ’s disciple is someone who possesses absolute, unrestrained devotion to His teachings and a sacrifice of all that is necessary to maintain such a commitment. It is someone who is willing to take up his cross and follow Him up the hill of their own Calvary for being a disciple of Christ can bring to us a certain special suffering. Only the cross has the power to transform  us into the likeness of Him whom we follow.

Consider the life of a man called Mormon, who was faithful to the latter in one of the most evil societies that have ever existed. A people who were so wicked that the Holy Ghost was entirely withheld from them (Mormon 1:14); who 'willfully rebelled against their God' (Mormon 1:16); who, in their extremities 'cursed God and wished to die' (Mormon 2:14); who were consumed with revenge (Mormon 3:9-10); who forcibly deprived women of their virtue, killed them, and 'devoured their flesh like unto wild beasts' (Moroni 9:10).

Not only did Mormon continue to love and serve his people who had descended into the pit of hell and who refused to repent, but he fought along-side them knowing they were doomed and when the Nephites went down to complete destruction, he went down with them.

This alone is exemplary but the spiritual warrior within him is more so. His driving force should inspire us all the days of our lives to fight the battle to the end remembering the echo of his words to Moroni, his son: ”for we have a labour to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness…” (Moroni 9:6). 

Is this not being a disciple of Jesus Christ????

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Master's Call by Phil McKay)

THE PROPHETIC BOLDNESS OF JOSEPH SMITH

 

To the Editor of the Times and Seasons:

Sir,

Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise: and I do it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober-thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self-wise. The error I speak of, is the definition of the word ‘Mormon’. It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word ‘mormo’. This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of God, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of that book speak for itself. On the 523d page, of the fourth edition, it reads: “And now behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among us the ‘Reformed Egyptian’, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew: but the Hebrew hath been altered by us, also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold ye would have had no imperfection in our record, but the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also, that none other people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.”

Here then the subject is put to silence, for “none other people knoweth our language”, therefore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after the people were all dead. And as Paul said, “the world by wisdom know not God”, so the world by speculation are destitute of revelation; and as God in his superior wisdom, has always given his Saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit, and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I may safely say that the word Mormon stands independent of the learning and wisdom of this generation.

Before I give a definition, however, to the word, let me say that the Bible in its widest sense, means good; for the Saviour says according to the gospel of John, “I am the good shepherd;” and it will not be beyond the common use of terms, to say that good is among the most important in use, and though known by various names in different languages, still its meaning is the same, and is ever in opposition to ‘bad’. We say from the Saxon, ‘good’; the Dane, ‘god’; the Goth, ‘goda’; the German, ‘gut’; the Dutch, ‘goed’; the Latin, ‘bonus’; the Greek, ‘kalos’; the Hebrew, ‘tob’; and the Egyptian, ‘mon’. Hence, with the addition of ‘more’ or the contraction, ‘mor’, we have the word ‘mormon’; which means, literally, ‘more good’.

Yours,

JOSEPH SMITH

(May 15, 1843) T&S 4:194

(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 299-300)

 

It makes sense, does it not,  if the Bible which testifies of Christ means good, the Book of Mormon which is the  second witness has to mean ‘more good’……the brilliance of Joseph Smith!!!!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(ART: Joseph by Ken Corbett)

THE INFALLIBLE BOOK OF MORMON

 

I am often amazed at the critics of The Book of Mormon, especially those who claim they have read it and do not believe it. I do not understand how anyone who has read such a spiritually charged book could disclaim it. The only explanation I can come up with is this: “….when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men” (2 Nephi 33:1). Notice how Nephi says the Holy Ghost carries the truth UNTO people’s hearts and not INTO. The message can only ever penetrate the heart of the hearer if the hearer allows it. And because of this “….there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught” (v 2). In other words, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. (See also "Seek Learning by Faith by Elder David A. Bednar, Ensign Sept 2007, 61-68).

If you have ever had suspicions that an uneducated man such as Joseph Smith, or anyone else,  could have written “the full-blown history of an ancient people, following them through all the trials, triumphs, and vicissitudes of a thousand years without a break, telling how a civilization originated, rose to momentary greatness, and passed away, giving due attention to every phase of civilized history in a densely compact and rapidly moving story that interweaves dozens of plots with an inexhaustible fertility of invention and an uncanny consistency that is never caught in a slip or contradiction” (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.7, Ch.6, pp.137, 138), I offer the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland for consideration:

"[I only] say what so many have said before: that if Joseph Smith–or anyone else, for that matter–created the Book of Mormon, that to me is a far greater miracle than the proposition that he translated the book from ancient records with an endowment of divine power to do so. Has anyone here ever tried to write anything? Have you ever, with your degrees and libraries and computers and research assistants, ever tried to write anything anyone could stand to read? Even if you have, my guess is you haven’t succeeded at writing anything anyone would read more than once, or say it changed their lives, or say that were willing to leave family and fortune and future for–and then do it.

You thought it was tough to have your dissertation committee grill you for a couple of hours? How about tossing your piece of work to the most hostile–and learned–of enemies for, say, 164 years (just to pull a number out of the air). Go ahead. Put that terrific master’s thesis of yours out there under a microscope for everyone to kick and gouge and attack for a century or two, and let’s see how marvelous that university-produced accomplishment of yours really was. After a little of that, are you still standing by the divinity and immortality of your work? Is anybody still reading it?

In light of all this, as it applies to the Book of Mormon which is still changing human lives and still moving moral mountains, and as one who has tried to write a line or two of both poetry and prose and failed miserably, I want to meet the author of this work whoever it is. I want to praise first hand such a remarkably gifted writer. Surely in 164 years there must be someone willing to step forward– you know, the “real” author–claiming credit for such a remarkable document and all that has transpired in its wake…..Well, the simple fact of the matter is no other origin for the Book of Mormon has ever come to light because there isn’t one. A bad man could not have fabricated such an inspiring book and a good man would not have done so" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, CES Symposium, BYU Marriott Center, 9 August 1994).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Mormon Abridging the Plates by Jon McNaughton)

THE KEY

 

 

Joseph Smith called the Book of Mormon the keystone of our religion (Introduction, The Book of Mormon). Bruce R. McConkie taught that Joseph's expression that "'the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion' means precisely what it says. The keystone is the central stone in the top of the arch. If that stone is removed, then the arch crumbles, which, in effect, means that Mormonism so-called -- which actually is the gospel of Christ, restored anew in this day -- stands or falls with the truth or the falsity of the Book of Mormon" (Bruce R. McConkie, Conference Report, April 1961, pp.38-39).

Personally, if I take the 'stone' out of it, I end up with the 'key' to all that the Book of Mormon represents to me: the key to my salvation which is in Christ, in His doctrine and in my testimony of same.

On the last leaf of the golden record, Moroni explained the purpose of the Book of Mormon. This explanation is found on the very first page of the book as we have it today. It can be summarized in three words: show, know and convince. To elaborate, it is to show the remnant of the house of Israel (Lamanites) what great things God had done for them; so that they may know the covenants and one day be converted; and it is to convince the Jew and the Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.

When Joseph Smith called the Book of Mormon the keystone of our religion he also said that 'a man would get nearer to God by abiding its precepts, than by any other book' (Introduction, The Book of Mormon). This promise has been repeated by many other prophets since Joseph. In 1963, Spencer W. Kimball said this: "But after all, it is not the book's dramatic crisis, its history, its narrative that are so important, but its power to transform men into Christlike beings worthy of exaltation" (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, April 1963, p. 6).

I have read and studied the Book of Mormon many times and I still continue to be mesmerised by the clarifications and purity which it contains of the doctrine of Christ. I love the Bible. I love the Old Testament which to me is the root of the covenant. I love the New Testament because it is the most spiritually charged book of scripture which brings the Saviour to reality but I am very passionate about TRUE doctrine and do not tolerate well hearing the doctrine of the gospel convoluted or misrepresented or diluted. The Book of Mormon excels in the verity of the doctrine. To me it is the KEY to the truth. It is my key to understanding Christ, His Atonement, His teachings, His saving grace.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Moroni Burying the Plates by Katie Payne)

ON GOING BACKWARDS

 

I could not help but see something significant as I started to read about the people of Limhi this morning. Limhi was the son of Noah who was the son of Zeniff who foolishly decided to abandon the land of Zarahemla and return to the land of Lehi-Nephi, the land of ‘their fathers’ (Mosiah 9:3). This was the land from which Nephi fled and separated himself and his followers from his murderous brothers (2 Nephi 5:57). At the time of Zeniff, the land was populated by the Lamanites.

When Zeniff was first sent as a spy to the land of Lehi-Nephi, it was to check out the Lamanites’ forces so that the Nephite army could come and destroy them (Mosiah 9:1). Something interesting happened to Zeniff on this expedition. He saw the good that was among the Lamanites and he was seduced (v 1). Perhaps Lamanites were not so bad after all….Herein lies the lesson. You should never go backwards. The Lamanites were welcoming at first and vacated lands for Zeniff and his people to occupy. The king even covenanted with Zeniff granting him the land but Zeniff did not foresee  ‘the cunning and the craftiness of king Laman’ who yielded up the land to bring his people into bondage (v 9). Zeniff saw the good of the Lamanites on the surface but in reality they were ‘a lazy and idolatrous people’ who put others in bondage to provide for them (v 12). After twelve years of being settled in the land, the glitter wore off and the bondage set in (v 11).

I could not help but see how this story relates to us who have abandoned a company they should not keep seeing the dangers of sin they were falling into, or have even fallen into such a life. Once removed, don’t look back because Satan works overtime to make appealing that sinful life or that company you have abandoned. Once the re-acquaintances have been made or sin revisited even once, the bondage begins.

When we are baptized we are baptized for ‘remission’ of our sins. This means our sins are simply put in remission until the day of forgiveness. If we commit that sin that is lying in remission, it will return. It is like a cancer, which is put into remission through treatment, but it can always come back. Our sins are the same, they lie in wait to return should we fail to be diligent in cultivating our spiritual strength. If we fail to do so and the mistake is repeated, always remember there is a way out. King Limhi understood the lesson and himself recognized the way to deliverance out of bondage is by ‘turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart, putting your trust in Him, and serving Him with all diligence of mind’. Then he says something interesting. If you do all this, the Lord will  ‘according to his own will and pleasure deliver you out of bondage’ (Mosiah 7:33). Be warned, the deliverance might mean a rough road of repentance and forgiveness….as in many cases,  groups of people in the Book of Mormon proved this to be true.

The real danger of going backwards is this…..you might never return. And what a loss that would be to your soul, your family, your loved ones, to the Saviour who suffered for you and to the Father who eagerly awaits you. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet by Greg Olsen)

IN REMEMBRANCE

 

Have you noticed how often ‘remembrance’ is used in the scriptures? Remembering the history of ‘the fathers’ seemed to have been an ancient method of motivating people to obedience. Nephites were often prompted to remember not only the children of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt but also of Lehi’s journey to the promised land. Both of these events are depicted in the account of King Benjamin’s farewell speech where the people ‘sat in their tents’ during the renewal of their covenants to help them remember Israelites’ living in tents for 40 years and Lehi’s 8 years of tent living in the wilderness. Remembering was anciently the key factor in covenant renewal. King Benjamin speaks of ‘remembering’ 15 times in his speech to his sons and to the people gathered to hear him (Mosiah 1:3,4,6,7,17; 2:40 twice, 41 twice; 4:11,28,30; 5:11,12; 6:3).

What stood out to me this morning, as I read about the end of King Benjamin’s life, is that prior to his death, he appointed priests to teach the people ‘that thereby they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up in remembrance of the oath which they had made’  (Mosiah 6:3). The oath, of course, was the covenant which they had made ‘to take upon them the name of Christ and that they should be obedient unto the end of their lives’ (Mosiah 5:8).

When I was growing up in the Catholic community of Croatia, I was stirred into remembrance of Christ constantly as every home, including my own, had pictures of Him in every room. I am not exaggerating here. I now paste pictures of Him in my journal and my planner constantly. I have done this for years. I think I have subconsciously wanted to continue that habit of visual remembrance.

There are of course many ways we can remember the covenants we have made here, the most obvious being temple attendance and weekly sacrament. More extensive ones are: reading the scriptures daily, daily consecration during prayer, and simple gratitude in recounting your blessings and God’s goodness to you. In that vein, of late I have acquired a daily habit upon rising. My first thought is: How can I honour the Saviour today?

I pledged my life into Thy hands

When by example You showed me how;

I promised my trials to endure

When I was with You and do so even now.

 

You dried my tears when I barely coped

And carried me when I could walk no more;

You fed me truths I needed to know

And nurtured my flight into the unknown.

 

As I promised to obey,

You promised we’d never part;

I remember, I remember

And carry it all

In the shadow of my heart.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lamb of God by Greg Olsen)

BEING UNSHAKEABLE

 

 

Could we have a better example of steadfastness in the Book of Mormon than Jacob, the brother of Nephi? His valiant defeat of the anti-Christ Sherem is the prime example of his unshakeable faith.

 

Immediately at the beginning of his narration, Jacob made it clear that Sherem pursued an empty goal to ‘shake him from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which he had seen such as angels who had ministered to him and hearing the voice of the Lord…..therefore he could not be shaken’ (Jacob 7:5). And herein begins the formula for guarding against deceit. Imagine being so spiritually healthy and in tune that you see angels and hear the voice of the Lord! Which one of us would not want that???

 

In today’s world of social media, anti-Mormon literature abounds. Those who are convinced of the propaganda they generate are ever zealous to prove us wrong in believing our doctrine. It can be stressful and unnerving. Knowing the scriptures and the teachings of the living prophets goes a long way to ensuring we are impervious to attempts of deceit but Jacob goes further to show us an impenetrable shield of faith to withstand falsehoods. He states that ‘the Lord poured his Spirit into his soul’ to enable him to confound Sherem in his words (Jacob 7:8) and then the very sure, ultimate way, of knowing the truth: “it has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Jacob 7:12).

 

Knowing the scriptures and the teaching of the prophets is a start but the ultimate way to conviction is the power of the Holy Ghost. Once you know by this power, you know…. and nobody can convince you otherwise. This is the power by which Jacob knew if Christ would not come and “there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost” (v12)…….and because he knew, he could not be shaken. The Holy Ghost is the witness, the testator of truth, the illuminator of our path. We should crave his presence constantly in the caverns of our hearts.

Whereas Jacob defeated the anti-Christ, he did something even more noble……he influenced his son Enos to believe the truth which he himself was convinced of. This was his greatest legacy…passing on his testimony to his posterity. Enos hungered for a remission of his sins. This hunger came from remembering the words which his father often spoke about eternal life (Enos 1:3,4). So Enos prayed and received a remission of his sins, hoping that one day he will hear :"Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father" (Enos 1:27). This hope he owed to his father Jacob, the brother of Nephi, the defender of the faith, the foe to the anti-Christ, Jacob the believer.   

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jacob the Teacher by Elspeth C. Young)