Enos 1

Enos Wrestles with God

I’m Enos. My father was a good man. He taught me his language and raised me to know the Lord. I’m grateful to God for that.

Let me tell you about my wrestle with God—what happened before my sins were forgiven.

I was out hunting in the forest when my father’s words came flooding back—all the things he’d said about eternal life and the joy God’s people find. Those words went deep. My soul ached with hunger. I dropped to my knees and cried out to my Maker—begging for my own soul. I prayed all day long. When night came, I kept going, my voice reaching toward heaven. Then a voice came to me: 'Enos, your sins are forgiven. You’re going to be blessed.' I knew God doesn’t lie. My guilt was swept away. I said, 'Lord, how did you do this?' He said, 'Because of your faith in Christ—someone you’ve never heard or seen. It will be many years before he shows himself in the flesh. Go now. Your faith has made you whole.'

Prayer for the Nephites

After I heard that, I started feeling this deep concern for my people, the Nephites. I poured out my whole soul to God for them. While I was wrestling in the Spirit, the Lord’s voice came into my mind again: 'I’ll bless your people according to how well they keep my commandments. I’ve given them this land—it’s a holy land. I won’t curse it except because of wickedness. I’ll deal with your people as I’ve said. When they sin, I’ll bring sorrow down on their own heads.'

Prayer for the Lamanites

After I heard that, my faith in the Lord became unshakable. I prayed for a long time, wrestling hard for my enemies, the Lamanites. After I’d prayed and labored with everything in me, the Lord said, 'I’ll give you what you’re asking for. Your faith has earned it.'

Here’s what I asked him for: If my people, the Nephites, should fall into sin and get destroyed—but the Lamanites survive—then would the Lord preserve a record of my people? Could his holy power bring it forward someday to the Lamanites, so they might find salvation? Right now, all our efforts to bring them back to the true faith are useless. They’ve sworn in their rage that if they could, they’d destroy our records and us—and wipe out everything our ancestors passed down. But I knew the Lord could preserve our records, so I kept crying out to him. He’d told me, 'Whatever you ask for in faith—believing you’ll receive it in Christ’s name—you’ll get it.' I had faith. I cried out to God to preserve the records. He made a covenant with me that he’d bring them to the Lamanites in his own time. I knew he’d keep his covenant. My soul rested. The Lord said to me, 'Your ancestors asked me for this same thing. It will be done for them according to their faith—because their faith was like yours.'

A Life of Prophecy

After that, I went among the Nephites, prophesying about the future and telling them what I’d heard and seen.

I can testify that the Nephites worked hard to bring the Lamanites back to faith in God. But it was useless. Their hatred was set. They were driven by their worst nature—they’d become wild, violent, bloodthirsty. They worshiped idols and lived in filth, hunting animals for food, living in tents and wandering the wilderness. They wore animal skins around their waists and shaved their heads. They were skilled with the bow, the sword, and the axe. Many ate nothing but raw meat. They were always trying to destroy us.

Meanwhile, the Nephites farmed the land, raised all kinds of grain and fruit, and kept herds—cattle of every kind, goats, wild goats, and plenty of horses.

We had a lot of prophets among us. But the people were stubborn and hard to reach. Nothing worked except the harshest preaching—prophesying wars, conflict, destruction. We had to constantly remind them of death, eternity, judgment, and God’s power. Only that—and the most direct, plain speech—kept them from rushing headlong into destruction. That’s how I’m writing about them.

I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites throughout my life.

The End of Enos

I grew old. A hundred and seventy-nine years had passed since our father Lehi left Jerusalem.

As I saw that I’d soon go to my grave, I knew—because God’s power had moved on me—that I had to preach and prophesy to these people and declare the truth that’s in Christ. I’ve declared it all my days, and I’ve found more joy in that than anything the world offers.

I’m about to go to my rest—to be with my Redeemer. I know I’ll rest in him. I look forward to the day when my mortal body puts on immortality and I stand before him. I’ll see his face with joy, and he’ll say to me, 'Come, you who are blessed. There’s a place prepared for you in my Father’s house.' Amen.