“I Enos Went About Prophesying”

Alan C. Miner

Brant Gardner writes that in contrast to what we find with the situation of Nephi and Jacob, the book of Enos is lacking in any reference to an official priesthood or temple position for Enos among the people. That is, even though it is apparent that Enos is the recordkeeper of the small plates, there is no recorded bestowal of priesthood office or recorded temple sermons as with his father Jacob (see 2 Nephi 5:26; Jacob 1:17). Although Enos declares that he "went about among the people of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of things which [he] had heard and seen" (Enos 1:19), he also notes that "there were exceeding many prophets" among the people (Enos 1:22). Thus, perhaps Enos was not the formal priest for the people. It seems that he has been marginalized or limited in his public position of power and authority, a process that was hinted at with the last public discourse of Jacob (see the commentary on Jacob 6:13). The reader should note that this process of marginalization will become painfully more obvious with the subsequent caretakers of the small plates. [Brant Gardner, "Brant Gardner's Page, "http:// [www.highfiber.com/~nahualli/LDStopics/Enos/Enos1.htm], p. 3]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

References