As mentioned earlier, there may have been a significant amount of time between composing an account and ultimately etching it on the metal Plates of Nephi. Here Enos begins to reflect on his advancing age with the preface "and it came to pass." This preface is a signal that there has been some time between events. It can refer to any length of time. In this case it likely refers to many years. It also illustrates the likelihood that Enos, just as Nephi and Jacob, recorded events and then sometime later etched the events onto the Plates of Nephi. Nephi recorded his prophecies and history for many years before being commanded to make the plates upon which he, Jacob and Enos would then later etch. After the arrival in the new Promised Land Nephi wrote: "And it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them." (1 Ne 19: 1.) The "record of [Nephi's] father" and "mine own prophecies" were transcribed or engraven upon the newly made plates. They had been recorded much earlier than the fabrication of the plates themselves. It makes sense that all the authors who engraved on the plates would similarly wait until their mortal ministries were coming to an end, and then with a full view of their life's most important revelations begin to carve their permanent record.
We also learn 179 years have passed from the time Lehi left Jerusalem. Enos' father, Jacob, was born several years after the departure. Jacob died shortly before surrendering the Plates of Nephi to Enos. Enos wrote this account at the end of his life as he prepares to hand the plates on to his son, Jarom. The length of time suggests life-spans into the 80's or 90's for Nephi, Jacob and Enos.