“And I Soon Go to the Place of My Rest, Which is with My Redeemer”

Denver C. Snuffer, Jr.

The word “rest” denotes exaltation, or receiving the fullness of God’s glory. As modern revelation explains, “But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.” (D&C 84: 24, emphasis added.) Enos confirms his calling and election are sure. He “knows” that he will enter into “rest” with his Redeemer. This is the crescendo of Enos’ record. He was certain of exaltation. Enos has found the true religion. He believes and has lived in the same way as all those who have gained eternal life. Knowledge which makes any person’s calling and election sure is obtained in the same way for every person. It is explained plainly in the Lectures on Faith, Sixth lecture in these words:

7. Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth’s sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.

8. It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they, in like manner, offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him. (Emphasis added.)

These conditions are universal. Reputation, social standing, popularity and success must be burnt on the altar as a sacrifice before any person can learn they have eternal life. Since our lives are going to be lost anyway - and all the world has to offer will be meaningless - the trade is illusory. We are asked to give up what has never been ours to keep.

This life presents the opportunity to be heroic in the cause of Christ. But life is brief, the opportunity fleeting. Viewed in the proper light, the sacrifice of all things is nothing. You gain everything by giving up what is truly nothing. Only a fool would make the calculation otherwise.

He continues:

And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure,

The contrast between those who know they have eternal life and those who do not is stark. Enos knows seeing God will be pleasant for him. He has already seen Him. Because of this he has confidence in the next meeting with God. Compare that with the description of those who are unprepared for such a meeting: “Do ye suppose that ye shall dwell with him under a consciousness of your guilt? Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being, when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever abused his laws? Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell. For behold, when ye shall be brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God, and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you.” (Mormon 9: 3-5.) This misery is the natural result of disappointment in choosing the world over eternal life. God does not need to punish. Men do that to themselves. “A man is his own tormenter and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man.” (TPJS

Enos tells us what he expects of the afterlife. He had the kind of hope which comes from a clear conscience before God. He had a secure expectation of exaltation because he gained it from God, who cannot lie. He was among those who “had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.” (D&C 138: 14.)

His departing comment was the most significant of all:

...and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.

This reveals Enos’ knowledge of another mystery of God. Remember earlier the dialogue between Enos and the Lord when he was told: “Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.” The original punctuation of the Book of Mormon was provided by the print shop of E.B. Grandin as he typeset the first edition. Grandin’s employee John H. Gilbert did the layout for the first printing. The punctuation and capitalizations in the Book of Mormon are not necessarily the only way to read the text. In this case, it might serve us well to consider another way to view these words. Consider the difference in meaning of the word “blessed” when read as a proper noun instead of an adjective: “Come unto me, ye Blessed. There is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.” If “Blessed” is another name given to Enos by the Lord, then here is another wonderful revelation about Enos’ relationship with God.

When Enos went to wrestle with the Lord those many years earlier, the dialogue between them included the Lord’s promise to Enos: “thou shalt be blessed.” (Verse 5.) What if these words were punctuated: “thou shalt be Blessed.” Meaning, the Lord gave to Enos the new name “Blessed” at the time of their first meeting. If so, then in the concluding verse of his record, Enos is telling us of the future time when the Lord will call him by the new name “Blessed” while assuring him of the mansion which belongs to him in the Father’s kingdom.

One of the greatest responsibilities laid upon us in mortality is to gather titles, or names, while mortal. We learn from Isaiah that Christ had several name-titles which identify Him: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9: 6.) In this passage Christ is clearly being given names. He would be known by other names, as well, including: “Redeemer” (1 Ne. 19: 18), “Lamb of God” (1 Ne. 10: 10), “Lion of Judah” (Rev. 5: 5), “Savior” (Mormon 7: 10), “Son of God” (Mark 1: 1), “Rabbi” (John 1: 49), “Son of Man” (D&C 61: 38), “Root of David” (Rev. 5: 5), “the Mighty One of Jacob” (1 Ne. 21: 26), “Master” (Matt. 26: 18), “Advocate” (D&C 110: 4), “Rock of Heaven” (Moses 7: 23), and many more. We are in mortality to similarly acquire titles by the things we do while here. One of the latter-day titles which men are obligated to obtain is “savior on Mount Zion” (Obad. 1: 21); a title which can only be earned by doing temple work for our kindred dead. We are to become “sons and daughters of God” (John 1: 12) by our obedience to Christ’s Gospel. We are required to hold the name-title of “Redeemed” (Gal. 3: 13); for without the “Redeemed” there would be no “Redeemer.” We are “Beloved” (Col. 3: 12) if we are among the “Elect of God” (Id.). To have a part in His Kingdom we must be among the “Saints of God” (1 Ne. 14: 12). We must also become a “Member” of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; an office held by all those who are baptized and confirmed into the Church (see D&C 20: 84). To be exalted we must also be one of those holding the title of “Member of the Church of the Firstborn” (D&C 76: 94). We must have a position assigned to us in “the general assembly” (D&C 107: 19). Many more names are associated with following the Lord’s Gospel, including “Father” and “Mother,” as well as “Sister” and “Brother.” We must bear the titles “Husband” or “Wife” to have Eternal Life. (See D&C 132: 19-21.) We will not make an exhaustive list of the titles and names which must be acquired in mortality, but among those which are most desirable, certainly Enos’ name-title “Blessed” would be included.

We know from Enos’ concluding remarks that if we inherit a position alongside him in the afterlife we will be dwelling in a mansion in the kingdom of the Father. This brief little book by Enos is among the greatest of testimonies we have on record from any prophet in any generation.

Beloved Enos

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