Zenos, like Zenock, is a Hebrew prophet of the lineage of Joseph whose writings are included in the brass plates and are thus available to the Book of Mormon prophets (see 1 Nephi 19:21; 3 Nephi 10:15–17). Zenos prophesied that the Redeemer would be buried in a sepulchre after His crucifixion, with three days of attending darkness experienced by those “who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel” (1 Nephi 19:10). Zenos also prophesies of the widespread natural calamities that would occur at the time, with the result that “many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers” (1 Nephi 19:12)—while those in Jerusalem would be scourged and scattered for rejecting the Holy One of Israel. Nevertheless, when the House of Israel would turn their hearts again to the Savior, then He would remember the covenants He had made with their fathers and “all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed” (1 Nephi 19:17).
In addition, Jacob includes Zenos’ all-encompassing allegory of the tame and wild olive trees as a symbolic panorama of the divine scattering and gathering of Israel over the generations of time (see Jacob 5). Jacob also provides inspired commentary on this allegory of Zenos (Jacob 6). Additionally, Alma quotes Zenos at length in teaching the Zoramites about the doctrine and practice of prayer (see Alma 33:3–11). Amulek reinforces Alma’s witness that Zenos taught “that redemption cometh through the Son of God” (Alma 34:7). Moreover, Nephi, son of Helaman, references Zenos in bearing witness before his recalcitrant countrymen about the mission of the Savior: “And now I would that ye should know, that even since the days of Abraham there have been many prophets that have testified these things; yea, behold, the prophet Zenos did testify boldly; for the which he was slain” (Helaman 8:19). Samuel the Lamanite, as well, cites Zenos in prophesying to the people that the Lamanites would one day be restored to a knowledge of the truths of the gospel (see Helaman 15:11).
Next to Isaiah, the prophet Zenos is quoted in the Book of Mormon more extensively than any other of the ancient Hebrew prophets. We can be grateful that the Lord, in His mercy, preserved the plates of brass for the instruction and edification of His servants down through time, and that He caused the prophets of the Book of Mormon to convey to latter-day readers much of the richness and wisdom of Zenos.