Enos’ Early Ministry

And I, Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my grave; wherefore, I said unto my son Enos:

“Take these plates.”

And I told him the things which my brother Nephi had commanded me, and he promised obedience unto the commands.

And I make an end of my writing upon these plates, which writing has been small; and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu.

Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man— for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord— and blessed be the name of my God for it— And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.

Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.

And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

And there came a voice unto me, saying:

“Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.”

And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

And I said:

“Lord, how is it done?”

And he said unto me:

“Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them.

And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying:

“I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.”

And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites.

And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me:

“I will grant unto thee
According to thy desires,
Because of thy faith.”

And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him— that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation—

For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.

Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me:

“Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith,
Believing that ye shall receive
In the name of Christ,
Ye shall receive it.”

And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest. And the Lord said unto me:

“Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine.”