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NOTE
A heads up. We’re going to be spending our time exclusively in the book of Moses this week. Genesis 5 just doesn’t give us much to study this week. It does give us some genealogy and one quick detail about Enoch’s life. Moses 6, however, gives us an entire story about Enoch and a sermon that he taught about the plan of salvation. So once again, we can be grateful for living prophets and latter-day scripture that gives us a much deeper perspective and fuller account of these people and events of the Old Testament. Also, if you remember last week, I told you that we would cover a portion of Moses 5 that we skipped last time. There’s a strong connection between the account of Adam and Eve offering sacrifices after being sent forth from the Garden of Eden and the teachings of Enoch found at the end of Moses 6. In Moses 5, we see Adam and Eve being taught about the plan of salvation in just three short verses. Enoch gives us more detail about what they were taught regarding that plan. We’ll take a look at both today. But let’s begin in Moses 5.
THE THREE OBEDIENCES
ICEBREAKER
Sometimes for an icebreaker, I like to put my students into a bit of an imaginary position. I have them role play or imagine what they might say in a given situation. For this block of scripture I like to have them imagine how they would respond if somebody made this criticism of them. “You members of the Church of Jesus Christ have been brainwashed. You just blindly follow whatever your leaders say without thinking for yourselves. In your church it’s just pay, pray, and obey.” Now that is criticism that I have actually heard before. I heard it on my mission, I’ve heard it from popular critics of the church in the anti-Church of Jesus Christ movement, and I’ve certainly seen that kind of sentiment on social media. Well, what do we say to that? What would you say to that?
Now give them some silent time to think and then have some of them share their possible responses.
TRANSITION
Today we’re going to take a look at a short story in the Moses 5 that can help us to understand what we might say to that accusation—something that can help us understand the nature of our obedience in the Church of Jesus Christ. Somebody very well could have accused Adam and Eve of this very thing. In our very first lesson of the year, you might remember how the Lord taught Abraham that one of the major purposes of mortality was to prove us to see if we would do all things the Lord had commanded us—to see if we could learn how to orbit the prophets and the Son of God. Remember that? One of our greatest responsibilities is to learn obedience. But not all obedience is created equal. To me there are three kinds of obediences. One of those obediences we could call blind obedience. Blind obedience can be mild or extreme. I imagine that there may even be some members of the church that could be guilty of it. Blind obedience is when you follow without thought or consideration. It can manifest itself as overzealousness, compulsion, or even an obsessive or extreme devotion to some charismatic leader who revels in the power of their influence. And blind obedience is not a problem exclusive to religion. It can be found in any organization of people. You can find it in politics, business, philosophy, education, or even among sports fans. I’m not sure I would term it as brainwashing, but rather a complete devotion to an idea, organization, or leader without really thinking critically first. Is that the kind of obedience that our Father in Heaven wants us to develop or act by? I don’t think so.
So let’s begin with an example of a leader giving instructions to their people. Can you find in the first 8 verses of Moses 5 an example of someone offering instruction?
It’s in verse 5. In that verse, God gives Adam and Eve a few commandments. He tells them that they should worship God AND that they should offer the firstlings of their flocks as an offering to the Lord. Now just stop for a second and think about how strange that might have sounded to Adam and Eve. If we put these instructions in conjunction with the some of the other commandments that they had already it might go something like this. The Lord says: “Adam and Eve. There are a few things that I want you to do on this earth. Multiply and replenish. Have dominion. Don’t partake of forbidden fruit. Stay together. Worship me. And on occasion, I want you to kill young animals for me.” I can imagine them doing a little bit of a double take with that last instruction. All the rest, I’m sure, seemed to make total sense. But what about that last one? What on earth does that accomplish? But the Lord doesn’t see fit to explain it to them at that point. He just asks for them to do it. So what do Adam and Eve do? They kill young animals in the name of God. OR, they offer sacrifices to him.
Now at some point in the future, the Lord sends an angel to ask them a question. What is that question in verse six? “Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?” And what is Adam’s response? “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.”
Adam and Eve don’t understand why. They admit that. And look closely at verse six again. How long do they do this without understanding why? It says, “after many days”. So this was not a short-term experience. The Lord allowed them to go on like this for many days .
Now I can see someone looking at that statement and accusing Adam and Eve of blind obedience. “You don’t even know why you’re doing it?! You’re just going to blindly follow whatever this God says to you, even if it doesn’t make any sense?”
But is that what’s going on here? Are Adam and Eve like cult followers of some charismatic preacher? Are they not thinking for themselves? I don’t believe that’s the case at all here. Why would Adam and Eve follow the Lord’s instruction without knowing why? How do you imagine THEM defending their actions to that accusation?
Here’s what I think. Adam and Eve know something about the Lord. Adam doesn’t just say “I know not,” but “I know not save THE LORD commanded me”. Adam is acting on knowledge here. They do it because they know something about their God. They know that he is good. They know that he has their best interest at heart. They know from past experience that he is a God that they can trust. The Lord has given them instructions in the past that have proved to be wise actions that have brought them joy. They have come to trust in the nature of the Lord through what they have heard, seen, and experienced. They don’t follow because they are blind, but because they can see. They are acting on faith, not compulsion.
So when they receive an instruction that they don’t fully understand, it’s not a huge issue for them. They don’t feel a need to really question it because they know something about the Lord’s character. I would describe this difference in obedience as Blind Obedience vs. Trust Obedience.
Blind obedience says, “My master speaks, and I must follow”. Trust obedience says, “I’m not sure exactly why I’m being asked to do this, but I’ll do it regardless because I know something about my master. He has never asked me to do something that wasn’t right in the past. Whenever I’ve followed, it has turned out to be the right thing and has brought blessings. He is good, loving, and merciful. I will pray to receive confirmation that this is the proper course of action for myself. I will obey because I trust Him.” Can you see the difference in that kind of obedience. That is faith obedience or trust obedience.
Now there’s something really wonderful about trust obedience. It never stays trust obedience forever. The purpose of God asking people to do things without explanation has a very specific purpose. It is often a test of faith. It’s an opportunity for soul growth, strengthening, and experience. God is not just guarding secret knowledge because he’s in a position of privileged authority. There is always the intent of the explanation coming later. So it’s never, “Do what I say because I’m in charge. Don’t question it.” It’s, “I want you to do this thing now with the understanding that the explanation will be forthcoming, later.” And that’s exactly what happens here. After many days of trust obedience, an angel comes to Adam and Eve and explains it in verses 7-8.
7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
And I can see Adam and Eve saying “Ooooh. Now we get it. That makes total sense. It’s to help us learn something about God’s plan for us. It’s a sacred way of helping us grasp the meaning of the atonement”. So now we have our third kind of obedience here. This is what I would call enlightened obedience. Trust obedience ALWAYS grows into enlightened obedience. Sometimes that enlightenment comes soon and other times it may not come until “after many days”, but it always comes. There are even some areas where I’m sure the enlightenment will come in the next life, but most assuredly it will come.
I think it’s important to note that not everything the Lord commands us to do falls into this category. In fact, I would say that it’s more the exception than the rule. God usually does explain his reasoning behind why he asks us to do things. The reasons behind the vast majority of commandments and standards in the church are clearly and straightforwardly explained. The blessings and consequences and “why’s” are clear. But there do come times when the explanation does not always accompany the request. Or we personally find the given reasoning unsatisfactory to us for whatever reason. Maybe we’re not convinced of the reasoning. God does see fit to test our faith at times. What should we do in those cases? Trust. Demonstrate trust obedience. I might ask someone in that position who was feeling that doubt, “Have the prophets ever failed you in the past? Or the Scriptures? Or the Spirit? Chalk this up to a test of faith and act in accordance with the commandments of God. Then, await the further light and knowledge that is bound to come.”
Allow me to give you a personal example of this in my life. I’m not sure it’s the greatest example, but I do feel it does a good job of illustrating the point. And remember, I’m a seminary teacher, so issues surrounding the youth are usually foremost in my mind. One of the things that I struggled with as a teenager, and I know many other youth struggle with, is the Church’s standards regarding dating. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet clearly counsels against early dating and serious exclusive relationships while in your adolescent years. And, there are clear explanations as to why this is good counsel. However, when I was younger, I was not totally convinced of that standard. Plus, the majority of my peers, who were also members of the church, were not following that counsel. Luckily for me, though, I had parents who were very adamant about me following the standards. “No girlfriends during High School, Ben” my Dad used to say. “Go on as many dates as you want, but don’t be exclusive”. Now I had a lot of respect for my parents, and I knew they loved me. So I trusted them, and the prophets, although I’ll admit I was often jealous of my friends and their relationships. It seemed like everyone was getting into serious relationships and enjoying it. But I decided to rely on trust obedience in that case. It wasn’t until later that my enlightened obedience came. After I graduated from high school, and began to prepare to serve a mission, I looked back on my high school experience and how it deviated from many around me. One of the reasons I was given for not having serious relationships was because they could lead to sexual sin. Now, in the majority of my friends cases, that was not a problem. They did have relationships without having those kinds of problems. BUT, some of my peers did. And it did affect their lives in a serious way. But that’s not the only reason that counsel is given. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet also says that serious dating can “limit the number of other people you meet”. That I certainly saw amongst my friends. I’m very grateful that I had the chance to go on dates with many different young women. I really feel that helped to prepare me for the time when I began to seriously consider marriage after returning from my mission. I had been on many different dates with different girls and had a really good idea of the kind of personality and person that I was most comfortable and compatible with. But you know what? There was even more than that. I discovered other reasons for why that counsel was wise. As I looked back on my peers experiences with dating, I realized how much drama, and anxiety, and conflict, and wasted time and money those things cost them. For me, my high school dating experience was nothing but fun. I wasn’t worried about all the complications that come with a serious relationship. I wasn’t ready or mature enough for that kind of commitment. I was able to have the time I needed to focus on my own development and education and spiritual growth before entering into a relationship where time and effort and concern are demanded. Serious relationships demand sacrifice and effort. Anybody who is married understands this. At the proper time and place, that sacrifice and work that is good and necessary. But our teenage years are not that time. I didn’t come to that understanding until I was in my 20s. But it came. And I’m forever grateful that I relied on trust obedience until that time.
TRUTH
The truth, then, is this. When God asks us to do something we don’t understand, obey on trust, because “trust obedience” will always become “enlightened obedience”.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures, I just shared an example of this principle in my own life.
Have you ever seen that same kind of thing happen in yours? Have you ever had an experience with trust obedience becoming enlightened obedience in your life?
OR, Are there any commandments or standards that you are currently struggling to understand?
How can this principle help you in that situation?
CONCLUSION
Well, I can assure you that there is wisdom in following the counsels of God even when we don’t understand all the reasons why, even when we’re not fully convinced of the reasons that are given. I would like to make a promise to you as someone who has seen the truth of this principle many times over in his life. If you will just trust in God’s counsels, or his prophet’s counsels, or the counsels of the Spirit, I can promise you that it will always be the best, most advantageous course of action for you. I can also promise you that one day you will look back and see the wisdom of it. You will gain an enlightened testimony of that instruction, although it may not come until “after many days”. But, it will come.
LISTEN TO THE WILD MEN
ICEBREAKER
Now let’s move into Moses chapter 6. For an icebreaker to this portion of the lesson, I like to give my students some vision tests. First, this may look familiar to you. Have you ever done a vision test like this? The doctor asks you to close one eye or the other and then has you read the lines of letters in increasingly smaller font sizes. By doing this they can determine how good your vision is. Then I like to put one of these tests up as well. It’s a color blindness test. Can you tell what numbers are in the middle of the circles? If you can’t, you may be color blind.
TRANSITION
There are a number of different vision problems that people may experience in life. Nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts, and the most serious of all vision problems, blindness. Today we’re going to look at a group of people with a vision problem in Moses chapter 6. Specifically on page 17 of the Pearl of Great Price, what vision problem do the people have?
The answer is at the end of verse 27. Their eyes cannot see afar off. They are spiritually near-sighted. And what do you think that means in spiritual terms that “their eyes could not see afar off”? I think it means that we, as mortals, sometimes have a problem with looking at the long-term effects of our decisions. We find it difficult to maintain an eternal perspective. We get so wrapped up in the present, and the things that what we want right now, that we neglect to do what is best and what will make us happiest in the long run because we just aren’t looking far enough down the road. Many of the problems people face these days are the direct result of impulsivity and near-sightedness. People want to feel good now, so they get drunk, or do drugs, not seeing the car accident or addiction they might experience later. You have the student that cheats on the test to get the good grade now but doesn’t consider the day when he will finally get caught or realize he may have a diploma but no education. The thief who wants something now but doesn’t see prison down the road. We are just not very good judges of what the future will bring. The easier choice in the short term makes for the harder choices and consequences in the future. The harder choice in the short term makes for the easier choices and rewards in the future.
Well, vision problems aren’t the only problems these people have. Look again at verse 27 again and see what other kinds of spiritual health problems they have. They have heart troubles and hearing problems too, don’t they.
In fact. Let me show you the spiritual state of these people we find in Moses 6.
Verse 15
15 And the children of men were numerous upon all the face of the land. And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man's hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power.
And verses 28-29
28 And for these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments, which I gave unto their father, Adam.
29 Wherefore, they have foresworn themselves, and, by their oaths, they have brought upon themselves death; and a hell I have prepared for them, if they repent not;
Spiritual vision problems indeed! Well, we know that God loves his children, and he doesn’t just sit idly by and let them destroy themselves without at least trying to do something about it. He wants his children to be happy. So he’s going to send them some help.
Because they can’t see afar off, what is he going to send them? What’s the key word in verse 36 that matches their problem?
He raises up a SEER unto his people. People who can’t see, need a seer.
I really love that word. You can get a good sense of the meaning of that word just by looking closely at the spelling. In the English language, if we want to describe an individual that is doing something we typically just add an ER to the end of that word. So somebody who swims is a swimmer. Somebody who runs is a runner. Somebody who speaks is a speaker. But what about somebody who sees? They become a see-er. But you can't have three E's in a word so all we do is we just drop one of those E's and we get the word seer. A seer is somebody who can see afar off. To link this with our previous lesson, whenever the prophets teach us something that maybe we don't totally understand or that doesn't seem to make sense to us, we can find comfort in the belief that they see things that we can’t. And then we need to trust in their vision—trust obedience.
John A. Widtsoe once said:
“A seer is one who sees with spiritual eyes. He perceives the meaning of that which seems obscure to others; therefore he is an interpreter and clarifier of eternal truth. He foresees the future from the past and the present. … In short, he is one who sees, who walks in the Lord’s light with open eyes. …
John A.Widtsoe
(Evidences and Reconciliations, arr. G. Homer Durham, 3 vols. in 1 [1960], 258).
There are many examples we can find in church history of a prophets ability to see ahead of his time. The Word of Wisdom was given in a day far preempting the “evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days”. David O. McKay’s emphasis and dedication to family values came before the anti-family, counter-culture movement of the 60’s. Spencer W. Kimball’s charge to lengthen our stride in missionary work came before large parts of the world were even open to missionary labor. The Family Proclamation was issued in a day far before the mainstream of America began to challenge many of its core principles. And who can doubt but that the many changes to church policy and practice in recent years has come as a result of a foresight and foreknowledge that we can’t completely grasp right now. Time will surely tell. Prophets have a God-given ability to see afar off. You may have noticed that prophets often don’t seem to be with the times. That’s because they aren’t. They’re ahead of their time, not behind it.
PROPHET TITLES
There are other titles that prophets are given in the scriptures. Seers is just one of them. When apostles are first called to the quorum of the twelve, they are set apart as prophets, seers, and revelators. A revelator reveals what they see. There are some other great titles for prophets in this chapter as well. Let’s see if you can pick them out.
Look for them in the following verses:
:23, :30, :38
Prophets are also :23 Preachers of righteousness. They preach to us the things that will keep us on the straight and narrow path.
In :30, they are “my servants”. Servants of God.
And then, the one in verse :38 is my favorite. What do the people call the prophet here? A wild man. What a great description of a prophet. The people say:
38 And they came forth to hear him, upon the high places, saying unto the tent-keepers: Tarry ye here and keep the tents, while we go yonder to behold the seer, for he prophesieth, and there is a strange thing in the land; a wild man hath come among us.
Now I like to ask my students, how are the prophet’s wild men? How is President Nelson a wild man? Wild as opposed to tame. Something that is tame is controlled by another power. What power do prophets stand in opposition to? The power of the world. The power of the culture around them. The power of the adversary. Most people in this world are much more comfortable to just go with the flow, the popular, or the mainstream. The prophets don’t do that. They could care less about the flow of popular opinion. They listen to God. President Nelson can’t be tamed. He’s a wild man. I’m sure the world, the media, politicians, and even some of the members of the Church would love to tame him. Some are positive that the church is “getting it wrong” when it comes to certain social issues, beliefs, or practices. Many want “tame” prophets—the kind that will tell them the things they want to hear. They prefer soothsayers that will tell their natural man soothing things. But the brethren will not be tamed. They’re wild. And I believe that we would do well to listen to the wild men.
SEARCH ACTIVITY
Let’s zero in on some of the things we learn about these wild men in Moses chapter 6. The specific wild man this chapter focuses on is a young man by the name of Enoch. Enoch is called to be a prophet starting in verse 26.
26 And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him.
27 And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off;
And then he continues to explain the problems of the people that we’ve already taken a look at.
But what more do we learn about seers, preachers of righteousness or wild men from the example of Enoch? Do the following activity to help your students learn about prophets. Either give them this as a handout, or put a circle on the board with the word “Prophets” in the middle. I then invite you to identify as many things as you can about prophets by reading Moses 6:31-43. To help you in this study, I’ll provide you with some prompts or questions on the side here.
From verse :31. How do prophets often feel when they are called?
31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?
So Enoch’s not so sure about himself in this calling as prophet. He’s not confident that he can do it or that he’s even the right man for the job. I’m too young. I’m not popular. I’m not even a very good public speaker! Why have you chosen me, Lord? You can imagine how overwhelming it might be to be called to act as the voice of God on earth. Enoch is not the only prophet to fall into this category. It’s a quite common reaction amongst newly called prophets. They often feel inadequate, unworthy, or unqualified.
When Isaiah was called, he said:
“Wo is unto me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; (2 Nephi 16:5)
When Moses was called, he said:
“Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11)
When Peter was called, he said:
“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8)
When Spencer W. Kimball was called, he said:
“There were conflicting thoughts that surged through my mind—seeming voices saying; ‘You can’t do the work. You are not worthy. You have not the ability’ .“(CR Oct. 1943)
When Gordon B. Hinckley was called, he said:
“I do not know why in His grand scheme one such as I would find a place. But having this mantle come upon me, I now rededicate whatever I have of strength or time or talent or life to the work of my Master in the service of my brethren and sisters.” (CR Apr. 1995)
There is a pattern here demonstrated by the prophets. They are humble and they are human. They are ordinary men called to do extraordinary things.
But God makes them a promise.
:32
“Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance”
Prophets are assured that God will fill their mouths with His inspired words. It reminds me of the promise made by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 1:38, “my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”
So their words are God’s words. God gives them utterance.
What do prophet’s always encourage us to do?
:33
“Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you”.
Prophets always encourage us to choose to serve God. They invite us to follow Christ.
AND
We could add to that message by looking for the common counsel Enoch gives in each of the following verses:
:23, :27, :29, :50, :52 What is it?
Repent. Prophets always invite us to repent and turn our hearts and minds back to God and choose to serve the Lord.
:34 They have the Spirit
:34 God justifies their words. Or proves that they are right.
AND
:34, :39 They walk with God. Isn’t that a nice thought. President Nelson walks with God. He is his constant companion. How reassuring that must be for him. There is power and security in companionship. When I was a missionary, I was always grateful to have a constant companion who walked with me. So much so that when I came home, for a time, it felt strange and somewhat unsettling to be on my own. How comforting it must be for the prophets to have that special kinship with the Lord himself. He walks with them.
:35 This next verse teaches us the reason why a seer’s vision is so sharp but in a bit of an unusual way. To help Enoch understand this principle of seership, he has him do a bit of an object lesson. The Lord instructs him to:
Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so.
36 And he beheld the spirits that God had created; and he beheld also things which were not visible to the natural eye; and from thenceforth came the saying abroad in the land: A seer hath the Lord raised up unto his people.
Now why do you think the Lord would have him do that? What could the clay represent? The clay represents the things of the world. Seers are able to see things more clearly because the things of the world have been washed from their eyes. They don’t see with the eyes of pride, or popularity, or political correctness. Prophets are above such influences. They don’t have the dust of the world clouding their vision. Thus they are able to see things more clearly—things are not visible to the natural eye. This makes it possible for them to see afar off.
:36 Also from this verse. The Lord raises them up. Most people in positions of authority have raised themselves up to that position, but not prophets. The Lord puts them in that position. There’s no electioneering, or campaigning, or ladder climbing amongst the prophets of God. The Lord puts them there, not themselves.
:37 Where do we find the prophets? Are they aloof? Hermits? Are they like medieval monks who sequester themselves into monasteries and convents? No. They walk among the people and preach to them. They go the high places where people can see and hear them. That’s where you will find our modern-day prophets as well. They have quite the travel schedule. They go out amongst the people. And at general conference, they speak to the entire world.
:37 Unfortunately, how do people often react to their words. They are often offended by their words. Remember, the prophets are wild man. They will not teach things that are pleasing to the natural man. I love what Ezra Taft Benson said about the words of the prophets.
“You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. . . . Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow. . . . Let's keep our eye on the President of the Church.”
Ezra T. Benson
(The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 139)
One final insight from verse
:43. Prophets are not only motived to teach because of their accountability or merely out of a sense of responsibility. Look at what Enoch calls the people he teaches. Remember, these are very wicked people. These are people that hate him and are offended by him. Is he condescending? Does he teach with a “holier than thou” attitude? Does he look down his nose at these wicked people? No, he says “Ye are my brethren”. He loves them. He recognizes them as beloved sons and daughters of God and seeks to help them. Prophets love who they teach and have a genuine concern for their well-being.
TRUTH
Well, take a look at our chart here. We’ve just learned some powerful principles about prophets, about these wild men haven’t we. Why wouldn’t we trust them? Why wouldn’t we follow them? As members of the Church of Jesus Christ we are blessed to be led by not just one, but fifteen of them. To the things on this list we could add what we learned about them from their titles.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures you could ask the following questions.
When have you seen one of these attributes in a living prophet?
Are you grateful for living prophets? Why?
Have you ever met a prophet in person? What was your experience like?
CONCLUSION
Well I bear witness to you that God calls living prophets today just as he did back in Enoch’s. God never leaves us without the audible and clear voice of his servants to guide and counsel us according to the conditions and needs of our own day. I bear witness that Russell M. Nelson speaks with God’s voice as well as the 14 other men that bear the title of prophet. And before we move on, I wanted to share an experience I had as a young man that solidified in my heart a testimony of living prophets. When I was a deacon, my dad would always take me down to the tabernacle for priesthood session and then afterward go out for pie or ice cream. And I always really enjoyed that experience with my father. Well, it just so happened that my Dad was a close friend of the head usher of the tabernacle at the time and this friend of his would often get us front-row seats. Which was always really nice because one, the brethren were sitting right there in front of me and also the front seats were padded, and we didn't have to sit on those hard tabernacle benches for two hours. Sometimes there would be important or famous people that would also be sitting on or near the front row as well. On one particular occasion, as we walked through the doors of the tabernacle, this friend of my dad's said “Hey, Steve Young is here tonight, do you think your son would like to sit next to him for priesthood session?” Now for any of you that don't know who Steve Young is, he’s a famous football player. He played quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers for a number of years. He was a Superbowl champion, very famous, very well-known, and a member of the church. He was also someone I considered to be a hero of mine. Well we walked into the tabernacle and there he was, sitting right there and I walked over and sat down, right next to him. Oh, I was so excited. I was thinking, this is gonna be coolest thing to go home and tell my friends that I sat next to Steve Young at General Conference. I even pulled out a little piece of paper and asked him for an autograph which he very graciously signed for me. And I’m just sitting there in awe and so excited that I almost couldn't even sense what was going on around me. But then, all of a sudden, something changed in the room and the tabernacle went completely silent and everybody stood up. You could physically feel the change in the building. And at this point, I'm still kind of looking up at Steve Young and thinking, “You're Steve Young, You're Steve Young.” But then I noticed that everybody was looking up at the front and Steve Young was looking very intently at the front, and so I turned my head to see what everybody was looking at. At that particular moment Ezra Taft Benson was making his way into the tabernacle. His health was very poor at this time, and I believe it was one of the last times he appeared in General Conference. He was being helped in by President Hinckley on one arm and President Monson on the other and taking slow, tiny little steps into the room. But I tell you the spirit that that frail little body brought into the building filled the entire space of the tabernacle with his spirit. And at that moment, it was almost as if the spirit just whispered something in my ear. It said, “Ben, this is your hero. This is who you want to be like. This is who you want to follow.” Not the strong, famous, rich, football player, but this little old man, who is the prophet of God. And I say that with no offense to Steve Young who I could also sense had great faith in his prophet. Now I still went home and told all my friends about my experience. But the greatest thing I walked away with that night was a stronger and deeper conviction of the power of living prophets. I even eventually lost the autograph if that tells you anything. There is a power and a connection with heaven that is palpable and real in these men of God. I love the primary hymn that goes, “Follow the prophet, follow the prophet, follow the prophet, don’t’ go astray. Follow the prophet, follow the prophet, follow the prophet, he knows the way.” I testify that he does know the way, so follow him!
ENOCH’S SERMON-THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST
ICEBREAKER
Well, what is it that prophet’s teach. That’s our final topic for the day. To introduce this section I might play Pyramid with my students. This is a great activity to help youth, in particular, get ready to speak about the subject matter of this final section of Moses 6. And rather than spending the time to go through the entire explanation and the rules of this activity with you here, I’ll instead just refer you to my Doctrine and Covenants 67-70 video where I explain how this works. I’ll put a link up here at the top that you can go directly to if you need to. That explanation comes right at the beginning of the video.
But here are the words that appear on the pyramid for both rounds.
ROUND 1
Creation
Repentance
Salvation
Faith
Fall
Atonement
ROUND 2
Adam and Eve
Agency
Holy Ghost
Savior
Sin
Love
TRANSITION
Now each of those words has something to do with the message of Moses 6:43-68. This is a speech given by Enoch to the wicked people of his day. By considering the words that were used in the pyramid activity, can you guess what the topic of his speech was? See if they can guess it. If no one can, send them to verse 62 for the answer. What was the subject of this sermon? The Plan of Salvation. He’s teaching the people a fundamental explanation of the major points of God’s plan for his children.
SEARCH
To cover those major points, you could have your students do the following crossword puzzle. Then, as you go through the answers, you could discuss or teach some of the major points of the plan.
Here are the answers:
ACROSS 2. What part of the plan of salvation is being described in verse 48? The _______
That would be describing the FALL. What we talked about last week. Through the fall, mankind became mortal and subject to both spiritual and physical death. 5. Who was the first person to ever be baptized on this earth? (:64)
Interestingly enough. ADAM was the first person to be baptized. And quite a unique baptism it was. It says he was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord and baptized. I suppose in the case that there was no one else on earth who could do it, divine intervention seems justified in this case. And, this also shows just how important baptism really is to our salvation. 7. What principle of the plan of salvation is being taught in verses :54 and :62? The ____________
That would be the ATONEMENT. Verse 54 tells us that the Son of God hath atoned for original guilt. And verse 62 tells us that us that salvation can only come through the blood of God’s Only Begotten. We know that the fall brought upon us physical and spiritual death. The atonement makes it possible for us to overcome and to be saved from both death and hell. 8. If we follow God's plan for us, we may become _____ in God. (:68)
We may become ONE in God. That’s the whole point and purpose of this plan. To return to and become like our heavenly parents. DOWN 1. A gift that all must receive. :52, :61, :66 The _______ _______
That would be the HOLY GHOST. And I love all the things these verses tell us that the Holy Ghost does for us. In verse 52 we’re promised that if we ask things in his name, whatsoever we ask (if it’s right, of course) shall be given us. Verse 61 details many of the functions of the Holy Ghost. Enoch calls it the record of heaven. Or we might say: The witness or testimony of heaven. The Holy Ghost bears record of the things of God and helps us to know that it’s coming from God. He is the Comforter. We can turn to him in our hour of need and despair and receive comfort. He teaches us the peaceable things of immortal glory; he bears witness of the truth of all things. He quickens or gives life to all things. He knows all things and has great power. Power that is born of wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment. Quite the gift indeed. 3. What part of the plan of salvation is being described in verse 44? The ___________
That would be the CREATION. A world outside the direct presence of God needed to be created for us to dwell on so that we could be tested. 4. Not only must people repent, but they must also undergo this ordinance. See verse :52, :59-60, :64
We must receive the ordinance of BAPTISM. As Jesus taught in John 3:5:
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Look at what Enoch tells us about baptism in verse 59-60. Now baptism can symbolize a number of different things. In some places in the scriptures, baptism is compared to burial. The old man of sin is being buried and left behind. In other places, baptism is a birth—a chance to be reborn and to start life anew. In still others, baptism is compared to a bath. A sacred ordinance that washes sins away. In THESE verses, which aspect of that symbol is being emphasized? Baptism as a burial, a birth, or a bath. Here, baptism is a birth. It’s like being born again. Enoch tells us that at birth there are three elements present. I’ve been at the births of all four of my children and I can tell you that Enoch is correct. At birth, there is water, blood, and spirit. All three are present at birth. Well, when we’re born again, we have the same three elements. And water and spirit are easy to identify at baptism. The water of the font and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost during confirmation. But where is blood in baptism? It’s the blood of Jesus Christ that’s present. It’s the power of his atonement that cleans and sanctifies us. In the Old Testament there are three major cleansing agents. Water, blood, and fire. Baptism involves all three. The water of the font, the blood of Christ’s atonement, and the fire of the Holy Ghost, which is often referred to as the baptism of fire. And how is baptism like birth? When we’re baptized, we begin a new life. We come out of a place of darkness and limitation and enter into a new world of light and possibility, and freedom. We’re given a name, the name of Christ. We receive a new set of parents, Jesus as our father, and the Church as our mother. We come forth innocent and clean and pure.
5. What principle of the plan of salvation is being taught in verses 55-56?
That principle would be agency. In order to be tested we needed to be agents unto ourselves and know the difference between good and evil. We needed to be able to taste the bitter so that we could recognize the good. In fact, I’ve often pictured the tree of knowledge of good and evil with two kinds of fruit hanging from it. Fruit that tasted sweet and fruit that tasted bitter. We’re experience both in this life. Our mortality helps to give us context. After our mortal experience, the sweetness of the good will stand in stark contrast to the bitterness of the bad. And we will prize the good. Without that context, or opposition in all things, our happiness would not be true happiness. 6. Because all people sin, they must do this in order to dwell in God's presence. See verses :50, :52, :57.
That message, of course, is to repent. When we stray from God’s path, we must turn our hearts and minds back to him. Thankfully, the grace offered us through the atoning blood of Christ makes that possible. With repentance, comes forgiveness.
CONCLUSION
Well, I’d just like to conclude this portion of our study with my testimony of the plan of salvation. Aren’t you grateful for what we know about God’s plan for us? That was one of my favorite experiences as a full-time missionary—to teach people the plan and see the light come on in their eyes as they came to an understanding of where they came from, why they were here, and what happens when we die. I know I took that knowledge for granted when I was young. I mean, I’d been taught these things since I was a primary child and I kind of assumed that everybody knew this stuff. But the plan of salvation gives us direction and understanding and purpose. This understanding was had from the beginning. Adam and Eve knew it, and God intends all of us to know it. That is why there is such a need to make these things known to all mankind and to teach it to our children. These things need to be remembered.
A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE
And that leads us to one final brief insight from Moses 6. I absolutely love the expression that is used to describe the scriptures in this chapter. Scriptures is the word we use to describe these canonized collections of godly writing. But what were scriptures originally called? Look in verse 5, and verse 46 for the answer.
They were called “Book of Remembrance”. I think we should still call them that. Because that’s what the scriptures are to us. A book that helps us to remember. Spencer W. Kimball once made the following statement. He said:
“When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be ‘remember.’ Because all of you have made covenants – to know what to do and you know how to do it – our greatest need is to remember.
So the scriptures help us to remember our covenants. They help us to remember our duty. They help us to remember our doctrine. They help us to remember our Savior. What God taught Adam and Eve needed to be remembered and passed down from generation to generation. That idea of teaching children from the scriptures shows up multiple times in this chapter. See verses 6, 13, 21, 41, 57, and 58. And that’s exactly what we’re doing with this Come, Follow Me study program in the church. It’s a program that helps us to remember God’s word and pass it on to the next generation.
And then a very fascinating statement is made in verse 45 about this book of remembrance. It says:
45 And death hath come upon our fathers; nevertheless we know them, and cannot deny, and even the first of all we know, even Adam.
I love that idea. Yes, it’s true, death hath come upon Moses, and Isaiah, and Nephi, and Paul, and Joseph Smith, nevertheless we know them. We know them through the scriptures. They have not been forgotten. The more you study the scriptures, the better you get to know these great men and women. I remember when I was a kid there was this commercial for Red Baron pizza of all things. A woman takes a bite of the pizza, and the handsome ghost of the red baron begins to appear, but only very faintly. So she takes another bite, and he materializes even more, so the final shot of the commercial shows the woman with the entire piece stuffed in her mouth and the red baron looking completely real in the room. Well, it’s kind of like that with the scriptures too. The more you feast on the words of Christ, the more real Nephi, and Paul, and Joseph Smith will become to you. A Chinese philosopher by the name of Mencius encouraged his followers to make “friends in history”. Well I can tell you, that these ancient men and women have become my friends. They have become REAL to me. I feel that I know them. So much so, that when I actually do meet them in the next life, I don’t feel that that will be an introduction so much as a reunion. So let’s spend the rest of this year getting to know the heroes of the Old Testament. Let’s get to know Ruth, and Abraham, and David, and Isaiah, and Moses. We’re going to remember them and make “friends in history”.
