Enos 1:27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. 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, 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.
Oh! How I love and appreciate Enos for his one chapter that is so real and heartfelt that each of us can relate to it, and gain strength and understanding from it. He goes into this “wrestle before God,” (Enos 1:2) that he experienced. That word “wrestle” has helped me to understand that it’s okay to struggle through tough periods, and it’s okay to have questions that we have to battle with for a time. The Lord is mindful of our thoughts and our journey and is in our corner, helping every way possible. As we wrestle with these things we can rest assured that he is with us, and we can turn to him for support. “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.” (Enos 1:4) Through that process of coming to Christ our faith will make us whole. (Enos 1:8) We will develop an unshakable faith in the Lord, where we will find rest—Peace in Christ. (Enos 1:11, 17)
As our faith is fortified, we will “desire for the welfare of my brethren,” “that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation.” (Enos 1:9,13) It’s a natural spiritual phenomenon, that as we love the Lord with full purpose of heart, that love will disperse to our neighbors and we will find the ultimate love and admiration for everyone regardless of their circumstances, culture, or characteristics. We will desire to be a shepherd and to help find those that are lost and wandering so that they don’t get devoured by the great beasts of the earth—Satan and his devils. “My prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.” (Words or Mormon 1:8)
Omni 1: 26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.
Jarom gives us four spiritual cautions to keep a prayerful watch for. “it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks” (Jarom 1:3)
- Hardness of Heart
- Deafness of Ears
- Blindness of Minds
- Stiffness of Necks
As we perform regular personal introspection, we can ask simple questions to see if we are allowing the Lord to walk beside us in life. Have we already made up our mind, are we unable to receive guidance and act on that guidance? Do we feel resistant to change, or direction from scriptures, prayer, or the prophet? Are we listening to inspiration? Seeking His will? Do we continue to learn from others, scriptures, or Heavenly Father? Or do we think we already know everything? Can the Lord move us from the path we are currently on? Have we accepted that he is all knowing, all understanding, and all merciful? Have we turned our will over to His will with full trust?
There are a million questions that we could ask ourselves to keep our spiritual minds and heart directed towards Christ. As we do we will be “kept…from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.” (Jarom 1:12) We will live our lives in accordance with those of old, “[They] waxed strong in the land. They observed to keep the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord. And they profaned not; neither did they blaspheme. And the laws of the land were exceedingly strict.” (Jarom 1:5)
Then we can proclaim like Enos, “My Soul Did Rest!” (Enos 1:17)
written by Sherri Jorgensen
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