The Book of Enoch
The Prophet Enoch was the seventh Patriarch/Prophet from Adam. He was the Son of Jared, and father of Methuselah (Gen. 5:18–24; Luke 3:37; Heb. 11:5). The biblical account of Enoch is scanty. It tells us that he was translated but gives nothing of the details of his ministry. A quotation from his prophecy is found in Jude 1:14. From latter-day revelation we learn much more of Enoch; specifically of his preaching, his city called Zion, his visions, and his prophecies. See D&C 107:48–57; Moses 6–7. From these sources we observe that he was a preacher of righteousness and a vigorous exponent of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We also note that not only Enoch but also his entire city was translated. We also become aware that Enoch was a much greater person with a far more significant ministry than one would ever suppose from the Bible alone.
There are at least three apocalyptic works purporting to be books of Enoch; these are included in the category usually called “pseudepigrapha,” meaning writings under assumed names, compiled long after the time of the supposed author. On the basis of latter-day revelation, it appears there are some truths contained in the apocalyptic Enoch books. See also Pseudepigrapha.
The following information concerning Enoch is found in the Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia:
Among the Latter Day Saint movement and particularly in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Enoch is viewed as having founded an exceptionally righteous city, named Zion, in the midst of an otherwise wicked world. This view is encountered in the standard works, the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants, which states that not only Enoch, but the entire peoples of the city of Zion, were taken off this earth without death, because of their piety. (Zion is defined as “the pure in heart” and this city of Zion will return to the earth at the Second Coming of Jesus.) The Doctrine and Covenants further states that Enoch prophesied that one of his descendants, Noah, and his family, would survive a Great Flood and thus carry on the human race and preserve the Scripture. The Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price includes chapters that give an account of Enoch’s preaching, visions, and conversations with God. They provide details concerning the wars, violence and natural disasters in Enoch’s day, but also reference the miracles performed by Enoch.
The Book of Moses is itself an excerpt from Joseph Smith‘s translation of the Bible, which is published in full, complete with these chapters concerning Enoch, by Community of Christ, in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, where it appears as part of the Book of Genesis. D&C 104:24 (CofC) / 107:48–49 (LDS) states that Adam ordained Enoch to the higher priesthood (now called the priesthood of Melchizedek, after the great king and high priest) at age 25, that he was 65 when Adam blessed him, and that he lived for an additional 365 years until he and his city were blessed, making Enoch 430 years old at the time that “he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).
Additionally in LDS theology, Enoch is implied to be the scribe who recorded Adam‘s blessings and prophecies at Adam-ondi-Ahman, as recorded in D&C 107:53–57 (LDS) / D&C 104:29b (CofC).
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