Enos (Book of Mormon prophet)

Enos is a figure in the Book of Mormon, identified as either a son or grandson of Jacob, a Nephite prophet, and the writer of the Book of Enos. He is thought to have lived in the 5th century BC, composing his record shortly before his death, which occurred 179 years after Lehi’s departure from Jerusalem, or roughly 421 BC. Enos was the third keeper of the Nephite record, a collection of metal plates documenting the spiritual and secular history of the Nephites. His father, Jacob (son of Lehi and brother of Nephi), entrusted him with this record after both Nephi and Jacob had previously maintained it. Enos’s own contribution, the Book of Enos, is a single chapter written in the first person, describing his conversion and his later work as a prophet.

Little is known about Enos’s early life, except that his father taught him “in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.” Because his account begins with a “wrestle which he had before God” before receiving forgiveness for his sins, some assume he may have been rebellious earlier. President Spencer W. Kimball suggested that, like many sons of good families, he strayed, though the severity of his sins is unknown.

Enos recounts that while hunting in the forest, his “soul hungered,” and he knelt and prayed for forgiveness. His prayer lasted through the day and into the night, until he heard a voice saying, “Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.” After obtaining personal forgiveness, he prayed for his people, the Nephites, and was told they would be blessed according to their diligence in keeping God’s commandments. Strengthened by these revelations, he then prayed for his brethren, the Lamanites, who had become enemies of the Nephites. He received a promise that the Nephite record would be preserved and eventually brought to the Lamanites in the Lord’s due time.

Following his conversion, Enos went forth prophesying to the Nephites. He testifies that the Nephites tried to restore the Lamanites to the true faith but were unsuccessful. He describes the Lamanites as wild, ferocious, and bloodthirsty, while the Nephites were industrious farmers and herders. However, Enos notes that the Nephites were stiffnecked and required continual preaching to prevent them from going down speedily to destruction. At the end of his record, Enos affirms his unshakeable faith in his Redeemer.

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