1:1 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—
1:2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I
received a remission of my sins.
1:3 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.
1:4 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.
1:5 And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven
thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
1:6 And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was
swept away.
1:7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?
1:8 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.
1:9 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.
1:10 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.
1:11 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.
1:12 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.
1:13 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—
1:14 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.
1:15 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.
1:16 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.
1:17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he
had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
1:18 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.
1:19 And now it came to pass that I, Enos, went about among the people
of Nephi, prophesying of things to come, and testifying of the things
which I had heard and seen.
1:20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to
restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labors were
vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature
that they became wild, and ferocious, and a bloodthirsty people, full
of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in
tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle
about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the
bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of them did eat nothing
save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.
1:21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land,
and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and
flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild
goats, and also many horses.
1:22 And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people
were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.
1:23 And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching
and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and
continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and
the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them
up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was
nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of
speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And
after this manner do I write concerning them.
1:24 And I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in the course of
my days.
1:25 And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and
seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father
Lehi left Jerusalem.
1:26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been
wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto
this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in
Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it
above that of the world.
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.