The Promises Made to the Fathers Reading Assignment No. 9 Enoch and Abraham Introduction On September 21, 1823, three and half years after the Fi4rst Vision, Moroni appeared to the seventeen year old Prophet Joseph Smith. He told him he was... sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. He then told Joseph that he was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 439). The Prophet Joseph s mission was to establish a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times (D&C 27:13). During his four first visits, Moroni began to instruct Joseph regarding prior times the gospel had been on the earth. Joseph recalled: he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament including the last two chapters of the Old Testamen, Malachi 3-4. However, Moroni quoted two verses of Malachi chapter four differently than how they appear in the King James Version of the Bible as seen below [the differences are underlined] Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. (Joseph Smith History 1:38-39; underlining added) Oliver Cowdery who was closely involved with Joseph Smith in the early days of the restoration said that Moroni then proceeded and gave a general account of the promises made to the fathers ( Letter IV, Messenger and Advocate, Feb, 1835). The next reading assignments will focus on these promises made to the fathers. We must answer the following questions: Who are the fathers? What are the promises? And why these promises were given. Key Concepts and Teachings Who are the Fathers? The Malachi passage rendered differently by Moroni states that Elijah will plant into the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers (D&C 2; JS History 1:38-39). Who are the fathers? From the Doctrine and Covenants we learn the following And also with Joseph and Jacob and Isaac, and Abraham, your fathers, by whom the promises remain. (D&C 27:11; emphasis added) And The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made. This order was instituted in the days of Adam, and came down by lineage in the following manner: (D&C 107:40-41; emphasis added) Then an order descending from Adam down to Noah follows (vss. 42-52). However, the scriptures reveal four major sets of promises, each made by covenant. These include the following: Enochian Covenant: promises made to Enoch, as well as to Noah and Melchizedek). Abraham Covenant: promises made to Abraham, and also Isaac, and Jacob. The Israelitish Covenant: the national covenant with the House of Israel became they became the Lord s kingdom living in the promised land. Davidic Covenant: promises made to King David. There are others to whom important promises are made and are important in the plan such as Joseph and Judah, sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. However, the scriptures do not say that these promises were made by covenant. The promises made to Joseph are related to the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises made to Judah are essential to the Davidic Covenant, or the promises made to King David. The Book of Mormon speaks of promises made to Lehi by covenant. These promises are related to the Abrahamic Covenant as well.
The Importance and Purpose of the Promises Made to the Fathers Speaking in a semi-annual general conference of the Church, President Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918) declared an important truth about God: The Lord never did anything that was not essential or that was superfluous (Conference Report, Nov. 1901, 1; emphasis added). With an understanding of that important truth, we must conclude that the promises made to the fathers are essential to the fulfillment of Heavenly Father s eternal plan which, of course, is the reason we are studying them. Of the father s, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob often called the Abrahamic Covenant--play a predominate role throughout the four standard works. Because of their prominence, these promises are often the only promises many consider as the promises made to the fathers. The focus of each covenant centers on promises to fulfilled in the second estate meaning, the seven thousand years of the earth s continuance, or its temporal existence (see D&C 77:6) in preparation to the fulfillment of the eternal promises of God s plan in the third estate. The scriptures reveal that the Lord began to fulfill these promises in the immediate years following the initial establishing by covenant each set of promises. But true to the Lord s pattern of work i.e., out of small things proceedeth that which is great (D&C 64:33) early fulfilments of these promises were not indicative of the grand ends they were to achieve. This is similar to when Joseph Smith established Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, as the center place of Zion where the promised city of New Jerusalem should built (see D&C 57). To Joseph and the saints, the Lord warned: Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. He then told them that they were laying the foundation of these greater things (D&C 58:3, 7). The grand end of each set of promises would take years to achieve. In fact, the fulfillment of these promises would not be fully seen until the last days and during the Millennium. Overview of the Promises Made to the Fathers As stated, mostly these promises will find fulfillment in the last days and during the Millennium. The aim of these promises concern restoration of the gospel in the Lord s people in the last days. The promise a people who will be readied for the coming of Jesus Christ to initiate the Millennial State in which the Kingdom of God is perfected and made ready to dwell with Heavenly Father on the celestialized earth. The following gives the aim of each set of promises: The Enochian Covenant establishes the aim or goal of Heavenly Father s work to be accomplished in the last days and during the Millennium: Heavenly Father s children dwelling in a world-wide Zion upon the earth with Jesus Christ, King of Zion, during a thousand years of righteousness. Abrahamic Covenant establishes how that aim will be accomplished. Israelitish Covenant focuses on who will fulfill the aim of God s promises to be accomplished. Davidic Covenant focuses on the reinheritance of the children of Heavenly Father to become kings and queens and priests and priestesses forever. A Big Picture Vision Given Enoch Showing the Atonement of Christ and the Latter-Day Zion The promises made to Enoch came as a result of a vision given Enoch. This vision found in Moses 7 is important to both Enoch as well as for Latter-day Saints. Reading through this vision will help understand the context of the promises and their relationship to Latterday Saints. Read Moses 7:21-69. The following is a brief synopsis that might help you better understand the vision. In this vision, Enoch saw that as wickedness in his day, the City of Holiness, even ZION he had built in his day was translated and taken up into heaven where it became the abode of the Lord forever (vs 21). As wickedness increased, Enoch witnessed God weeping over his wayward children (vss 24-28). This concerns Enoch. Stunningly, Enoch is told that among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren (vs 36). In hopes to reform them, the Lord tells Enoch that I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them in the spirit world (vs 38). Then Enoch is told that Jesus Christ hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they will be in torment (vs 39). Then the explained to Enoch the wicked doings of the children of men that the Savior would suffer himself to redeem them from prison. This greatly effected Enoch, and he had bitterness of
soul, and wept over his brethren (vss 41-44). Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal life? In response, Enoch was shown the meridian of time when the Lord would come to earth and suffer the sins of the world. Enoch rejoiced and said through faith I am in the bosom of the Father, and behold, Zion is with me (vss 45-47). But then Enoch heard a voice from the bowels the earth cry out, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (vs 48). This stuns Enoch. The earth is to be the celestial world or globe upon which Zion as the Kingdom of God will reign forever (see D&C 78:7, 14; 88:17-20, 25-26). At this point, Enoch pleads for the Lord to make a covenant in which He will have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods with him regarding the salvation of the earth: both man and globe! (vss 49-50). The Lord did make a covenant with Enoch. The details of the promises He made to Enoch will be discussed in the next section. The next part of the vision is critical in understanding the role the covenant plays in the big picture! Enoch asks: When Jesus Christ comes in the flesh to perform the atonement, shall the earth rest? He is shown a vision of Christ s crucifixion and the resurrection that took place when Christ was resurrected. He then saw many of the spirits as were in prison who had repented, come forth, and stood on the right hand of God However, those who refused the gospel were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day (vss 55-57). But the earth was still deluged in sin. Even the Lord s coming did not change the tide of wickedness that has flooded the earth. It does NOT appear that the Lord s eternal plan is working! And again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the earth rest? (7:58). This is so concerting to Enoch that he declares: We Jesus Christ come again on the earth? The Lord responded, using covenant language: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengance, to fulfill the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah; and the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth. But, the Lord concluded, my people will I preserve (vss 58-61). Then Enoch saw righteousness, like the rain that brought the flood in Noah s day (see Gen. 7:11-12), come down out of heaven; and as the fountain of waters that gushed out from the depths of the earth (see Gen. 7:11), truth would come forth out of the earth, to bear testimony Jesus Christ. Enoch saw that God would cause righteousness and truth to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect [i.e., scattered Israel] from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which [God would] prepare, an Holy City... called Zion, a New Jerusalem (vs 62). The Enoch saw his Zion come down out of Heavens with Jesus Christ at his second coming to gather with the latter-day Zion. The meeting would be emotional as they would both Zions would embrace each other in love. The Lord told Enoch: And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest (vs 63). The Promises Made to Enoch The following are the verses of scripture containing the promises made to Enoch. Note the word that as the main indicator of a promise. Enoch s plea for a covenant: And it came to pass that Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord, saying: I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods. (Moses 7:50) The Lord s response and the promises made by covenant: And the Lord could not withhold; and he covenanted with Enoch, and sware unto him with an oath, 1.... that he would stay the floods (Moses 7:51) 2....that he would call upon the children of Noah (Moses 7:51) 3.... that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand (Moses 7:52) 4. Blessed is he through whose seed Messiah shall come; for he saith--i am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whose cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy. (Moses 7:53) 5 As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah (Moses 7:60) 6.... that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself. (JST Gen. 9:21)
7.... that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy; And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch. (JST Gen. 9:22-23) And hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and the earth should come together; and the sons of God should be tried so as by fire. (JST 14:35) 8. For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world. (JST Gen. 14:30-31) In your write-up, in one or two sentences, summarize the promises made by God to Enoch. Abraham Sought for the Blessings of the Fathers Enoch was born 68 years before Adam died. Noah was born a few hundred years later. Abraham was born several hundred years after Noah, somewhere around 2000 B.C. The Biblical text tells us that Abraham was born in Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). He was born in the lineage of the chosen seed and from his father, Terah, he should have had priesthood authority conferred upon him as well as received all the blessings or ordinances of the priesthood. Unfortunately, Abraham tells us, his fathers had turned from their righteousness.. unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen (Abr. 1:5). Nonetheless, Abraham sought for [his] appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed (Abraham 1:4). Abraham said: And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers. (Abr. 1:2) With his fathers having turned from their righteousness, how did Abraham receive the priesthood? Read D&C 84:14-16 Who was Melchizedek? We know little about Melchizedek s lineage. Melchizedek was a king over the land and city of Salem, which many believe to have been Jerusalem (see Gen. 14:18; JST Gen. 14:25-40; Alma 13:14-19). Salem was in the land of Canaan, several hundred miles from where Abraham lived. It is not known whether Abraham knew of Melchizedek. But what was clear is that for Abraham to receive the priesthood ordinances of salvation at least the higher ordinances received in the temple Abraham would need to leave his home land and go to the land of Canaan. This came about when Abraham saw that it was needful for [him] to obtain another place of residence (Abr. 1:1) In his homeland of Ur, Abraham had turned against the state religion, and could not worship Jehovah in the way he thought he should. There was an attempt to kill Abraham by having him sacrificed on an altar. But the Lord intervened and freed him from his persecutors. Abraham saw the Almighty and was told: I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee, to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father. Then Abraham was told, As it was with Noah so shall it be with thee; but through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth forever (Abr. 1:18-19). The Promises Made to Abraham The promises made to Abraham when freed from the altar of death that through Abraham Jehovah s name would be known throughout the earth must have been staggering to Abraham. How would this happen? The answer is through the covenant God would make with Abraham. Having escaped Ur, Abraham with his wife fled to the land of Haran. While there, God told him of the promises he desired to make with Abraham. The following are the initial promises made to Abraham as found in Abraham 2. These promises can be divided into three major categories. Promises regarding Abraham s seed. Promises regarding land. Promises regarding the gospel and priesthood As you read through these promises, in your write-
up extract the promises and place each promise under their proper category. 6 But I, Abraham, and Lot, my brother's son, prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord appeared unto me, and said unto me: Arise, and take Lot with thee; for I have purposed to take thee away out of Haran, and to make of thee a minister to bear my name in a strange land which I will give unto thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession, when they hearken to my voice. 7 For I am the Lord thy God; I dwell in heaven; the earth is my footstool; I stretch my hand over the sea, and it obeys my voice; I cause the wind and the fire to be my chariot; I say to the mountains--depart hence--and behold, they are taken away by a whirlwind, in an instant, suddenly. 8 My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee. 9 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; 10 And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; 11 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal. In a sentence or two, summarize the promises made to Abraham. In a sentence or two, answer the following: How do the promises made to Abraham help fulfill the promises made to Enoch?