1 AND it came to pass that Enoch [ There's actually a Rabbinic source about Enoch. Enoch has kind of an intriguing, mixed tradition in Judaism. Some parts of Judaism that really like Enoch. There's other parts of Judaism that's like... Basically, they say you've got two kids. And one kid is always obedient. He stays next to you, does everything you ask. And one kid runs everywhere around the store and is always touching things, and pushing things, and you can never find them. And basically, they ask, "Which of these two kids are you going to make hold your hand?" Enoch right! so, Enoch walked with God because he was all over the place. ] continued his speech, saying: Behold, our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, [ Become - so they have done something on their end to qualify; believe, repent, and then the saving ordinances. They have become divinely commissioned, ordained to the priesthood, later given a commission like Jared, Enoch's father, to become preachers of righteousness See Moses 6:23. some Jewish traditions suggest that these sons of God were mighty human "judges or nobles" or dignitaries of the generation, whose fathers had been the dignitaries of the generation, and that the fathers did not restrain their sons from committing sin. ] and many have believed not, [ The story line continues with the same idea from the pre-existence. That there is choice, agency, there are two different contrasting ways. The devils way and Gods way. The writers continue to frame these two dichotomies for us. ] and have perished in their sins, [ Because they would not believe and repent. ] and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them.

2 And from that time forth Enoch began to prophesy, saying unto the people, that: As I was journeying, and stood upon the place Mahujah, and cried unto the Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying—Turn ye, and get ye upon the mount Simeon. [ Enoch goes to the top of the mountain - we do not know where this was exactly. So his experience was very similar to that of Moses. ]

3 And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; [ Mount Simeon. ] and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; [ Received his endowment. Or light and truth. Intelligence is the righteous application of knowledge so in other words we gain glory like unto God when we apply what we know in our heads to be true - knowledge, and apply the principles that our taught us through the spirit - our understanding. (D&C 93:36; 109:22) Transfigured as was Moses (Moses 1: 2,11) ]

4 And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; [ Enoch sees the Savior and talks to him face to face see Moses 7:4 footnote a. ] and he said unto me: Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations.

5 And it came to pass that I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum.

6 And again the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, [ Descendants of Cain? There is nothing that proves that the descendants of Cain lived in the land of Canaan. However, the curses or rather burdens of Cain and the verses above imply that the posterity of Cain may have lived in Canaan. See vs 8,12,22 see Abraham 1:21, 24. These are these are not the Canaanites from later in the Bible as these are pre-flood, and every one was destroyed in the flood. Okay. so, these are not the Canaanites in the land. Again, when Abraham comes to the Land of Canaan, when we get to it in a couple chapters in Genesis, these are different people. ] which dwelt in tents. [ The fact that these people dwelt in tents indicate these people lived a nomadic lifestyle. It appears from the textual evidence in Moses and Abraham that those who were cursed by the Lord in consequence of the conspiracy and murder of Abel may have lived in the land of Canaan as described by Enoch in Chapter Seven of Moses. The burden of Cain is seen in the history that follows as Enoch speaks of the linage of Cain and identifies aspects of the punishments a millennium later to those living in Canaan: (Moses 5, To Cain - (When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. Moses 5:37) (A fugitive and a vagabond shall thou be in the earth. Moses 5:37) (Cain (and his family) was shut out from the presence of the Lord. Moses 5:41) (All of them had covenanted with Satan; for they kept not the commandments of God, and it displeased God, and he ministered not unto them. Moses 5:52)) (Moses 7, Canaan - (The land shall be barren and unfruitful. (Moses 7:7) The Lord shall curse the land with much heat and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever. Moses 7:8) (And I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents. Moses 7:6 Tents imply a constant movement.) (None other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan. Moses 7:7 They (the people of Canaan) were despised among all people. Moses 7:8) (And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent. Moses 7:12)) ]

7 And the Lord said unto me: Prophesy; and I prophesied, saying: Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed; [ Enoch sees in vision that the descendants of Cain destroy the people of Shum. Enoch did not preach to the Canaanites, a band of people responsible for the annihilation of the people of Shum. When Mohammed started Islam around 600 A.D., he traveled through the areas where the people dwelt in tents. These were Bedouins, and families were often fighting against families over such things as grazing lands as they migrated with the rains and their herds of sheep and goats. Mohammed saw a need to establish peace among these fighting factions of families. He wanted to provide some sort of unifying religion that would establish peace in the lands. ] and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, [ Cain's descendants will still bring the curse and will not prosper. ] and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan;

8 For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness [ Vs 22 the mark; not the curse. The blackness that came upon the skins of the people of Canaan was because there was much heat in that region. Their black skin does not mean that it was one of the curses of Cain; rather, it implies the blackness was the result of a genetic adaptation for those who were living in that region. For context, the conditions described in this verse take place almost 1000 years after Cain murdered Abel. The black skin is not necessarily the mark placed on Cain and his descendants. Not all black skinned people are descendants of Cain. However in the early days of the church because the descendants of Cain were not easily identifiable the "policy of black not holding the priesthood" was instituted by implication in order to protect the doctrine. The Church has recently stated that the restriction of priesthood to the Blacks was a policy rather than a doctrine. Which is true. The doctrine however, is that the Seed of Cain could not have the right to the priesthood and a belief that the seed of Cain were black based on scriptural references, led to a general restrictive policy, to maintain the doctrine not knowing who might or might not be a descendant of Cain. Joseph Smith ordained Elijah Able to the priesthood. Some time after the ordination, while Joseph was translating the Book of Abraham and that he received the revelation that: "the seed of Cain would not hold the priesthood until the seed of Abel had chance to come to the earth and fulfill their responsibility". What was it that the seed of Cain lost? 1) The right to be a minister to the people (3 Ne. 28:18; 3 Ne 12:1) 2) to bear this ministry and Priesthood to all nations (Abr. 2:9). So then they lost the authorized responsibility to administer to all those who would like to participate in the gospel. So the seed of Cain was restricted from the right to administer the gospel; not the right to participate in the gospel. Priesthood is a responsibility of service not a requirement for salvation as we are taught in Ex. 32:26-29. ] came upon all the children of Canaan, [ Remember pre-flood Canaan which are not the same as post flood Canaan. ] that they were despised among all people.

9 And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: Look; and I looked, and I beheld the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannihah, and all the inhabitants thereof;

10 And the Lord said unto me: Go to this people, [ Those who he has seen in vision on the lands of Sharon, Enoch, Omner, Heni, Shem, Haner and Hanannihah. This is the beginning of Enoch's calling. ] and say unto them—Repent, lest I come out and smite them with a curse, and they die.

11 And he gave unto me a commandment [ An assignment, this is Enoch opening his mission call. Dear Brother Enoch you are called to labor everywhere except the people of Canaan. Why? Look at verse 7: They were a blood- thirsty and terrible people. ] that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and of the son, which is full of grace and truth, and of the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the son. [ Much along the lines of the baptismal prayer today see D&C 20: 73 shows the ordinances were the same. Interesting that God is consistent. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are faith, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins. sometimes as Latter- day Saints, as we talk, we get this notion that there's some kind of special dispensation of doctrine or something that the Lord has to give us before we can establish Zion. The principles on which Zion was established by Enoch are repentance, faith, baptism. It's nothing particularly special. There's no particular change that we need to have in order to establish Zion. ]

12 And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were the people of Canaan, [ All BUT the descendants of Cain Why? we do not know, and it does not matter the Lord has his reasons. The Saviors ministry only went to the people Israelites in the holy land. ] to repent;

13 And so great was the faith of Enoch [ As their leader, Enoch was able to establish peace among his people. First, he preached repentance. The Lord had specifically told Enoch to “prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent” (Moses 6:27; see also 7:10). So Enoch did. He exhorted the people to change their ways and come unto the Lord (see Moses 6:37; 7:12). A few people hearkened, and they created a small righteous society under the peaceful leadership of Enoch. As President Ezra Taft Benson observed: “Small numbers do not insure peace; only righteousness does. . . . The whole city of Enoch was peaceful; and it was taken into heaven because it was made up of righteous people. ] that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; [ So just as the descendants of Cain came down upon the people of Shum so the wars continued forward. ] and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; [ Fulfilling the promise made to him in Moses 6:34. ] and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him. [ Fulfilling the promise made in Moses 6:32 ]

14  There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, [ When the people of God were attacked, their enemies fled to "a land out of the depth of the sea". ] , and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea.

15 And the giants of the land, [ Large men like goliath, King Og in Deuteronomy 3:11 who's bed was 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide. ] also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God;

16 And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; [ Satan had his way and men became blood thirsty killing and conquering as they went on the land. ] but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness. [ The single most important function of an ancient temple was to be "a house for the god, his dwelling place." So is this suggesting that they built a temple! We need to remember that Moses is not giving the detail here of the city and it's buildings but is trying to convey the righteousness of the people who lived there and how they lived. In the case of Enoch's city, its inhabitants included all those who had accepted Enoch's preaching and had moved to Zion, or, as John Taylor described them, "were gathered together ... unto a place which they called Zion."( Journal of Discourses, 21:89: As "the head of that dispensation," Enoch "sent out missionaries among the people who had become very numerous. ... Many believed... and they were gathered together, as we are, unto a place which they called Zion.") And if gathered, then necessarily to build a temple, according to Joseph Smith, for the object of gathering in any age of the world is always to build a temple.( See Galbraith and Smith, Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 344) Hence Brigham Young said that even though "we have no account of it," Enoch must have had a temple and officiated therein.( Journal of Discourses, 18:303: "I will not say but what Enoch had temples and officiated therein, but we have no account of it.) Since Brother Brigham's day, Enoch texts have emerged that expressly refer to a temple among Enoch and his people, and relate that Enoch taught his sons to go to the temple.( "In the morning of the day and in the middle of the day and in the evening of the day it is good to go to the Lord's temple." 2 Enoch (J] 51:4, in Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 1:178. See also the translator's note on 179 that the reading of "temple" is attested throughout the manuscripts and "must be original." Another Enoch text referring to the temple is 3 Enoch, which as "the principal Hebrew record of Enoch's doings," notes Nibley, "is called the Hekhalot, or chambers of the temple, indicating the steps in initiation to which Enoch introduced his people as the guide or teacher of the ordinances." Nibley, Temple and Cosmos, 78. John, 2:162, citing 1 Enoch 33-35.) Enoch's cosmic city, built around a temple, was indeed the ancient pattern for the many temple cities that would later spring up throughout the ancient Near East. So is this literal or figurative that the Lord dwelt with them? We might imply that it ws literal as in the Garden of Eden as they were so righteous and we know that they were good enough that later he took them up - translated them. ]

17 The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, [ They recognized that the Lords people had and were protected by him. ] so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish.

18 And the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart [ This is their feelings and emotions, they were all of the same values. Enoch began his ministry among wicked people, and these two verses describe the results—He establishes Zion! It took over 300 years for Enoch to accomplish this character change in the people. Pure in heart D&C 97:21. We need to take note that it is not the Lord who made the people this way, rather it is the people who made the commitment to live a certain way, as a result the Lord called them Zion. Keep in mind Enoch has been teaching repentance to a people who had all fallen away. He is a new dispensational prophet and is trying to teach and preach repentance. His preaching intrudes into their existing culture and lifestyles. After a while the people begin to repent and change their hearts. Those who hearkened to Enoch's words were saved from further violence and bloodshed. By the time of Noah, all of the righteous people had been taken up unto the City of Enoch. Noah becomes the new dispensational prophet and the prophet of the restoration. The goal of every prophet since the days of Adam until the present has been to establish Zion. Yet Zion has failed to be established in every dispensation (except Enoch’s and Melchizedek’s) because of Babylon. And even in those cases, the world was so wicked that Zion had to flee. ] and one mind, [ There thoughts were all the same. They all put Christ first in their life. If Cain would have Christ first in his life he never would have come to the conclusion that Abel was something to be acted upon rather than something to act. We get this notion that we have to give up our individuality if we build Zion. To be one means we have to give up what makes us think of to be us and one thing I think is very clear and very important is in Zion, you are the most like you you will ever be, because remember, God has always known you, and he loves you for it. It's you he wants. And so, the consecrated you is still going to be... And it's going to be the most like you, you could possibly be. Do you think that this means that everyone always thinks the same here? I don't think so. The secret is learning how to get there. How do you learn to disagree in God's way? ] and dwelt in righteousness; [ They kept the covenants, they lived the celestial law D&C 105:5. This is really one of the few success stories in the bible, because the people applied the principles of God to their lives, they chose to do it. How are you doing in this effort Greg? ] and there was no poor among them. [ The purpose of gathering Israel is to build temples and eliminate the poor. All were taken care of. This is usually where the problem begins. Does it mean that the slacker is rewarded the same as the worker, I do not think so for I believe that this means that there are no slackers. All have the same work ethic and that is to work as hard as you can. It's this notion of getting what you deserve. Right? None of the good we deserve, right? It's not so bad as all that. But we're so concerned sometimes with fairness. And one of the beautiful things about the gospel of Jesus Christ is it's fundamentally unfair. If it were fair, we'd all go to hell. So many of the parables, especially the Laborers in the Vineyard, the Prodigal son is looking sideways instead of, "Oh look, I was paid. It was... Hey, wait a minute.'" It's looking sideways and comparing. And isn't that what CS Lewis said, "It's the pride isn't pleasure in having something, but having more of it than the next man." Because of their hearts, there was no poor. It wasn't, "There was no poor. so, that changed their hearts." We usually associate poor with poverty, but we might also rephrase the wording such that everyone is valued. I don't see someone as less valuable to Zion because of fill in the blank, the way they look, how much money they have, anything at all, any characteristic of them. I don't see them as less valuable. There is no poor among them, meaning everyone is valued. By definition if there is no poor among them then there is conversely no rich among them. Edward Partridge, who basically was in charge of Zion for a long time said, "I have torn myself from the affection of this world's goods." ]

19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city [ The city of Enoch. This is not the same city of Enoch discussed in Moses 5 as that city was built by Cain. Cain built the city because he could no longer farm per Gods punishment on him, so Cain built a city after his son named Enoch and based the city on industry and secret combinations. So we have a contrast here again of two cities both named Enoch. One built upon the precepts of man with secret combinations that are fundamentally fruited in this notion of everyone prospers according to their genius, and you don't need anybody else. Verse the city of Enoch that God calls Zion were people are of one heart and all prosper as one. ] that was called the City of Holiness, [ "City of Holiness" is all upper case. The son of God is called the Holy One of God, which means that he is perfect. Heavenly Fathers name in the language of Adam is "Man of Holiness". (Moses 7:35) So in all these titles denote that the city is a type as a place that the Son will walk, and then maybe one day the Father as well. ] even ZION.

20 And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord: Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But the Lord said unto Enoch: Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed. [ Not necessarily that the Lord has done it to them but they have become curse as they will be dealt with according to the law of justice, and since they have not repented they will be without the mean to be saved - hence they are cursed. Another way of saying it is there are alot who have choosen to be part of Zion, however, there are a lot that have not as well. ]

21 And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; [ He got to see the at least in part the plan that God had for the world. ] and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, [ Suggesting that it did not all happen at once. So did some go at first and then others joined later? ] was taken up into heaven. [ They were Translated: they were still mortal,still had to die although it is just an instant process. However Jesus had not paid the debt for our sins they could not be changed from mortality into immortality until after that had happened. Resurrection was necessary. Ans to Gospel questions 1:165, Teaching Prophet JS 170 This would have occurred 604 years before the flood, because we know that Enoch was born 4 years before Noah and Noah was 600 years old when he entered the ark (Gen 7:6). ] And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever. [ Enoch is seeing a future event where he also saw where the Lord dwelt. ]

22 And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, [ They were identified with dark skin. Not all people with darker skin are a descendant of Cain, so because they (the descendants of Cain) were not easily identifiable the "policy" was instituted by implication - such that anyone with dark skin could not hold the priesthood. ] and had not place among them. [ So Enoch put in place the policy that all black people had no place or standing in the priesthood, because there was no way to establish who was or was not a literal descendant of Cain. So the policy was implied in order to protect the doctrine. The church has stated that the restriction of priesthood to the Blacks was a policy not a doctrine. Which is true. The doctrine however, is that the Seed of Cain could not have the right to the priesthood and a belief that the seed of Cain were black were based on scriptures references, which lead to the general restrictive policy, to maintain the doctrine not knowing who might or might not be a descendant of Cain. So it is doctrine that the descendants of Cain were restricted from holding the priesthood, it was a policy that Blacks were restricted. Joseph Smith had not translated the Peril of Great Price when he ordained Elijah Able to the priesthood. At that time there was no initial question to initiate the revelation. After the ordination, Joseph translated the Book OF Abraham and received the revelation that: "the seed of Cain would not hold the priesthood until the seed of Able had a chance to come to the earth and fulfill their responsibility". Many have said that Able was killed and never able to have any posterity, therefore the descendants of Cain will never hold the priesthood in this life. That is not what Joseph Smith said. What was it that the seed of Cain lost? "to be a minister unto all the people 3 Ne. 28:18; "to minister unto you and be your servants" 3 Ne. 12:1; "they shall bear this ministry and priesthood unto all nations" Alma 2:9. So they lost the authorized responsibility to administer to all those who would like to participate in the gospel. So they lost the right to the administration of the gospel not the participation in the gospel. ]

23 And after that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld, and lo, all the nations of the earth were before him; [ Enoch is now going to be lead forward in time to see the events that will take place on the earth, the first one being the great flood. According to The Book of Enoch it was Adam (Michael the chief angel who would be his guide and tutor) (1 Enoch 25) Going forward we are taught here the following 4 things: 1. God’s reluctance to send the Flood and his great sorrow at the event. 2. The peculiar brand of wickedness that made the Flood mandatory. 3. The frank challenge of the wicked to have God do his worst. 4. The happy and beneficial side of the event—it did have a happy outcome. ]

24 And there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom [ Enoch is with the Father and the son when he sees this part of the vision. ] of the Father, and of the son of Man; [ Title for Christ - The "son of God" and the "son of Man" are synonymous... In the pure Adamic language, the name Elohim, the Father, is "Man of Holiness" (signifying that God is a Holy Man), and the name of Christ, the son, is short for "son of Man of Holiness" (Mormon Doctrine p671; Moses 6:57. ] and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth. [ Enoch see what's going to take place after Zion is taken up into heaven. After Zion is taken up, Satan begins to run rampant over all the earth. The people had all become corrupt; 2) the power of the water was over the entire earth. Satan had to have thought a great victory when so many souls were destroyed by the flood. This is the time after the City of Enoch is taken and wickedness is rampant. This was the great day of Satan's power! Satan was in complete control. This is what led up to the destruction and cleansing of the Flood. ]

25 And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice saying: Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth. [ The final warning to the people to repent; if not your destruction awaits. There are detractors who ignorantly ask, “How can a loving and a just God destroy all of the people?” As we will see in this record, there was just no other way to save those yet unborn spirits than to have that kind of complete cleansing take place. The world was in such a state anyone born had no chance of choosing righteousness. The world was that wicked! ]

26 And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, [ He had ensnared (with addiction physical and mental) the people so that it was not a cord but a chain symbolic of the power that he welded over them. Chains are symbolic of bondage, slavery, people who can no longer control their lives. This vicious order was riveted down by solemn oaths and covenants of which we read a great deal in the Enoch literature. When the Sons of Heaven marry the Daughters of the Sons of Men, their leader Semiazus says, in a very recently discovered Greek fragment, “I fear you will not be willing to do this thing. ” So they say, “Let us swear an oath and bind ourselves all to each other. Then they all swore oaths and bound each other by them.” ] and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he [ Satan. The Adversary will glorify himself and rejoice with his followers in their works. The devil “laughed, and his angels rejoiced.” As a result, the order of the entire earth will change and every fruit and plant will change its season, awaiting the time of destruction. ] looked up and laughed, [ Picture this for a moment. Satan looking up, it would be like he is laughing at those who are addicted, laughing at those who are in bondage to sin, and then looking up and mocking God himself, can you picture that? ] and his angels rejoiced. [ Who are his(satans) angels? Some Enoch texts tell of false priesthoods in the days of Seth. They’re not worshipping devils, but what they did do was create a clever imitation of the true order of things. It was the deliberate exploitation of the heavenly order as a franchise for sordid earthly ambitions. Another text says the ordinances have degenerated into a false baptism of filthy water. According to the Slavonic Secrets of Enoch, it was administered by false angels: “Woe unto you who pervert the eternal covenant and reckon yourselves sinless.” It was no open revolt against God but a clever misuse of his name; no renunciation of religion but a perversion of piety. “The time is approaching when all life is to be destroyed on earth, for in those days there shall be great disorder on the earth.” The Adversary will glorify himself and rejoice with his followers in their works. The earth itself will be shaken and lose all solidarity. It is the reversal of all values as men worship: “Not the righteous law; they deny the judgment and take my name in vain.” This vicious order was riveted down by solemn oaths and covenants of which we read a great deal in the Enoch literature. (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=mi Hugh Nibley) ]

27 And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, [ So these are translated Terrestrial ministering angels who come down from the city of Enoch to minister, teach and then gather the righteous into the Church of the Firstborn. Then they are caught up as well and will be saved from the flood. A type for our day. ] bearing testimony of the Father and son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, [ So there were a lot that were righteous and repented. ] and they were caught up [ Translated See TG Translated Beings. ] by the powers of heaven [ Elder Orson Pratt said speaking of Enoch's Zion "...among other things they learned the great doctrine and principle of translation, for that is doctrine, the same as the doctrine of resurrection of the dead, which is among the first principles of the plan of salvation; and we may also say that the doctrine of translation, which is intimately connected with that of the resurrection, is also one of the first principles of the doctrines of Christ." ] into Zion. [ Or the City of Enoch at this point. "Zion" literally means "sunny place or "sunny mountain" It was first designated an eminence in Palestine on which Jerusalem is built. In D&C, Zion has 3 designations: First, the land of America; second, a specific place of gathering; and third, the pure in heart. David O McKay; "Zion Shall Flourish" Improvement Era Feb 1959, 33. Eventually, the people of the City of Enoch were translated and taken from off the earth. But that didn't mean that those who weren't in the city at the time were out of luck. Even after Zion was taken off the earth, there were still those taking up residence in the city. Where is the city of Enoch today? As for their location now, it's quite possible the citizens of the City of Enoch still reside within it. However, we know from History of the Church that those who are translated are often given ministry assignments, as with Enoch. Now this Enoch God reserved unto Himself, that he should not die at that time, and appointed unto him a ministry unto terrestrial bodies, of whom there has been but little revealed. . . . He [Enoch] is a ministering angel, to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation and appeared unto Jude as Abel did unto Paul; therefore Jude spoke of him (History of the Church, 4:209). It's very possible, then, that the citizens of the City of Enoch have ministry assignments of their own and are "ministering angels unto many planets," (History of the Church, 4:210). ]

28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, [ Those that were left; those who would not repent. Enoch would have asked, “Why did God throw the universe out of gear?” to which God answers in The Pistis Sophia, “For a wise purpose, for those who are destroyed would have destroyed everything.” As it is, God had to hold back the destroyers until the last moment. The great danger to all existence was that the perverters knew too much. “Their ruin is accomplished because they have learned all the secrets of the angels and all the violence of Satan”; the threat is from them who have received the ordinances but have removed themselves from the law of the gospel. One must be willing to accept the law of God and the law of the gospel before he is qualified to receive the rest of the ordinances. However; they had received the ordinances, but they were not keeping the basic laws on which the ordinances were given, beginning with the law of obedience. Still, employing the forms and knowledge they had, they set up a counter-religion and way of life. Howeverfrom the Zohar we leran that the only redeeming feature was that the fallen angels who had perverted the human race had not learned all the mysteries in their heavenly condition (we’re told in a Gizeh fragment), and so were not able to give away everything. As it was, their power for evil was almost unlimited. ] and he [ God the Father. ] wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, [ As if to say I did not think that a God would have stresses that would cause him to weep, we often think that God just sits there and everything goes just fine so there is no need for sorry. Here we see that there is. Just as parent here feel bad when their children exercise their agency for that which is not good. So here we have God weeping, and next he associated that weeping with rain. We know what happens next in the story - we have a great flood on the land. So the weeping of God brings forth the flood. Interesting to think about right? ] and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep[ God explains in effect, “I know just how you feel; what you fail to understand is not that I had good reason for doing what had to be done, but that I feel much worse about it than you ever could!” “For thou comest far short of being able to love my creation more than I!”. Enoch bears testimony that the God of heaven actually wept. It is a shocking thing to say, but here again, if we go to another Enoch text(a Enoch text that was not around at the time of Joseph Smith), there it is! When God wept over the destruction of the temple, we’re told in one of the midrashim that it was Enoch who fell on his face and said, “I will weep, but weep not thou!” God answered Enoch and said, “If thou [Enoch] wilt not suffer me to weep, I God will go whither thou canst not come and there I will lament” —in other words, it’s none of your business if I want to weep. The significant thing is that the strange conversation in both stories is between God and a particular individual—Enoch. How would Joseph Smith know that? ] , seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? [ Powerful; God loves us enough that he will cry for us. This is what we fail to understand is that I(God) have good reason for doing what have to be do, and I feel much worse about it than you could. You my son come far short of being able to love my creatures more than I, but that is a really good question. Enoch is saying that since God can just make more and more forever why does it hurt so bad as to cry for those that are lost? I think that this gives us an idea that we are more to our Heavenly Father than just a simple creation, one among many, no we each have a purpose in his plan, we each have a destiny, and we sat with him before our journey here to earth. In that discussion he told us what we would need to be careful of and what gifts we would have. In other words we had a relationship, so it is hard anytime that you have a relationship with someone to see that relationship, or the person to which we have feelings for, drift from sacred truths. I think it also allows us to express emotions in life, they are God like characteristics. ]

30 And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever;

31  And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; [ When God took the city of Enoch from the earth, the Lord covenanted with Enoch that he would make His city, His abode forever. ] and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; [ The specific one's he is referencing here are those that are wicked - those that were left on the earth, those that will eventually be destroyed. Enoch is I suppose a little caught up in the fact that so many have been taken up, he is rejoicing in that. Here God teaches him yes that is true but look at how many did not make it, that were caught in the snares of Satan. God is worried about each and every one of us. ] they are the workmanship of mine own hands, [ He knows them, they are his children, he has spent time with them in the pre-mortal world, he has a relationship with them .] and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; [ As was part of the plan; he knew full well that many of us would not make it back. We also get a glimpse of just how important the agency of man is, enough that God knew many would not return; but he also knew that was how we would grow. Note: when Joseph Smith revises JST, he changes it to, "And man had agency in the garden of Eden." It is because of agency of man that God is going to have to flood the earth and they have become so wicked "behold they are without affection; they hate their own blood"(Verse 33). ]

33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they [ My children. ] should love one another, and that they should choose me, [ Choose to do his will; in essence to submit our will to his will and become like him. Be obedient - the first law of the gospel. ] their Father; but behold, they are without affection,[ The only love that they have is for themselves. They have become like the master that they have chosen to follow. Satan who is without affection. ]and they hate their own blood; [ Again their master hates all blood as he has none, so his desire is to have man hate all blood as well. To hate your own blood means there were abortions. The people were so lacking in affection that they not only rejected the Father but hated their own unborn children—their own posterity! This is a key reason why the Flood was sent! Wow - where are we now? (Gen. 6:11-12) ]

34 And the fire of mine indignation [ Anger. ] is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, [ The angels of God had been pleading with God for some time, urging him to unleash the destruction. (The same thing is happening today. The angels protest, “Why do you let this go on so long?”) ] for my fierce anger is kindled against them.

35 Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; [ Do you think that God would not have counseled with all that he could. We know that the angels where calling for the destruction of the wicked. The great heavenly angels, viewing these horrors from above and seeing only one solution, asked God how long he was going to permit Satan to get away with it. This is another aspect of theodicy: Must not God put an end to men when their evil deeds threaten far greater destruction than their own demise would be? The Pistis Sophia (transcribed, as it tells us in the introduction, from an earlier book of Enoch) asks, “Why did God throw the universe out of gear?” and answers, “For a wise purpose, for those who are destroyed would have destroyed everything.” As it is, God had to hold back the destroyers until the last moment. The great danger to all existence was that the perverters knew too much. “Their ruin is accomplished because they have learned all the secrets of the angels and all the violence of Satan”; the threat is from them who have received the ordinances but have removed themselves from the law of the gospel. One must be willing to accept the law of God and the law of the gospel before he is qualified to receive the rest of the ordinances. They had received the ordinances, but they were not keeping the basic laws on which the ordinances were given. Still, employing the forms and knowledge they had, they set up a counter-religion and way of life. It was a time, says the Zohar, when the name of the Lord was called upon profanely. “In the days of Jared my father,” says Enoch to Methuselah, “they transgressed the covenant of heaven; they sinned and betrayed the law of the gospel. They mingled with women and sinned with them. They also married and bore children, but not according to the spirit, but by the carnal order only.” They changed the ordinances, they married under a different order. According to the Psalm of Solomon, an early Syriac document discovered in 1906, “The secret places of the earth were doing evil, the son lay with the mother and the father with the daughter, all of them committed adultery with their neighbor’s wives, they made solemn covenants among themselves concerning these things, and God was justified in his judgments upon the nations of the earth.” (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=mi Hugh Nibley) ] and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.

36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all [ He knows them, he has power over them – ownership, if you put something in your hand you have control of it. ] the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, [ Know everything that is happen on and to them. ] and among all the workmanship of mine hands [ Among all of the worlds that he has created ] there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren. [ This earth that we are on has the most wicked people on it of any of the worlds that God created. The Lord provides for opposition in all things and it would only make since if the Savior for all of the worlds would come here then the most corrupt men would also be here as well. These wicked people are the descendants of Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahaleel and Jared. They had a memory of these previous Patriarchs. ]

37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father , [ Symbolic of inheritance; you inherit from your father; so if Satan is their Father they will get their inheritance from him as well. ] and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? [ Or how can I let my children come to earth if they have no chance of choosing righteousness. ]

38 But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; [ The doors to the prison will not open until Christ goes to the world of spirits] a prison [see Luke 16:26; 1 Peter 3:19-20 ] have I prepared for them.

39 And That [ Capitalized pronoun refers to Jesus Christ. ] which I have chosen hath pled before my face. [ Christ then is our advocate with the Father D&C 45:3-5. ] Wherefore, he [ Christ. ] suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent [ The atonement will be available to those and only those who feel the need to repent. 2 Ne 9:21. ] in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, [ Christ will return unto the Father as a resurrected being. There will be a short time in between that Christ will open the prison doors. ] and until that day [ The day when the prison doors are opened and they hear and accept the gospel in spirit prison. ] they [ The wicked. ] shall be in torment; [ Those who don’t repent will suffer even as Christ suffered (D&C 19:16-18). Christ is pleading for these children of men (those who know not the Gospel), yet the heavens weep because they will not repent and choose God as their Father. ]

40 Wherefore, for this [ The wickedness of the people that requires them to still be separated from the Father after they die. ] shall the heavens weep, [ The rain will come and will not cease until all of the children of God except a few whom he will save in the ark will be drowned. ] yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

41 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his [ Enoch. ] arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; [ Granted a characteristic that God has; as a result he could know and understand just how God feels. Then God tells them, I am not happy about that either”; no one in heaven is, for that matter. ] and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook. [ Compare this verse with 1 Enoch 65:1. [When] Noah saw the earth... that its destruction was nigh, 2. ... He arose... and went to the ends of the earth, and cried aloud to his grandfather Enoch; and Noah said three times in an embittered voice: “Hear me, hear me, hear me!”... And thereupon there was a commotion on the earth. ... And Enoch my grandfather came and stood by me, and said to me: Why hast thou cried unto me with a bitter cry and weeping? ]

42 And Enoch also saw Noah, [ Nuah in Hebrew means rest. So the question that Enoch is asking God is when will all of this hatered stop, when will the earth come to rest? And the answer begins with Noah, kind of a play on words. Going forward Enoch will see how it will all play out until the end. ] and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation; [ Compare with "1 Enoch 84:5. Enoch: And now, O Lord and Great King, I implore thee and beseech thee to fulfill my prayer, and to leave me [Enoch] a posterity on earth, and not destroy all the flesh of man." and with "Secrets of Enoch 23:82. And I know that this race will be destroyed entirely, and Noah my brother will be saved for the procreation of offspring, and that a numerous race will arise from his seed, and Melchizedek will become the head of the priests." ]

43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, [ Blessed or protected the ark. God would protect Noah and his family as this was how righteousness would be preserved upon the earth. Or God was going to do a reset on the earth through Enochs lineage. In the Greek Enoch, on the other hand, it is Enoch who says, “Noah shall be the remnant in whom you will rest for a season and his sons from all the impurities and the filthiness, sins and wickedness . . . of the earth”(M. Black, ed., Apocalypsis Henochi Graecae (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1976), x:20; 106:18.) ] and held it in his own hand; [ Took personal responsibility to keep it from harms way during the flood and the storms that caused it. Enoch is seeing the end of his own generation. According to Jewish tradition, Noah married Enoch’s daughter, Bet Enosh, thus fulfilling the prophecy that Enoch’s posterity would live through the flood (v 52), and live through the end of the earth. ] but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.

44 And as Enoch saw this, he had bitterness of soul, [ This was a R rated scene; it was depressing to see so much carnage and dispair. Enoch is overcome with emotion as he see's all of this destruction of the human race. ] and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted ;[ He did not understand at first God's plan. He was not spiritually informed at this point. It will be Michael who will comfort Enoch: “Why art thou disquieted with such a vision? Until this day lasted the day of His mercy; and He hath been merciful and long-suffering towards those who dwell on earth.” (1 Enoch 60:5-6). ] but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look. [ When Enoch “refused to be comforted” in view of the impending flood, God showed him Noah and he was comforted. God shows him the plan, the coming of a Messiah, and the eventual triumph of God's purposes. Conference Report Oct 1987. ]

45 And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, [ When Enoch “refused to be comforted” in view of the impending flood, God showed him Noah and he was comforted. He also showed him the ark and “that the Lord smiled upon it and held it in his own hand” (Moses 7:43), even as in 1 Enoch 67:2 he sees the mysterious structure built by the angels, which on later evidence turns out to be the ark, with the promise, “I will place my hand upon it [the ark] and preserve it”. ] he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the day of the Lord come? [ How long before the Savior comes to the earth? ] When shall the blood of the Righteous [ Christs atoning sacrifice. Enoch jas seen the world and what is to come and now wants to know. When will the Lord come? When will his blood be shed? When is He going to die so that salvation can come? He sees that Noah and his family survive the flood and that the earth is going to be repopulated, and he wants to know when salvation will eventually be obtained. ] be shed, that all they that mourn [ Those who have recognized that they have sinned and choose to repent. ] may be sanctified [ Cleansed through the atonement. ] and have eternal life? [ The kind of life that God has - Celestial kingdom. ]

46 And the Lord said: It shall be [ God is answering Enoch and says that there will be a way out, it will be ok in the end. ] in the meridian [ The high point. In astronomy, the meridian is a north-south line passing exactly overhead that divides the sky in half. Meridian literally means “midday.” The sun culminates (reaches its high point) as it passes over the meridian. Time before that “passover” is called ante meridian (A.M., or “before midday”), and afterward it is post meridiem (P.M., or “after midday”). The scriptural meaning of “the meridian of time” has been interpreted by Church leaders to be essentially the same as the astronomical meaning: that is, the coming of Christ marked the high noon, so to speak, of the earth’s temporal existence. Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “The meridian of time is the middle or high point of that portion of eternity which is considered to be mortal time. Since Christ lived, ministered, and worked out the atonement in time’s meridian, such era was truly the high point of history.” ] of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance. [ So when wickedness is at a high point. ]

47 And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the son of Man, [ Title for Christ - The "son of God" and the "son of Man" are synonymous... In the pure Adamic language, the name Elohim, the Father, is "Man of Holiness" (signifying that God is a Holy Man), and the name of Christ, the son, is short for "son of Man of Holiness" (Mormon Doctrine p671; Moses 6:57. ] even in the flesh; [ As a mortal. ] and his [ Enoch's. ] soul rejoiced, [ As he was promised that he would feel glad in verse 44. ] saying: The Righteous [ Christ vs 45. ] is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain [ Jesus Christ the "Lamb of God" - Lambs without blemish were used to sacrifice since the days of Adam as a similitude. ] from the foundation of the world; [ During the grand council in heaven where the Father presented the plan in the first place. This was all given to us in heaven before we came here, it was the plan from the foundation of the world, it was always the plan. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ by the Father that he might atone for our sins. ] and through faith [ True faith is only based upon faith in Christ. ] I am in the bosom of the Father, [ I have what I need that I might return and live with him again. ] and behold, Zion [ The city of Enoch. ] is with me.

48 And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, [ Enoch tells the people,“you do not obey, you are puffed up and are vain; therefore, your destruction is consummated, and there is no mercy or peace for you.” All of this from an apocryphal source. That’s interesting, because he Enoch in the Pearl of Great Price hears a voice from the bowels of the earth, saying, “Wo, wo is me, the mother of men. . . . When shall I rest?” (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=mi Hugh Nibley) ] the mother of men; [ The earth and the ecosystem that provides for the life of man. ] 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 [ ‘a season’ = Millennium. ] abide upon my face? [ The earth is speaking here. In D&C 88 the earth upon which we dwell is a living thing, it will become sanctified as well, It is not the fault of the earth that wickedness prevails on her, she has kept the law given her. Joseph Fielding Smith Church History & Modern Revelation 2 Vols. 1:366-67. ]

49 And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? Wilt thou not bless the children of Noah? [ " The Lord here (in the D&C 88) informs us that the earth on which we dwell is a living thing, and that the time will come when it will be sanctified from all unrighteousness. In the Pearl Of Great Price, when Enoch is conversing with the Lord, he hears the earth crying for deliverance from the inquiry upon her face...It is not the fault of the earth that wickedness prevails upon her face, for she has been true to the law which she received and that law is the celestial law. Therefore the Lord saya tha the earth shall be sanctified from all unrighteousness" (Church History and Modern Revelation Joseph Fielding Smith Vol 1 pg 366-367. ]

50 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, [ He teaches us how to pray, and asked that God will never flood the earth again. ] that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, [ So everyone that was on the earth after Noah. ] that the earth might never more be covered by the floods.

51 And the Lord could not withhold; [ Enochs prayer moved God such that he covenanted with Enoch. ] and he covenanted with Enoch, [ The Lord covenants that he will stay any future floods, and assures Enoch that the Gospel would again come forth and the people would be able to hear it. When the Lord promises Noah in Genesis that He will never again destroy the earth by flood, it is because of the prayers of Enoch that the Lord honors His promise (Gen 9:11-15). ] and sware unto him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; [ That there would never be another flood that would cover the face of the earth again. ] that he would call upon [ Preach the gospel. ] the children of Noah;

52 And he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his [ Enoch's. ] seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand; [ So the entire population of man will never be destroyed as long as the earth is around. One of those places that suggests that the flood could have been understood as a local flood rather than a worldwide flood. If Noah is the progenitor of the entire earth, then a promise that a remnant seed is found around the earth is not a meaningful promise, because all of the earth is a remnant of his seed. There is evidence in scripture, the same thing. It says in Genesis, the whole earth will be flooded. But of course the Hebrew there is going to be ‘erets, and ’erets means "land". And so, you could translate that the whole land will be flooded. I'm not saying that the flood was not worldwide. That's above my pay grade to make that claim. But there are places in scripture, including here in Restoration Scripture, that are suggestive that it may not have been. ]

53 And the Lord said: Blessed is he [ Noah. ] through whose seed Messiah shall come; [ Here is that connection of the literal seed as it connects to Christ. This right of the Firstborn, this right to administer, was also given to Enoch, and it passed down to Noah. This is what Abraham desired – that right that passed down from the fathers. This right can be traced back from Abraham to Shem; from Shem to Noah; from Noah to Enoch, and from Enoch to Adam. This is all part of the Patriarchal Priesthood. ] for he saith—I am Messiah, [ "the anointed", "The King and Deliverer"] the King of Zion, [ King of the pure in Heart D&C 97:21. Kingship is a form of government, is not an inevitability. ] the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; [ Who's atoning sacrifice in eternal ] whoso cometh in at the gate [ Repents and is baptized 2 Ne. 31:17-18. ] and climbeth up [ Continues to work out their own salvation through obedience and partaking of the oaths and covenants (ordinances) of the gospel. ] by me [ Of Jesus Christ. ] shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy. [ Shall gain exaltation. ]

54 And it came to pass that Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying: When the son of Man [ Title for Christ - The "son of God" and the "son of Man" are synonymous... In the pure Adamic language, the name Elohim, the Father, is "Man of Holiness" (signifying that God is a Holy Man), and the name of Christ, the son, is short for "son of Man of Holiness" (Mormon Doctrine p671; Moses 6:57. ] cometh in the flesh, shall the earth rest? [ Does everything become ok when the Savior comes to the earth? ] I pray thee, show me these things.

55 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Look, and he looked and beheld the son of Man lifted up on the cross, [ The crucifixion. ] after the manner of men; [ As it was done by men as a custom in his day. While it was how men were often crucified we see here it says "after the manner of men" which menas like unto the way the men are crucified,but there is something as well that is different. IN the sake of Jesus the difference was that He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane when He took upon himself our sins. That pain caused Him to bleed from every pore! (Mosiah 3:7) Christ's spirit had more control over His physical body than did other men’s spirits. He had power over death, and He chose the time when He would “give up the ghost” ( ).John 19:30). So while the cross was the manner it was not the thing that decided when he would die. ]

56 And he [ Enoch. ] heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations [ Note it is plural not singular. ] of God mourned; [ See Mediation and the Atonement page 148-149, John Taylor “It was not just our planet that shook, but All eternity mourned as the agony was so great”. ] and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the saints arose, [ Those who were resurrected at the time of Christ's resurrection (D&C 133:54-55) to get the detail of exactly who was resurrected at this time. ] and were crowned at the right hand [ Symbolic of those favored of God - those who have elected to make and keep their covenants in righteousness. ] of the son of Man, with crowns of glory;

57 And as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; [ Symbolic of those favored of God - those who have elected to make and keep their covenants in righteousness. ] and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day. [ Or the final judgement of man. ]

58 And again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the earth rest? [ Seems to be a re-occurring theme with Enoch. He started this question a while back. The first response to his question was to see Noah and the flood, then the Savior on the cross, and earthquakes... He asks again here so is this rest, because I think you and I have different meanings to the word rest. ]

59 And Enoch beheld the son of Man ascend up unto the Father; and he called unto the Lord, saying: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? Forasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, [ Enoch walked with God and gained the confidence to say "I know thee" (Moses 6:39;) Confidence in the presence of God (D&C 121:45). ] and thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask [ This exchange was for Enoch as a result he was permitted to ask whatsoever he wanted to know. ] in the name of thine Only Begotten; thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne , [ The Lord granted him into his presence so that the exchange of information was as a man would converse with another man. According to Joseph Smith, "this Enoch God reserved unto himself" to be "a ministering angel, to minister to those who would be heirs of salvation."(Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith Pg 194) Suggesting to me that Enoch then became the very "angel of the presence" or "the Prince of the Presence," or "the great prince of the throne of God," the prince on whom the Lord placed his name and who was appointed as the special representative. ] and not of myself, but through thine own grace; [ Permission was granted not because of the power of Enoch but because Heavenly Father wanted to do it for Enoch - his presence had waxed strong enough in the presence of the Lord that he was brought to the Lords side. ] wherefore, I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth.

60 And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, [ A firm declaration of commitment and promise. This is the Eternal Covenant where God is putting his position on the line. Or if I am God so help me that I will do this or I am not God. So if this does not take place he will cease to be God. ] even so will I come in the last days, [ I will return again a second time - in the latter days; or the end of days for the earth in it's presence state. ] in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath [ The promise. ] which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah; [ Vs 51 which was to preach the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. So the covenant of Noah is made also with Enoch. The children of Noah is us, the descendants of Noah in the last dispensation. ]

61 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, [ This will take place at the beginning of the millennium. ] but before [ The Lord interjects that before the beginning of the millennium the follow will happen - and the Lord outlines the events that will lead up to the millennium. ] that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness [ Spiritual deprivation due to the absence of light. ] shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, [ Natural disasters in the sky; comets, falling stars, solar disruptions... ] and also the earth; [ Upheaval of the earth with earthquakes, floods...natural disasters. ] and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; [ "my people" the latter day saints - Israel. The key word here is preserve; which does not mean that the saints will not have great suffering; just that they will prevail. The verse that follows teaches us how he will do that - through righteousness. ]

62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; [ Is this also the return of the Lost Ten Tribes with their righteousness? Is this also those who are righteous on other planets? This righteousness is coming from heaven - it is revelation(personal and for the church as a whole). 1 Ne 14:14 In April Conference 2023 President Nelson said the following: "I know that His power is descending upon His covenant-keeping people, who are “armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory." Was he just quoting scripture or was he giving us an idea of where we are at in the timeline? He says that he is bearing witness that "His power is descending". In this verse it says descended so we are talking about verse here. 1 Ne 22:16-17; In addition; "we have seen the fulfillment of that prophecy in our generation. The Book of Mormon has come forth out of the earth...The Father himself appeared with His son to Joseph Smith..." Ezra Taft Benson Ensign 1986 79-80. This is how God will bring forth his new city on earth is through righteousness. ] and truth will I send forth out of the earth, [ The Book Of Mormon, as well as other scriptures and revelations. The only truth that has come up out the ground to this day is the Book Of Mormon. So to this point the saints will be able to prevail in the last days because of revelation and the Book Of Mormon. ] to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; [ BofM which is another witness of Jesus Christ. ] his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth [ Or in other words you cannot stop it. Joseph Smith "And now, I ask how righteousness and truth are going to sweep the earth as with a flood? I will answer Men and angels are going to be co-workers in bringing to pass this great work...even a new Jerusalem... " History Of Church 2:260; President Benson taught "The Book of Mormon is the instrument that God designed to sweep the earth with a flood...the time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book Of Mormon for many reasons which the Lord has given." Ensign Nov 1988,4-5. (See also D&C 17:6) ] as with a flood, [ Good example for us in the power that it will come forth, as there is no way to stop a flood, it simply has too much raw power. ] to gather out [ President Nelson has said, "The most important thing you can be doing right now is the Gathering of Israel." Fundamentally, the work to gather Israel and the work of building Zion are the same thing. And this idea of coming together and being a holy people and building a holy city. It's all the same thing. It's all God's work. This is what the Church of Jesus Christ is for. ] mine elect [ He told us earlier in this verse exactly how he would do that. By revelation and by the Book Of Mormon. Mine elect, my people, my church are those that hear my voice and harden not their hearts D&C 29:7 that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem. Moses 7:62 - among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name - 3 Nephi 18:16 it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel - 3 Nephi 27:8 for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do 3 Nephi 27:21. ] from the four quarters of the earth, [ Symbolic of the entire earth. ] unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, [ A New Jerusalem. ] that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, [ The place where he will live. It will have his presence (ie. tabernacle). ] and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, [ The New Jerusalem is the city of Joseph. It is the promised blessings to the children of Asenath. Asenath is the wife of Joseph Gen. 46:20 "in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him." According to Apocrypha, Asenath is visited by the Lord and receives a new name which is "a City of Refuge".The significance here is that in the last days the lord would provide a "city of refuge" for her children - Manasseh and Ephraim. This city of refuge is the new Jerusalem. Joseph once forgave his brothers and saved them from destruction. Think about it is this not the same thing that his sons Ephraim and Manasseh are doing for the creations of God today? This new city is her sacred city of refuge. With such overwhelming knowledge how can one not begin to understand why the tribe of Joseph is favored above all of the other tribes of Israel. The rest of the tribes of Israel will receive their inheritances in the ancestral homelands of their fathers. They do not all have residences in the New Jerusalem. "When the time comes that these calamities we read of, shall overtake the earth, those that are prepared will have the power of translation, as they had in former times, and the city will be translated. And Zion that is on the earth will rise, and the Zion above will descend, as we are told...Journal Of Discourses 21:253. Such that the City Of Enoch will meet the inhabitants of New Jerusalem. ] and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, [ Embrace with love. We will recognize each other, we will recognize that we are all about the same work. Eventually, Enoch and those of the City of Enoch will be reunited with the righteous on the earth. ] and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

64 And there [ This New Jerusalem. ] shall be mine abode, [ Will be where I live. ] and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth [ Is this suggesting that the peoples from all of the other earths will come forth and visit our planet - the site of the New Jerusalem - the place where God will be reigning during the millenium? Is this another reason why there will be a new heaven because as you look up to the heavens you will never see them the same again. ] out of all the creations which I have made; [ All of the earths that have been created by him are also be inhabited by his children. After all did he not create it for us? We need to consider this verse as well in the scope of God and all of his creations. Those creations include not only all of those who are upon the earth but the creations that are in the galaxies of the solar system. His creation extend far beyond this world - there literally are trillions of galaxies (not planets but galaxies) that we know about. If only 20% of the planets in these galaxies have life on them - think of the grand size. It is more than I can comprehend. But then think about this, there are that many people and we have the opportunity to be part of the House of Israel. We are those who can rule and reign with the house of Israel, and the household of God forever! Chew on that for a minute. See D&C 133:26-32. ] and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest. [ The answer to the question that Enoch has continued to ask. So the answer is during the Millennium there will be rest for the period of 1,000 years. There's your promise, Enoch, there's your rest. Enoch has had the plan of salvation framed for him here. It began back Moses 6 which was all about Adam, and the Fall, and Redemption. And then this is all about Jesus Christ and salvation. For Enoch it started with the city of Enoch being built and the vision ends with the city of New Jerusalem being built and Jesus returning to rule and reign. Gathering Israel, building Zion, this is the work of the Restoration. It may be that for the Saints or the followers of Jehovah, in ancient days, in the days of Genesis, they didn't need to know that out of Enoch because it was not as useful to them. Obviously, they're concerned with their own things, but for you and I today, this is what we're here for. We're here to build Zion. We're here to prepare the earth for Jesus to come again, so we'll rest again. ]

65 And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the son of Man, [ The second coming - title for Christ - The "son of God" and the "son of Man" are synonymous... In the pure Adamic language, the name Elohim, the Father, is "Man of Holiness" (signifying that God is a Holy Man), and the name of Christ, the son, is short for "son of Man of Holiness" (Mormon Doctrine p671; Moses 6:57] in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years; [ "Those who have lived the telestial law will be removed" from the earth. "The gospel will be taught more intently...Satan will be bound so he cannot tempt man...Those who refuse to accept the gospel will be accursed (Isaiah 65:20" See Answers to Gospel Questions Vol 1 pg 108, 110-111. ]

66 But before that day he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, [ See D&C 88:90 "the waves of the sea heaving herself beyond her bounds.:"] and men’s hearts failing them, [ Discouraged, depression, gloom. What is the heart symbolic of? Three primary symbols:1)The place of affections like joy, fear, hatred 2) An expression of spiritual receptivity or lack of it 3) True gospel understanding is to take place in the heart. WHY? ] looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked.

67 And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, [ Those who were faithful in repenting, and receiving the proper ordinances of the Gospel. ] the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy; [ Fullness of joy knowing that they will be together with our Father in Heaven for eternity. ]

68 And all the days of Zion, [ The City of Enoch. ] in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years. [ Moses is still writing this account See Moses 1:40-41 and states that the City of Enoch existed on earth for 365 years. Interesting that it is the same number of days that there are in a year. ]

69 And Enoch and all his people [ Since Enoch was a righteous man, was in the line of patriarchal succession, and as suggested here was at some point a king over "his people". ] walked with God, [ In the Zohar there is explained the general principle on which one great patriarch can be identified with another: Noah [cf. Enoch] walked with God, meaning that he never separated himself from Him, and acted so as to be a true copy of the supernal ideal, a “Zaddik [righteous one], the foundation of the world”, and embodiment of the world’s covenant of peace. 59b. Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of thy throne [cf. Moses 7:31]... It is the Zaddik who produces offspring in the world, ... the souls of the righteous, these being the fruit of the handiwork of the Holy One. (Zohar, Bereshit 59b—60a) ] and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, [ Was no longer found on the earth. ] for God received it up into his own bosom ; [ Was translated and taken up to be with God D&C 107:49 Brigham Young said that the City of Enoch was translated "with the region they inhabited, their houses, gardens, fields, cattle and all their possessions (Discourses of Brigham Young pg 105). ] and from thence went forth the saying, ZION IS FLED.