“Teach These Things Freely Unto Your Children”

Old Testament Lesson 04 (Genesis 5; Moses 6)
January 16–22

THE POSTERITY OF ADAM AND EVE

● There is an obvious problem in the Genesis account (Genesis 4:1–2, 17). In these verses, it appears that Cain and Abel are the first of Adam’s children, yet, a few verses later (v. 17) Genesis talks about Cain’s wife.

● Moses 5:1–3   The Book of Moses restores 15 additional verses with the missing information.
— Adam and Eve toiled for a living (v. 1).
— Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters, who “began to multiply” (v. 2).
— These children married each other and had children of their own (vv. 2–3).

ADAM & EVE LEARN AND TEACH THE GOSPEL PLAN

● Moses 5:4–8
— They sought and received guidance from the Lord, who spoke to them (vv. 4–5).
— They offered sacrifices in obedience to the Lord’s commands (v. 5).
— After “many days” an angel came and asked Adam why he offered sacrifice (v. 6). He didn’t know, except that he had been commanded.
— The symbolism of sacrifice was explained—that it was in similitude of the future atoning sacrifice of the Savior (vv. 6–8).
— They were taught to repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.

● Moses 5:9–11   After being baptized, Adam and Eve had the Holy Ghost come upon them and they began to prophesy (Moses 5:9–11). Both understood the purpose of the Fall and rejoiced in the Lord’s plan.
— Adam rejoiced in the blessings following his transgression (vv. 10–11).
— Eve also rejoiced (v. 11).

● Moses 5:12–15   Adam and Eve taught these things to their children, but Satan also began to influence their children and sought to persuade them to reject the gospel.

CAIN AND ABEL

The Tragedy of Cain and Abel

● Moses 5:16–17   Cain and Abel were born. The name “Cain” means “get” or “acquire.” The name “Abel” means “a vapor” or “a puff” (here and gone quickly).

● Genesis 4:1–4; Hebrews 11:4   The righteousness of Abel and his offerings.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “We read in Genesis 4:4, that Abel brought the firstlings of the flock and the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering . . . [Paul said] that he was righteous, ‘God testifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead, yet speaketh.’ (Heb. 11:4). How doth he yet speak? . . . Holding . . . the keys of his dispensation [he] was sent down from heaven unto Paul to minister consoling words, and to commit unto him a knowledge of the mysteries of godliness. And if this was not the case, I would ask, how did Paul know so much about Abel, and why should he talk about his speaking after he was dead?”1

● Abel was among the righteous Saints who were in the spirit world awaiting the coming of the Savior, who visited there while his body was in the tomb (D&C 138:40).

● Moses 5:18–21; Genesis 4:3–8   Cain’s attitude and rebellion.

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained why Cain’s offering was not acceptable: “By faith in this atonement or plan of redemption, Abel offered to God a sacrifice that was accepted, which was the firstlings of the flock. Cain offered of the fruit of the ground, and was not accepted, because he could not do it in faith . . . or could not exercise faith contrary to the plan of heaven. It [required] shedding the blood of the Only Begotten to atone for man, for this was the plan of redemption, and without the shedding of blood was no remission . . . Sacrifice was instituted [as] a type [of] the great Sacrifice which God had prepared [and[ to offer a sacrifice contrary to that, no faith could be exercised . . . Consequently Cain could have no faith; and whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.”2

Cain Is “Perdition” and Will Rule over Satan

● Moses 5:22–25   The Lord tried to reason with Cain. If Cain had repented the Lord would have accepted him. Otherwise, he would become “Perdition”—the father of lies—and would rule over Satan.

● Moses 5:26–28; Genesis 4:7   The Genesis account is not clear, but the Moses account explains that Cain “was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord.” He and his family loved Satan more than God.

● Moses 5:29–33   Cain did not immediately go into the field and kill Abel.

● Moses 5:28–31   After rejecting the Lord, Cain began to communicate directly with Satan, who suggested the means whereby he could kill Abel (vv. 28–31).

Cain Kills Abel

● Moses 5:34–37   The Lord asked Cain what had happened to Abel. His cynical response was, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

● Moses 5:38–41; Genesis 4:9–15   The Lord told Cain of his punishment.

— Cain blamed Satan, and also blamed God for rejecting his offering (v. 38).
— “My punishment is greater than I can bear” should be translated: “my punishment is too great to be forgiven” (v. 38).
— Cain’s mark was to protect him from revenge, not to punish him (v. 40).
— Cain was thereafter excluded from the presence of God (v. 41).
— He dwelt in the land of “Nod” which means “land of wandering” (v. 41).

● Moses 5:42–57; Genesis 4:16–24   Wickedness flourished among Cain’s posterity.
— Lamech also murdered and then boasted of the deed to his wives (vv. 47–48).
— Lamech perpetuated the secret combination of Cain (vv. 49–52).

SETH

Seth Is Born . . . and Has a Righteous Posterity

● Moses 6:1–6   Seth was born. The name “Seth” means “to appoint” or “to place.”

● Moses 6:5-8, 45-46   A Book of Remembrance was kept, which became the scriptures for Enoch’s people and a genealogical record of their generations.

● Moses 6:7–25; Genesis 5:1–32   Righteous patriarchs come through the lineage of Seth.

● Adam lived 930 years—long enough to bless 7 generations.

● D&C 107:54–57   Before his death, Adam called his posterity together and gave them his blessing.

ENOCH

The Calling of the Prophet Enoch

● “Four generations and some five hundred years later, according to Adam’s book of remembrance, Enoch, of Seth’s line, was called to become a great prophet-missionary-reformer. His ministry was needed, for the followers of the line and cult of Cain had become numerous, and violence was rampant already in the fifth generation after Cain. Unto those who had become sensual and devilish Enoch preached repentance.”3

● In the Bible, we get only four verses about Enoch and his people (Genesis 5:21–24).

● The story of Enoch is greatly expanded in the Book of Moses (Moses 6–7).

● Moses was most concerned with Enoch and skipped rapidly to his day.

● Enoch founded the ancient city of Zion, just as Joseph Smith sought to establish a latter-day Zion.

● Moses also desired to establish Zion among the Israelites.

● Do not confuse this land of Cainan with the wicked people of Canaan mentioned in Moses 7:6–10.

● Moses 6:21–26   Enoch was taught by his father, Jared, “in all the ways of God.” All the prophets in the line of descent from Adam preached righteousness (v. 23).

● “Enoch was 25 years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam, and he was 65 when Adam blessed him (D&C 107:48).” Our present Pearl of Great Price text starts with Enoch’s life when he was 65.

ENOCH PREACHES REPENTANCE TO THE PEOPLE

● Moses 6:27–30   The Lord called Enoch to prophesy unto the people.

● Moses 6:31–36   Enoch’s fearful response, and the Lord’s promises to him.

● Moses 6:32-34   What the Lord promised Enoch if he would go forth as commanded.
— What can we learn from Enoch about serving the Lord even when we do not feel capable?

Enoch’s Greatness

● Moses 6:37–39   Few people have held the powers bestowed upon Enoch.
— He was given the power to control the elements.
— He was able to see things from the beginning to the end of time.

● Moses 6:37   The people were offended at first when Enoch began to preach repentance.

● Moses 6:38–39   Enoch received mighty visions and the people recognized that he was a seer who “walked with God.” But they considered him a “wild man.”

The Teachings of the Prophet Enoch

● Enoch was a very powerful preacher.
● The teachings of Enoch cover seven major categories and include some information found nowhere else in scripture:
— The Fall of Man and its results.
— The nature of salvation and the means of achieving it.
— Sin, as seen in the evils of his times, in contrast to the righteousness of the godly who were his followers.
— The cause, purpose, and effects of the anticipated flood of Noah.
— The scope of Satan’s triumph and the resultant sorrows of God.
— The first advent of the Messiah.
— The second advent of the Messiah and his peaceful, millennial reign.

● Moses 6:42–45   Enoch’s vision of God, who is our Father and the Creator.

● Moses 6:46   A Book of Remembrance was kept—These were the “scriptures” of Enoch’s day.

● Moses 6:48   Enoch’s teachings concerning the Fall of Adam and Eve.

● Moses 6:49   Enoch’s teachings concerning the influence of Satan.

● Moses 6:52   Enoch’s teachings concerning the first principles and ordinances of the gospel.

● Moses 6:56   The Lord has made us “agents unto [our]selves.”
— This means that we have the power to choose.
— This agency is necessary for God’s plan for our salvation, so we are responsible for our choices.

● Moses 6:57   The names of God and Christ—Ahman, and Son of Ahman.

Orson Pratt said, “There is one revelation that this people are not generally acquainted with [D&C 95:17]. I think it has never been published, but probably it will be in the Church History. It is given in questions and answers. The first question is, ‘What is the name of God in the pure language?’ The answer says, ‘Ahman.’ ‘What is the name of the Son of God?’ Answer, ‘son Ahman—the greatest of all the parts of God excepting Ahman.'”4

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Therefore his name is connected with the name of [Adam-ondi-Ahman] the place where Adam dwelt . . . Elder Orson Pratt gives it the interpretation of ‘The Valley of God.'”5

● Moses 6:58   The commandment to “teach your children” these principles.

● Moses 6:59–62   Enoch described what Adam learned after the fall.
— The Atonement.
— The Gift of the Holy Ghost.
— The Plan of Salvation.

● Moses 6:63   Symbolism is everywhere around us. Everything the Lord has created is symbolic of His plan for us and of the teachings of the gospel.

● Moses 6:64–66   Enoch described how Adam was baptized.

The Book of Enoch

● The Book of Enoch was once prominent in scripture.

— Enoch is mentioned frequently in the New Testament (Luke 3:37; Hebrews 11:5; Jude 14–15).
— The Book of Enoch is mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 107:56–57).

Dr. Hugh Nibley said:

“Early Christian writers knew all about the book of Enoch: Indeed, nearly all the writers of the New Testament were familiar with it, and . . . it had all the weight of a canonical book. Its influence is apparent in no less than 128 places in the New Testament . . . [But to the apostate Christian church Enoch] contained much of a questionable character,’ writes R. H. Charles with a sigh, ‘and from the fourth century of our era onward it fell into discredit; and under the ban of such authorities as Hilary, Jerome, and Augustine, it gradually passed out of circulation, and became lost to the knowledge of Western Christendom’ . . . They were all learned schoolmen steeped in the rhetorical and sophistic education of the time, admitting quite freely that the Christians of an earlier time held ideas and beliefs quite different from theirs. They also knew that Enoch was treasured as a canonical book by the early Christians, but they would have none of it . . . From the 4th century on, the Latin Church ceased to concern itself” with Enoch.”6

● Today, versions of the ancient book of Enoch are coming back to light, and not surprisingly, they reveal exactly the same themes and doctrines as those found in the Pearl of Great Price.

Notes:

1.  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 168–169.
2.  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 58.
3.  Rasmussen, Introduction to the Old Testament, 2 vols. [1972], 1:24–25.
4.  In Journal of Discourses, 2:342.
5.  Church History and Modern Revelation, 4 vols. [1946–1949], 1:310.
6.  “Enoch the Prophet”, 95–99.