Book of Enoch

[Still_Small_Voice]

Anyone read thru the Book of Enoch? Joseph Smith got some of the Pearl of Great Price from his translation of the Book of Enoch didn't he?

I know some of the books in the Apocrypha are near worthless. There is a lot of good information in the Book of Enoch isn't there?

[deseretgov]

I haven't finished it yet but it's really great. It was considered canon in the New Testament times. I wish it still was. There is so much good information there. It is a part of my personal canon.

[tubaloth]

I have only read through parts of it, and thats what is been quoted by other LDS. Nibley has a book called Enoch The Prophet and it goes through what we get in Moses to the actually writtings and show how there is no way for Joseph Smith to figure this out on his own. Some day we well have the full book of Enoch (and Lehi)

[Guest Utahrulzz]

What part of the PoGP comes from the Book of Enoch? I didn't know that.

[Still_Small_Voice]

What part of the Pearl of Great Price comes from the Book of Enoch? I didn't know that.

Some of the Pearl of Great Price does not come from the book of Enoch. I by mistake thought it did.

I was browsing thru the Book of Enoch last night. It appears much of the book focuses on angels leaving their habitation with God to come down from heaven. Once on earth they procreated with women and had giants for offspring. This teaching in the book is false. Angels who rebelled and fought against the LORD were thrust out and were denied physical bodies forever. Other parts of the book of Enoch are interesting though.

[deseretgov]

I was browsing thru the Book of Enoch last night. It appears much of the book focuses on angels leaving their habitation with God to come down from heaven. Once on earth they procreated with women and had giants for offspring. This teaching in the book is false. Angels who rebelled and fought against the LORD were thrust out and were denied physical bodies forever. Other parts of the book of Enoch are interesting though.

Actually that's only one translation. This part of the Book of Enoch is confirmed in the Bible.

Genesis 6:2-4

2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

To me it seems that this story is not about angels whocame down but rather a select group of holy men. Maybe a special order of priesthood holders or something. They are refered to as the sons of God. They used to be righteous but saw the fairness of the daughters of men. They probably lusted after them and and descended from a mountain(mountains can be used as temples when temples are not available). They took the daughters of men as their wives.

In verse four it talks about the giants. It talks about the sons of God and daughters of men had children who became the mighty men of old who were renowned.

In the Bookof Enoch it tells us that the children of the sons of God and daughters of men were actually the giants which makes sense why the giants and mighty men are in the same verse in the bible.

Since we know that it was impossible for it to be angels in the Book of Enoch when compared to teh Bibleit seems most likely it was a group of priests whose descent from a mountain may have seemed, to teh daughters of men, like angels.

[Grandmakabipbip]

I found the story about the angels interesting as it finishes or at least gave insight to that one reference in the OT about this subject. Genesis 6

[Grandmakabipbip]

Why would it seem like priests from a mountain? Giants are not normal conception. I believe it is just as it is stated. JMO

[Still_Small_Voice]

I found the story about the angels interesting as it finishes or at least gave insight to that one reference in the Old Testament about this subject. Genesis 6

Joseph Smith and Latter-Day Saint doctrine teaches otherwise. Look at the verses he translated in the Pearl of Great Price in Moses Chapter 8:

13 And Noah and his sons hearkened unto the Lord, and gave heed, and they were called the sons of God.

14 And when these men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, the sons of men saw that those daughters were fair, and they took them wives, even as they chose.

15 And the Lord said unto Noah: The daughters of thy sons have sold themselves; for behold mine anger is kindled against the sons of men, for they will not hearken to my voice.

The correct translation of Genesis 6 is the daughters who were were born into righteousness married outside their faith and left it.

In the Gospel Principles manual it teaches in Chapter 3:

"In this great rebellion, Satan and all the spirits who followed him were sent away from the presence of God and cast down from heaven. One-third of the spirits in heaven were punished for following Satan: they were denied the right to receive mortal bodies.

Because we are here on earth and have mortal bodies, we know that we chose to follow Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Satan and his followers are also on the earth, but as spirits."

Do any of angels in heaven have the power to create flesh? This is the power of our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. The erroneous doctrine makes no sense when you compare it with the doctrines of the restored gospel.

[Grandmakabipbip]

Wow... thanks! I have read Moses and didn't catch that... But angels aren't necessarily non physical...? ingeneral.

[Grandmakabipbip]

I have reread and have since become confused how this relates to the sons of God-- taking the daughters of Eve...

It appears that the righteous men were sons of God--

[Still_Small_Voice]

I have reread and have since become confused how this relates to the sons of God-- taking the daughters of Eve...

It appears that the righteous men were sons of God--

Yes, that is correct. The righteous were called the sons of God. These righteous men had righteous wives as well. These women bore daughters. The daughters of these righteous men then decided to marry outside the true faith of God and they left the righteous ways of their parents. They sold themselves and would not hearken to the voice of God.

[Grandmakabipbip]

Okay.. thanks.

[Traveler]

There is a great deal of information concerning the ancient Book of Enoch. Many scholars feel that the ancient calendar referenced in the Book of Enoch is the foundations or many ancient calendars in the religious world – including the Aztec and Mayan. It is the Enoch calendar that influenced the community of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the early Christians – including Jesus and his apostles. We also find that the Bible quotes the book of Enoch as scripture. There are so many references in the New Testament that parallel the ancient Book of Enoch that for years, religious scholars contended that the Book of Enoch was written after the New Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls has now proven that the Book of Enoch predated the New Testament and influenced the New Testament writers more than any other single document known in the ancient world.

There is much in the Pearl of Great Price that also parallels the Book of Enoch. This fact alone should convince any student of ancient writings that Joseph Smith was indeed connected to the same influences that existed with the prophets of ancient Israel. But the loan argument is that the Book of Enoch is not part of Biblical canonized scripture.

I recommend the reading of what little we have translated of the Book of Enoch.

The Traveler

[Grandmakabipbip]

Thank you. How interesting.

What are your thoughts on the books of Adam and Eve? Or maybe that would change the direction of the thread. I will continue to study the book of Enoch as I have... and see what else come to light.

[rameumptom]

There are several versions of the Book of Enoch. The best known one is the Ethiopian Enoch (1st Book of Enoch), though there are others, such as the Secrets of Enoch.

Joseph Smith probably would not have had access to these books in his day. In the PoGP, the Book of Moses does include a history of Enoch that is not available anywhere else. That is, except for one thing. In the Book of Moses, we find that Enoch travels to a place called Mahujah, where he teaches. A man named Mahijah then asks him questions. In the Dead Sea Scrolls' version of Enoch fragments, the fragments include a man named Mahujah, who is asking questions of Enoch!

Without access to the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were not found until a century after his death, Joseph Smith could not have known that story.

[rameumptom]

As for the Watchers, or fallen angels, I believe the story. However, we must remember that angels are basically us humans in a non-mortal form.

Anciently, the secrets of heaven were tied to the Temple. This included music, art, literature, etc. Temples were a secret guild. Those working in ancient temples were viewed as the special servants of God, or angels. Imagine what happens when these men are corrupted, begin taking wives that are of another faith, etc. Then imagine they begin using their secret knowledge to enrich themselves, begin secret combinations to get gain, etc.

This is what we see in the Book of Moses with the Cain/Abel story, and in the Book of Mormon with the Gadianton Robbers. Eve rejoiced in Cain's birth, saying she had gotten a man of the Lord. Cain spoke with God. Yet, Cain used his abilities, some learned at the sacred altar/temple of God, for his own purpose. He began to worship Satan, though pretended to still worship God. And he slew Abel to get gain. Later, Lamech would slay a man for the secret.

This comes about in other early texts, as well. The Book of Jubilees (IIRC) tells that Adam's garment was passed down to Noah. When Noah was drunk in his tent, Ham stole the garment for his son, Canaan. Canaan was cursed, but retained the garment. This garment allowed Adam and Noah to be trusted by animals, so they would approach the high priest. The garment was passed down to Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter in the land. Esau slays Nimrod, steals the garment, and is chased for several days by Nimrod's men. He comes to Jacob, pleading for food. Jacob exchanges the food for the garment - the birth right of the priesthood. Thus, the garment returns to its rightful owner.

In this story, we find the temple secret - the garment, which gives power an authority of God to man, is stolen and used for evil purposes. You'll notice that even Esau in the Bible disappoints his parents by marrying a Canaanite woman, representative of the apostate religion set up by Cain and Nimrod.

The temple provides the path for man to become as God is. Apostates steal the concepts and power of the temple and priesthood, to make themselves powerful and as they envision God should be.

Were the children of the Watchers giants? Depends on the definition of giant. We believe Goliath was a giant, and he measured about 9 1/2 feet tall. The Book of Moses also mentions giants in the days of Enoch and Noah - they even tried to slay Noah! So there must be some truth to this, though they probably were not 25 feet tall.

[rameumptom]

The books of Adam and Eve tell us what it was like after the two were expelled from the Garden. Imagine leaving a wonderful Eden, to a telestial world that looks like southern Utah.

It would be depressing. The book discusses how in their depression they sought suicide a few times. While I personally do not think they would commit suicide, I can imagine them being extremely depressed, lonely, and occasionally desperate.

It has prophesies of the coming Messiah. Adam and Eve are trapped in a cave for 3 days, representative of the Messiah being entombed for that period of time. While they are offering sacrifice to God, Satan slays Adam on the altar. God brings him back to life, and states that as Adam was slain and revived, the Messiah would be slain for all mankind and resurrect.

My favorite part is where Adam has asked the Lord for some remembrance or token from the Garden of Eden. The Lord sends the three archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael to get gold, frankincense and myrrh. When they come to Adam and Eve, they see that Satan is with them, tempting them. The three angels cast Satan out, and then give the tokens to Adam and Eve.

[Traveler]

I posted a little of the Book of Enoch influence in the New Testament. As we read about Zacharias (father of John the Baptist) in the New Testament and the appointments of priests to serve in the temple beyond the vale we see how the calendar of Enoch was used by the Levites during the epoch of Jesus Christ. Analysis of the Enoch calendar indicates that the Book of Enoch was written somewhere in the world close to 45 degrees latitude.

Another interesting set of ancient texts are the writings that are attributed to Zoroaster. Like the Book of Enoch these writings are incomplete and for the most part are lost and missing. There are some that feel the more complete texts of Enoch were lost when the Christians destroyed the Alexandrian Library. Likewise the great library of Persia destroyed the main text of Zoroaster. It is interesting to me that all of these great libraries of scripture were destroyed at the same point in history that the library of the Nephites was being destroyed.

The writings of Zoroaster are of interest because they are known to have dated back to the time of Abraham or about 2200 BC. Because of the many parallels with what we have of the Book of Enoch and the writings of Zoroaster many believe that there is plagiarism involved – in that one is in essence a copy of the other. Since the texts of Zoroaster are more ancient some believe that they preceded Enoch. However the writings of Zoroaster mention an ancient prophet that many scholars claim is Enoch as translated into the ancient language of Persia.

I find the Pearl of Great Price an interesting addition to the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Because as the Book of Mormon is a testament first to the Jews and then to Christians that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith is his Prophet of this era the Pearl of Great Price unites and brings witness of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith to the ancient religious structures of the East and the continent of Asia. Therefore the seeds are there and the foundation established to bring all those of religious persuasion throughout the world to an understanding of Christ in preparation to his second coming. Without a doubt there is no other prophet of any time better prepared by G-d to take the Gospel to every Nation, Kindred, Tongue and People.

I invite all to read the Pearl of Great Price and become familiar with its teachings in the same sacred manner and tests that you use to validate the sacredness of the Bible. And if you will allow the same spirit that witnesses to you that Jesus is the Christ – the very Messiah that you will be delighted to receive a greater witness of Christ and his Prophet and his covenant people that were cut from the “mountain” according to prophesy and are currently rolling throughout the world according to the great plan of G-d.

The Traveler

[tubaloth]

What part of the PoGP comes from the Book of Enoch? I didn't know that.

Its not that the Pearl of Great price came straight from the a Book of Enoch, its more that as Joseph Smith Translated the Bible (Genesis) it had much of the same doctrines and teaches as the Book of Enoch did. Mostly about Enoch.

So source might be different but the teaches overlap in some areas. Its not just in the Perl of Great price we get other teaches about Enoch in the JST.

[Hemidakota]

The Book of Moses and even Gospel according to Matthew are extracts from the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible, which were revealed to the prophet during the period from June 1830 through February 1831. You can simple read the headnotes from the 'Pearl of Great Price'.

Why was it necessary to add the changes? Look at what Nephi stated - "many plain and precious things" had been taken away from the Bible through the centuries. (1 Nephi 13:28.)

The Lord was anxious to have Joseph Smith continue this revision of the holy scriptures and often admonished him to do so, as in the following case: "And, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion." (D&C 93:53.)

Frank B. Salisbury, in his book called, 'Creation' stated -

The book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price is one of the most important results of Joseph Smith's inspired revisions of the Bible. Joseph never completed the revisions of the Old and New Testaments, although what he did accomplish has been published by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The only parts of this inspired biblical revision presently accepted as scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the book of book quad">Moses and Joseph Smith, chapter one, which is an inspired revision of chapter 24 of Matthew. Both are found in the Pearl of Great Price.

Unfortunately, little information is available concerning the circumstances surrounding the writing of the book of Moses. The first chapter was received by Joseph Smith as direct revelation from God sometime in June 1830. The Church had only been organized a little over two months, and the Book of Mormon had just been published. Joseph's comments preceding the revelation as recorded in the History of the Church (volume 1, page 98) tell us almost nothing about the circumstances that led to it:

"I will say, however, that amid all the trials and tribulations we had to wade through, the Lord, who well knew our infantile and delicate situation, vouchsafed for us a supply of strength, and granted us line upon line of knowledge—here a little and there a little, of which the following was a precious morsel."

The remainder of the book of Moses was received by revelation some six months later, in December 1830. Again, however, the Prophet doesn't tell us much about the circumstances. What he does tell us indicates that the revelation was part of the restoration of lost records coming through the "translations" of the scriptures, which had begun:

"It may be well to observe here, that the Lord greatly encouraged and strengthened the faith of His little flock, which had embraced the fulness of the everlasting Gospel, as revealed to them in the Book of Mormon, by giving some more extended information upon the Scriptures, a translation of which had already commenced. Much conjecture and conversation frequently occurred among the Saints, concerning the books mentioned, and referred to, in various places in the Old and New Testaments, which were now nowhere to be found. The common remark was, 'They are lost books;' but it seems the Apostolic Church had some of these writings, as Jude mentions or quotes the Prophecy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam. To the joy of the little flock, which in all, from Colesville to Canandaigua, New York, numbered about seventy members, did the Lord reveal the following doings of olden times, from the prophecy of Enoch." (History of the Church, 1:131-33.)

Then follows what is now Moses 6:43 to the end of Moses 7. Chapters 2 to 5, most of chapter 6, and chapter 8 do not appear. They were published in the Times and Seasons and the Evening and Morning Star at intervals from 1832 until 1844, and then in 1851 in England, when Franklin D. Richards compiled the Pearl of Great Price. Yet there is good evidence that they were also received in December 1830. For one thing, an article appeared on January 18, 1831, in the Painesville Telegraph of Ohio, in which it is mentioned that a young gentleman by the name of Whitmer had a number of new revelations from God to Joseph Smith in which there was "a more particular description of the creation of the world, and a history of Adam and his family, and other sketches of the antediluvian world, which Moses neglected to record.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Hemidakota

[Hemidakota]

For those who are interested in Nibley's work on the Book of Enoch and know how to dodge some randomness, here are some good links -

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 1

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1975, Oct.

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 1 Skip to Content...heard, he states, of one such book for sale, which he assumes to be a late

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 2

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1975, Dec.

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 2 Skip to Content...exploiting a document like Laurence’s Enoch, 214 pages long with a 48 page...

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 3

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1976, Feb.

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 3 Skip to Content...no fewer than 128 citations from Enoch in the New Testament! 123 Yet these...

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 5

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1976, Apr.

... - A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 5 Skip to Content...fields; then he dug up the book, whose characters were interpreted to him

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 6

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1976, July

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 6 Skip to Content...judge [Adam].’ He replied, ‘It is Enoch God gave him the task to write

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 11

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1977, Apr.

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 11 Skip to Content...13 ; italics added.) Even so with Enoch: Moses 7:3 .

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 12

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1977, June

... - A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 12 Skip to Content... came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 8

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1976, Dec.

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 8 Skip to Content...And so we find in a Greek Enoch text the Great Angels returning from earth

"A Strange Thing in the Land": The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 9

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1977, Feb.

...- “A Strange Thing in the Land”: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 9 Skip to Content...spirits: the one thou hast named Enoch, and the other Leviathan, 50.

A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 10

in Hugh Nibley, Ensign, 1977, Mar.

...- A Strange Thing in the Land: The Return of the Book of Enoch, Part 10 Skip to Content...Seth on high [as they later do Enoch], and he sat on the Throne of Light

[rameumptom]

I posted a little of the Book of Enoch influence in the New Testament. As we read about Zacharias (father of John the Baptist) in the New Testament and the appointments of priests to serve in the temple beyond the vale we see how the calendar of Enoch was used by the Levites during the epoch of Jesus Christ. Analysis of the Enoch calendar indicates that the Book of Enoch was written somewhere in the world close to 45 degrees latitude.

Another interesting set of ancient texts are the writings that are attributed to Zoroaster. Like the Book of Enoch these writings are incomplete and for the most part are lost and missing. There are some that feel the more complete texts of Enoch were lost when the Christians destroyed the Alexandrian Library. Likewise the great library of Persia destroyed the main text of Zoroaster. It is interesting to me that all of these great libraries of scripture were destroyed at the same point in history that the library of the Nephites was being destroyed.

The writings of Zoroaster are of interest because they are known to have dated back to the time of Abraham or about 2200 BC. Because of the many parallels with what we have of the Book of Enoch and the writings of Zoroaster many believe that there is plagiarism involved – in that one is in essence a copy of the other. Since the texts of Zoroaster are more ancient some believe that they preceded Enoch. However the writings of Zoroaster mention an ancient prophet that many scholars claim is Enoch as translated into the ancient language of Persia.

The Traveler

Traveler, when did the Christians destroy the Alexandrian Library? Christian Emperor Theodosius ordered the destruction of pagan/heathen temples, and while the Serapeum did hold some of the library's books, but the library itself was not destroyed by them.

The library was destroyed in three stages by Caesar, Emperor Aurelian, and then completely destroyed by the Muslims in 642 AD.

[Guest michaelarc]

In the bible it says the book of enoch will be rveled in deu time so mayby it is a sign.