Enos

Faith in Jesus Christ Can Bring Forgiveness of Sins

Have you ever wondered how to receive forgiveness of your sins? Enos, the son of Jacob and grandson of Lehi, prayed unto God “in mighty prayer” (Enos 1:4) for forgiveness of his sins. This lesson is intended to help you exercise faith in Jesus Christ and repent to receive forgiveness.

Prayer. As part of preparing to teach lessons, consider praying to Heavenly Father, asking Him to help your students. It is appropriate to pray that they may know what to do to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and to help them listen for impressions from the Holy Ghost.

Student preparation: Invite students to read Enos 1:1–8 before class, reflecting on how Enos felt and what he learned about the Lord and being forgiven of his sins. Consider asking students to ponder how they think this experience may have changed Enos’s life.

Possible Learning Activity

Thinking about what forgiveness means to you

Consider doing the following activity to help students prepare to study about Enos and forgiveness.

Imagine you have a friend who asks you about repentance and forgiveness. Consider how you might respond to the following questions:

• How would you know if you need to be forgiven for something?

• How can you receive forgiveness for sins?

• How can someone know if they have been forgiven after they have tried to repent?

Ponder what you might say to your friend. Think about what you know and have experienced seeking forgiveness, as well as what you may want to know better.

Consider inviting a few students to share what they might say.

As you study the account of Enos in this lesson, look for what he did to obtain forgiveness of his sins and how it might apply to your life.

Forgiveness starts with deep communication between you and God

Enos, the son of Jacob and grandson of Lehi, prayed unto God “in mighty prayer” for forgiveness of sins.

Read Enos 1:1–8 and mark words and phrases that help you better understand how to seek and gain forgiveness.

Consider inviting students to write on the board the phrases that stood out to them.

Taking time to ponder significant phrases can be a helpful scripture study skill. It allows the Holy Ghost to inspire you with greater understanding. To ponder, you might think of what a phrase means and look up any words you would like to understand better in the Guide to the Scriptures or Topical Guide. You might ponder why Enos used a certain phrase and if you have ever experienced anything similar.

Select a few of the following phrases or others you identified and take some time to ponder what you can learn from them.

Consider adding any of the following phrases on the board. As students share these phrases, you might ask follow-up questions like “What do you think Enos might have meant by the phrase ‘my soul hungered’?” “How might reflecting on teachings about eternal life and the joy of the Saints cause a person’s soul to hunger?” “Why does sin cause us to feel spiritually empty?” “Why is wrestle a good word to describe our efforts to repent?”

• “The wrestle which I had before God” (verse 2)

• “Sunk deep into my heart” (verse 3)

• “My soul hungered” (verse 4)

• “Mighty prayer and supplication” (verse 4)

• “Thy sins are forgiven thee” (verse 5)

• “My guilt was swept away” (verse 6)

• “Lord, how is it done?” (verse 7)

• “Because of thy faith in Christ” (verse 8)

Consider dividing students into pairs and inviting them to share what they have been learning. They could answer the following questions together:

• What words and phrases stood out to you? Why?

• What did you learn as you pondered these phrases?

• What do you feel God is teaching you from Enos’s experience?

If students answered these questions in small groups, invite some students to share with the class what they learned or what they liked that they heard from their partner. As they share true principles, consider writing them on the board.

If students struggle to share truths, consider asking questions such as the following: “What reason did Enos give for his guilt being swept away?” “What did Enos learn from the Lord about why he was forgiven for his sins?”

One important principle we learn in Enos is that as we repent and exercise our faith in Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins, and we can be made whole. You may want to write this principle in your study journal.

Read the following statement from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Once we have truly repented, Christ will take away the burden of guilt for our sins. We can know for ourselves that we have been forgiven and made clean. The Holy Ghost will verify this to us; He is the Sanctifier. No other testimony of forgiveness can be greater. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Point of Safe Return,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 101)

If students wrote down the principle in their study journals, consider inviting them to circle part of the principle they would like to understand better. Then ask them to share what they circled. Ask other students to share what they know that may help their classmates. They may use scriptures, experiences, or statements from Church leaders to help. The following questions may also be useful:

• What do you think would happen if someone tried to seek forgiveness without repenting and exercising faith in Jesus Christ? Why?

• What are some ways Enos tried to repent and exercise faith in Jesus Christ?

• What do you think it means to be made whole?

It may be useful to see what questions from the situation at the beginning of the lesson you can answer using Enos’s account.

We can have experiences like Enos today

Most people do not receive forgiveness in such an immediate or dramatic way as Enos did. However, as we seek to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and repent as Enos did, we too can receive forgiveness and be made whole.

Help students to ponder on how they can exercise faith in Jesus Christ and repent. You could display these ideas or others you can think of to help students.

• Ponder on what you know about Jesus Christ and His desire to forgive and help you. What do you feel He wants you to do to exercise faith in Him and repent?

• Think about the last time you felt like you exercised faith in Jesus Christ and repented. Has it happened recently? Why or why not?

• Consider planning a time to pray with greater faith in Jesus Christ. How might you approach your prayer differently than you usually do? How can you demonstrate that you desire the Lord’s forgiveness similarly to Enos?

Consider inviting students to share impressions and testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ and what they learned from Enos. Consider sharing your thoughts and testimony as well.

Commentary and Background Information

What else should I know about faith in Jesus Christ?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency shared:

Faith in the Lord is trust in the Lord. We cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing. As a result, no matter how strong our faith is, it cannot produce a result contrary to the will of Him in whom we have faith. Remember that when your prayers do not seem to be answered in the way or at the time you desire. The exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is always subject to the order of heaven, to the goodness and will and wisdom and timing of the Lord. When we have that kind of faith and trust in the Lord, we have true security and serenity in our lives. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Atonement and Faith” [address given at the seminar for new mission presidents, June 2001])

What can I do to improve the way I pray?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate. …

Prayer is a privilege and the soul’s sincere desire. We can move beyond routine and “checklist” prayers and engage in meaningful prayer as we appropriately ask in faith and act, as we patiently persevere through the trial of our faith, and as we humbly acknowledge and accept “not my will, but Thine, be done.” (David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 97)

Supplemental Learning Activities

How can I know if I have been forgiven?

If you feel your students could benefit from better understanding the question above, consider inviting them to read Mosiah 4:1–3 and showing the video “How Do We Know the Lord Has Forgiven Us” (3:18). Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the importance of meaningful prayer as we exercise faith in God’s desire to forgive us through sincere repentance and real intent.

What effect did Enos’s experience have on him?

It may be helpful for students to know what Enos did after receiving forgiveness from the Lord. Read Enos 1:9–18, looking for whom Enos prayed for next and why. Ponder what you learn from his experience. Also, consider reading 2 Nephi 26:33 and pondering how it relates to these verses. Think about whom you could pray for and seek to help.

What can you learn from Enos’s experience with prayer?

Instead of focusing on forgiveness, invite students to read the book of Enos, looking for insights on prayer. Invite them to share how Enos’s prayer helped him, perhaps sharing how Enos’s heart changed through the experience. Also, invite students to share what they might do to make their prayers more meaningful.