Applying the Pearl of Great Price to Your Life
Lessons from Enoch: Expanding Our View of Christ, Ourselves, and Others
Every call to serve the Lord is an invitation to walk with Him, especially in the work of salvation and exaltation.
Zion—a people and a city of holiness. There were righteous disciples of Jesus Christ on every corner and in between! They knew each other and cared about each other. There was no division or animosity between neighbors. No one was overlooked or oppressed. Everyone belonged. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place like that? The positivity in Zion wasn’t the only thing going up; the city was going up! Right off the earth!
When Enoch was first called by the Lord—before he moved mountains, changed the course of rivers, or established Zion—he was told that the people of his day could not “see afar off” (Moses 6:27). But the Lord wasn’t speaking about their physical sight—He was speaking about their spiritual sight. They had a problem that President Russell M. Nelson recently taught us about—they were spiritually myopic.1 Remember that word? It means to have a narrow view, to be nearsighted or short-sighted.
So yes, the people in Enoch’s day were myopic. And so was Enoch. They could not see what God had in store for them. So the Lord began to change how the people saw things, one pair of eyes at a time, starting with Enoch.
How We See Ourselves (Moses 6:31–34)
It is interesting to see what Enoch was focused on when he was first called. He said to the Lord, “Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31). Enoch saw his inadequacies and weaknesses, causing him to focus on how people might receive him—what they might say or do to him.
So often, isn’t that what we focus on in ourselves—our imperfectness? The Lord saw something different in Enoch, and He also sees our potential and wants us to see that too. The Lord’s message to Enoch was, in essence, “Don’t focus on yourself; focus on Me.” He said, “Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance” (Moses 6:32). And the Lord came through! Later Enoch’s words were so powerful, people trembled in his presence. Mountains literally moved. Rivers obeyed. Has any mere mortal ever spoken with so much power? (see Moses 6:47; 7:13). So, with humility and Enoch-like faith, we too can go to Christ with our weaknesses and imperfections, and He will turn them into strengths (see Ether 12:27).
Another insightful message here is that if you have ever wondered why you were called to do the work of the Lord, you are not alone. No really, you are not alone.
The Lord wanted Enoch—and wants you and me—to see that it’s not about Enoch or his words or how the people may have treated him. Ultimately, the work should be about Christ and His words and how people will treat Him. So the Lord extended an invitation to Enoch that can broaden our view of what it means to be “[His] servant”: “My Spirit is upon you … ; and Thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me” (Moses 6:34).
The Lord’s message to Enoch can help us see our callings differently too. Every call to serve the Lord is an invitation to walk with Him, especially in the work of salvation and exaltation.
If we are willing to walk with the Lord in His work, we will find ourselves walking where He would go—where Christians have often gone—places where God’s children are suffering from loneliness, pain, and fear. He walks the path of service and love for all of God’s children, bringing healing to the afflicted and light to those in darkness. If we want to change how we see ourselves and His work, we can accept the Lord’s invitation to walk with Him in our service.
How We See Christ (Moses 6:63)
After helping Enoch see that He wasn’t alone, the Lord wanted Enoch to see something else. “All things have their likeness,” He said, “and all things are created and made to bear record of me” (Moses 6:63; see also 2 Nephi 11:4).
This insight can change how we see in at least two ways. First, learning to see Jesus Christ in all things will turn our minds and hearts to Him. As we experience the wonders of this world, we see Him in the hope of a sunrise. We see Him in the never-ending waves of the ocean. We see Him in the majesty of a mountain. We see Him in the innumerable stars above and in the life-sustaining earth below. We see Him in trees and flowers, in rocks and rivers, in every living thing. All of these teach us of His love and power. And yes, seeing Christ in everything can bring us great joy.
But there is something more. Certainly, if all things bear record of Him, we too must bear record of Him. We can bear record of Christ by making Him the center of everything we teach, especially in His Church. We can testify of who He is and what He has done for us. We can tell others about His example and what He is like—after all, He is the greatest person to have ever lived, and His life is the greatest life ever lived. We can help others feel His power, mercy, and influence and turn to Him. And when we help others see Christ, we feel great joy (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:13).
How We See Each Other (Moses 7:28–37)
Later in a vision, Enoch saw something he wasn’t expecting—he saw the Lord weeping because of the wickedness of His children. He had thought that God was somehow above weeping, that goodness and righteousness and holiness meant there was no pain or sorrow. Or that because He had so many creations, He would not care about some who were disobedient. Enoch’s understanding changed when he saw that God felt sadness, compassion, and fatherly love for all His children, even for the most wicked—those who rejected Him and His commandments. Once Enoch saw God’s love for His children, he also felt God’s love for His children. And then he wept for them—inconsolably (see Moses 7:44).
Seeing how Christ sees people, even the most wicked people, should change how we see them too. The gospel of Jesus Christ can give us an eternal perspective of each other, to see each other as we really are—as children of God with divine potential. And though we may feel sadness for others’ choices, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can have love and compassion for them, even when they reject us or God. Yes, with expanded sight and Christlike love, the people of Zion weep with God for His children. Can you imagine how viewing and loving each other as God does could impact our efforts to do the work of the Lord?
Thank You, Brother Enoch!
Just like Enoch and his people, if we are to do the work of the Lord and establish Zion, we may need to change how we see too. How we see ourselves. How we see the work of God. How we see Christ. And how we see each other.
Thank you, Brother Enoch, for showing us the way!