As I continue to ponder the great flood of the earth and Noah's family being spared, as I make this book for my posterity, I must recognize my continual gratitude for the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I am continually thankful for the sacrifices made especially by Joseph Smith and the early saints whom helped in His work.
We have been given a great witness of God's character in The Book of The Pearl of Great Price, Moses Chapter 7; in regards to the great flood. We learn much about the feelings of God and the heaven's as the flood destroyed all except Noah and his family.
In Moses we learn about a prophet Enoch.
Enoch was born in the seventh generation from Adam. People lived long in those days, and Adam was still alive. When Enoch was twenty-five, it was Adam who ordained him to the priesthood, and when he was sixty-five, Adam “blessed him.” ( The Friend , Dec. 1994 )
Enoch was a prophet of God during the time of Adam. Joseph Smith was given the account of Enoch and a time that Enoch was taken up to heaven and allowed to see all the generations of the earth.
We learn from Enoch's account that God and the heavens wept with great sorrow for the loss of life on earth of those in the flood. But, even in the flood, we can see God allowing all to work for His children's good ( Romans 8:28 ) as these people were so wicked that they were "past feeling" and had no chance of changing in their earthly state.
God, knowing all, knew that it would be better for these individuals to wait in Spirit Prison, until a time that Jesus could preach to them, after He had suffered for their sins.
Moses 9
38 But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.
39 And that which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment;
We can also see the reference of this spirit prison that those lost in the flood would go to for a time, we learn in the New Testament that Jesus Christ would go teach to these people in this prison and this was the beginning of the Spirits being preached to that are dead....As we read in:1 Peter 3:18-20
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
I can imagine that we too wept with God, as we were all in heaven at the time of the flood, since we were created spiritually first and lived in heaven with God, before we came to earth.
( Jeremiah 1:5 , Ephesians 1:3 , Moses 3:7 , Genesis 2:4-5 )
I hope and feel that we all probably committed ourselves to not making our Father and creator cry in such great sorrow again...
Yet, we too have done so, and what a loving God and Savior that we have to allow Himself to go through the heartache and sorrow that being a parent can sometimes bring.
He is our perfect example of what kind of a parent to be, and that His love is endless and forgiving, as ours should be too.
Moses 7
23 And after that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld, and lo, all the nations of the earth were before him;
24 And there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and of the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.
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.
26 And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.
27 And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.
28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, 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, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?
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; 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; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, 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;
33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;
34 And the fire of mine indignation is kindled against them; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, 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; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also.
36 Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren.
37 But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, 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?
38 But behold, these which thine eyes are upon shall perish in the floods; and behold, I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.
39 And that which I have chosen hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he suffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my Chosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in torment;
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 arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.
42 And Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation;
43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; 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, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.
45 And it came to pass that Enoch looked; and from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the Righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified and have eternal life?
I say this in the name of Jesus Christ.Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment