Prayer and Faith

Coming to God through Prayer

"And I said: Lord, how is it done? 

And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen... wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole." - Enos 1:7-8

The four books between Jacob and Mosiah in the Book of Mormon are often seen as transitory and not very important. These writings cover almost 200 years in only 9 pages. Despite the brevity, there are still important lessons to draw from the text.

Enos, like Nephi, had goodly parents as his father Jacob taught him in scripture and other things through the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Despite his righteous upbringing, Enos does not portray himself as a perfectly good prophet. His main account is of his "wrestle" with God in prayer (v. 2). As he was hunting, he began to pray "in mighty prayer and supplication for [his] own soul" (v. 4). Enos probably felt guilt concerning mistakes he had made, just as we do. He was determined to resolve these issues, no matter the time or effort and prayed "all the day long" (v. 4). Enos showed great faith alone in praying for such an extended period of time. It can be so difficult to pray for more than a few minutes, as prolonging our efforts seems to have little effect. When we really need counsel or forgiveness from God, it may be necessary to push our limits and norms of prayer further.

As Enos was praying the voice of the Lord came to him saying that his sins were forgiven. When Enos questions this, the Lord tells him that he was redeemed by his faith. Faith is one of the simplest concepts, yet can bring such great rewards. If you just try to have more faith in any aspect of your life, the fruit and blessings will come.

Enos continues his prayer to bless others. He prays for the Nephites, Lamanites, and preservation of the records of his people. He wants to share his faith for the benefit of others. Once we have sufficient faith, we can and should do the same.

As Enos closes his short record, he says he will "rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality" (v. 27). If we live righteously as Enos did, and come to the Lord in prayer and faith, we can also rejoice in that day and receive blessings of eternity.