Gospel topic
Enoch: City of Enoch
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Why did not Enoch remain on the earth and Zion prevail? Because wickedness prevailed. The majority of the human family in that generation were wicked; they were not ruled over by the Lord; and, hence, there were not men enough on the face of the earth, in that generation, who were willing to receive the gospel, keep the commandments of God and work the works of righteousness, for Enoch to have power to remain on the earth. Therefore it was that the Lord took Enoch and the city of Enoch to himself; for we are informed by revelation that the city was translated and all its inhabitants. There were not men enough in the days of Enoch who were willing to sustain that which was right; one part or other had to leave the earth; and the Lord translated Enoch and his city and took them home to Himself. You may trace the history of the kingdom of God from that time down, and you will find this prevailing among the nations of the earth. They were prone to evil, to sin, to blaspheme, to lie, to steal, to swear, to commit adultry, to pollute the earth which they inherited, in their day and generation, and hence it was an impossibility for the Lord to establish His kingdom among the children of men, unless He could find willing minds enough to receive that kingdom, to build it up and sustain it and do the works of righteousness. E. L. Sloan, "Remarks,"
Elder Wilford Woodruff
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After those in the City of Holiness were translated and taken up into heaven without tasting death, so that Zion as a people and a congregation had fled from the battle-scarred surface of the earth, the Lord sought others among men who would serve him. From the days of Enoch to the flood, new converts and true believers, except those needed to carry out the Lord’s purposes among mortals, were translated, ‘‘and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.” (Moses 7:27.) “And men having this faith”—the faith of Enoch and his people— “coming up unto this order of God”—the holy order of priesthood which we call the Melchizedek Priesthood—“were translated and taken up into heaven.” (JST, Gen. 14:32.) After the flood, righteous men, knowing what had been before their day, continued to seek a place in Zion. Of those who lived in the days of Melchizedek it is written: “And now, Melchizedek was a priest of this order; therefore he obtained peace in Salem, and was called the Prince of peace. And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world; And hath said, and sworn with an oath, that the heavens and the earth should come together; and the sons of God should be tried so as by fire." (JST Gen. 14:33-35.) But thereafter except in a few isolated instances—those of Moses, Elijah, Alma the son of Alma, John the Beloved, and the Three Nephites are the only ones of which we know—except in these cases, each involving a special purpose, the Lord ceased translating faithful people. Rather, they were permitted to die and go into the spirit world, there to perform the everincreasing work needed in that sphere. We are led to believe that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and some of the faithful of old continued to seek an inheritance in the City of Enoch. Paul says they “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” and that they “confessed . . . they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they . . . declare plainly that they seek a country.” (Heb. 11:10, 13-14.)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie
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