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I grew up in the 80s with all those great movies (even as I type this I laugh). I did love watching the Back to the Future movies. There was just something about being able to know or change the future (or the present). In the second movie, Marty went into the future to try to help his future children. When that movie came out in 1989, 2015 seemed so far away and the predictions unbelievable. Yet here we are in 2022 and while many things predicted in the movie did not happen, we have far surpassed what the world imagined could happen. You are probably wondering what this has to do with the Come, Follow Me course of study for the week of January 17-23. This week we get to know Enoch and the kind of humble and righteous man that he was.
Enoch questioned the Lord
What a blessing it is that we have the book of Moses because without that, we would simply know that “Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). In Moses 6 we learn about his call to be a prophet. Since the days of Adam and Eve, the people had fallen away and “sought their own counsels in the dark…and [had] not kept the commandments” (Moses 6:28). When Enoch was called, he felt what many of us may feel when we get a new calling that we do not feel qualified for. He questioned the Lord and said something like: Are you sure? I am not popular. Nobody likes me. I am not a good speaker. Are you sure you want me to do this? The answer was simple and powerful, “Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee” (Moses 6:32).
He did not question the Lord again. He was obedient and because of his obedience, he was blessed, as were the people that followed him. “The Lord spake unto Enoch, and said unto him: Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so” (Moses 6:35). Enoch did not question the Lord, but did as he was told. As such “he beheld the spirits that God had created; and he beheld also things which were not visible to the natural eye…A seer hath the Lord raised up unto his people” (Moses 6:36).
Prophet and Seer and Revelator
How often do we consider what it means to be a prophet, seer, and revelator? A prophet, according to the bible dictionary, acts as a messenger of God and as a preacher of righteousness makes known God’s will (Bible Dictionary, “Prophet”). He is also a revelator. We know that the prophet today is the only one to receive revelation for the entire world. As such, he teaches us what God wants us to know. He guides us and gives us direction in the world today. Often, we stop there. That seems sufficient as an amazing blessing in the world we live in today.
However, we may be missing the most important part of the title that the President of the Church, the First Presidency, and the Twelve Apostles hold. We sustain them as seers. “A seer is greater than a prophet…and a gift which is greater can no man have…” (Mosiah 8:15-16). We can learn what a seer is from Enoch.
President Nelson
Our living prophet today sees things that we cannot see. Figuratively speaking, President Russell M. Nelson can see around corners that we may not even know are there. We have seen this through the ages. Lehi saw the destruction of Jerusalem (1 Nephi1: 1-20). Moroni saw our day (Mormon 8:35). President Wilford Woodruff saw what would happen if the Saints continued to live the law of polygamy against the law of the land (Official Declaration 1).
I can only imagine the things that President Nelson has seen in our day. I am certain that with all of the changes in recent years that our living Prophet, Seer and Revelator has seen many things and has given us revelation to guide us through these difficult days. As a missionary many years ago, I would have never imagined that every missionary would eventually have a smartphone to assist in the work. Yet, here we are, with missionary work being done in great numbers even through a worldwide pandemic. When home-centered, church-supported church was introduced, did we ever think that, for a time, home church would be all that we could have?
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It is wonderful to have a living prophet on the earth today. It gives added comfort to know that we have 15 living seers to guide us, to direct us, and to help us navigate around the difficult corners. This is so much better than being left to the imagination of Hollywood. While the movie stories are cool and fun to watch, I am grateful to Heavenly Father for teaching us about seers and giving us the guidance they provide, in both ancient and modern times. It is by obedience to our living seers that we are blessed.