Enoch's Faith

I love the story of Enoch because it shows the great power of faith in helping us overcome our weaknesses.  The Lord visited Enoch as he was traveling and said to him, “Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people” and He instructed him what he should say.  Enoch apparently felt completely inadequate and “bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: 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 6:27, 31). 

Enoch’s trepidation and humble response of course did not change the Lord’s mind, and the Lord said, “Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance.”  Enoch felt unable to speak to the people because of his weakness, but the Lord told him to go and open his mouth.  So what did this fearful “lad” do?  I’m impressed by what we read in Moses 6:37 which shows his enormous faith despite the feelings of inadequacy he had: “And it came to pass that Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works.”  He didn’t go stand in front of a few people and say a couple words about their need to repent, and he didn’t go before a crowd and speak softly or with fear.  He went up the “high places, and cried with a loud voice”—what faith!  He who felt he was “slow of speech” and who knew that “all the people hate[d]” him stood boldly and loudly cried out the words of God to the people.  That’s what it means to have faith: despite our fears we go forth and perform the tasks the Lord places before us, trusting in Him.  In the end it was the people that feared Enoch and not the other way around (Moses 6:39).  The words of this man who felt slow of speech became so powerful that “he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him” (Moses 7:13).  That’s the kind of power that we get from the Lord as we replace fear with faith.  Indeed as God told Moroni, “If [men] humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).