Genesis 42-50

Follow this link to my previous post on this section of scripture.

Genesis 37-41 -- Joseph

Latter-day Saint Donny Osmond as Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," which played on Broadway in New York City beginning in 1982. Image from Latter-day Saint Musicians.

A neighbor of mine shared some very interesting research she had done with our scripture study group that has application to this week's lesson on Joseph, so I will share that here and then I will link my post on Joseph.

When Adam and Eve realized that they were naked (inadequate, vulnerable), they hid from God. When He asked them why they hid and who told them they were naked, they told Him they had learned this from Satan. God's response to them was not to shame them or punish them. Instead, He clothed them in garments of skin (Genesis 3:21). The Hebrew word translated here as "garment" is kethoneth or ketonet.

Bible Hub describes kethoneth or ketonet as "a long, shirt–like garment that served as the basic article of clothing for both men and women in ancient Israel. It was normally woven from wool or linen, extending to the knees or ankles, with or without sleeves. While an ordinary tunic was common apparel, Scripture records several specialized ketonot whose design, fabrication, or use conveyed covenantal and theological truths."

The word kethoneth is used in the Old Testament in this specialized context very few times. This is the first and it refers to a tunic or inner garment worn next to the skin. 

“Yahweh [Jehovah] made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). The first mention of ketonet follows mankind’s fall and sheds light on God’s initiative in providing a covering secured through the shedding of blood. This act foreshadows substitutionary atonement and establishes the biblical pattern that sin requires a divinely provided covering" (Bible Hub).

The second is to describe Joseph's coat of many colors (Gen. 37:3). In this case it is an outer robe, a long tunic. It signified a person of authority, priestly or royal, because it was a garment not practical for manual labor. It was made of finer cloth: wool, linen, cotton, or silk. 

"Jacob’s preferential love for Joseph is displayed through “a richly ornamented robe” (Genesis 37:3). The ketonet here is distinguished by length and embroidery, marking Joseph for blessing and leadership. Its blood-stained presentation to Jacob (Genesis 37:31–33) dramatizes deception and anticipated deliverance. Later, Joseph’s divinely orchestrated exaltation confirms that God’s purposes overcome human malice" (ibid.).

The third time is in reference to the temple priesthood clothing made for Aaron and his sons to wear in the tabernacle (Exodus 28:4). 

The New International Version reads, 

"These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests."

The New Testament was written in Greek. The Greek equivalent of kethoneth (chiton) is used to describe the specialized luxury clothing item that Jesus Christ wore to the cross, the seamless garment for which the Roman soldiers cast lots (John 19:24). (See also Psalm 22:18.) 

"In the Septuagint [the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament], ketonet is rendered chitōn, the very word John uses when recording that soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ seamless tunic (John 19:23–24). The High Priest’s linen ketonet, the favored son’s multi-colored ketonet, and the sin-covering ketonet of Eden all converge in the crucified Messiah whose unseamed garment affirms His perfect righteousness and singular priesthood" (ibid.).

The New International Version translates John 19:23 as follows: 

"When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom."

The significance of innner and outer priestly clothing should not be lost to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As covenant temple worshipers, we have the opportunity to receive and wear our own version of kethoneth, temple clothing next to our skin, as well as kethoneth passim, outer clothing worn during temple worship. As Adam and Eve, Aaron and his sons, and Joseph, we are covered by Christ's mercy and that covering is symbolized in our temple garments. Jesus Christ wore His inner garment to the very end of His life, and so should we. (See https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/temple-garment-faq?lang=eng.)

And now here is the link to my previous post on Joseph.

Genesis 24-33 -- Isaac, Leah, and Rachel

ISAAC'S QUEST FOR A COVENANT MARRIAGE

The overriding theme of the stories of Chapters 24-28 is that it is not easy to come by a covenant marriage, but that when we put forth the tremendous effort required, the Lord will assist and blessings will ensue.  Here are some incidents that teach these lessons:

Gen. 24--Abraham's servant was given the overwhelming responsibility of traveling back to the homeland to find a worthy wife for Abraham's birthright son, Isaac.  He brought great riches with him as gifts, requiring ten camels for transport (vs. 10).  The task was overwhelming, requiring divine guidance.  The servant asked in prayer for a sign that the future wife of his master would be one who would offer him water, and additionally offer the ten camels water.  This would certainly single out the woman, because, although offering water to a male traveler was fairly normal ettiquette, offering to water the camels was well beyond the call of duty.  One camel could drink up to 30 gallons!  It was an extraordinary young woman who would offer this service, perhaps it was even unheard of.  But when the caravan arrived at the well, not only did Rebekah volunteer the service, but she "hasted" and she "ran" to complete it (v. 19-20).  When the servant discovered that she was a cousin, and therefore met the requirement set forth by Abraham, he knew his prayer was answered (v. 23-27). 

Rebekah's family wanted to have a little time with her before she left them to marry Isaac (v. 55), but the servant wanted to obey the Lord immediately, since the Lord had answered his prayer so immediately (v. 56).  Rebekah concurred, and went with the servant, never to see her family again.  Upon their arrival at Isaac's property, she saw a man cutting through the field to meet them (v. 64-65), and was told it was her future husband.  The closing words of this episode of the story are beautiful:  "and she became his wife; and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death" (v. 67).  Loving each other, and comforting each other are elements of a covenant marriage.

Gen. 25--While Isaac's brother Ishmael was blessed with a dozen sons, Rebekah was left childless.  (It's interesting how many righteous women in the Old Testament struggle with fertility issues.)  Finally, she was blessed with twin sons, Esau and Jacob.  An interesting description is given of Jacob in the footnote to vs. 27:  Jacob was "whole, complete, perfect, simple, plain."  Jacob valued the birthright, and bought it from his brother (v. 31-33).  Esau, like so many people, was overtaken by the physical desire of the moment, in his case hunger, and lost perspective of eternity. Unfortunately, many saints today do the same, selling their spiritual privileges for fleeting passions.

Gen. 26--Because Isaac continued in righteousness, the covenant promised to his father was restated in his behalf (vs. 2-5).  The same can be true for each one of us, as covenant children, particularly as we receive our patriarchal blessing.  Like his father, everywhere that Isaac went, he built an altar and called upon the Lord (v. 25).

Meanwhile Esau sold his birthright again, marrying outside the covenant and against his parents' wishes (v. 34-35) while  Jacob remained unmarried until age 40, presumably because no covenant wife was available where they lived.

A little note of explanation: Both Abraham and Isaac, when they moved to a new land, ended up telling the local royalty that their wives were their sisters. Both wives were cousins, so this was true, "sister" and "brother" being general terms for relations. Why hide the fact that they were wives? Camille Fronk Olson explains that if a king desired the wife of another man, he would kill the husband [Women of the Old Testament, p. 32-33]. This deception, therefore, saved the lives of Abraham and Isaac. In both cases, the king, upon discovering that the object of his affection was already married, returned the wife to her husband, and promised protection for the husband from others who might desire the wife. So why did the deception have to occur in the first place? One idea: Perhaps the kings needed to personally get to know the people involved, and gain an appreciation for their integrity, before they would extend this highly unusual offer.

REBEKAH'S LEADERSHIP

"Rebekah is one of the greatest patterns in all the revelations of what a woman can do to influence a family in righteousness...Women are appointed, Rebekahlike, to be guides and lights in righteousness in the family unit and to engineer and arrange so that things are done in the way that will result in the salvation of more of our Father's children" (Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, Jan. 1979, p. 62, 63).

Gen. 27--Isaac planned to bless his son Esau with the birthright, despite Esau's unworthiness.  This would have been a grave error, and Rebekah saw that.  She conspired with Jacob to put him in the right place at the right time to receive the birthright blessing.  This is an example of a wife who kept her covenant to obey the Lord "in righteousness."  In this case, she would have been wrong to obey her husband, because in a matter of eternal importance, he was following convention and personal preference, rather than the Spirit.  Rebekah, however, had received a revelation before the twins were born that the younger was to be the leader of the family (Gen. 25:23), and besides, Esau had given up his birthright twice, definitely demonstrating that he did not have the integrity or foresight to be the patriarch of the family. 

When Isaac realized which son had received the blessing, he knew it was right.  What a prophet binds on earth is bound in heaven, but also what he looses on earth is loosed in heaven (Matt. 16:19).  Isaac had the power to revoke the blessing, but he let it stand (v. 33), because he knew his wife was right.  The Lord could easily have caused Jacob to be born before Esau, therefore preventing this problem from arising, but instead He chose to teach a lesson for many generations to come:  Righteousness is more important than circumstance, and revelation is more important than tradition.  When Isaac afterwards blessed Esau, he restated through revelation the same truth that had been revealed to Rebekah years before, that he would be subservient to his younger brother.  Despite the outward confusion, the blessings were given correctly through the Spirit, as the Apostle Paul stated, "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come" (Heb. 11:20).

Esau was so angry at being tricked, he plotted to kill his brother after his father's death (v.41).  This was told to Rebekah and she sent Isaac away to stay with relatives, saying that otherwise she would lose both her sons in one day: one to murder, and the other to execution (v. 45; see Gen. 9:6).  To Isaac, she stated the reason for sending him away to be the need for Jacob to find a wife among the covenant people, which was definitely necessary.  Of course, this was the Lord's plan as well.

It is worth noting that later Esau took a covenant wife (Gen. 28:6-9), and that when Jacob returned to Canaan many years later,  "Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept" (Gen. 33:4).

THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Gen. 28--As Jacob went on his journey, he was granted a remarkable dream. 

"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, [Jehovah] stood above it, and said, I am [Jehovah,] God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west , and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (vs. 12-14). (Note: The word LORD in all capitals in the Old Testament is a substitution for the name "Jehovah," which the Jews do not speak aloud; therefore the translators substitute LORD in deference. Latter-day Saints believe Jehovah to be the pre-existent Jesus Christ.)

David E. Bokovoy, a doctor of Hebrew Bible studies, recommends circling "the place" or "this place" anytime it is found in the Old Testament, because it almost always refers to a temple place (Know Your Religion Lecture, Feb. 15, 2002, Logan, Utah). Jacob said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!  this is none other but the house of god, and this is the gate of heaven...And he called the name of that place Beth-el" (v. 16-19).  "Beth-el is [short for] Beth-Elohim, which means literally 'The House of the Lord.'" Even more interesting is to note a couple of additions which Joseph Smith made to verse 22 in his translation. (These additions are not among the excerpts that were included in the LDS Bible footnotes, but can be found in the complete book, Joseph Smith's New Translation of The Bible.) The added words are in italics:  And the place of this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be the place of God's house.  (How could Joseph Smith have known that this small change made the passage even more temple-like?)

Jacob possibly received an endowment from the Lord in this temple experience. Some have considered that the message of his dream is that the covenants Jacob made with the Lord were as rungs of a ladder to heaven. He would have to climb the rungs of the ladder God provided (covenants and commandments) in order to obtain the promised blessings that would allow him to enter into heaven with the Lord (Pres. Marion G. Romney, "Temples--The Gates to Heaven," Ensign, Mar. 1971, p. 16)  

By the way, the Hebrew word translated as "ladder" could also be translated as "stairway" or "ramp."  Most Bible translations use the word "ladder" which provides us with a good symbol of the effort and time required to make our way to heaven. Many translations use the word "stairway," which is more beautiful. And if you ever listened to American popular radio, it will remind you of the extremely popular 1970s Led Zeppelin hit--one of the greatest rock songs of all time and banned in most guitar stores because beginner guitarists are not worthy of playing it in public and store owners are sick of hearing it slaughtered. Its enigmatic lyrics, by Robert Plant, have intrigued listeners for decades: the story of a woman who thinks she can buy her way into heaven.

Image from https://www.detik.com/pop/music/d-7251796/semua-tentang-kita-bisa-senasib-stairway-to-heaven-di-toko-musik
 

But I definitely digress!

We as Latter-day Saints, must learn to believe that it is through the merits of Jesus Christ that we are saved, even though He requires us to move at least our feet and possibly also our hands to climb the ladder--or stairway--of covenants. We can't "buy" our way into heaven with our works anymore than the woman in the mystic lyrics can buy her way into heaven with gold. We must work, but we must rely upon Christ to save us. This is the common Latter-day Saint interpretation of the stairway to heaven metaphor. 

But look at the scripture again: in the dream, it is the angels who are ascending and descending the ladder, not the humans! Author Kirsten Burningham points out a new idea:

"In this dream, Jacob isn’t commanded to do anything; he is blessed, and the land is blessed. 'I am with thee,' God says, 'and I will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until l have done that which I have spoken to thee of' (Gen. 28:15). It seems that Jacob’s dream is less about the covenants Jacob will keep by climbing a ladder and more about God, the kinds of promises God makes, and how God will keep those promises: he will be with Jacob always, it seems to say, wherever he finds himself" (Kirsten Burningham, "Ladders to Heaven," Wayfare Magazine, online, June 29, 2025). 

I absolutely love it when a scriptural passage we all assumed was one way is presented in an entirely different light by someone's fresh eyes. And yes! the dream demonstrates, even more simply and clearly than the cryptic covenant metaphor, that God is continuously sending His angels down from Heaven and back up from earth to assist His children in whatever rocky wilderness place they may be. He can make their place of darkness and trial into a temple. And if they see it, they will say, as did Jacob, "Surely [my Savior] is in this place; and I knew it not" (Gen. 28:16). And as they accept His constant covenantal love, they will desire to enter into a covenant with Him to become more like Him until they are one with Him.

Once Jacob understood God's loyalty to him, God's unceasing effort to help him, He "vowed a vow, saying, [Since] God [is so willing to] be with me, and will keep me [and watch over me] in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall [Jehovah] be my God. [I will worship Him alone.] And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee" (Gen. 28:20-22, emphasis added). Jacob offers his covenant in return, the promise to pay his tithing. He enters into a relationship with God. At the beginning of his statement, Jacob refers to Jehovah in the third person, but at the end, he switches to the second person. This is a Hebrew poetic effect which shows that the relationship has become more intimate. Rather than talking about God, Isaac has turned to face God directly and interact with Him in person. Isn't that beautiful? 

JACOB'S QUEST FOR A COVENANT MARRIAGE

Gen. 29--Interestingly, Jacob met his wife, Rachel, at a well, just as his father's servant had met his mother at a well.  In this case, however, it was Jacob who served Rachel, by rolling away the stone covering, and drawing the water for the flock.  Typically it was the woman's job to water the sheep, however in this instance it seems that a tremendous effort was required to open the well, since the shepherds were waiting for all to be gathered together in order to do it (v. 8).  It was "a prodigious feat for one person--a measure of Jacob's elation at seeing [Rachel]" (Harper-Collins Study Bible, p. 44)  Both of these covenant marriage relationships began with an act of great service: another lesson for us to follow throughout our marriages.

In an ironic twist, Jacob's father-in-law Laban and Rachel's older sister Leah tricked him into marrying Leah first, a similar act to the deception that Jacob and his mother worked in order to procure the birthright blessing.  Of course, in keeping with social convention, the older daughter should be married first, and in all the seven years of labor, there was apparently no other suitor.  Since parents always arranged their children's marriages, and the father had supreme rule over the family, it was not so strange for Laban to control the marriages of his daughters (Sidney B. Sperry, "Hebrew Manners and Customs," Ensign, May 1972). It certainly would have been nicer, though, if it could have been done honestly, as this method set up a conflict and competition in the family at the outset: Leah was "unloved" (another translation for the word used as "hated" in v. 31), while Rachel was cherished (v. 20).

BEING "LOVED" OR "UNLOVED"

The people of the Old Testament times lived in an imperfect society with flawed families.  Plural marriage was particularly plagued with feelings of competitiveness and unfairness, so much so that the problems of "loved" versus "hated" wives were actually recognized and addressed in the Law (Deut. 21:15-17). We today still live in a fallen world with imperfect people and troubled relationships. We may encounter discrimination, negligence, or abuse from others when we expected love and kindness. But God Himself is perfect, and His love is extended towards all. In the lives of Leah and Rachel, as in the lives of Sarah and Hagar, we see the impartial kindliness of the Lord. In both cases, both women found solace in their relationships with God. In both cases, the Lord blessed the less-loved wife with the compensatory joy of motherhood immediately, and allowed the favored wife to wait a while. This infertility, though, was followed by the delight of a son who had the birthright, or earned it through his righteousness. In all cases, the Lord communicated his care and concern to the woman in her individual trial (Sarah in Gen. 21:1, 6; Hagar in Gen. 21:17; Leah in Gen. 29:31-32; Rachel in Gen. 30:22). 

God is always inviting, comforting, and encouraging, and is no respecter of persons. The scriptures show repeatedly that His love is offered to all:  "He layeth down his own life that he may draw all men [humans] unto him" (2 Ne. 26:24); "Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price" (2 Ne. 26:25); "All men are privileged [to partake of God's goodness] the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden" (2 Ne. 26:28); "Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men" (Alma 5:33); "Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (3 Ne. 12:6).

In our times of affliction or our situations of injustice, we can have confidence that the love of God will find us and compensate. As another Jacob testified, "I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction. O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever" (Jacob 3:1-2).

 
COVENANT MARRIAGES BRING BLESSINGS FOR GENERATIONS
 

 

(This is my own photograph of the Salt Lake City Temple.

I hold the copyright, but you are welcome to use it.)

 

Despite the imperfections of the partners involved, covenants and covenant marriages bring us ever closer to heaven.  Both Leah and Rachel developed great faith through their marriage and child-bearing trials, which carried them through other trials. For example, when their prophet-husband received the command of the Lord to uproot the family and move back to his birthplace, where the threat of being murdered by Esau weighed heavily on his mind, he consulted both women, and both responded, "Whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do" (31:14). Jacob did, and was joyously surprised by the heartfelt welcome of his now repentant brother Esau (Gen. 33).  

Generations afterward, when Boaz married Ruth, the blessing of the members of the wedding party to Ruth was that God would make her as great as Leah and Rachel. Together, these two women, with their two handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah, and their husband, bore and built the House of Israel, and their names are honored forever. Today, regardless of our circumstances, we similarly play a part in building our own branch of the House of Israel, and we can also leave a great legacy of faith as we make and remain true to our covenants with God. Whether we are "loved" or "unloved," whether we are married happily or unhappily, whether we are divorced or still single, our God's covenantal love will carry us through life with the greatest amount of joy if we remain bound to Him.

Genesis 18-23 Sarah, Hagar and Abraham

 Please follow this link to my previously-posted lesson on Sarah, Hagar and Abraham.

Genesis 12-18; Abraham 1-2 -- The Abrahamic Covenant

 Please follow this link for my previously posted lesson. 

Genesis 6-11; Moses 8 -- Noah

 Please follow this link to my previously-posted lesson on Noah.

Moses 7: Enoch

Enoch Follows the Example of His Grandfather Adam

Enoch is such an interesting person! He was the son of Cain (Gen 4:16-18), the first murderer, the originator of organized crime, and he was the great-great-grandfather of Lamech (Gen. 5:21-24), also a murderer and member of a crime gang. And yet, he was fully himself: a man who used his own free will to seek God and to make righteous choices, a man who gave his entire life to the preaching of the gospel and the saving of souls. What an example to any of us who come from less-than-stellar background! 

"And the Lord spake unto Adam, saying: Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin [a sinful environment, mortality], even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.

"And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.

"Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, nor dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time" (Moses 6:55-57, emphasis added).

In the early days of the world everyone was more obviously related, but the use of agency had gradually divided people into groups.

Enoch preached to these people the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught to and by their common ancestor, Adam.

"And it came to pass that Enoch continued his speech, saying: Behold, our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have believed not, and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them" (Moses 7:1, emphasis added).

Enoch then shared with the people the amazing vision he had experienced with God, a vision which was life-changing to these people who had looked forward with fear to their future interaction with God.

The First Vision of Enoch

As Enoch was praying intensely, he heard a command to go to the mountain, a natural temple. Ascending a mountain, like attending the temple, always requires a lot of effort. It's not a convenient and easy path to either one, but each one sets a person apart from the world. 

As Enoch met this requirement of obedience and he stood upon that mountain, "I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory;

"And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and he said unto me: Look and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations" (verses 3-4).

Enoch's vision restored the truth that the mighty God of heaven is a person, who cares about and converses with His children.

In the vision Enoch saw how people throughout the world feared each other and fought each other. They believed wholly in the concept of separation: that there is an "us" and a "them." They believed that happiness and peace can only be achieved by fighting and winning and having. He saw the people of Canaan battle against the people of Shum. He saw differences of skin color evolve because of a differing climate area, probably caused by the destruction of plant life by war. Then he saw racism immediately spring forth (verses 7,12). 

The City of Enoch

Those who opposed these Old Testament Christians became such violent enemies that Enoch had to call upon the powers of God to physically separate his people from them (Moses 7:13-17). 

But among those people who believed in Christ, there was complete unity.

"And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them" (verse 18).

Although the Bible tells us that Cain built a city named Enoch, the Book of Moses tells us that Enoch built his own city, "A city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion" (verse 19).

This city was taken into heaven and from that point, the view from heaven, Enoch was shown an amazing vision. (How did we get this vision? Was it ever written down before it was revealed to Joseph Smith? We don't know. There is no evidence of it in the Old Testament. There are books of Enoch in non-Biblical sources, but I have not read them.)

The Second Vision of Enoch

Enoch saw all the nations of the earth, Satan ensnaring people with darkness, angels of God (possibly some were citizens of his city) descending to bear testimony and convert others to unity with God and membership in the city of Zion. Those who converted were caught up to heaven. (See verses 23-27.)

"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?

"And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?" (verses 28-29).

And here is a revolutionary concept, not readily found on the earth or in its religions until the record of this vision was restored by Joseph Smith: God experiences emotions, including sorrow; He cares about his children! Although men were “looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them” (verse 1), God Himself was weeping at their estrangement. While Enoch was rejoicing that Zion was safe from evil, God was mourning the separation from “the residue of the people” who remained in wickedness (verse 28). (Although God cursed them in verse 20, it was an indirect cursing—simply the natural consequence of breaking His laws.) Enoch was utterly shocked that God, who is all powerful, all knowing, eternal, kind, perfect in every way, and has just seen the success of Zion, is now weeping (verse 31).

Enoch helpfully pointed out to God, "...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?" (Moses 7:31).

And here is what the Lord helpfully pointed out to Enoch: "Behold these thy brethren..." have chosen poorly and they are suffering. God uses the phrase "thy brethren" three times as he tells Enoch how their willfulness and selfishness have separated them from God and from joy. From this point on, enemies disappears, replaced by thy brethren. And yet they have chosen another family: "...Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?" (verse 37). 

The heavens weep, not for the sin of the people, but for the suffering that sin causes before their redemption. Yes, they can repent in the next life and Christ will redeem them, but “...until that day they shall be in torment; wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea and all the workmanship of mine hands" (verses 39-40). Separation from God and from each other causes suffering.

Once Enoch saw this with God's eyes, he “...wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook” (verse 41). 

Enoch “...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” (verse 44). 

And then he saw “the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced…” (verse 47). It is right that we should sorrow for the suffering of our beloved siblings on the earth (some of whom are our own children), but that sorrow must end; we must look up in faith to their future redemption in Christ. 

After the agony of the cross and the agony of the earth in response to the crucifixion, not only did Enoch see “saints” arise to be crowned at the right hand of God (verse 56), but also “the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God. But a remainder (the word remainder suggests a small number) still waits “in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day.” (verse 57).

Photo I took of a rainbow above Brighton, Utah. Feel free to copy.

The Covenant of the Rainbow

Enoch watch in horror as his wicked siblings drowned in the devastating flood that God sent upon Noah. It was so awful that Enoch begged the Lord to never again send such a flood upon the earth (verse 50).

"And the Lord could not withhold [remember in the last chapter he promised Enoch power over the elements]; and he covenanted with Enoch, and sware unto him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; that he would call upon the children of Noah..." to teach them the gospel (verse 51).

We can see more about this beautiful covenant in the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis chapter 9. You can find this at the back of your LDS paper scriptures, or you can find it in the electronic Gospel Library app under Study Helps > Joseph Smith Translation Index.

"And the [rain]bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.

"And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward [think Celestial!], then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy;

"And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch" (JST Genesis 9:21-23).

Did you know that a rainbow viewed from above is a full circle? This is what Enoch would see should he look down from heaven--the symbol of eternity.

Image obtained from the internet. I apologize for not having the citation.

The Solution to Enmity: The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Going back to the Pearl of Great Price account, we see that whereas Enoch's heart had swelled "wide as eternity" with deep sorrow for the suffering of men, now he saw the King of Zion, Jesus Christ, spread out his arms on the cross to make heaven "broad as eternity," big enough for all, even the latecomers.

"And the Lord said: Blessed is he through whose seed Messiah shall come; for he saith--I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me [remember the necessity of effort to get up a mountain?] shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy" (Moses 7:53).

The earth will finally rest when Christ comes again and enmity is removed from the family of God. The City of Enoch will come down to join Zion on earth, the New Jerusalem, which hopefully will be found in each of our wards and branches across the world, “and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other” (verse 63). There will be a thousand years of peace upon the earth. 

"And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy" (verse 67).

A Fulness of Joy is Found in Unity with God and Man

This concept of "us vs. them" never left the Old Testament peoples. It was only temporarily overturned by Jesus Christ's teachings to his small group of followers in the meridian of time. Separation persists everywhere today. 

Why are we so convinced that we are better than others? Is there any civilization, clan, nation, or religion on the earth that does not think they are better than others? Can we overturn this enmity today by spreading Christ's gospel of unity throughout the world? We have a massive missionary force and a massive humanitarian effort going forth from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today, both the greatest they have ever been to serve our siblings and become united in love with them. We have outreach and service programs with other churches to combine and magnify our efforts. Once we serve someone different from us (or serve with someone different than us), using the pure love of Christ, we never see them as "others" again! We are on the right track as a church in 2026!

My youngest son, Ammon, serving and loving the people of the Philippines. Please do not copy.

For those of us not currently serving missions, can we work to avoid these common temptations to separate? 

- to not view others’ successes with jealousy.

- to not polarize ourselves by our political beliefs.

- to view other cultures as less than ours, being condescending even when we are trying to be kind.

- to be suspicious of those who are different because we don't understand their culture.

- to struggle to forgive those who have wronged us, to wish healing for them as well as for ourselves.

We may say that everyone is a child of God, but we feel that perhaps our group contains the best children of God, as if the rest are a different class of family members.

Or we may think that a particular child of God in our ward or branch should behave better than they do.

In all of these daily situations, we are only free to be truly happy when we unite ourselves with our Heavenly Father and view all “others” as our suffering siblings. Once we have this view, the Holy Ghost can guide us in how to love and accept others and how to share the gospel with them so that we can be one.

There is only one Church of Jesus Christ. We don't have a "beginner church" for those who don't know enough scriptures, who don't know the unspoken dress code, who can't read, who have mental illness or intellectual disabilities, or who are at the very beginning of their spiritual awakening. 

Like Jesus, who saw Zaccheus in the tree, can we keep our eyes open daily, searching for and loving those on the fringes? Can we gather more and more people into our comfortable circle? Or if we don't have a comfortable circle, can we find someone to serve on our own? Wherever we are, we should remember that we are not meant to be separate. We are meant to build the City of Zion and becoming united in the love of Christ.

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I highly recommend the books by Terryl and Fiona Givens, The God Who Weeps, All Things New, and The Christ Who Heals for understanding how little we understand how much God loves us. Really, every Latter-day Saint should read at least one of these.

I also highly recommend the book At One Ment, by Thomas Wirthlin McConkie. It is mind-blowing and soul-expanding.