Introduction

Scriptural Highlights:

• Cain covenants with Satan, kills Abel, and cursed by the Lord.
• Enoch preaches repentance to the people.
• The people in the city of Enoch are of one heart and one mind with the Lord

Choices to follow Jesus Christ lead to liberty, happiness, and eternal life, while choices to follow Satan lead to misery and captivity.

Cain & The Consequences of Wickedness

The story of Cain & Abel (Moses 5:16-41):

1. It is interesting to note that Adam and Eve had children prior to the birth of Cain and Abel.
• "And Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth. And from that time forth, the sons and daughters of Adam began to divide two and two in the land, and to till the land, and to tend flocks, and they also begat sons and daughters." (Moses 5:2-3)
• According to verse 12, they taught the gospel to their children, but "Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish" (Moses 5:13).
• WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THE CHILDREN OF THESE GREAT PARENTS WERE SO REBELLIOUS?
• As it says in v12, Satan came among them. Adam and Eve were the first to try parenting on this planet. They were starting from scratch. It may have been that they worked so hard attempting to establish themselves in this physical world, that there simply wasn't enough time to teach their children sufficiently.
• If such is the case, it certainly reinforces President Lee's statement, "Remember always that the most important of the Lord's work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes."
2. Adam & Eve bore Cain (v16).
• When Cain was born, Eve said "I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words."
• It was Adam and Eve's great hope that this new son would abide by the commandments and live the gospel.
• Their hopes were eventually dashed for "Cain hearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should know him?"
• WHAT DOES THIS QUESTION SHOW ABOUT CAIN'S ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD?
• He was like so many today, he didn't care. Many today are so caught up in their own life and pursuits that God and religion is a nuisance.
3. Adam & Eve bore another son, Abel (v17).
• Unlike Cain, "Abel hearkened unto the voice of the Lord."
4. Cain & Abel took up differenct occupations (v17).
• Abel was a keeper of sheep.
• Cain was a tiller of the earth.
5. Cain made an offering to the Lord of "the fruit of the ground" (v18-19).
• WHAT WAS CAIN'S MOTIVATION FOR MAKING THE OFFERING?
• He loved Satan and it was Satan's commandment.
6. Abel made an offering of "the firstlings of his flock" (v20).
7. The Lord respected the offering of Abel, but not that of Cain (v20-21).
• WHY DID THE LORD ACCEPT ABEL'S SACRIFICE BUT REJECT CAIN'S OFFERING?
• In v5, Adam was commanded by the Lord to "offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord." This commandment was taught to Adam's children. Abel obeyed. Cain offered a sacrifice, but not in the way the Lord had commanded.
• Joseph Smith: "By faith in this atonement or plan of redemption, Abel offered to God a sacrifice that was accepted, which was the firstlings of the flock. Cain offered of the fruit of the ground, and was not accepted, because he could not do it in faith, he could have no faith, or could not exercise faith contrary to the plan of heaven. It must be shedding the blood of the Only Begotten to atone for man; for this was the plan of redemption; and without the shedding of blood was no remission; and as the sacrifice was instituted for a type, by which man was to discern the great Sacrifice which God had prepared; to offer a sacrifice contrary to that, no faith could be exercised, because redemption was not purchased in that way, nor the power of atonement instituted after that order; consequently Cain could have no faith; and whatsoever is not of faith, is sin. But Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God Himself testifying of his gifts. Certainly, the shedding of the blood of a beast could be beneficial to no man, except it was done in imitation, or as a type, or explanation of what was to be offered through the gift of God Himself; and this performance done with an eye looking forward in faith on the power of that great Sacrifice for a remission of sins." (TPJS p58)
• This quotation from the Prophet is instructive. Adam and Eve received a commandment from the Lord to "offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord." When an angel asked Adam why he made the offerings, he replied, "I know not, save the Lord commanded me" (v6). He did not know the reason at that time, but there was a reason. So it must be with all that we are commanded to do. We may not always know the why, but the Lord would not have commanded it without a purpose. Not only must we do it, but we must do it in the way the Lord has commanded.
8. Cain reacts to the Lord's rejection of his sacrifice.
• "Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell" (v21).
• The Lord calls Cain to repentance, "If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up" (v23).
• HOW DID CAIN REACT TO THE LORD'S CALL TO REPENT?
• "And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord" (v26).
• WHY IS IT SOMETIMES HARD TO BE CALLED TO REPENT?
• Pride: We don't like to be told what to do. When I was a child I decided I wanted to learn how to play the piano. My mother, as a piano teacher, started teaching me. But I failed to practice. I didn't mind the lessons, but I hated to practice the songs over and over. I didn't see any reason for it. After three months, mom said that if I wasn't going to practice, she wasn't going to teach me. I refused to comply and thus ended my brief career as a musician. I didn't like being told what to do and I am the one who suffered because of my pride. I love piano music to this day, but I have to listen to someone else or put on a CD.
• Change: We sometimes hate to move out of our comfort zones.
• Lazy: We may not feel like doing what we are commanded. The demise of my piano career was due to both pride and laziness.
• HOW CAN WE DEVELOP MORE REPENTANT HEARTS?
• We need to realize that it is for our own good and eternal progress. Hugh B. Brown tells the story of moving to Canada and cutting back a currant bush that had grown all out of proportion. He relates the following, "As if to set the bush's mind at ease, I said to it, as I took the shears in hand, 'Someday, when you are laden with currants you will thank me for cutting you down so that you could grow properly and develop the fruit that you were created to produce'." (An Abundant Life, p49)
9. Cain enters into a pact with Satan to kill his brother Abel (v29-31).
• "And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands" (v32-33).
• WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE CAIN MEANT WHEN HE SAID, "I AM FREE"? WHAT DID HE THINK HE WAS FREE OF?
• Feeling that he was free of this brother that he may have considered a thorn in his side. Their relationship may have been like that of Laman and Nephi.
• With his brother gone, he may have felt more free to do as he chose.
• HOW DOES DISOBEYING GOD'S COMMANDMENTS ACTUALLY DECREASE OUR FREEDOM?
• In Cain's instance, he gave up the freedom to choose. He was now faced with the consequences of his action. He was bound for eternity. There was nothing he could do to revoke the consequences.
• Our transgressions may not have the irreversible effects of Cain's sin, but they also bind us and cause us to freedom.
- Consider the consequences of not living the Word of Wisdom.
- Consider the consequences of moral transgression.
• IN CONTRAST, HOW DOES OBEDIENCE INCREASE OUR FREEDOM?
10. HOW DID CAIN RESPOND WHEN THE LORD ASKED WHERE ABEL WAS?
• "And the Lord said unto Cain: Where is Abel, thy brother? And he said: I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Moses 5:34)
• WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER?
• "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:17-18)
• HOW DOES THIS STORY APPLY TO US TODAY?
• Consider the words of Hugh Nibley: "Failing to enlist Adam in this project, Satan approached Cain and taught him the basic principles of business: he took his fee, made him swear confidentiality, taught him how to get rich, and gave him the degree of Master Mahan, making him privy to the 'great secret' of how to get the stuff. Cain wanted his brother's flocks.... So he murdered his brother Abel to get gain (Moses 5:50). An important part of the course was to overcome moral scruples...he feels no qualms, admits no guilt, and easily defeats the polygraph. Cain, in fact, 'gloried in that which he had done' (Moses 5:33). (It is not enough to just live with it, you have to glory in it. Then you feel all right. This was the big obstacle, and he gloried in it. And what gives him the moral right to glory? The greatest of all appeals--freedom. Freedom sanctifies all.) So Cain says, Now 'I am free; surely the flocks of my brother fall into my hands' (Moses 5:33). He was free now, so he gloried in what he had done. His murder didn't bother him in the least. Thus when the Lord asked him, 'Where is your brother Abel?' Cain said, 'That is none of my business; he can take care of himself. If not, that is just too bad for him--he deserves what he gets' (cf. Moses 5:34). It's a dog-eat-dog world, says the entrepreneur who comforts his ruined investors with the magnanimous submission that life is unfair after all." (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 9:435)
• Robert L. Simpson: "The world today tells you to leave your friend alone. He has the right to come and go as he pleases. The world tells you that persuasion to attend Church or priesthood meeting or to discard a bad habit might lead to frustration and undue pressures; but again I repeat the word of the Lord, you are your brother's keeper, and when thou art converted, you have an obligation to strengthen your brother." (CR, Oct. 1971)
11. WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF CAIN'S CHOICE TO OBEY SATAN RATHER THAN GOD?
• He would be delivered up to Satan (5:23).
• He would be the father of lies (5:24).
• He would be called Perdition (5:24).
• Milton R. Hunter: "Why should Cain become Perdition? He committed murder, but there have been thousands and thousands of murders committed since his day and God has not pronounced the murderers sons of Perdition. The answer to this question lies in the fact that Cain must have held the Holy Priesthood" (Pearl of Great Price Commentary, p.167).
• The earth would not yield abundantly for him (5:36-37).
• He would be a fugitive and a vagabond (5:37).
• A mark was set upon him (5:40).
• Cain was shut out from the presence of the Lord (5:41).
• This was not a temporary curse, but a curse that has no end. Cain shall never again know his Heavenly Father and the joy that comes through eternal life.
• His descendants followed in his footsteps. Lamech, a great, great, great grandson, became Master Mahan, "master of that great secret which was administered unto Cain by Satan" (5:49).
• "And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men" (5:55).
• He was responsible for the first secret combinations and the subsequent wickedness that follows.
12. HOW CAN OUR RIGHTEOUS OR UNRIGHTEOUS CHOICES AFFECT OUR FAMILY MEMBERS?

Bruce R. McConkie on Cain:

"From the scriptural records available to us, from the sermons of the Prophet, and from a knowledge of the revealed requisites for becoming a son of perdition, we know that Cain was a liar and a rebel in pre-existence; that, like Lucifer, he had power and influence there; that in this life he was taught the gospel, received the priesthood, and knew of the divinity of the Lord's work; that he then came out in open rebellion against God; that he in fact loved Satan more than God, choosing to worship and serve that evil one rather than the Lord; and that he offered false sacrifices at Satan's behest and slew Abel because the devil directed him so to do. (Gen. 4; Moses 5:16-55)." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:197)

Loved Ones Who Go Astray

Even though Adam and Eve taught their children the gospel, Cain and others chose to live unrighteously.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP OURSELVES BEAR THE PAIN WHEN LOVED ONES GO ASTRAY? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THESE LOVES ONES?

Apostle Orson F. Whitney: "You parents of the wilful and the wayward: Don't give them up. Don't cast them off. They are not utterly lost. The shepherd will find his sheep. They were his before they were yours--long before he entrusted them to your care; and you cannot begin to love them as he loves them. They have but strayed in ignorance from the Path of Right, and God is merciful to ignorance. Only the fulness of knowledge brings the fulness of accountability. Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend." (CR, Apr. 1929)

Elder Richard G. Scott:

Many of you have heavy hearts because a son or daughter, husband or wife, has turned from righteousness to pursue evil. My message is for you.

Your life is filled with anguish, pain, and, at times, despair. I will tell you how you can be comforted by the Lord.

First you must recognize two foundation principles:

1. While there are many things you can do to help a loved one in need, there are some thing that must be done by the Lord.
2. Also, no enduring improvement can occur without righteous exercise of agency. Do not attempt to override agency. The Lord himself would not do that. Forced obedience yeilds no blessings (see D&C 58:26-33).

I will suggest seven ways you can help.

First, love without limitations.... Second, do not condone the transgressions, but extend every hope and support to the transgressor.... Third, teach truth.... Fourth, honestly forgive as often as required.... Fifth, pray trustingly. 'The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much' (James 5:16)....

Sixth, keep perspective.... When the things you realistically can do to help are done, leave the matter in the hands of the Lord and worry no more. Do not feel guilty because you cannot do more. Do not waste your energy on useless worry.... In time, you will feel impressions and know how to give further help. You will find more peace and happiness, will not neglect others that need you, and will be able to give greater help because of that eternal perpective....

One last suggestion--Never give up on a love one, never! (CR, Apr. 1988)

Enoch & The Blessings Of Righteousness

The Hope For A Better World.

Consider current events around the world:

• The Iraqi threat.
• Drug trafficking.
• Instability in Russia.
• Crime and moral degradation in this country.

AS YOU OBSERVE THESE EVENTS, IS NOT YOUR SOUL STIRRED IN HOPE FOR A BETTER, MORE PEACEFUL WORLD?

WHAT IS THE CONDITION THAT WE AS LATTER-DAY SAINTS HOPE FOR?

The establishment of Zion.

WHAT IS ZION?

• National park/bank.
• Dictionary: a hill in Jerusalem, site of Solomon's temple, Jerusalem, Israel, heaven.
• The place where the pure in heart dwell.
• A city built by the people of Enoch.
• A city to be built in Jackson county.

Joseph Smith taught: "The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with particular delight.... [It is] a work God and angels have contemplated with delight for generations past; that fired the souls of ancient patriarchs and prophets; a work that is destined to bring about the destruction of the powers of darkness, the renovation of the earth, the glory of God and the salvation of the human family." (TPJS, p231)

Enoch & Zion

WHO WAS ENOCH?

• Son of Jared. 4th great-grandson of Adam. Lived in the land of Cainan.

Enoch's geneology (see Moses 6:10-22):

• Adam > Seth > Enos > Cainan > Mahalaleel > Jared > Enoch.
• "Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God" (6:21).

Enoch preaches repentance to the people.

• Enoch called to teach repentance to the people, "for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off . . . they gone astray, and have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark; and in their own abominations have they devised murder, and have not kept the commandments" (6:27-28).
• Enoch's response to the Lord, "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?" (6:31)
• Enoch was given great promises if he would fulfill this call (6:32-34).
• READ MOSES 6:37.
• WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THE PEOPLE WERE OFFENDED WHEN ENOCH BEGAN TO PREACH REPENTENCE?
• WHY DID THESE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO ENOCH?
• They were curious. "Tarry ye here and keep the tents, while we go yonder to behold the seer, for he prophesieth, and there is a strange thing in the land; a wild man hath come among us" (6:38).
• Enoch taught the people the gospel (6:41-63).
• Many listened to this prophet, were converted, and repented of their sins.
• WHAT DOES THIS INCIDENT TEACH US ABOUT LISTENING TO THE PROPHET, EVEN IF WE DON'T LIKE WHAT HE SAYS?

READ MOSES 7:13. The faith of Enoch and the people.

READ D&C 45:66-70. The power of Zion in the last days.

WHY WOULD THE WICKED FEAR TO ATTACK ENOCH'S PEOPLE OR A MODERN ZION? (The glory and terror of the Lord would be there)

A Zion People

1. THE LORD REFERED TO HIS PEOPLE AS "ZION" (see 7:18). WHY?
• They were of one heart and one mind.
• There was no poor among them.
2. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE OF ONE HEART AND ONE MIND? DID THEY ALL VOTE REPUBLICAN AND ONLY SHOP AT ALBERTSONS & ZCMI?
• CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING PART OF SUCH A SOCIETY?
• DO WE HAVE THIS SITUATION WITHIN THE CHURCH, OUR WARD, OUR FAMILY?
3. HOW DID THE PEOPLE OF ENOCH BECOME OF ONE HEART AND MIND?
• They exercised faith in the words taught by Enoch.
• They sought to live the gospel every moment of their lives.
4. WHAT WAS THE ULTIMATE DESTINY OF ENOCH'S ZION?
• READ MOSES 7:68-69.
5. HOW CAN WE BECOME A ZION PEOPLE?
• President Kimball suggested three things we should do to assist in the bringing forth of a modern day Zion (see Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp363-364):
1. "We must eliminate the individual tendency to selfishness that snares the soul, shrinks the heart, and darkens the mind."
2. "We must cooperate completely and work in harmony one with the other. There must be unanimity in our decisions and unity in our actions."
3. "We must lay on the altar and sacrifice whatever is required by the Lord. We begin by offering a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit.' We follow this by giving our best effort in our assigned fields of labor and callings. We learn our duty and execute it fully. Finally we consecrate our time, talents, and means as called upon by our file leaders and as prompted by the whisperings of the Spirit...."
• Joseph F. Smith: "When I am ready to say, 'Father, all that I have, myself included, is Thine; my time, my substance, everything that I possess is on the altar, to be used freely, agreeable to Thy holy will, and not my will, but Thine, be done,' then perhaps I will be prepared to go and help to redeem Zion."

The Choice

1. Cain chose to follow Satan and teach his evil practices to his children and followers.
• The consequences: Cain and his descendants grew in wickedness and were cursed by God for their unrighteousness.
2. Enoch chose to follow the Lord and preach repentance.
• The consequences: An entire city became so righteous that they were removed from the earth to dwell with God.

How will we choose? Our happiness and eternal destiny depends on righteous choices. Throughout the history of the restored Church there have been those who have been proud and refused to give up their pride and humble themselves (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Sidney Rigdon, William Smith, and others). How much did they loose? We may not always like what we hear from the prophet (as the listeners of Enoch), but if we continue to listen and obey, our blessings can be as great as their's. We can be tools in the hand of God in building a modern day Zion.

Next Week

Lesson 6: Moses 8:19-30; Genesis 6-9; 11:1-9.