Post by Jarom,
The commandment of keeping this record has now fallen on me Jarom. My father Enos, though a great man and a great teacher, wrote very little. I suppose I will write even less. My father insisted I keep this record partly so that our genealogy may be kept, as well as with the the intent of benefiting our brethren the Lamanites. Though I have been privileged to prophesy and to receive revelations, but I don’t feel I can add much to what Enos, Jacob, Nephi and Lehi have written concerning important things such as the revealed plan of salvation.
Just a note about my father Enos. His testimony was so strong and his works had been of such a nature that he knew he would be saved in the mansions of our Father. I repeat his testimony: “And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me; Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.”
I have gained great lessons from the testimony and the works of my father. One being that when men are in the service of God to the end of their days, they can go into the grave with an absolute assurance that they will be rewarded by him. I believe my father Enos has been sealed up to eternal life.
In my days I have seen the Nephites grow from a powerful people to a wealthy, and very numerous nation. Yet our numbers are still far from being equal to those of the wild and bloodthirsty Lamanites who have spent their time almost exclusively in the chase of wild animals and in war; yet, notwithstanding the repeated and vigorous onslaughts of the Lamanites, my days represent a period of marked progress in the arts of peace.
Though many of the Nephites of my time are stiffnecked and perverse, requiring the constant warnings of prophets to keep them from backsliding, yet, the pervading tone of our society has been simple and the people were generally industrious, honest and moral. They neither blasphemed nor profaned the Holy Name of the Deity, they strictly observed the Law of Moses and kept the Sabbath Day sacred. Our prophets, priests and teachers not only instructed them in the Law of Moses but also expounded the intent for which it was given and while so doing directed their minds to the coming of Christ, the Messiah, in whom we taught the people to believe as though He had already come. That is real faith; to believe in that which is to come, as though it had already come to pass. These pointed and constant teachings preserved the Nephites from destruction by softening their hearts and bringing them to repentance when war, wealth, or pride had exerted their baneful influences.
Even with all our struggles to stay righteous, God is exceedingly merciful unto us, and has not as yet swept us off from the face of the land.
Though I have not added much to this blog, a greater record is kept by the kings on which they have kept a record “of the wars,” and the general history of our people. A lot has been written in the 3 generations between me and my great grandfather Lehi and this one blog may seem small for me having been in charge of this record for about 60 years, but I am now turning the responsibility of this blog to my son Omni.
