View source for Book of Moses

{{Short description|Part of the scriptural canon of the LDS movement}}
{{For|other books of Moses|Torah|Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Pearl of Great Price}}

The '''Book of Moses''', dictated by [[Joseph Smith]], is part of the [[standard works|scriptural canon]] for some [[List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement|denominations]] in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]]. The book begins with the "Visions of Moses", a prologue to the story of [[Genesis creation narrative|the creation]] and the [[fall of man]] (Moses chapter 1), and continues with material corresponding to the [[Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible]]'s (JST) first six chapters of the [[Book of Genesis]] (Moses 2–5, 8),<ref name=Enycyclopedia/> interrupted by two chapters of "extracts from the prophecy of Enoch" (Moses chapters 6–7).<ref name=Matthews1986>{{cite magazine|author-link=Robert J. Matthews|last=Matthews|first=Robert J.|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1986/01/how-we-got-the-book-of-moses|title=How We Got the Book of Moses|magazine=[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]|date=January 1986|publisher=[[LDS Church]]}}</ref>

The Book of Moses begins with [[Moses]] speaking with God "face to face" and seeing a vision of all existence. Moses is initially overwhelmed by the immensity of the cosmos and humanity's smallness in comparison, but God then explains that he made the earth and heavens to bring humans to eternal life.<ref name=Controversial/>{{rp|pp=37—38}} The book subsequently provides an enlarged account of the [[Genesis creation narrative]], which describes God having a corporeal body,<ref name=Controversial/>{{rp|p=73}} followed by a rendering of the [[fall of man|fall of Adam and Eve]] in celebratory terms that emphasizes eating the [[forbidden fruit]] as part of a process of gaining knowledge and becoming more like God.<ref name=Controversial/>{{rp|pp=39—41}}{{Dubious|date=August 2024}} The Book of Moses also expands the story of [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]],<ref name=Enycyclopedia/> described in the [[Hebrew Bible]] as being an ancestor of Noah.<ref>{{Tanakhverse|Genesis|5:19–24}}</ref> In the expanded narrative, Enoch has a [[theophany]] in which he discovers that God is capable of sorrow, and that human sin and suffering cause him to grieve.<ref name=Controversial>{{Cite book |last1=Givens |first1=Terryl |author-link=Terryl Givens |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/34928 |title=The Pearl of Greatest Price: Mormonism's Most Controversial Scripture |last2=Hauglid |first2=Brian M. |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2019 |isbn=978-0-19-060386-1 |location=New York, NY |language=en |doi=10.1093/oso/9780190603861.001.0001 |ol=28940280M|pages=47–48}}</ref>{{rp|pp=47–48}} Enoch then receives a prophetic calling, and he eventually builds a [[Zion (Latter Day Saints)|city of Zion]] so righteous that it is [[Translation (Mormonism)|taken to heaven]].<ref name=Stone>{{cite book |last1=Bushman |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Bushman |title=Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling |date=2005 |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Knopf Doubleday]] |location=New York City |isbn=9780307426482 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mz3tpz4eRBQC|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>{{rp|pp=138–141}} Enoch's example inspired Smith's own hopes to establish the nascent Church of Christ as a Zion-esque community.<ref name=Controversial/>{{rp|pp=57—60}} The book also elaborates on passages that—in the view of [[Christians]]—foreshadowed the coming of [[Jesus]], leading to explicit Christian doctrine of and faith in Jesus as a savior figure—effectively [[Christianizing]] the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).<ref name=Stone/>{{rp|pp=133-134}}

Portions of the Book of Moses were originally published separately by [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) in 1851, but later combined and published as the Book of Moses in the [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]], one of the four books of its canon. The same material is published by the [[Community of Christ]] as parts of its [[Doctrine and Covenants]] and [[Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible|Inspired Version of the Bible]].<ref name=Matthews1982>{{cite magazine |first= Robert J. |last= Matthews |author-link= Robert J. Matthews |date= July 1982 |title= Plain and Precious Things Restored |url= https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1982/07/plain-and-precious-things-restored |magazine= [[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]|publisher=[[LDS Church]]}}</ref>

==Origin==
{{Main|Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible}}

In June 1830,<ref name=Enycyclopedia>{{cite book |editor-last1=Ludlow |editor-first1=Daniel H. |last1=Taylor |first1=Bruce T. | title=[[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]] |date=1992 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |section=Book of Moses | location=New York City |isbn=978-0-02-904040-9 |pages=216–217 |section-url=https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/EoM/id/5555}}</ref> [[Joseph Smith]] began a new [[Bible translations into English|translation of the Bible into English]] that was intended to restore "many important points touching the salvation of men, [that] had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled."<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Joseph Smith|last=Smith|first=Joseph|editor-link=Joseph Fielding Smith|editor-first=Joseph Fielding|editor-last=Smith|title=Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith|url=https://archive.org/details/STPJS/page/n9/mode/1up|date=1993|publisher=[[Deseret Book]]|isbn=9780875796475|pages=10|via=[[Internet Archive]]|orig-date=1938}}</ref> The chapters that now make up the Book of Moses were first published in the church newspapers ''[[Evening and Morning Star]]'' and ''[[Times and Seasons]]'' in the 1830s and 1840s.<ref name=Manuscripts/>{{rp|at=Ch. 1}}

===Publication by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints===
{{Main|Standard Works}}
[[File:Latter-day Saint Scripture Quadruple Combination.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|The ''[[Standard Works]]'' constitute the LDS Church [[Sacred texts|scriptural]] [[Biblical canon|canon]]]]

The Book of Moses is considered part of the ''[[Standard Works]]'', which constitute the scriptural canon of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church).<ref name=Manuscripts/> The eight chapters of the Book of Moses were included as a separate book within the [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]] through a series of events subsequent to Smith's death. [[Franklin D. Richards (Mormon apostle)|Franklin D. Richards]], who published the first edition of the Pearl of Great Price in 1851, only had access to the early versions of the JST found in church newspapers along with another incomplete handwritten part of JST Genesis, not the original manuscripts.<ref name=Manuscripts/>{{rp|at=Ch. 1}} For this reason the Book of Moses ended abruptly in the middle of the story of Noah.{{cn|date=April 2024}} Richards published everything he had at the time, and what is now the Book of Moses was later added by [[Orson Pratt]] in the 1878 edition of the Pearl of Great Price.<ref name=Matthews1986/> The Pearl of Great Price, including the Book of Moses, was officially canonized by the LDS Church in 1880.<ref name=Manuscripts/>{{rp|at=Ch. 1}}

===Publication by the Community of Christ===
{{Further|Comparison of the Community of Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}}

The [[Community of Christ]], formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), began publishing portions of the Book of Moses in its canonical [[Doctrine and Covenants]] (D&C) in 1864. Section 22 of the D&C contains Moses chapter 1, and section 36 contains Moses chapter 7. The inclusion of these excerpts in the Doctrine and Covenants was officially approved by the RLDS Church in 1970.

The RLDS Church began publishing the complete [[Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible]] in 1867 (giving it the name "The Holy Scriptures" and more commonly known as the "Inspired Version"); the portions of the Book of Moses that are not contained in the church's D&C are contained within this larger translation.

==Synopsis and ancient parallels==

===Moses 1===
* Moses 1: The events described in Moses 1 are portrayed as taking place sometime after Jehovah spoke to Moses out of the [[burning bush]] but before Moses had returned to Egypt to deliver the children of Israel (See Exodus 4:27). The details of Moses' experience in chapter 1 place it squarely in the tradition of ancient "[[Merkabah|heavenly ascent]]" literature (e.g., the pseudepigraphal [[Apocalypse of Abraham]]) and its relationship to temple theology, rites, and ordinances.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Hugh Nibley|last=Nibley|first=Hugh|chapter-url=https://rsc.byu.edu/sites/default/files/pub_content/pdf/To_Open_the_Last_Dispensation.pdf |chapter=To Open the Last Dispensation: Moses Chapter 1|title=Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless|editor-link=Truman G. Madsen|editor-first=Truman G.|editor-last=Madsen|pages=1–20|location=Provo, Utah|publisher=[[Religious Studies Center]] at [[Brigham Young University]]|date=1978}}</ref> Following a brief prologue, Moses is given a description of God's majesty and a confirmation of the work to which he had previously been foreordained as a "son of God." He is then shown the "world upon which he was created" and "all the children of men which are, and which were created."<ref>(cf. Apocalypse of Abraham 21:7; 22:2, 5; and the LDS [[Book of Abraham]] 3:22–23)</ref> Then, having gone out the presence of God and no longer being clothed with His glory, Moses falls to the earth.<ref>(cf. Apocalypse of Abraham 10:1–3)</ref> He is then left to himself to be tested in a dramatic encounter with [[Satan]].<ref>(cf. Apocalypse of Abraham 13–14)</ref> Having banished Satan through the power of the Only Begotten, Moses is "filled with the Holy Ghost." He "calls upon the name of God" in prayer, and is answered by a voice enumerating specific blessings. While "the voice is still speaking," Moses beholds every particle of the earth and all of its inhabitants.<ref>(cf. Apocalypse of Abraham 21:1)</ref> The culminating sequence begins in verse 31 when Moses, having continued to inquire of the Lord, returns to his presence.<ref>(cf. the corresponding illustration in the ''Codex Sylvester'', the oldest complete account of the Apocalypse of Abraham)</ref> God then speaks with Moses face to face, describing his purposes for this earth and its inhabitants ("this is my work and my glory: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" Moses 1:39). Finally, the chapter closes with an allusion referring to Smith's restoration of the lost words of scripture (echoing a similar prophecy in the pseudepigraphal [[Second Book of Enoch|2 Enoch]] 35:1–2), and stating that these words are to be shown only to those that believe (paralleling the pseudepigraphal [[2 Esdras#4 Ezra|4 Ezra]] 14:6, 45–47). Then follows a vision outlining the creation, the [[fall of man]], and subsequent events in the lives of Adam and Eve and their descendants.<ref>(cf. Apocalypse of Abraham 21:3–5, 23:1–14)</ref> This is consistent with ancient Jewish sources which affirm that Moses saw these events in vision.<ref>{{cite journal|first=E. Douglas|last=Clark|title=A Prologue to Genesis: Moses 1 in Light of Jewish Traditions|journal=[[BYU Studies]]|volume=45|issue=1|date=2006|pages=129–42|url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol45/iss1/4/ |publisher=[[Brigham Young University]]}}</ref>

===Moses 2–8===
Moses 2–8 generally follow the first chapters of the [[Book of Genesis]], but often provide alternative interpretations of the text or significant additional detail not found in the [[Bible]]. Among the notable differences are the following:
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/2?lang=eng Moses 2] (cf. [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201&version=KJV Genesis 1]): A brief prologue affirming that the account derives from the words of God directly to Moses is added in verse 1. The repetition of the phrase "I, God" throughout the chapter also emphasizes the purported firsthand nature of the account. The idea that all things were created "by mine Only Begotten" (i.e., Jesus Christ, in his premortal state) is made clear, as is the Son's identity as the co-creator at the time when God said "Let us make man." Otherwise, the structure and basic premises of the Genesis account of the Creation are left intact. While following generally similar schemas, the two later versions of the creation story given in the [[Book of Abraham]] and in the [[Endowment (Mormonism)|temple endowment]] are replete with additional changes—some subtle and others stunning—that give new perspectives on the events portrayed.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Nielsen |first1= F. Kent |last2= Ricks |first2= Stephen D. |author2-link= Stephen D. Ricks |contribution= Creation, Creation Accounts |contribution-url= http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/EoM/id/5644 |pages= 340–343 |editor1-last= Ludlow |editor1-first= Daniel H |editor1-link= Daniel H. Ludlow |title= [[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]] |location= New York |publisher= [[Macmillan Publishing]] |year= 1992 |isbn= 0-02-879602-0 |oclc= 24502140 }}</ref>
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/3?lang=eng Moses 3] (cf. [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=KJV Genesis 2]): The Book of Moses explains the meaning of verse 5 in terms of the LDS idea of a ''spiritual'' creation. God explains that He: "''created all things … spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.'' For ''I,'' the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. ''And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and'' not ''yet'' a man to till the ground; ''for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air'' (additions italicized).{{#tag:ref|see also vv. 7, 9|group="cf"}} Consistent with this concept, some ancient sources assert that the heavenly hosts—variously described as including the angels, the sons of God, and/or the souls of humanity—were part of the light that appeared on day one of creation.<ref>See, e.g., [[Margaret Barker]]. [http://www.marquette.edu/maqom/veil.html  "Beyond the veil of the temple: The High Priestly origins of the apocalypses"] ''Scottish Journal of Theology'' '''51'''(1) (1998): 1–21.</ref> Verse 17 is expanded in a way that reinforces the LDS teaching that Adam and Eve were placed in a situation where they were required to exercise freedom of choice in order to continue their progression through the experience of earth life{{#tag:ref|"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, ''nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it,'' for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."|group="cf"}} As in the [[Quran]], the transgression of Adam and Eve that led to their coming to earth is seen as a positive and necessary step that would provide the preparatory schooling they needed for an eventual glorious return to heaven.<ref>at-Tabataba'i, Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn. 1973.'' [[Tafsir al-Mizan|Al-Mizan]]: An Exegesis of the Qur'an.'' Translated by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi. 3rd ed. Tehran, Iran: World Organization for Islamic Services, 1983, 2:35, 1:179–81, 193–94.</ref>
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/4?lang=eng Moses 4] (cf. [http://kingjbible.com/genesis/3.htm Genesis 3]): Four verses are added to the beginning of the Genesis version of this chapter, interrupting the flow of the story to give an account of heavenly councils where the nature and purposes of creation were discussed and decided. These verses echo stories in Jewish [[midrash]] recording that God "took counsel with the souls of the righteous before creating the world"<ref>[[Jacob Neusner]], ed. ''[[Genesis Rabba]]h: The Judaic Commentary to the Book of Genesis, A New American Translation''. 3 vols. Vol. 1: Parashiyyot One through Thirty-Three on Genesis 1:1 to 8:14. ''Brown Judaic Studies'' 104, ed. Jacob Neusner. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1985, 8:7:1, p. 80. See also e.g., [[Harry Freedman (rabbi)|H. Freedman]] and Maurice Simon, eds. 1939. ''Midrash Rabbah''. 3rd ed. 10 vols. London, England: Soncino Press, 1983, Ruth 2:3, 7:28.</ref> A summary of the story of Satan's fall from heaven is also given. Like the Quran, and in contrast to Genesis, the corresponding accounts of Satan's rebellion and Adam and Eve's fall form a "single, continuous story."<ref>at-Tabataba'i, Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn. 1973. ''[[Tafsir al-Mizan|Al-Mizan]]: An Exegesis of the Qur'an''. Translated by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi. :) 3rd ed. Tehran, Iran: World Organization for Islamic Services, 1983, 2:35, 1:179.</ref>
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/5?lang=eng Moses 5] (cf. [http://kingjbible.com/genesis/4.htm Genesis 4]): The Book of Moses adds fifteen verses to the beginning of the Genesis account. Verses 1–6 highlight the obedience of Adam and Eve by enumerating their faithfulness to each of the commandments they had been given. Adam and Eve began to "till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow." Likewise Eve fulfilled the commission she had received in the Garden of Eden and "bare … sons and daughters, and they began to replenish the earth." Moreover, "Adam was obedient to the commandments of the Lord" to "offer the firstlings of their flocks" for "many days," despite the fact that he did not yet fully understand the reason why he had been thus commanded. The period of testing for Adam involving "many days" mentioned in the Book of Moses corresponds to the "testing" of the first couple described in [[pseudepigraphal]] accounts such as the [[Life of Adam and Eve]].<ref>This pattern of testing is described in, e.g., Michael E. Stone. ''Adam's Contract with Satan: The Legend of the Cheirograph of Adam.'' Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2002, pp. 13–14.</ref> Also recalling parallels in these ancient stories is the book of Moses account of how Adam and Eve's enduring obedience is rewarded by the announcement of their redemption through the eventual sacrifice of the son of God (vv. 6–13). In light of this extended prologue extolling the virtue of obedience and the promise of redemption, the Book of Moses' expanded story of [[Cain and Abel|Cain's rebellion and murder of his brother Abel]] appears in even starker relief. Cain's murderous pact with Satan is portrayed as the foundation of "secret combinations" that later flourish among the wicked, and provide a plausible context for the more fragmentary Genesis account of [[Lamech (descendant of Cain)|Lamech]]'s slaying of his rival. The chapter ends with the declaration that "all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance, and the Gospel preached, and a decree sent forth, that it should be in the world, until the end thereof."
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/6?lang=eng Moses 6] (cf. [http://kingjbible.com/genesis/5.htm Genesis 5]): Expansions in the early part of the chapter further describe the story of the righteous [[Seth]]. The "genealogy" of his descendants are said to be kept in a "book of remembrance." Jewish and Islamic sources describe a similar book, intended to preserve "the primordial wisdom of paradise for Adam and his generations" and also "the genealogy of the entire human race".<ref>Daniel C. Matt, ed. ''The [[Zohar]], Pritzker Edition.'' Vol. 1. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004, Be-Reshit  1:37b, pp. 237–38; cf. Be-Reshit 1:55b, pp. 310–13. For Islamic parallels, see also, e.g., Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Kisa'i. ca. 1000–1100. ''[[Qisas Al-Anbiya|Tales of the Prophets (Qisas al-anbiya).]]'' Translated by Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. ''Great Books of the Islamic World'', ed. Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Chicago, IL: KAZI Publications, 1997, pp. 75–76; cf. [[Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari]]. d. 923. ''The History of al-Tabari: General Introduction and From the Creation to the Flood.'' Vol. 1. Translated by Franz Rosenthal. ''Biblioteca Persica'', ed. Ehsan Yar-Shater. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1989, 1:151, p. 322.</ref> Moses chapter 6 contains the story of the call and preaching of [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]]. Though the biblical account of Enoch's life occupies only two verses, his story fills most of chapter 6 and all of chapter 7 of the book of Moses. Extended accounts of the experiences of Enoch, which contain surprising parallels with the Book of Moses (particularly in Qumran's Enochic ''[[Book of Giants]]''), also circulated widely in [[Second Temple Judaism]] and early Christianity.<ref>E.g., [[Hugh Nibley]]. [http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=53 ''Enoch the Prophet''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630084627/http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=53 |date=2012-06-30 }}. Edited by [[Stephen D. Ricks]]. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1986.</ref><ref name="mormoninterpreter.com">[[Jeffrey M. Bradshaw]] and [[David J. Larsen]]. [http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/ancient-affinities-within-the-lds-book-of-enoch-part-one/ "Ancient Affinities within the LDS Book of Enoch Part One"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316005935/http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/ancient-affinities-within-the-lds-book-of-enoch-part-one/ |date=March 16, 2013 }}, ''[[Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture]]'', '''4''' (2013), 1–27.</ref> Some of the most significant resemblances in Moses chapter 6 are found not in [[1 Enoch]], but in related pseudepigrapha published after the death of Joseph Smith such as the [[Second Book of Enoch]] (first published at the end of the 19th century), [[3 Enoch]] (first widely circulated translation was by Odeberg in 1928), but especially in the intriguing elaborations of the Qumranic ''[[Book of Giants]]'' (discovered in 1948). As an example of parallels with [[Second Book of Enoch]] and [[3 Enoch]], Moses 6:31 calls the 65-year-old Enoch a "lad" (the only use of this term in LDS scripture), corresponding to the somewhat puzzling use of this term to describe Enoch/Metatron in, e.g., 2 Enoch 10:4 and 3 Enoch 3:2, 4:2, and 4:10.<ref name="mormoninterpreter.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marquette.edu/maqom/metatronyouth.html|title=Metatron as the Youth Andrei Orlov|website=www.marquette.edu}}</ref><ref name="strangething">[[Hugh Nibley]], http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=53&chapid=484 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020193057/http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=53&chapid=484 |date=2011-10-20 }}.</ref> Speaking of a reference to "lad" in the [[Second Book of Enoch]], non-Mormon scholar Gary Anderson writes: "The acclamation of Enoch as 'lad' is curious .… It is worth noting that of all the names given Enoch, the title 'lad' is singled out as being particularly apt and fitting by the heavenly host."<ref>Anderson, Gary A. "The exaltation of Adam", in ''Literature on Adam and Eve: Collected Essays'', edited by Gary A. Anderson, Michael E. Stone and Johannes Tromp, 83–110. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2000, 107.</ref> With regard to the [[Book of the Giants]] the parallels with the Enoch chapters in the Book of Moses are concentrated in a scant three pages of Qumran fragments. These resemblances range from general themes in the story line (secret works, murders, visions, earthly and heavenly books of remembrance that evoke fear and trembling, moral corruption, hope held out for repentance, and the eventual defeat of Enoch's adversaries in battle, ending with their utter destruction and imprisonment) to specific occurrences of rare expressions in corresponding contexts (the reference to the "wild man," the name and parallel role of Mahijah/Mahujah, and the "roar of the wild beasts").<ref name="mormoninterpreter.com"/><ref name="strangething" />
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/7?lang=eng Moses 7]: This chapter continues the story of Enoch's preaching, including a vision of the "Son of Man"—a favorite motif in pseudepigraphal Book of Parables in [[Book of Enoch|1 Enoch]]{{#tag:ref|See 46:2–4; 48:2; 60:10; 62:5, 7, 9, 14; 63:11; 69:26-27, 29; 70:1; 71:14, 17|group="cf"}} that also appears in marked density throughout the Book of Moses vision of Enoch{{#tag:ref|Moses 7:24, 47, 54, 56, 59, 65|group="cf"}}. "Chosen One"{{#tag:ref|Moses 7:39. Cf. Moses 4:2. See 1 Enoch 39:6; 40:5; 45:3–4; 49:2, 4; 51:5a, 3; 52:6, 9; 53:6; 55:4; 61:5, 8, 10; 62:1|group="cf"}} "Anointed One",{{#tag:ref|i.e., Messiah. See Moses 7:63. Cf. 1 Enoch 48:10; 52:4|group="cf"}} and "Righteous One"{{#tag:ref|Moses 6:57; 7:45, 47, 67. Cf. 1 Enoch 38:2; 53:6. See also 39:6; 46:3; 49:2; 62:2–3|group="cf"}} that appear prominently both in 1 Enoch and the LDS Enoch story. After considering the sometimes contentious debate among scholars about the single or multiple referent(s) of these titles and their relationship to other texts, Nickelsburg and VanderKam conclude that the author of 1 Enoch (like the author of the Book of Moses) "saw the … traditional figures as having a single referent and applied the various designations and characteristics as seemed appropriate to him."<ref name="Nickelsburg, George W. E. 2012">Nickelsburg, George W. E., and James C. VanderKam, eds. ''1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters  37–82''. Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Fortress Press, 2012, p. 119.</ref> Consistent with [[Nag Hammadi library|texts found at Nag Hammadi]],<ref>See Brown, S. Kent. "Man and Son of Man: Issues of theology and Christology," in ''The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God'', edited by H. Donl Peterson and Charles D. Tate, Jr., 57–72. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1989, 68–69</ref> Smith's Enoch straightforwardly equates the filial relationship between God and His Only Begotten Son in the New Testament to the Enochic notion of the perfect Man and the Son of Man: "Man of Holiness is [God’s] 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 6:57). The single specific description of the role of the Son of Man given in this verse from the book of Moses as a "righteous judge" is highly characteristic of the Book of the Parables within 1 Enoch, where the primary role of the Son of Man is also that of a judge (e.g., 1 Enoch 69:27. Cf. John 5:27)."<ref name="Nickelsburg, George W. E. 2012"/> In a vision of Enoch found in the book of Moses, three distinct parties weep for the wickedness of mankind: God (Moses 7:28; cf. v. 29), the heavens (Moses 7:28, 37), and Enoch himself (Moses 7:41, 49). In addition, the earth mourns for her children (Moses 7:48–49). This chorus of weeping is consistent with the ancient Enoch literature.<ref>Peterson, Daniel C. "On the motif of the weeping God in Moses 7," in ''Reason, Revelation, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen'', edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks, pp. 285–317. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2002.</ref><ref>Bradshaw, Jeffrey M., Jacob Rennaker, and David J. Larsen. [http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/revisiting-the-forgotten-voices-of-weeping-in-moses-7-a-comparison-with-ancient-texts/ "Revisiting the forgotten voices of weeping in Moses 7: A comparison with ancient texts"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323125722/http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/revisiting-the-forgotten-voices-of-weeping-in-moses-7-a-comparison-with-ancient-texts/ |date=March 23, 2013 }}, ''[[Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture]]'' '''2''' (2012): 41–71.</ref> Moses chapter 7 concludes with the story of how Enoch gathered the righteous into a [[Zion (Latter Day Saints)#Zion, the City of Enoch|city he called Zion]] that was taken to heaven, a story whose ancient parallels have been explored by David J. Larsen.<ref>Larsen, David J. {{YouTube|9Vgm88HLcL0|"Enoch and the City of Zion: Can an entire community ascend to heaven?"}}.  presented at the Academy of Temple Studies Conference on Enoch and the Temple, Logan, Utah and Provo, Utah, February 19 and 22, 2013.</ref>
* [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/8?lang=eng Moses 8] (cf. [http://kingjbible.com/genesis/5.htm Genesis 5]-[http://kingjbible.com/genesis/6.htm 6]): Additional details are given about the story of [[Methuselah]] and the preaching of Noah, again stressing the coming of Jesus Christ and the necessity of [[baptism]]. The term, "sons of God," as it occurs in the enigmatic episode of mismatched marriages in the Bible (Genesis 6:1) and relating to passages in [[1 Enoch]] 6–7 about the "[[Watcher (angel)|Watchers]]" has been the source of controversy among scholars. Contradicting traditions that depict these husbands as fallen angels, the Book of Moses (Moses 8:13–15) is consistent with early Christian traditions that portray them as mere mortals who lay claim on the title of sons of God by virtue of their priesthood (see Moses 6:64–68).<ref>E.g., Ephrem the Syrian. ca. 350–363. "The Hymns on Paradise." In Hymns on Paradise, edited by Sebastian Brock, 77–195. Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1990, 1:11, 81–82</ref> The Book of Moses ends abruptly just before the [[flood of Noah]], but the story continues in the remainder of the JST version of Genesis.

==Scholarship==
In contrast to numerous scholarly analyses of Smith's translations of the [[Book of Mormon]] and the [[Book of Abraham]] that began to appear in the 19th century, explorations of the textual foundations of the JST began in earnest only in the 1960s, with the pioneering work of the [[Community of Christ|RLDS]] scholar [[Richard P. Howard]] and the LDS scholar [[Robert J. Matthews]].<ref>Howard, Richard P. ''Restoration Scriptures''. Independence, MO: Herald House, 1969.</ref><ref>[[Robert J. Matthews]] ''A Plainer Translation: Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible—A  History and Commentary.'' Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.</ref> A facsimile transcription of all the original manuscripts of the JST was at last published in 2004.<ref>[[Scott H. Faulring]], [[Kent P. Jackson]], and [[Robert J. Matthews]], eds.'' Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts.'' Provo, UT: [[Religious Studies Center]], Brigham Young University, 2004.</ref> Among other studies of the JST, [[Brigham Young University]] Professor [[Kent P. Jackson]], a longtime student of these topics, prepared a detailed study of the text of the portions of the JST relating to the Book of Moses in 2005.<ref name=Manuscripts>{{cite book|author-link=Kent P. Jackson|last=Jackson|first=Kent P.|title=The Book of Moses and the Joseph Smith Translation Manuscripts|location=Provo, Utah|publisher=[[Religious Studies Center]] at [[Brigham Young University]]|date=2005|url=https://rsc.byu.edu/book/book-moses-joseph-smith-translation-manuscripts|isbn=0-8425-2589-0}}</ref>

Although several brief studies of the teachings of the Book of Moses had previously appeared as part of apologetic and doctrinally focused LDS commentaries on the [[Pearl of Great Price (Latter Day Saints)|Pearl of Great Price]], the first detailed verse-by-verse commentary—and the first to incorporate significant amounts of modern non-LDS Bible scholarship—was published by Richard D. Draper, [[S. Kent Brown]], and [[Michael D. Rhodes]] in 2005.<ref>Richard D. Draper, [[S. Kent Brown]], and [[Michael D. Rhodes]]. ''The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary.'' Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2005.</ref>

In his master's thesis, Salvatore Cirillo cites and amplifies the arguments of [[D. Michael Quinn]]<ref>Quinn, D. Michael. ''Early Mormonism and the Magic World View''. Revised and enlarged ed. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 1998, p. 193.</ref> that the available evidence that Smith had access to published works related to 1 Enoch has moved "beyond probability—to fact."<ref>Cirillo, Salvatore. [http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/236/  "Joseph Smith, Mormonism, and Enochic Tradition."] Masters Thesis, Durham University, 2010, 126.</ref> He concludes that there is no other explanation than this for the substantial similarities that he finds between the Book of Moses and the pseudepigraphal Enoch literature.<ref>See, e.g., Cirillo (2010), pp. 90–91.</ref> However, reflecting on the "coincidence" of the appearance of the first English translation of 1 Enoch in 1821, just a few years before Smith received his Enoch revelations, [[Richard L. Bushman]] concludes: "It is scarcely conceivable that Joseph Smith knew of Laurence's Enoch translation."<ref name=Stone/>{{rp|p=138}} Perhaps even more significant is the fact that the principal themes of "Laurence’s 105 translated chapters do not resemble Joseph Smith’s Enoch in any obvious way."<ref>Bushman (2005), p. 138; cf. Woodworth, Jed L. "Extra-biblical Enoch texts in early American culture." In Archive of Restoration Culture: Summer Fellows' Papers 1997–1999, edited by Richard Lyman Bushman, 185–93. Provo, Utah: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History, 2000, 190–92</ref> Apart from the shared prominence of the Son of Man motif in the 1 Enoch Book of the Parables and the Book of Moses and some common themes in Enoch's visions of Noah, the most striking resemblances to Smith's writings are found not in 1 Enoch, but in Enochic literature published after the Smith's death. As an impressive example of such post-mortem resemblances, Cirillo cites (but does not provide any explanation of provenance) for the Mahujah/Mahijah character in Qumran [[Book of the Giants]] and the Book of Moses.<ref>Cirillo, Salvatore. [http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/236/ "Joseph Smith, Mormonism, and Enochic Tradition."] Masters Thesis, Durham University, 2010, 105–06.</ref>

As an alternative explanation for the Mahujah/Mahijah name and role in the Book of Moses, [[Matthew Black]] formulated a hypothesis in a conversation reported by Mormon scholar Gordon C. Thomasson that "certain carefully clandestine groups had, up through the middle-ages, maintained, sub rosa, an esoteric religious tradition based in the writings of Enoch, at least into the time of and influencing Dante" and "that a member of one of the esoteric groups he had described previously must have survived into the 19th century, and hearing of Joseph Smith, must have brought the group’s Enoch texts to New York from Italy for the prophet to translate and publish."<ref>Panel discussion in Provo (Kent Brown; William Hamblin; Gordon Thomasson), Academy of Temple Studies Conference on Enoch and the Temple, Logan, Utah and Provo, Utah, February 19 and 22, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaRw40r-TfM. Cf. Nibley, Hugh W. 1986. Teachings of the Pearl of Great Price. Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), Brigham Young University, 2004, Lesson 21, 267–69.</ref>

John L. Brooke claims that [[Sidney Rigdon]], among others, was a "conduit of Masonic lore during Joseph’s early years" and then goes on to make a set of claims connecting Mormonism and Masonry.<ref>Brooke, John L. ''The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644–1844''. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1994.</ref> These claims, including connections with the story of Enoch's pillars in Royal Arch Masonry, are disputed by Mormon scholars William J. Hamblin, et al.<ref>Hamblin, William J., Daniel C. Peterson, and George L. Mitton. "Mormon in the fiery furnace or Loftes Tryk goes to Cambridge." [[Review of Books on the Book of Mormon]] 6, no. 2 (1994): 3-58. See pp. 52–58.</ref><ref>Hamblin, William J., Daniel C. Peterson, and George L. Mitton. "Review of John L. Brooke: The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644–1844." BYU Studies 34, no. 4 (1994): 167–81. See pp. 178–79.</ref> Non-Mormon scholar Stephen Webb agreed with Hamblin, et al., concluding that "actual evidence for any direct link between [Joseph Smith’s] theology and the hermetic tradition is tenuous at best, and given that scholars vigorously debate whether hermeticism even constitutes a coherent and organized tradition, Brooke’s book should be read with a fair amount of skepticism."<ref>Webb, Stephen H. ''Jesus Christ, Eternal God: Heavenly Flesh and the Metaphysics of Matter''. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 260. See also Barlow, Philip L. "Decoding Mormonism." Christian Century, 17 January 1996, 52–55; Shipps, Jan. ''Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years among the Mormons''. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2000, 204–17.</ref>

Some non-Mormon scholars have signaled their appreciation of the significance of the Smith's translation efforts in light of ancient documents. Yale University critic of secular and sacred literature [[Harold Bloom]], who classes the Book of Moses and the [[Book of Abraham]] among the "more surprising" and "neglected" works of LDS scripture,<ref>[[Harold Bloom]]. ''Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine''. New York City, NY: Riverhead Books (Penguin Group), 2005, p. 25.</ref> is intrigued by the fact that many of their themes are "strikingly akin to ancient suggestions" that essentially restate "the archaic or original Jewish religion, a Judaism that preceded even the Yahwist." While expressing "no judgment, one way or the other, upon the authenticity" of LDS scripture, he finds "enormous validity" in the way these writings "recapture … crucial elements in the archaic Jewish religion … that had ceased to be available either to normative Judaism or to Christianity, and that survived only in esoteric traditions unlikely to have touched Smith directly."<ref>[[Harold Bloom]]. ''The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation.'' New York City, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1992, pp. 98, 99, 101.</ref> With respect to any possibility that Smith could have drawn from ancient manuscripts in his writings, Bloom concludes: "I hardly think that written sources were necessary." Stephen Webb concludes that Smith "knew more about theology and philosophy than it was reasonable for anyone in his position to know, as if he were dipping into the deep, collective unconsciousness of Christianity with a very long pen."<ref>Webb, Stephen H. ''Jesus Christ, Eternal God: Heavenly Flesh and the Metaphysics of Matter''. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 253.</ref>

==Genealogy==
The Book of Moses contains a detailed account of [[Adam (Bible)|Adam]]'s descendants. Genealogy from the Book of Abraham is shown below. Bold denotes individuals not from [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]]. The names [[Egyptus]] and [[Pharaoh (Book of Abraham)|Pharaoh]] are not present in the Book of Moses, but they are mentioned in the [[Book of Abraham]], another book of Mormon scripture.

{{Tree chart/start}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | ADM |y| EVE | | | | | | | | ADM=Adam|EVE=Eve}}
{{Tree chart | | | | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|-|.| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | SON | | CAN | | ABL | | | SET | | | | SON='''son'''|CAN=Cain|ABL=Abel|SET=Seth}}
{{Tree chart | | | | |!| | | |:| | | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | DAU |~|y|J| | | | | | | | ENO | | | | DAU='''daughter'''|ENO=Enos}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | ENO | | | | | | | | CAI | | | | ENO=Enoch|CAI=Cainan}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | IRA | | | | | | | | MAH | | | | IRA=Irad|MAH=Mahalaleel}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | MAH | | | | | | | | JAR | | | | MAH=Mahujael|JAR=Jared}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | MET | | | | | | | | ENO | | | | MET=Methusael|ENO=Enoch}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | |`|-|.| | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | ADA |y| LAM |y| ZIL | | MET | | | | ADA=Adah|LAM=Lamech|ZIL=Zillah|MET=Methuselah}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | |,|-|-|-|v|-|'| |,|-|^|-|.| | | |!| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | JAB | | JUB | | TUB | | NAA | | LAM | | | | JAB=Jabal|JUB=Jubal|TUB=Tubal Cain|NAA=Naamah|LAM=Lamech}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |,|'| | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NOH | | | | | NOH=Noah}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|(| | | | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | JAP | | SHE | | HAM |y| EGY | JAP=Japheth|SHE=Shem|HAM=Ham|EGY='''Egyptus'''}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | EGY | | | EGY='''Egyptus'''}}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | }}
{{Tree chart | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | PHA | | | PHA='''Pharaoh'''}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

==See also==
*[[Book of Jubilees]]
* [[Scrolls of Moses]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|group="cf"}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Latter-day Saints}}
*{{Wikisource-inline|Pearl of Great Price/Moses|Book of Moses}}
* [http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/old-testament-revision-1#1 Images of Old Testament revision manuscript (including section canonized as the Book of Moses)] from the [[Joseph Smith Papers Project]] website. Originals housed at Community of Christ Library-Archives.

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{{s-other| [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]]|||}}
{{s-bef | before = None}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]]}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Book of Abraham|Abraham]]}}
{{s-end}}

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{{Adam and Eve}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1830s books]]
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[[Category:Cain and Abel]]
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[[Category:Enoch (ancestor of Noah)]]
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[[Category:Texts attributed to Moses]]
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[[Category:Mormonism and the Bible]]
[[Category:Adam and Eve in Mormonism]]
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