[Teachldsseminary] TEACH: A Study in Translation

[Marji]

Were Any Saved by Means Other Than the Ark?

According to Answers to Gospel Questions as quoted in the Institute manual
there were so few mortals saved in the flood - it is thus. The City of Enoch
got more righteous until the glorious day that the City of Enoch was
translated. He says that for 700 years, righteous people who qualified
themselves were also translated. That's quite something, don't you think? As
the world got more wicked, the Lord was siphoning off the righteous and
taking them unto his bosom.

Now you see that they had something we don't have - and you see the power of
the Lord - and that powerful options exist for bringing to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man. We see so little at present. Let us
hold to the word of God until the brighter day. Trust God. He is mighty and
powerful unto salvation. Let us see our little problems as little and open
our minds to the greatness of God.

(4-14) Genesis 7:7. Were Any Saved by Means Other Than the Ark?
"During the first 2200 or so years of the earth's history-that is, from the
fall of Adam to the ministry of Melchizedek-it was a not uncommon occurrence
for faithful members of the Church to be translated and taken into the
heavenly realms without tasting death. Since that time there have been
occasional special instances of translation, instances in which a special
work of the ministry required it.

". . . Methuselah, the son of Enoch, was not translated [with Enoch's city],
'that the covenants of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to Enoch;
for he truly covenanted with Enoch that Noah should be of the fruit of his
loins.' (Moses 8:2.) But during the nearly 700 years from the translation of
Enoch to the flood of Noah, it would appear that nearly all of the faithful
members of the Church were translated, for 'the Holy Ghost fell on many, and
they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.' (Moses 7:27.)"
(McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 804.)

 In the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which cover the lives of the
ancient patriarchs, almost one-third of the total history of mankind is
summarized in a brief manner. Obviously, such a limited treatment must omit
many details that would be of great benefit to us. When Moses wrote this
history, however, he shared with us one of the most remarkable contrasts in
the history of the world. From the time of the Fall the people of the world
began moving in two opposite directions. One group followed the teachings of
Adam and Eve and continually strived for increasing righteousness and
perfection. The other group yielded to the deceitful enticings of Satan and
his servants and moved deeper and deeper into depravity and wickedness. Both
these divergent paths were followed to their ultimate ends. Under Enoch's
direction, a whole society became so perfect that God took it to Himself,
and for the next seven hundred years those who qualified themselves were
likewise translated into that remarkable city of Enoch (see Reading 4-14).
The other group moved downward as surely as Enoch's city moved upward.
Finally they reached such depths of wickedness that it was a blessing for
them to be destroyed (see Reading 4-16).


POINTS TO PONDER

Why is this pattern of significance to you? Because we are in a period of
history when the same dramatic contrast and division is taking place. On a
separate sheet of paper answer the following questions after reading the
scripture references indicated.

1. Jesus taught that the situation in the days of Noah was going to be
repeated once more in history. When is that repetition to take place, and
what are the implications of that repetition? How does Nephi's vision relate
to this teaching?

Read Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:41-42; 1 Nephi 14:10-14.

2. Zion provided the escape for those who were righteous before the Flood.
How will the Saints of the latter days be saved from the coming judgments?

Read Moses 7:61; D&C 45:65-71; D&C 45:5-6.

3. What are the conditions for bringing the promise of delivery upon
ourselves?

Read D&C 97:18-27.

(4-27) The world is again rushing headlong toward destruction, just as it
was in the days before the Flood. Once again the avenue of deliverance for
the righteous is being provided, and Zion itself will once more be
established. After reading the following statements, list on a separate
sheet of paper specific steps you can take today to prepare yourself and the
kingdom for the establishment of Zion.

"I prophesy to you, in the name of the Lord, that when the Latter-day Saints
have prepared themselves through righteousness to redeem Zion, they will
accomplish that work, and God will go with them. No power will then be able
to prevent them from accomplishing that work; for the Lord has said it shall
be done, and it will be done in the due time of the Lord, when the people
are prepared for it. But when shall I be prepared to go there? Not while I
have in my heart the love of this world more than the love of God. Not while
I am possessed of that selfishness and greed that would induce me to cling
to the world or my possessions in it, at the sacrifice of principle or
truth. But 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." (Joseph F. Smith, in Millennial Star, 18 June 1894, pp.
385-86.)

"When we conclude to make a Zion we will make it, and this work commences in
the heart of each person. When the father of a family wishes to make a Zion
in his own house, he must take the lead in this good work, which it is
impossible for him to do unless he himself possesses the spirit of Zion.
Before he can produce the work of sanctification in his family, he must
sanctify himself, and by this means God can help him to sanctify his family.
. . .

"My spiritual enjoyment must be obtained by my own life, but it would add
much to the comfort of the community, and to my happiness, as one with them,
if every man and woman would live their religion, and enjoy the light and
glory of the Gospel for themselves, be passive, humble and faithful; rejoice
continually before the Lord, attend to the business they are called to do,
and be sure never to do anything wrong.

"All would then be peace, joy, and tranquility, in our streets and in our
houses. Litigation would cease, there would be no difficulties before the
High Council and Bishops' Courts, and courts, turmoil, and strife would not
be known.

"Then we would have Zion, for all would be pure in heart." (Young,
Discourses of Brigham Young, pp. 118-19.)

"We're living in the latter days. We're living in the days the prophets have
told about from the time of Enoch to the present day. We are living in the
era just preceding the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are told
to so prepare and live that we can be . . . independent of every other
creature beneath the celestial kingdom. That is what we are to do. . . .

". . . the final thing that we are to do is to be able and willing to
consecrate all that we have to the building up of the kingdom of God, to
care for our fellow men. When we do this we'll be ready for the coming of
the Messiah." (Marion G. Romney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1975, pp.
165-66.)

"In the meantime, while we await the redemption of Zion and the earth and
the establishment of the United Order, we as bearers of the priesthood
should live strictly by the principles of the United Order insofar as they
are embodied in present church practices, such as the fast offering,
tithing, and the welfare activities. Through these practices we could as
individuals, if we were of a mind to do so, implement in our own lives all
the basic principles of the United Order. . . .

"It is thus apparent that when the principles of tithing and the fast are
properly observed and the Welfare Plan gets fully developed and wholly into
operation, 'we shall not be so very far from carrying out the great
fundamentals of the United Order.' (Conference Report, October 1942, pp.
57-58.)

"The only limitation on you and me is within ourselves." (Marion G. Romney,
in Conference Report, Apr. 1966, pp. 100-101.)

In your journal, you may wish to record your feelings about Zion and its
significance for you.

>From OLD TESTAMENT STUDENT MANUAL, GENESIS-2 SAMUEL