Evidence# 479 | January 31, 2025
Book of Moses Evidence: Theme of Darkness
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Scripture Central
Abstract
In the Book of Moses, the concept of “darkness” is referenced in a number of different contexts. This same theme turns up in similar contexts in pseudepigraphic texts, especially in Enochic literature.Throughout the Book of Moses, “darkness” is mentioned in a variety of settings, including in relation to sin, agency, secret combinations, the devil and his angels, punishment, the imprisonment of sinners, the need for millennial rest, and the destruction of darkness in the last days. Darkness is discussed in very similar contexts in many pseudepigraphic works. Resemblances can be found in both Jewish and Christian texts but are especially prevalent in Enochic literature, particularly 1 and 2 Enoch. A close examination of these parallels can yield additional insight into the antiquity of the Book of Moses.1
Satan’s Lack of Glory
In the opening scenes of the Book of Moses, Satan attempts to deceive Moses into worshipping him. In response, Moses asks Satan, “Where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve” (Moses 1:15). Recognizing the disparity between God and Satan, Moses declared, “In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan” (Moses 1:22). Several verses later we learn that Moses was given power to “command as if thou wert God” (Moses 1:25).
Similar distinctions, which compare Satan’s appearance before and after his fall from heaven, have been made in early Christian literature. In one text, during the creation of the earth, it was observed, “The one who once brought the dawn, but who is now darkened, saw heaven set in orderly array and, puffed up in his mind, said [to] himself, ‘I will place my throne on the clouds of heaven and be equal to the Most High.’ By the command of God, he was hurled down from the order of the angels and deprived of his heavenly robe, and instead of light became darkened blackness” (Palaea Historica 3:6–7).2
Works of Darkness and Secret Combinations
In the Book of Moses, it is said that Cain loved Satan more than God and made an oath with Satan to murder and get gain (see Moses 5:28–31). After killing his brother Abel and being exiled from his place among the other children of Adam, these oaths were perpetuated among his descendants. The Book of Moses then gives this picture: “From the days of Cain, there was a secret combination, and their works were in the dark, and they knew every man his brother. … And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men” (Moses 5:51, 55).
According to the Book of Moses, these secret oaths, combinations, and works of darkness originated when Satan, having fallen from heaven, tempted Cain to join him in a covenant to murder, get gain, and perform all types of sin. Ultimately, those upholding these secret oaths and combinations were destroyed because the Lord wouldn’t allow the blood of his righteous saints to cry to the heavens forever.
This story also has connections to the Book of Mormon, which similarly relates how Satan fell from heaven and offered secret oaths and combinations through a dark covenant. The text also warns about the destructions awaiting those who participate in such.3 Remarkably, all of these themes also turn up in Enochic literature, most notably in 1 Enoch, suggesting that they may stem from a set of shared textual or oral traditions.4 For a detailed comparison of these textual relationships, see the Appendix.
Denying Their Creator
A more specific darkness-related parallel between the Book of Moses and Enochic literature concerns mankind denying or rejecting their Creator. When conversing with Enoch, the Lord states, “For these many generations, ever since the day that I created them, have 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, which I gave unto their father, Adam” (Moses 6:28).
Concerning the Son of Man, we learn in 1 Enoch that the wicked “do not extol and glorify him, and neither do they obey him, the source of their kingship. The faces of the strong will be slapped and be filled with shame and gloom. Their dwelling places will be darkness, and their beds will be worms. … But they deny the name of the Lord of the Spirits. (1 Enoch 46:5–7).5 In another passage, the wicked declare, “Light has vanished from before us and darkness has become our habitation forever and ever; because we have formerly neither had faith nor glorified the name of the Lord of the Spirits and kings, nor glorified the Lord in all his creation. … After that, their faces shall be filled with shame and darkness before that Son of Man” (1 Enoch 63:6–7, 11).6
In 2 Enoch we see a similar scene, in which Enoch’s angelic guides take him on a tour of hell. “And they showed me a very frightful place, and all kinds of torture and torment are in that place, cruel darkness and lightless gloom … and very cruel places of detention and dark and merciless angels” (2 Enoch 10:1–3). The wicked in this scene are specifically described as those “who do not acknowledge their Creator, but bow down to idols which have no souls” (2 Enoch 10:5–6).
Agency
In the Book of Moses, only a few verses after the Lord describes those who “have denied me, and have sought their own counsels in the dark,” he then instructs Enoch, “Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you” (Moses 6:33). In the next chapter, these ideas show up again in fairly close proximity. Not many verses after Enoch saw that Satan “had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness” (Moses 6:26), the Lord explains, “and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood” (Moses 7:32–33).
Similar sentiments are reflected in 2 Enoch. After Enoch is shown the creation of the world and humankind, the Lord explains, “And I gave him his free will; and I pointed out to him the two ways—light and darkness. And I said to him, ‘This is good for you, but that is bad’; so that I might come to know whether he has love toward me or abhorrence, and so that it might become plain who among his race loves me.” (2 Enoch 30:15).7
Parallel descriptions are also found in the Book of Mormon, where the wicked “choose works of darkness rather than light” (2 Nephi 26:10) or “choose darkness rather than light” (Helaman 13:29). Alma discusses those who “chose evil works rather than good” who would be “cast out into outer darkness” (Alma 40:13). Thus, in all these texts, the agency of humankind is closely related to their capacity to choose to love and serve the Lord or reject him and carry out the works of darkness instituted by Satan.
Darkness and Punishment Await Those Who Sin
In the Book of Moses, after Enoch saw the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in a vision, he was shown the resurrection of Jesus as well as the Saints who had died before Jesus. Enoch recorded that he also saw a place of darkness reserved for those who were not resurrected: “As many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day” (Moses 7:57).
Earlier in the same chapter, similar imagery is used to discuss the nature of sinners while they are still alive. In a vision of the earth and its inhabitants in the Book of Moses, Enoch “beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced” (Moses 7:26). Thus, sin was conceptually linked with both darkness and bondage. In mortality, sinners are bound by Satan, and in the world to come they await judgement from God.
The connection between the punishment of sinners with chains of darkness is a detail that is fitting of the ancient world. This concept is found repeatedly in Enochic literature, such as 1 and 2 Enoch. In these texts, Enoch undertakes a tour of the cosmos and is shown the world of the dead as well as the various levels of heaven. Throughout these visions, Enoch describes the fate of the wicked as well as the fate of fallen angels in terms similar to those found in the Book of Moses. Specifically, the imprisonment or punishment of sinful humans or angels is said to occur in a place of darkness and is closely connected to the day of judgement.
First, regarding the fallen angel Azaz’el, Enoch saw how the Lord decreed a punishment for corrupting the people: “The Lord said to Raphael ‘Bind Azaz'el hand and foot (and) throw him into the darkness!’ And he made a hole in the desert which was in Duda'el and cast him there; he threw on top of him rugged and sharp rocks. And he covered his face in order that he may not see light; and in order that he may be sent into the fire on the great day of judgment” (1 Enoch 10:4–7). In another instance, a fallen angel (described as a star) suffers divine punishment. Enoch sees another angel “binding his hands and feet, and throwing him into an abyss—this abyss was narrow and deep, empty and dark” (1 Enoch 88:1).
In both of these instances, the fallen angels are said to be trapped in darkness until judgement—an idea that is paralleled neatly in the Book of Moses. These parallels are likewise found throughout both 1 and 2 Enoch as the world of the dead is discussed. Consider the following examples:
- “And I came to the river of fire which flows like water and empties itself into the great sea in the direction of the west. And I saw all the great rivers and reached to the great darkness and went into the place where all flesh must walk cautiously. And I saw the mountains of the dark storms of the rainy season and from where the waters of all the seas flow” (1 Enoch 17:5–7).8
- Then I went to another place, and he showed me on the west side a great and high mountain of hard rock and inside it four beautiful corners … and it (the place) was deep and dark to look at. … They prepared these places in order to put them (i.e. the souls of the people) there until the day of their judgment and the appointed time of the great judgment upon them” (1 Enoch 22:1–2, 4).9
- “The face of the strong he will turn aside, and he will fill them with shame. Darkness will be their dwelling, and worms will be their couch. And they will have no hope to rise from their couches, because they do not exalt the name of the Lord of Spirits. These are they who judge the stars of heaven, and raise their hands against the Most High, and tread upon the earth and dwell on it” (1 Enoch 46:6–7).10
- “And I kept seeing till the Lord of the sheep came upon them in wrath, and all who saw him fled and fell all into darkness” (1 Enoch 90:15).
- “Sin will be destroyed in darkness forever; and it will not be seen from that day forever” (1 Enoch 92:5).11
- “In the days of your affluence, you committed oppression, you have become ready for death, and for the day of darkness and the day of great judgment” (1 Enoch 94:9).
- “You yourselves know that they will bring your souls down to Sheol; and they shall experience evil and great tribulation—in darkness, nets and burning flame. Your souls shall enter into the great judgment; it shall be a great judgment in all the generations of the world. Woe unto you, for there is no peace for you!” (1 Enoch 103:7–8).
- “Then they shall see those who were born in darkness being taken into darkness, while the righteous ones shall be resplendent” (1 Enoch 108:14).
- “For then the Lord will send out his great light, and in darkness the judgment will take place” (2 Enoch 46:3).
The Need for Rest
Several passages in 1 Enoch establish a need for “rest” in connection with the sinners and wickedness that had been unleashed upon the world. For instance, in 1 Enoch 10:4, the Lord instructs an angel to “bind Azaz’el hand and foot (and) throw him into the darkness.” Later in the same textual unit, the Lord discusses the need to “Destroy injustice from the face of the earth” and then “all the righteous ones will escape … and all the days of their youth and the years of their retirement [also translated as “rest”] they will complete in peace” (1 Enoch 10:16–17).12
The topic arises again, this time focusing back on the rest needed for the wicked, in 1 Enoch 13:1–2: “As for Enoch, he proceeded and said to Azaz’el, ‘There will not be peace unto you; a grave judgment has come upon you. They will put you in bonds, and you will not have (an opportunity for) rest and supplication, because you have taught injustice.” Note that, unlike the previous passage, it is the wicked who are in need of rest in this context.
A third reference to the unmet need for rest, once again in relation to sinners, turns up in close proximity to “darkness” in 1 Enoch 63:5–6: “Moreover, they shall say, ‘Would that someone had given us a chance so that we should glorify, praise, and have faith before his glory! This time, however, we are begging for a little rest but find it not; we pursue (it), but procure it not. Light has vanished from before us and darkness has become our habitation forever and ever’” (cf. v. 11).
These passages are notable because petitions for rest also show up interspersed alongside the theme of darkness throughout Moses 7:
Theme of Darkness | Theme of Rest |
And he beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness (Moses 7:27) | |
And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide upon my face? (Moses 7:48) | |
And it came to pass that Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying: When the Son of Man cometh in the flesh, shall the earth rest? (Moses 7:54) | |
And as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth, and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day. (Moses 7:57) | |
And again Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord, saying: When shall the earth rest? (Moses 7:58) | |
… but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth (Moses 7:61) | And the day shall come that the earth shall rest … (Moses 7:61) |
And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest. (Moses 7:64) |
While some of these passages concern the millennial rest needed for the righteous, others involve the rest needed for the earth itself. In either case, the main concept is that mankind and the world itself need a reprieve from wickedness. This nicely matches the contexts highlighted previously in 1 Enoch, which feature the needed rest for the righteous as well as the contrasting lack of rest for the wicked.
Angelic Punishment
Satan and his fallen angels are viewed as ultimately responsible for the captivating darkness that afflicts the world in the Book of Moses. For instance, Enoch “beheld Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced” (Moses 7:26). This relates to those who are “reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day” found later in the text (Moses 7:57), suggesting that hell is presided over by Satan and his angelic followers.
This emphasis on angelic beings facilitating the darkness on earth or in hell can also be seen in the Book of Mormon. Concerning an “angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil,” Jacob taught that without the power of the resurrection, “our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness” (2 Nephi 9:8–9).
As shown below, angelic beings are likewise seen as carrying out punishment and works of darkness in extrabiblical Enochic sources:
- “Their faces shall be filled with shame, and their countenances shall be crowned with darkness. So he will deliver them to the angels for punishments in order that vengeance shall be executed on them—oppressors of his children and his elect ones” (1 Enoch 62:10–11).
- “And those men picked me up and brought me up to the second heaven. And they showed me, and I saw a darkness greater than earthly darkness. And there I perceived prisoners under guard, hanging up, waiting for the measureless judgment. And those angels have the appearance of darkness itself, more than earthly darkness. And unceasingly they made weeping, all the day long” (2 Enoch 7:1–2, see also 2 Enoch 18:3).
- “And those men carried me into the northern region; and they showed me there a very frightful place; and all kinds of torture and torment are in that place, cruel darkness and lightless gloom. And there is no light there, and a black fire blazes up perpetually, with a river of fire that comes out over the whole place, fire here, freezing ice there, and it dries up and it freezes; and very cruel places of detention and dark and merciless angels, carrying instruments of atrocities torturing without pity” (2 Enoch 10:1–3).
Eschatological Darkness
In the Book of Moses, Enoch saw a vision concerning dark times that would come before Jesus’s return in millennial glory:
the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem (Moses 7:61–62).13
The coming forth of truth and righteousness to combat the darkness in the last days can also be found in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, which both associate the Restoration and coming forth of the Book of Mormon with light.14 As such, when interpreted through the lens of other restoration scriptures, this vision in the Book of Moses connects the restoration of the Gospel with the emergence of light to combat darkness.
Similar end-times imagery is found in Enochic literature. Regarding the future inheritance of the righteous, we read, “For the sun has shined upon the earth and darkness is over. There shall be a light that has no end, and they shall not have to count days (anymore). For already darkness has been destroyed, light shall be permanent before the Lord of the Spirits, and the light of uprightness shall stand firm forever and ever before the Lord of the Spirits” (1 Enoch 58:5–6). Similarly, in 2 Enoch it is noted that “after that there will be among them neither weariness (|nor sickness|) nor affliction nor worry |nor| want nor debilitation nor night nor darkness” (2 Enoch 65:9).
Biblical References to Darkness
References to darkness that parallel some Enochic texts are also scattered throughout the Bible. In the book of Job, for instance, the world of the dead is referred to as “the land of darkness and the shadow of death.”15 Certain passages in the New Testament further describe Sheol as “outer darkness” and a place of punishment, most typically in parables of Jesus.16 Yet such passages generally do not evoke the same specific connections found in Moses or other Enochic literature, including references to a forthcoming judgement, pleas for rest, or angels (whether fallen or divine punishers).
However, there are two passages in the New Testament that are especially close to the Book of Moses, as they reference the punishment of fallen angels in connection to darkness and a forthcoming judgement. In 2 Peter 2:4, one reads that “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” Similarly, Jude 1:6 describes how “the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Due to how similar this content is with the Book of Moses, one might conclude that Joseph Smith was simply appropriating the imagery and language from these familiar biblical passages. However, these passages themselves are viewed by biblical scholars as relying on Enochic literature, even though their immediate contexts don’t point toward that conclusion.17 The similarities to the Book of Moses are therefore rather remarkable since nothing in the Bible itself would have clearly pointed to the Enochic connection.18
Conclusion
Generally speaking, the theme of darkness found in the Book of Moses matches imagery found in ancient pseudepigraphic texts, especially as seen in Enochic literature like 1 and 2 Enoch. In many instances, the specific details and broader contexts surrounding the discussions of darkness in these texts also mirror one another. Together, these parallels demonstrate that this feature of the Book of Moses fits well in an ancient context.
As a poor farmer with limited education in 1830–31, Joseph Smith doesn’t fit the profile of an individual who would have been familiar with the esoteric details of ancient texts.19 It is technically possible that he could have had access to a copy of 1 Enoch or to secondary publications mentioning its contents, but the likelihood of him actually being familiar with any of its contents is uncertain and disputed.20 There is no historical evidence that he possessed a copy of 1 Enoch at the time, and he certainly didn’t have access to 2 Enoch, which was first translated into a modern language in 1899, decades after Joseph Smith had produced the Book of Moses.21 Thus, even in a scenario where Joseph Smith did have direct access to 1 Enoch, that on its own wouldn’t be able to explain all of the parallels.
One might also consider the textual complexity of these relationships. If the Book of Moses were a forgery, its integration of the theme of darkness looks like it was carried out by a forger who was not only intimately familiar with the particular nuances of this ancient motif but who also had the literary capacity to implement it as a book-wide theme. This doesn’t seem like the work of the poorly educated farmer. The theme of darkness is just one of many dozens of details in the Book of Moses that point to its genuine antiquity and miraculous production.
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and Ryan Dahle, “Could Joseph Smith Have Drawn on Ancient Manuscripts When He Translated the Story of Enoch?: Recent Updates on a Persistent Question,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 33 (2019): 305–374.
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen, In God’s Image and Likeness 2: Enoch, Noah, and the Tower of Babel (The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2014).
Hugh Nibley, Enoch the Prophet, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Volume 2 (FARMS, 1986).
Book of Mormon | Book of Moses | Enochic Material | |
Satan and His Angels Fell from Heaven | And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God. And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind.” (2 Nephi 2:17–18). | That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. … Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice” (Moses 4:1–4). | “And the angels, the children of heaven, saw them and desired them; . . . and they descended into ’Ardos, which is the summit of Hermon” (1 Enoch 6:2, 6). “But one from the order of the archangels deviated, together with the division that was under his authority. He thought up the impossible idea, that he might place his throne higher than the clouds which are above the earth, and that he might become equal to my power. And I hurled him out from the height, together with his angels” (2 Enoch 29:4–5) |
An Oath Is Sworn in Connection with Secret Combinations | “And he went unto those that sent him, and they all entered into a covenant, yea, swearing by their everlasting Maker, that they would tell no man that Kishkumen had murdered Pahoran” (Helaman 1:11). But behold, Satan did stir up the hearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, … And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant,” (Helaman 6:21–22) “And they did enter into a covenant one with another, yea, even into that covenant which was given by them of old, which covenant was given and administered by the devil, to combine against all righteousness” (3 Nephi 6:28). “And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life” (Ether 8:14). | “And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands” (Moses 5:29). “For Lamech having entered into a covenant with Satan, after the manner of Cain, wherein he became Master Mahan, master of that great secret which was administered unto Cain by Satan; and Irad, the son of Enoch, having known their secret, began to reveal it unto the sons of Adam” (Moses 5:49). | “And Semyaz, being their leader, said unto them, ‘I fear that perhaps you will not consent that this deed should be done, and I alone will become (responsible) for this great sin.’ But they all responded to him, ‘Let us all swear an oath and bind everyone among us by a curse not to abandon this suggestion but to do the deed.’ Then they all swore together and bound one another by (the curse)” (1 Enoch 6:3–4). |
Satan Disseminated the Secret Combinations Among Humankind | “The father of lies … stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness” (2 Nephi 9:9). “And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things” (2 Nephi 26:22). “Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit …. And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants” (Helaman 6:26, 30) “And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people” (Ether 8:15–16). | “And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die” (Moses 5:29). “For Lamech having entered into a covenant with Satan, after the manner of Cain, wherein he became Master Mahan … For, from the days of Cain, there was a secret combination, and their works were in the dark, and they knew every man his brother. … And among the daughters of men these things were not spoken, because that Lamech had spoken the secret unto his wives … And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men” (Moses 5:49–55). “Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him” (Moses 6:49). | “And they took wives unto themselves, and everyone (respectively) chose one woman for himself, and they began to go unto them. And they taught them magical medicine, incantations, the cutting of roots, and taught them (about) plants” (1 Enoch 7:1). “And Azaz’el [i.e., Satan] taught the people (the art of) making swords and knives, and shields, and breastplates; … Amasras taught incantation and the cutting of roots; and Armaros the resolving of incantations; … Asder'el taught the course of the moon as well as the deception of man” (1 Enoch 8:1, 3). “And they all began to reveal mysteries to their wives and to their children” (1 Enoch 8:3).22 “You see what Asael has done, who has taught all iniquity on the earth, and has revealed the eternal mysteries that are in heaven. … And they have revealed to them all sins”” (1 Enoch 9:6–8)23 |
Sin Abounds Because of the Secret Combinations | “And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God” (Helaman 6:23). “And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms” (Ether 8:16). “And they did reject all the words of the prophets, because of their secret society and wicked abominations” (Ether 11:22). | “And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness” (Moses 5:31). “And thus the works of darkness began to prevail among all the sons of men” (Moses 5:55). “And in those days Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed; and a man’s hand was against his own brother, in administering death, because of secret works, seeking for power” (Moses 6:15). | “And there were many wicked ones and they committed adultery and erred, and all their conduct became corrupt” (1 Enoch 8:2). “Then Michael, Surafel, and Gabriel observed carefully from the sky and they saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all the oppression being wrought upon the earth. … You see what Azaz'el has done; how he has taught all (forms of) oppression upon the earth. . . . (Moreover) Semyaz, to whom you have given power to rule over his companions, co-operating, they went in unto the daughters of the people on earth . . . and revealed to them every (kind of) sin. As for the women, they gave birth to giants to the degree that the whole earth was filled with blood and oppression. (1 Enoch 9:1, 6–10). “And the whole earth has been corrupted by Azaz'el's teaching of his (own) actions; and write upon him all sin” (1 Enoch 10:8) |
Those Upholding These Combinations Will Be Destroyed | “And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction” (Helaman 6:39–40). “Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations … Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer” (Mormon 8:40–41). “And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not” (Ether 8:20, 22). | “And the Lord said: What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground. And now thou shalt be cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand” (Moses 5:35–36). “There has not been so great wickedness as among thy brethren. But behold, their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers; Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom.” (Moses 7:36–37). “And it came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth; and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying: Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. … And it came to pass that Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord, saying: I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods.” (Moses 7:48–50) | “Those who have died will bring their suit up to the gate of heaven. Their groaning has ascended (into heaven), but they could not get out from before the face of the oppression that is being wrought on earth. … And then spoke the Most High, the Great and Holy One! And he sent Asuryal to the son of Lamech, (saying), ‘Tell him in my name, “Hide yourself!” and reveal to him the end of what is coming; for the earth and everything will be destroyed. And the Deluge is about to come upon all the earth; and all that is in it will be destroyed.’” (1 Enoch 9:10, 10:1–3). |
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Pearl of Great Price
- 1. Unless otherwise noted, all citations from pseudepigraphic literature will come from James H. Charlesworth, ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1, Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments (Doubleday, 1983). Similarly, all bold or underline emphases will be ours, unless otherwise noted.
- 2. Translation taken from Bauckham, Davila, and Panayotov, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures.
- 3. See, for example, Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Traditions of Cain,” Evidence 306 (February 6, 2022).
- 4. See Noel B. Reynolds, “The Brass Plates Version of Genesis,” in By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley, 2 vols. (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies; Deseret Book, 1990), 2:136–173; Jeff Lindsay and Noel B. Reynolds, “‘Strong Like Unto Moses’: The Case for Ancient Roots in the Book of Moses Based on Book of Mormon Usage of Related Content Apparently from the Brass Plates,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 44 (2021): 1–92; Jeff Lindsay, “Further Evidence from the Book of Mormon for a Book of Moses-Like Text on the Brass Plates,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 61 (2024): 415–494.
- 5. The phrase “There dwelling places will be darkness” is a manuscript variant. See Charlesworth, ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 34n.p. See also, 1 Enoch 62:10–12.
- 6. The phrase “and with darkness” in verse 11 is a textual variant. See Charlesworth, ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 44n.q.
- 7. This imagery is related to the doctrine of the two ways, which can be found in texts throughout the ancient Judeo-Christian world. For an introduction to this theme with especial attention to how it is used in the Book of Mormon, see Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: The Two Ways,” Evidence #342 (May 22, 2022). For a discussion on how this theme is found in the book of 2 Enoch specifically, see Andrei A. Orlov, “Paths of Light and Darkness: The Two Ways Tradition in the Treatise on the Two Spirits and 2 Enoch” (forthcoming).
- 8. According to George W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1–36; 81–108 (Fortress Press, 2001), 283, this passage evokes language typical of descriptions of Hades or Sheol that would have been familiar to an ancient audience, such as the reference to the river of fire. There is also a variant reading in verse 6, which reads “And I departed (for) where no human walks,” which likely means “no living thing” in its context.
- 9. Notably, verse 11 states that those who are accursed or punished will be bound in these pits, evoking the image of chains of darkness found in Moses 7:26, 57.
- 10. Translation taken from George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch: The Hermeneia Translation (Fortress Press, 2012).
- 11. Translation taken from Nickelsburg and VanderKam, 1 Enoch. Compare the variant translated in Charelsworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: “Sin and darkness shall perish forever, and shall no more be seen from that day forevermore.” This variant links sin and darkness but does not contain the same imagery regarding punishment and judgement. In some later texts, such as the Christian Cave of Treasures, darkness was likewise linked to Satan’s active role in leading humanity astray: “Now Satan had blinded their eyes so that they walked in the darkness of error” (Cave of Treasures 25:12).
- 12. For the alternate translation of “rest,” see Charlesworth, ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 18n.d2.
- 13. It is worth noting that this prophecy has similarities to eschatological prophecies found in the Bible, wherein the sun would be darkened. While this may be a referent in this prophecy, the wider context regarding the coming forth of truth and righteousness is noteworthy.
- 14. See Alma 37:23–25; Mormon 8:15–16; Doctrine and Covenants 45:27–28.
- 15. See Job 10:21–22; 15:30; 17:13. This language is also used metaphorically to describe the souls of men who have not yet died, but are spiritually in a state akin to sitting “in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron,” but can still call out to the Lord for deliverance (see Psalm 107:10–16; especially vv. 10, 14).
- 16. See Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30. See also Alma 40:13.
- 17. Gregory R. Lanier recently observed, “The force of the evidence makes it almost certain that both 2 Pet 2:4–10 and Jude vv. 6–7 show specific literary engagement with some version of 1 Enoch—not just the generic ‘Watchers’ tradition at large—and, in fact, assume their readers were familiar with it as well (via the casual way they reference it). In the case of Jude, at least, this possibility is corroborated by the direct citation of a different passage of 1 Enoch in Jude vv. 14–15.” Gregory R. Lanier, Apocryphal Prophets and Athenian Poets: Noncanonical Influences on the New Testament (B&H Academic, 2024), 398. It is also worth noting that these passages appear to reference the tradition in 1 Enoch that the Watchers defiled themselves with women, which gave birth to the Nephilim/giants. This tradition is not found in the Book of Moses, which rather asserts the fallen “sons of God” were once-righteous individuals who married outside of the covenant and were led astray (Moses 8:13–15). So, even while the Book of Moses is connected to these passages through Enochic traditions, it is significant that not all of the material was drawn upon, had Joseph merely been copying from the Bible. See pp. 394–397.
- 18. It is true that the passage in Jude (verse 6) shows up in the same chapter as a reference to Enoch (verse 14), but there is nothing specifically or obviously linking these two passages to Enoch. In other words, only someone already familiar with the extrabiblical traditions about Enoch would reasonably make that specific connection.
- 19. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Joseph Smith’s Education,” Evidence 1 (September 18, 2020). Joseph Smith began his work on the Book of Moses only about a year after he completed his translation of the Book of Mormon.
- 20. See Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and Ryan Dahle, “Could Joseph Smith Have Drawn on Ancient Manuscripts When He Translated the Story of Enoch?: Recent Updates on a Persistent Question,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 33 (2019): 305–374, esp. 308–311; Colby Townsend, “Revisiting Joseph Smith and the Availability of the Book of Enoch,” Dialogue 53, no. 3 (2020): 41–71.
- 21. See Scripture Central, “Enoch’s Teaching Mission: Were ancient Enoch manuscripts the inspiration for Moses 6–7?” Book of Moses Essay 5 (May 29, 2020).
- 22. Translation taken from Nickelsburg and VanderKam, 1 Enoch.
- 23. Translation taken from Nickelsburg and VanderKam, 1 Enoch.