Evidence #497 | June 4, 2025
Book of Moses Evidence: The Spirit Abode upon Enoch
Post contributed by
Scripture Central
Abstract
Several passages in the Book of Moses describe a spiritual power or entity that descended upon Enoch and abode with him. A similar idea can be found in various Enoch traditions, often with supporting contextual parallels.As part of Enoch’s prophetic calling in the Book of Moses, the text records that he “journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him” (Moses 6:26).1 The Lord further explained to Enoch, “Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; … and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me” (Moses 6:34).2 In the next chapter, Enoch reported, “I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory” (Moses 7:3).3 Thus, multiple passages in the Book of Moses emphasize that a spiritual power or entity descended upon Enoch and abode with or upon him in some way. Some ancient traditions relate similar details specifically in connection to Enoch, sometimes in conjunction with other parallels.
According to 1 Enoch, after instructing his son Methuselah to gather his family together, Enoch described how the Spirit had been poured over him. This description is accompanied by two other details—(1) a voice from heaven and (2) a vision or prophecy of the future—that line up well with the accounts in Moses 6:26–27 and Moses 7:2–4. In the charts below, the main spirit-related parallel is bolded and underlined while the additional contextual parallels are color-coded for easier identification:4
Moses 6 | 1 Enoch 91 |
26 And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. 27 And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people … | 1 Now, my son Methuselah, (please) summon all your brothers on my behalf, and gather together to me all the sons of your mother; for a voice calls me, and the spirit is poured over me so that I may show you everything that shall happen to you forever. |
Moses 7 | 1 Enoch 91 |
2 And from that time forth Enoch began to prophesy, saying unto the people, that: As I was journeying, and stood upon the place Mahujah, and cried unto the Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying—Turn ye, and get ye upon the mount Simeon. 3 And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; 4 And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and he said unto me: Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations. | 1 Now, my son Methuselah, (please) summon all your brothers on my behalf, and gather together to me all the sons of your mother; for a voice calls me, and the spirit is poured over me so that I may show you everything that shall happen to you forever. |
Clearly, these accounts have different immediate contexts. Enoch is gathering his family together to give them instruction in 1 Enoch, whereas he is on a journey in Moses 6–7. However, just a few verses earlier in Moses 6:22–23, it is mentioned that “Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God” and that “faith was taught unto the children of men.” This same theme of instructing children turns up in subsequent passages as well (Moses 6:57–58), showing that it is indeed present in the Book of Moses.5
Further relationships turn up in a Hebrew text known as the Book of Jasher (not to be confused with the 18th century forgery oftern referred to as Pseudo-Jasher). Contextual parallels include (1) an emphasis on teaching people the “ways of the Lord,” (2) Enoch being on a journey, (3) a divine voice calling Enoch from heaven, (4) the people gathering together to hear Enoch preach, (5) the people fearing Enoch, and (6) the people falling down or bowing in Enoch’s presence:6
Moses 6 | Book of Jasher |
21 … And Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God. 23 And they were preachers of righteousness, and spake and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent; and faith was taught unto the children of men. 26 And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. 27 And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, 38 And they came forth to hear him, upon the high places, saying unto the tent-keepers: Tarry ye here and keep the tents, while we go yonder to behold the seer, for he prophesieth, and there is a strange thing in the land; a wild man hath come among us. 47 And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence. | 3 And it was at the expiration of many years, whilst he was serving the Lord, and praying before him in his house, that an angel of the Lord called to him from Heaven, and he said, here am I. 5 And Enoch rose up according to the word of the Lord, and went forth from his house … and he went to the sons of men and taught them the ways of the Lord, and at that time assembled the sons of men and acquainted them with the instruction of the Lord. 7 And all the sons of men then assembled to him, for all who desired this thing went to Enoch, and Enoch reigned over the sons of men according to the word of the Lord, and they came and bowed to him and they heard his word. 8 And the spirit of God was upon Enoch, and he taught all his men the wisdom of God and his ways, and the sons of men served the Lord all the days of Enoch, and they came to hear his wisdom. 20 … all the kings, princes and sons of men sought for him, and desired again to see the face of Enoch, and to hear his word; but they could not, as all the sons of men were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to approach him … |
According to a Mandaean account, a heavenly being known as the Angel of Life descended upon an Enoch figure identified as Enosh, comparable to the Spirit of God descending upon Enoch in Moses 6:26. Additional textual parallels include (1) Enoch/Enosh traveling or being in a state of movement, (2) the mention of heaven, (3) Enoch/Enosh bowing himself before the Lord, (4) the description of Enoch/Enosh as a “lad” or as being “little,” and (5) the Lord’s reassurance that Enoch/Enosh wouldn’t be harmed by the people:7
Moses 6 | Mandaean Account |
26 And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. 31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant? 32 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. | When I saw myself thus surrounded by enemies, I fled, and, lifting my eyes toward the abode of light, I called for help to the angel of Life. … Suddenly I saw the gate of heaven open; … At the same time, the Angel of Life descended to me. At his sight, I opened my lips to celebrate the Creator of this world. Then I sought to raise my body, which had bowed before him, to reassure my heart, which fear had frozen, and to strengthen my legs, which were trembling in His presence. However, the Angel of Life said to me: Little Enosh, why do you grieve? Why is your heart troubled? And I did not dare respond. Then the angel of Life said to me again: Little Enosh, fear nothing; you have feared the dangers of this world, I have come to deliver you from them. Do not fear the wicked, do not fear the floods they raise against your head; for their efforts shall be in vain: they will not be permitted to do you any harm. |
A tradition from the Jewish Zohar tells of Enoch entering into the Garden of Eden, which holds a connection in many ancient traditions with a paradisiacal abode in the heavens. According to this account, Enoch breathed in the aroma from the branches and fruit of the Tree of life, upon which “that spirit of the Light of Life took up residence within him.”8 Another Zohar text provides similar information, along with various other details that more or less match up with contents from surrounding verses in the Book of Moses. These contextual parallels include (1) Enoch gaining knowledge of the ways of God, (2) Enoch walking with God, (3) Enoch performing some form of an anointing ritual, and (4) the description of a holy or heaven-related book:9
Moses 6–7 | Zohar 2.277a–b |
21 And Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begat Enoch; and Jared lived, after he begat Enoch, eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God. 26 And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. 34 Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me. 35 And the Lord spake unto Enoch, and said unto him: Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so. 46 For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language. | ... (the light was lost) until Enoch b. Yared was born. When he was born, he found himself near the Garden. That light began to shine within him. He was anointed with a holy anointment and a sparkling light settled upon him. He entered the Garden of Eden and found there Three Trees (sic!) of Life, with the branches and fruit of the Tree. He breathed its aroma and <and that spirit of the Light of Life took up residence within him>. Emissaries—celestial angels—came (and) instructed him in supernal wisdom. They gave him a book which had been concealed within the Tree of Life, and he studied it and discerned the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and strove to follow Him, as Scripture attests: “and Enoch walked with God” (Gen 5:24) until the light which was within him was perfected. As soon as the light was perfected below, it sought to ascend to its (proper) place. |
Yet another Zohar text, dealing with a similar Eden setting, explains that the garment of glory and supernal dignity that once belonged to Adam was eventually transferred to Enoch. This distinctive idea is strikingly similar to what we find in Moses 7:3–4.10
Moses 6–7 | Zohar Ḥadash, Midrash Ha-neʿelam to Shir ha-Shirim fol. 69a–b |
6:26 And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. 7:3 And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; 7:4 And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face | And when the Holy One, blessed be He, created Adam the Protoplast, He introduced him into the Garden of Eden (clothed) in a garment of glory that was consubstantial with the light of the Garden of Eden… [but he sinned] and those garments flew off of him, and the luminous soul which opened a window to what was above departed from him, and he was left stripped of all (these things)… and that luminosity of the supernal soul which flew away from him ascended upwards, and it was put away into a certain treasury which was the “Body” until the time that he engendered offspring and Enoch came into the world. When Enoch came, that supernal light—the holy soul—descended into him, and Enoch was invested with the supernal dignity which had left Adam, as scripture affirms: “And Enoch walked with God, etc.” (Gen 5:21). |
Accounting for Similarities in New Testament Language
Clearly, as attested by the sources outlined above, several ancient traditions depict a spiritual power descending upon Enoch. However, the connection between Enoch’s prophetic calling and the New Testament accounts of Christ’s baptism also requires exploration, since the language in each text is quite similar:11
Topic | Book of Moses | New Testament |
The Spirit Descends from Heaven and Abides upon Him | Moses 6:26 – And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. | John 1:32 – And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. |
A Voice from Heaven Declares Sonship | Moses 6:27 – And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, | Matthew 3:17 – And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. |
Is it likely that Joseph Smith simply borrowed—or, as some would argue, plagiarized—this language from the New Testament and inserted it into his Enoch account? Although that explanation is possible, it must be remembered that other extrabiblical sources evoke similar language specifically in relation to Enoch. Thus, if Joseph Smith simply appropriated this New Testament language by random luck, it would be hard to explain why his account is so amply corroborated by other ancient traditions about Enoch, traditions which don’t directly evoke a baptism motif and have contexts that are more similar to the account in the Book of Moses.
It is also plausible that, to some extent, Joseph Smith’s divinely revealed translation intentionally appropriated New Testament wording from the King James Bible. This might have been done to convey ancient ideas in an authoritative scriptural language familiar to modern English-speaking audiences.12 In addition, one must entertain the real possibility that the New Testament accounts may themselves be drawing upon earlier Enoch-related traditions, or that both sets of texts are engaging with the same theological ideas. As explained by Jeffrey Bradshaw,
Though at first blush Enoch’s divine encounter and the baptism of Jesus may seem like very different events, the connection between them becomes understandable when one regards Jesus’ baptism, as do Margaret Barker and Gaetano Lettieri, as a heavenly “ascent experience.” Baptism, of course, is fundamentally a symbol of death and resurrection (Romans 6:4–6). Likewise, the heavenly ascent of Enoch contains death and resurrection symbols. Through Enoch’s experience he will be spiritually reborn. In scriptural descriptions of heavenly ascent (notably Moses 1), endowed Latter-day Saints will recognize echoes of the endowment, a ritual ascent that symbolizes our eventual return to God’s actual presence in glory. …
An article by the non-Latter-day Saint scholar Samuel Zinner argues that the New Testament language describing Jesus’ baptism may have its roots in the Enoch literature. Zinner compares the Father’s declaration of sonship found in Hebrews 1:5–6 to accounts of Jesus’s baptism found in the Gospel of the Ebionites and the Gospel of the Hebrews. He also notes that the motifs of “rest” and “reigning” co-occur in these three texts as well as in the Coptic Gospel of Thomas. Finally, Zinner sees “striking” similarities between 1 Enoch and the baptismal allusion in the Gospel of the Ebionites in regard to a promise made by Enoch to the righteous: “and a bright light will shine upon you, and the voice of rest you will hear from heaven.”
In light of these (and additional passages relating these themes to the personage of the “Son of Man”), Zinner argues persuasively that the ideas behind all these passages “arose in an Enochic matrix.” That is, the “New Testament” ideas (which are also found in Moses 6:36–37) have their source in ancient Enoch traditions. This turns the idea of Joseph Smith’s supposed borrowing from the New Testament on its head. It even suggests the possibility that the New Testament authors who recorded Christ’s baptism were alluding to ideas from the Enoch literature rather than vice versa.13
Conclusion
Although some might assume Joseph Smith simply borrowed the language of Moses 6:26–27 from the New Testament, that theory has limited explanatory power. While it can account for similarities in wording, it fails to explain the various ancient traditions that similarly remark upon a spiritual entity or power descending upon Enoch and abiding with him. Nor does it account for the additional contextual parallels or distinctive details that reinforce these proposed relationships, as highlighted throughout this article.
At the same time, there is a valid explanation for why Josephs Smith’s translation may have used New Testament language as part of his genuine translation of an ancient text. And there is a reason to suspect that this particular New Testament language actually fits an Enochic context in a way Joseph Smith would likely never have realized. With these factors in mind, the account of the Spirit of God descending upon Enoch in Moses 6:26–27 can be seen as valid evidence supporting the antiquity of the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling.
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Enoch and the Gathering of Zion: The Witness of Ancient Texts for Modern Scripture (Interpreter Foundation, with Scripture Central and Eborn Books, 2021), 37–41.
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen, Enoch, Noah, and the Tower of Babel, In God’s Image and Likeness 2 (The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2014), 103–104, 116–117.
Scripture Central, with contribution by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “Enoch, the Prophet and Seer: Enoch’s Transfiguration,” Book of Moses Essay 22 (September 25, 2020).
- 1. See Scripture Central, “Book of Moses: Enoch’s Prophetic Commission,” Evidence 485 (March 12, 2025).
- 2. Although only tangentially related, in Enoch’s discourse on baptism, he quoted the Lord as saying, “For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified; Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter” (Moses 6:60–61). The idea of a spiritual entity abiding upon individuals therefore seems to be somewhat of a theme running throughout this chapter.
- 3. Whether or not this statement holds any literal clothing-related meaning, it likely functions as a metaphor for being enwrapped or transfigured by the Spirit of God. Compare with Moses 1:11: “But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him.” See also Dale C. Mouritsen, “Transfiguration,” in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols, ed. Daniel H. Ludlow (Macmillan, 1992), 4:1484–85.
- 4. The translation of 1 Enoch is taken from E. Isaac, “1 (Ethiopic Apocalypse of) Enoch,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth, 2 vols. (Doubleday, 1983), 72. See also 1 Enoch 96:3: “a bright light shall enlighten you, and a voice of rest you shall hear from heaven” (p. 77).
- 5. See Scripture Central, “Book of Moses Evidence: Enoch, a Student of Righteousness,” Evidence 483 (February 26, 2025).
- 6. Translation from The Book of Jasher (M. M. Noah and A. S. Gould, 1840), 6–7. For a more recent English translation, see John C. Reeves and Annette Yoshiko Reed, Enoch from Antiquity to the Middle Ages: Sources from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Oxford University Press, 2018), 115–120. See also Hugh Nibley, Enoch the Prophet, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Volume 2 (FARMS, 1986), 251.
- 7. Jacques P. Migne, “Livre d’Adam,” in Dictionnaire des Apocryphes, ou, Collection de tous les livres Apocryphes relatifs a l’Ancien et au Nouveau Testament, ed. Jacques P. Migne. Migne, Jacques P. ed. 2 vols. Vol. 1. Troisième et Dernière Encyclopédie Théologique (Paris, France: Jacques P. Migne, 1856), 167. Translation carried out by ChatGPT and corroborated by Google Translate. Some of these resemblances are also mentioned in Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Enoch and the Gathering of Zion: The Witness of Ancient Texts for Modern Scripture (Interpreter Foundation, with Scripture Central and Eborn Books, 2021), 48. For additional information on Enoch’s status as a youth or comparatively small stature, see Scripture Central, “Book of Moses Evidence: Enoch the Lad,” Evidence 480 (February 6, 2025).
- 8. Zohar Ḥadash, Terumah fol. 42d (ed. Margaliot); as cited in Reeves and Reed, Enoch from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, 86.
- 9. Zohar 2.277a–b (ed. Vilna); as cited in Reeves and Reed, Enoch from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, 90.
- 10. Zohar Ḥadash, Midrash Ha-neʿelam to Shir ha-Shirim fol. 69a–b (ed. Margaliot); as cited in Reeves and Reed, Enoch from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, 299. The same detail is found in Ibn al-Qifṭī, Ta’rīkh al-ḥukamā (ed. Lippert), on the same page. Note that this is just one of several Enoch texts that depict Enoch being clothed in glory. See Scripture Central, “Book of Moses Evidence: Clothed in Glory.” Publication forthcoming.
- 11. Chart derived from Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Enoch and the Gathering of Zion: The Witness of Ancient Texts for Modern Scripture (Interpreter Foundation, with Scripture Central and Eborn Books, 2021), 39.
- 12. See Scripture Central, “Book of Mormon Evidence: Biblical Language,” Evidence 362 (August 9, 2022). See also Bradshaw, Enoch and the Gathering of Zion, 40.
- 13. Bradshaw, Enoch and the Gathering of Zion, 39. See also, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and Matthew L. Bowen, “‘By the Blood Ye Are Sanctified’: The Symbolic, Salvific, Interrelated, Additive, Retrospective, and Anticipatory Nature of the Ordinances of Spiritual Rebirth in John 3 and Moses 6,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 24 (2017): 123–316.