Enos, Jarom, Omni: A Brief Theological Introduction

The Book of Mormon: brief theological introductions #4

by Sharon J. Harris

"And I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records." Less than a generation after Sariah and Lehi arrive in the promised land, their family fractures in two. The books of Enos, Jarom, and Omni feature seven authors recounting five generations of fallout from this division. Whether the people and their records will be preserved is in constant doubt. Yet, the authors continue writing in order to keep hope alive despite civil wars and precarious political reorganizations. In this brief theological introduction, literary scholar and theologian Sharon J. Harris investigates this messy middle era between the genesis of the Nephite people and their reorganization under King Benjamin. What keeps things—relatively—together? Harris uncovers the personalities, concerns, and patterns of righteousness and wickedness that are often overlooked in these short books. She illustrates how Latter-day Saints today might learn to better keep covenants and pass a promising inheritance to those who come after.

Genres: Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Theology, Church, Faith, Mormonism

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2020

Reviews

[Jenny Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris knocks it out of the park here in this brilliant gem of a book. Her voice manages to be engaging, authoritative, and entirely approachable throughout—I could feel her love and passion for these “itty bitty books,” and by the end I was so excited about them I went and re-read them that night! Absolutely fantastic work.

[Tyler Critchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful and instructive look into the "itty bitty books" of the Book of Mormon.

Some takeaways:
- I like the idea of kenosis, or emptying of oneself, that Enos seems to portray and which constitutes his "wrestle before God". I'll need to ponder this more.
- Some people in the Book of Mormon were counseled to live and act as though Christ had already come (for his first visit). How would our thoughts and actions differ if we did the same (for his second visit)? How would we treat others if we acted as though Christ's Second Coming had already occurred?
- Just as the small plates of Nephi were passed down through generations lineally as well as laterally, we continue to gather Israel into a big chain-link fence of sorts as we share testimony with family and friends alike. We can, quite literally, pass the same records lineally and laterally through study of the Book of Mormon.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully and unusually insightful about a portion of the Book of Mormon that normally gets passed over. It turns out to be quite full of wisdom and insights about a great number of things and it is written with remarkable grace.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second book review for the Brief Theological Introduction series from the Maxwell Institute, the first being First Nephi. It arrived on my doorstep unannounced last week while my parents were visiting from Utah, and I picked it up whenever I had a few moments to spare. It was a surprising gift; I had previously received a free copy of First Nephi to review as well as a PDF of Second Nephi, but I hadn't anticipated being considered for more copies in the series. I will have to get myself a copy of Jacob for completeness's sake.

Sharon Harris has done a stunning job delving into these three short books in the middle of the Book of Mormon (at least as we have it today) which she affectionately refers to as the "flyover books." She spends some time reflecting on our underappreciation for them, with characterizations I have heard myself in many a Sunday School lesson: they weren't clearly weren't as righteous as they weren't receiving revelation, maybe even in apostasy. Less on the page means less in importance. But Harris quickly turns the tables on you when she considers the similarities to our own day:

Rather than seeing them as a lag or a slowdown in the narrative of spirituality among Lehi and Sariah's descendants, perhaps we have more in common with them than we realize. It has now been over a century since a revelation was received that was added to the Doctrine and Covenants. Would we say of our day, however, that revelation has ceased? Of course not. In many ways it feels as though revelation continues to increase within the church. But if people 2,500 years from now were to look back, with one narrow selection of records from which to draw their conclusions, would it look as though revelation was booming in the early twenty-first century? Perhaps not.

We do tend to most admire those who get the most real estate on the gold plates in the Book of Mormon. But Harris makes clear that, at best, is a limiting view (after all, only a handful of women make it into the Book of Mormon), at worst, a mis-understanding of who the heroes are in the Book of Mormon (after all, the Nephites were destroyed for the wickedness in the end! Perhaps we should be more critical when modeling our behavior off of them). After reading Harris's account, I almost want to say that Jarom is my favorite character in the Book of Mormon. I love this characterization of Jarom based on what he chose not to include in his writing:

To prioritize keeping a record that will benefit the Lamanites, Jarom minimizes our view of his spirituality. In other words, he empties himself in the service of the Lamanite descendants... Jarom isn't the only one in his time who empties himself this way. Many others also keep an eye toward prophesied events instead of a limited and myopic view of their current situation only.

Throughout the book, Harris takes the less-is-more them and runs with it painting within the Book of Mormon space for those who are marginalized. As a gay Mormon, I found this point about lateral (contemporary to contemporary) versus lineal (parent to child) transmission of the Book of Mormon record particularly poignant:

The crossover of lineal and lateral connections across time links all these networks, connecting those who transmit and those who read the record that becomes the Book of Mormon. Because the plates and their story move both ways, they capture all the associated individuals and families not only in a chain but also in chain mail, surrounded by linkages lineally and laterally, stretching in all directions. The chain-mail links include those in less traditional family situations who may not fit neatly into conventional lineal inheritance, such as those who never married, widows and widowers, LGBTQ+ people, those who cannot have children, those who died prematurely, families who are separated, and anyone who cannot care for others. God wants all to be included in the covenantal family.

In such a family-centric church, it can feel that there isn't a place in the heaven-as-family-reunion envisioned in our doctrine, and finding our own place in the Book of Mormon felt like an extension of grace.

There is something in the way Harris writes that engages you, that makes you want to keep reading. It really was a page turner for me! Combined with fresh doctrinal insights, she plays with common references within the Latter-Day Saint tradition such as primary songs (a chapter heading called geneology: are they doing it?; when talking about living in the messy middle of things, she writes In the metaphoric Great Plains of the pioneers' trek west, it can seem that all there is to do is walk and walk and walk and walk; ). But I think my favorite reference (it had me laughing!) was a Mormonization of a common aphorism applied to Enos: We might say that Enos is someone you could have a root beer with.

This only touches on the moments in Harris's book where said "I never thought about it like that!" or stopped to save a passage. This short book is truly a gem.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and insightful. Harris mines the “itty-bitty” Book of Mormon books for beautiful meaning and existence-bolstering material. If this volume has a fault, it’s that Harris occasionally discovers more than is probably actually there. These small books have little text, so to fill 150 or so pages, there must be a lot of reading between the lines.

Harris’s treatment of the idea of kenosis is particularly inspiring and useful. The way she ties the book of Omni into broad themes of family conflict and its repercussions, as well as the treasure of genealogy is equally thoughtful and powerful. I’ve now read these short volumes for the books of 1st Nephi through Omni and this book is the best so far.

[Christopher Angulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book packs a powerful punch! From Harris' discussion of individual/communal kenosis (which is my most favorite part of this series so far) to the metaphysical nature of scripture to the salvific connection between the Savior & families, this book illuminates the soul. I also enjoyed her discussion on filthiness and contention. This is my favortie book of the series so far.

[Mario Durrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I’ll be thinking about the final thought in this commentary for a long time to come. I put this book down for a few months and I’m so glad I dusted it off and started again. The last few pages were worth the whole read.

[Lisa Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very impressed with Sharon Harris's reading of these "itty bitty" books. Her discussion of kenosis (self-empyting) and being a Zion people were particularly fascinating.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed the writing style of Sharon Harris. My expectations were a little low because, other than Enos, what do you say about Jarom and Omni? This was really insightful and readable. I loved her closing paragraphs and thoughts on “eternal domesticity.”

—————-

A few quotes I want to remember:

Who feels like your enemy? The person who makes fun of your child? The unreasonable neighbor? An ex? A co-worker out to get you? The one who lies and still gets prominent church callings? Or, who as a group seems to be against everything you stand for? Socialists? Democrats? Republicans? Libertarians? Pro-choice advocates? Pro-lifers? Environmentalists? Feminists? Preppers? Neo-Nazis? Globalists? Pornographers? Suburban racists? To put it in Mormon’s terms, which manner of -ites? Whoever they are and in whatever ways they are dangerous or destructive, would you engage in a spiritual wrestle over a long period of time to secure blessings for them and their descendants?



Why bring up Enos’s weaknesses? What does it help? At a minimum, it shows at least two things: first, people are complicated, and second, God can handle it… We, too, can do tremendous good in spite of our blind spots. We can receive building, saving covenants. Our sins can be remitted, even while we are weak in ways that aren’t completely apparent to us. We can still do a lot of good and exercise a lot of love. We shouldn’t presume that the obviousness of someone’s failings and the reality of their goodness are mutually exclusive.



If… we follow the comparison between modern members of the church and Nephites to its end, the picture is sobering. What does it mean if we identify with the Nephites, and the Nephites are destroyed? It means that we, like the Nephites, are susceptible and even inclined to sin, violence, and war. It means that we, like the Nephites, are almost guaranteed to be too comfortable with subtle forms of racism, sexism, and corruption. Seeing ourselves as like the Nephites should destroy our self-satisfaction with our own faithfulness.



Do we treat those around us differently if we act as though Christ is already here and reigning on the earth? Are we more attentive to building his kingdom? Do we take better care of the earth, knowing that it will be the Lord’s home for (at least) the next thousand years? Such a perspective might shift how we view the signs of the latter-days, shifting our attention from the threats to the responsibilities. In particular, it shifts our attention to the responsibilities of a relationship with the Messiah.



It has now been over a century since a revelation was received that was added to the Doctrine and Covenants. Would we say of our day, however, that revelation has ceased? Of course not. In many ways it feels as though revelation continues to increase within the church. But if people 2,500 years from now were to look back, with one narrow selection of records from which to draw their conclusions, would it look as though revelation was booming in the early twenty-first century? Perhaps not.



Heaven isn’t just about getting in. It isn’t simply about eternal domesticity. This is the invitation of the itty bitty books and the whole Book of Mormon: you are your brother’s and sister’s keeper. Reading the book gives you access to the covenant. As God instructs Enos, go to—gather the rest of the world as well.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if my 3 star rating is the fault of Dr. Harris. There's just not a lot of deep insight to draw from these "itty bitty books," as she monikers them, but she does her best and it's still important to read them and to gain what insights from them we can. I did really appreciate her insight that sometimes you're just in the middle of the story, and nothing much happens, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. That feels apropos for our times in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—well after Joseph Smith's explosion of revelation, and well before (I think!) the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ about which so much has been written and prophesied. Our job is to keep the faith for our leg of the relay race, and if that was the fate of the folks in Omni, then we should feel solidarity with them.

[conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible work here from Sharon Harris. Love love love this volume and the insights that Harris offers into what she calls teh "itty, bitty books". That sort of affectionate, playful tone is found throughout the book and lends Harris' brilliant insights a memorable and remarkably readable quality.

(I wrote a longer review here: https://www.arch-hive.net/post/review...)

[RK Bitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging and insightful. This was written more to be read versus academic/professional output. So often we make assumptions rather than seeing what was actually written and meditating on what the implications are. I really saw the “humanness” of these writers of the itty bitty books and the importance they placed on the plates even if they didn’t write extensively. There is much to be found in the small things when we give them sacred status in our lives.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris writes more words about Enos, Jarom and Omni than those three books themselves contain, but she takes those three short books and, with a very close reading and a surprisingly large dose of humor, opens up many great insights about kenosis, family, contention, and genealogy. This is yet another excellent entry in the "Brief Theological Introduction" series.

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My expectations were low, given the subject matter, but Harris blew this out of the water. It was wonderful. Insightful AND engaging, even funny, and I gained so much from it. Wishing she had a dozen more books to read; this is a scholar whose religious work I want to follow.

[Isabel Tueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best scripture study I've had in over a year. 100% would recommend

[Jason Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot about these small books from the Book of Mormon. Some very interesting insights!

[William Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent dive into the “itty bitty” books of Enos, Jarom, and Omni, as the author puts it. I had frankly never taken such a deep look at these brief entries in the Book of Mormon, aside from the well-known and often-taught story of Enos’s prayer, but there was truly so much insight and power gleaned from these verses.

I was struck by two things in particular: first, the recurrent theme of connection and the related idea of passed-on patterns of Gospel learning and teaching. There is so much meat in these books about how to effectively teach and how the transmission of Gospel knowledge builds connection. This idea of linkage is further bolstered by the emphasis on the Lehitic covenant, the gathering of Israel, and the doctrine of eternal families as it anchors the Plan of Salvation.

Second, I was so fascinated to learn about the new-to-me idea of “dictation order” as it relates to reading and studying through Book of Mormon. Latter-day Saints know that the original portion of Mormon’s compilation was lost during the translation process and that what now comprises 1 Nephi through Omni came from an additional set of plates that Mormon intended to finish out the record. That suggests that if the 116 pages weren’t lost, the complete record would have then restarted with Nephi’s prophecies and finished with the book of Omni, whose final author, Amaleki, finishes with an impassioned plea to come unto Christ. It’s a fitting end, even if not how the book ended up, and it gave me a lot of good food for thought.

I’ve loved the series so far and have really enjoyed using these to help further structure my reading and study.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good addition to the series. Harris does a nice job delving into the theology of these short books, especially of Enos and Jarom, who are not major prophets but more just believers, like you and me, who are faithful to their charge as keepers of the plates. Their books are like a good sacrament meeting talk that you can take something away from. Their humility and steadfastness is appealing and relatable.

Harris explores the concept of kenosis at length--a self-emptying that leads to an increase in power. It is a concept usually used by theologians in conjunction with the Christ of the New Testament: as Jesus empties himself, he is filled with power by God. Now, she applies it to us through the example of Enos: As we 'pour out our whole soul' unto God, he can fill us back up with spiritual power.

I feel like I'm a better person/Christian for having read this, and that is a worthy goal for any of the books of this series.

[Delanie Dooms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Included in this review is the Words of the Mormon alongside the other texts. Miss Harris, who I am sure is a fine writer, is not who I am speaking upon, for the individual books in the Book of Mormon have no Goodreads separation.

These books are very short and not altogether sweet. Enos we see gain power from God, insofar as he asks of Him things in faith and God delivers (characteristically, these things are mainly the preservation of the record of the Nephite people).

We are then given a short summary of what happens to the Nephites, the wars they are put into, the kings they have, on down to Benjamin.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am super impressed the author not only found a book's worth of stuff to say about these "itty bitty books," but that what she did find is profound and meaningful. I also loved that it wasn't as academic as some of the others. She weaves in pop culture and humor to help illustrate her points, and focuses a lot more on the spiritual lessons to be learned from this tiny section of the Book of Mormon. This one's probably my favorite book of the series so far.

[Paul Manuele · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were some great themes in this book. I especially enjoyed the analysis of Kenosis and millenariasm. It gave me a greater appreciation for the authors of the small books in the Book of Mormon. It was a little repetitive, but well worth the read. Also, I enjoyed the focus on one of the covenants of the Book of Mormon to restore the children of Lehi. It was a fun read.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew there was so much packed into these “itty bitty books”?! I gained such great insight into what little was written — the purpose and beauty of simply keeping records, the idea of self-emptying (so different than the typical lesson on Enos and prayer), family connections and more. I am loving this series!

[Will Haslam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a class from Dr. Harris at BYU. It was great to hear her perceptive voice again in this book. She teases out both large themes and small details from a part of the text that I admit I, like others, have often skimmed instead of studied. I love the themes of kenosis, genealogy and salvation, and solving contention.

[Hollie Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from a few things that I think were too far extrapolated, I loved this insight. Loved the candor and atmosphere of the author, I laughed a good few times.
It really changed my perspective to see these books as the intended ending of the Book of Mormon as arranged by Mormon.
Eternal families are not about domesticity blew my mind.

[Sherman Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thought-provoking entry in this series. Harris offers several insights and angle on these diminutive sections of the Book of Mormon, and what they have to offer, and how they contribute to a fully-formed narrative of a people of antiquity.

I really appreciated her brief musings toward the end about what Jesus has to do with the Mormon doctrine of eternal families, and our perception of what eternity as families really looks like. She encourages us to think of this less of it in terms of eternal "domesticity" (an eternal family reunion--yikes!), but in more expansive and less-defined terms of connectedness across whatever the here-after will look like.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all the books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this volume and gained multiple insights into these small books in the Book of Mormon. Sharon Harris did an incredible job and I will be thinking about her ideas for a long time.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite in the series so far, as I knew it would be, because I love the books of Enos, Jarom and Omni. It was an easier, less academic read that some of the other theological studies books.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harris introduces the idea of self-emptying, her short-hand for kenosis. Her original application of kenosis is pouring out one's soul for another. She sticks closely to this theme with a couple of tangents related to Nephite genealogy. I found it engaging at first, but lost interest.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

It the strongest entry in this series, but trying to spend a hundred pages on this section of the Book of Mormon is a daunting task. As a result, the book alternates between being repetitive and making painful efforts at finding some new thing.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights! I learned much from this short work. I also didn’t agree with a couple of points she made. These weren’t theological in nature but her interpretation of them. Definitely worth the read.