Come, Follow Me 2026: Week 5

Genesis 5; Moses 6
January 26–February 1

Doctrinal Foundation

Genesis 5 presents a genealogy from Adam to Noah, punctuated by the mystery of Enoch: “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). Why this abrupt vanishing amid lists of lives and ages? From the perspective of ancient readers, these generations trace righteous lines amid a darkening world under Satan’s “great dominion” (Moses 6:15). From God's view, each name carries potential for covenant progression, as parents taught “the ways of God” (Moses 6:21). Moses 6 unveils deeper layers: sin blinds eyes, stops ears, and hardens hearts (Moses 6:26–36), yet God calls the weak to mighty works, revealing faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost as eternal doctrine “in the beginning [and] shall be in the end of the world also” (Moses 6:7). Another mystery emerges: How did Enoch, feeling inadequate, fulfill his call? Resolution lies in divine empowerment, transforming personal limits into prophetic power. A third puzzle: What truths did Adam grasp at baptism to ensure family redemption? These threads weave humility, divine support, and generational teaching into core principles of seeing God's truths despite sin.

Scripture Deep Dive

Ascend through Moses 6 as a staircase of discovery, resolving Genesis 5's enigmas with escalating revelations.

Step 1: The Blindness of Sin (Moses 6:26–36). Sin's curse manifests: ears cannot hear, eyes cannot see, hearts cannot feel God's words (Moses 6:27, 35). Enoch laments, “Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me?” (Moses 6:31). Cultural context: In an ancient world of warring voices, sin muddied spiritual senses like clay over eyes (Moses 6:35).

Step 2: Divine Reassurance (Moses 6:32–34). The Lord counters: “Lift up your heart, and rejoice; yea, rejoice, … for thou shalt be a father of many nations” (Moses 6:34). Youth theme “Walk with Me” draws from this invitation, echoing God's call to inadequate servants.

Step 3: Empowerment in Action (Moses 6:37–47). Enoch preaches repentance; giants flee, earth rests (Moses 6:37–39). God weeps with Enoch over wickedness (implied in sequence to Moses 7:13), showing shared divine burden.

Step 4: Adam's Awakening (Moses 6:48–52). Adam calls on God; angels minister, revealing priesthood from the beginning (Moses 6:50–52). Mystery of genealogy resolves: Righteous lines preserved through covenant ordinances.

Step 5: Baptismal Covenant (Moses 6:53–65). Adam asks, “Why dost thou offer sacrifices?” (Moses 6:53). Answer: “That you may look upon the symbol of the Only Begotten of the Father; … born again into the kingdom of heaven” (Moses 6:57–59). Water symbolizes rebirth (Moses 6:59–60).

Step 6: Familial Mandate (Moses 6:51–63). “Teach these things freely unto your children” (Moses 6:57), listing faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost (verses 51–52, 53–57, 58–60, 61–63). Book of remembrance records truths (Moses 6:46, 63).

Step 7: Eternal Pattern (Moses 6:7, 15, 21). Doctrine and priesthood endure; Satan's dominion countered by parental teaching.

Step 8: Pinnacle—Redemption Web (Moses 6:50–68). Full gospel arc: From sin's limits to celestial vision, connecting Enoch's Zion to Adam's heirs.

Archaeological insight: Ancient Near Eastern genealogies often encoded theological truths, mirroring Moses 6's expansion beyond mere names.

Historical Context

In the antediluvian world, Adam's family faced Satan's “great dominion” (Moses 6:15), yet “taught their children the ways of God” (Moses 6:21), keeping a “book of remembrance” (Moses 6:46). This era bridges Eden to the Flood, with Enoch's city vanishing as he “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24; Moses 6:36 artwork title). Time collapse: Pioneers echoed this by recording sacred histories, aligning ancient fidelity with modern journals on FamilySearch.org. Parents like Adam instructed amid rising generations, prefiguring today's call to teach amid worldly noise.

Pattern Recognition Web

Enoch's reluctance—“the people hate me; for I am slow of speech” (Moses 6:31)—mirrors Moses (“I am slow of speech,” Exodus 4:10), Jeremiah (“I cannot speak: for I am a child,” Jeremiah 1:6), Nephi (“I am not mighty in writing,” 2 Nephi 33:1), and Moroni (“my words suck,” Ether 12:23). Resolution: God empowers the weak (Moses 7:13). Parental teaching spans dispensations: “suffer the little children to come unto me” (Mosiah 4:14–15); “teach their children to pray, … to walk uprightly” (Doctrine and Covenants 68:25–28); “set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:40–50). This pattern suggests generational covenants defeating Satan's designs from Eden to now.

Discussion Framework

1. What most people miss in Genesis 5's genealogy: Not dry lists, but a setup for Enoch's mystery (Genesis 5:24).
2. How does sin limit spiritual senses (Moses 6:26–36)?
3. Why did Enoch feel overwhelmed, and what contradiction resolves it (Moses 6:31–34)?
4. In what ways did God support Enoch's prophetic rise (Moses 6:37–47)?
5. What question did Adam pose at his baptism, unveiling gospel symbols (Moses 6:53–60)?
6. How do hearts, ears, eyes, and water symbolize redemption (Moses 6:27, 35, 59–60)?
7. Why command parents to teach specific truths freely (Moses 6:51–63)?
8. Compare Satan's dominion to family teaching (Moses 6:15, 21)—what patterns persist today?
9. How does “born again” apply beyond baptism (Moses 6:59)?
10. What modern prophetic calls echo Enoch's (see also Elder Ulisses Soares, “Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit,” Liahona, May 2018, 98–99)?

Gospel Connections

Redemption principles anchor the Plan of Salvation: Faith in the Only Begotten, repentance, baptism as rebirth, Holy Ghost as constant companion (Moses 6:52, 57–60). Adam's immersion parallels mortal probation's cleansing, leading to judgment and exaltation. Parallels surprise: Enoch's tears over sin (Moses 6:37–39) reflect premortal council's hope; book of remembrance foreshadows judgment books (implied in familial records).

Teaching Moments

1. Act out Enoch's call (Moses 6:26–34; “Enoch the Prophet,” Old Testament Stories, 19–21), then share Noah, David, Ammon examples (Gospel Art Book, nos. 7, 19, 78, 81) for “aha” on divine help.
2. Line up first principles pictures to Jesus (Moses 6:52); sing “Faith,” “When I Am Baptized,” “The Holy Ghost” (Children’s Songbook, 96–97, 103, 105).
3. Display Adam and Eve teaching (Del Parson artwork); draw family scripture/prayer scenes (Moses 6:58).
4. Create a family book of remembrance, inspired by Moses 6:46, 63, saving to FamilySearch.org.

Personal Reflection

• When has inadequacy mirrored Enoch's (Moses 6:31)—how might “Walk with Me” (Moses 6:34) invite reliance on God?
• Trace sin's effects in daily life (Moses 6:26–36); what “clay” blocks spiritual sight (Moses 6:35)?
• Like Adam, what questions arise about ordinances (Moses 6:53)—how to renew “born again” daily (Moses 6:59)?
• What truths from Moses 6:51–63 will fill a personal book of remembrance?

Prophetic Echoes

Modern apostles echo Enoch: “Many modern-day apostles and prophets have expressed feelings similar to Enoch’s when they described how it felt to receive their calls. For example, see the testimony of Elder Ulisses Soares in “Prophets Speak by the Power of the Holy Spirit” (Liahona, May 2018, 98–99).” Youth theme “Walk with Me” (Moses 6:34) inspires; see also David A. Bednar, “Abide in Me, and I in You; Therefore Walk with Me,” Liahona, May 2023, 123–25. Parental strength mirrors ancient mandate; see also Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Jesus Christ Is the Strength of Parents,” Liahona, May 2023, 55–59; “Parenting: Touching the Hearts of Our Youth,” “But Why?” (videos).

These truths from the book of Moses invite generations to teach the gospel path to redemption amid today's challenges.