Summary
Church of Jesus Christ Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley
Following the organization of the Church on April 6, 1830, the Prophet and associates were subjected to severe persecution resulting in the filing and prosecution of meritless lawsuits which were ultimately dismissed after subjecting the Prophet to incarceration and public scorn. This revelation of Moses Chapter 1 was given by the Lord to His prophet, providing both him and the church perspective concerning the work in which they were engaged. Moses 1 is another of several temple like encounters wherein we are taken into an high mountain and there receive a panorama history of the world and an experience with God. In other words, we get a glimpse of eternity and our place in it. The first such experience revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith occurred in the small plates of Nephi (1 Nephi 11-14) in which Nephi sees and shares with us what he sees as the purposes of God roll forth on this planet. The second such experience is with the Brother of Jared in Ether 3 where we are treated to.
Another earlier experience at the veil similar to that of Nephi’s and then a revelation which is not shared of “all the inhabitants of the earth ...even unto the ends of the earth.” (v.25). Next is this one in the chapters of Moses which includes a fourth experience regarding Enoch in Moses Chapter 7. These experiences provided the early saints an overview of the purpose of life in scriptural encounters with the Lord. It teaches us that the Bible which we have inherited begins with an experience with the “elohim” and the principles of righteousness in the first generations amidst growing wickedness that concludes with the Flood. These theophanies provide perspective, like a trip to the temple (which is years away from being revealed). So a caring God has provided His latter-day prophet this “precious morsel” which provides a great prelude to the Old Testament narrative that the Prophet will be “translating” in the months that follow.