How old was Enoch?

Question

Dear Gramps,

Can you please tell me how old Enoch was? Genesis 5:23 says one age and Moses 8:1 says something else.

Thank you.

MJM

Answer

Dear MJM,

There may be a clue to this apparent anomaly in Moses 7:68, which says,

“And all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years.”

If we accept both Moses 7:68 and 8:1, which says, “And all the days of Enoch were four hundred and thirty years.” then Enoch would have been 65 years old when Zion was established.

Several things happened to Enoch when he was sixty five years old. That was his age when his son, Methuselah, was born (Gen. 5:21) He was also blessed by Adam at age sixty five, “Enoch was twenty-five years old when he was ordained under the hand of Adam; and he was sixty-five and Adam blessed him” (D&C 107:48). We read in the Joseph Smith translation of Gen. 6:26 that when he was sixty five “the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him”.

If it were true that Zion was established when the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon Enoch when he was sixty five, then the biblical account could be in error in referring to the age of Enoch rather than to the age of Zion when it was taken up. If this adjustment were made, than all the scriptural accounts would coincide.

Gramps