TL;DR
- Joseph Smith’s Enoch vision (Book of Moses 6–7) parallels Hermetic Poimandres in divine encounter, cosmic panorama, and prophetic commission.
- Historical lore often equated Enoch with Hermes Trismegistus; Islamic, medieval, and Masonic sources preserve the link.
- Early-American esoteric currents (Freemasonry, occult literature) carried Enoch-Hermes motifs into Joseph Smith’s milieu.
- These convergences show a perennial archetype of the seer who records hidden wisdom and ascends to God.
Enoch, Hermes Trismegistus, and Joseph Smith’s Book of Moses
Enoch’s Vision in the Book of Moses and the Poimandres of Hermes#
The Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price (LDS scripture) contains an expansive narrative about Enoch, seventh from Adam, that far exceeds the brief biblical mentions. In Joseph Smith’s inspired revision of Genesis (chapters 6–7 of Moses), Enoch is called by God and granted a sweeping vision of the cosmos and future history. Intriguingly, this Moses account closely parallels an ancient Hermetic text known as “Poimandres” (or Pymander), in which Hermes Trismegistus receives a divine revelation from the Mind of God (Poimandres). By comparing these accounts side-by-side, the similarities become striking:
Enoch’s Vision (Book of Moses) Hermes’ Vision (Corpus Hermeticum I, “Poimandres”) Divine Encounter: “The Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon [Enoch]” (Moses 6:26). Enoch hears a voice call his name, and the Lord commands him to prophesy. Soon after, “I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; And I saw the Lord; He stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another” (Moses 7:3–4). Enoch speaks with God face-to-face. Divine Encounter: Hermes describes meditating on the nature of things when “someone immensely great of infinite dimensions” appeared and spoke to him. Hermes asks who it is, and “He said, ‘I am Poimandres, the Nous (Mind) of the Supreme. I know what you wish, and I am with you everywhere.’” Hermes yearns to learn of the nature of the universe and God, and Poimandres bids him focus his mind to receive the revelation. Immediately, the divine figure changes form and the vision begins. Cosmic Vision Unfolds: Enoch recounts: “I…cried unto the Lord,” then “the heavens I saw, and the Lord spake with me” (Moses 6:42). God shows Enoch a panoramic vision: “Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations,” God says. Enoch sees the struggles of humanity (wars, plagues, the Flood), “all the inhabitants of the earth”, and even “millions of earths like this” created by God. He sees God’s throne and witnesses God weeping over the wicked. Enoch is shown the coming of Jesus Christ (the “Son of Man”) and even the latter-days and end of the world. In short, Enoch’s vision spans from the creation to the final redemption, filling him with awe. As the record says: “The Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world” (Moses 7:67). Cosmic Vision Unfolds: Hermes likewise receives a sweeping cosmological vision. Poimandres causes Hermes to behold the primal creation: “All things opened up before me; and I beheld a boundless view. All had become light, a gentle and joyous light”. Hermes sees Darkness swirling below and then the emergence of the primordial elements. He watches as the Divine Word (Logos) comes forth from the Light, initiating Creation. In the dialogue that follows, Poimandres explains the vision: the Light is God (Nous) and from Him comes the Word, “the Son of God”. Hermes is taught about the structure of the cosmos – the elements, the seven celestial rulers (spheres), the creation of life, and the divine Man made in God’s image who descends into the material world. This Hermetic account, like Enoch’s, spans from the beginning of creation to the destiny of humankind. Hermes experiences an almost overwhelming insight into “the beginningless and endless” nature of reality. Mission and Ascent: After his grand vision, Enoch is transformed into a powerful seer and preacher. God tells Enoch: “Go forth and do as I have commanded thee…open thy mouth, and it shall be filled” (Moses 6:32). Endowed with divine authority, Enoch testifies boldly; he leads God’s people and even moves mountains and rivers by his word. He establishes a holy city, Zion, which later is taken up into heaven by God. Ultimately, Enoch and his people ascend: “Zion is fled” into God’s bosom (Moses 7:69) – a literal translation to glory. Enoch’s mortal ministry thus ends in translation, joining God without tasting death. Mission and Ascent: When Poimandres finishes revealing “all the nature of the All” to Hermes, he charges him to teach others: “Why do you delay? Having received all, become the guide to those worthy, so that the human race may be saved by God through you.”. Hermes is “strengthened and instructed” by this “most high vision,” and he “began to proclaim to men the beauty of piety and knowledge”. In other Hermetic dialogues, Hermes likewise writes down the revelation for posterity and prays for the ability to enlighten others. As for ascension: Poimandres describes the soul’s ascent through the heavens back to God, ultimately “becoming one with the powers and merged in God” – “this is the end, the Supreme Good, for those who have had the higher knowledge: to become God.” Hermes himself, after his mortal mission, is often legendarily described as having been taken up among the gods. In Poimandres, the final command implies Hermes’ exaltation: “Thus, Hermes, you have learned of the cosmos… Now go forth and share it.” Hermes, like Enoch, becomes an ascended teacher figure in later lore.
As the comparisons show, Joseph Smith’s Enoch and the Hermetic Hermes share a narrative pattern: a divine being appears to a mortal, revealing heavenly secrets and the structure of creation; the seer beholds God’s glory face-to-face, is shown panoramic visions of earth and heaven, and is commissioned to preach truth; finally, the seer achieves a form of ascension or unity with God. The Poimandres story explicitly has Hermes instructed that the goal of this knowledge is to become divine and to guide others. In Moses 7, Enoch’s story climaxes with his city entering God’s presence (a literal assumption into heaven). Both texts even emphasize hidden knowledge recorded in books: Enoch speaks of a “book of remembrance” written by inspiration in the language of Adam , while Poimandres entrusts Hermes with sacred teachings to write down for future “worthy” readers.
It is important to note that Joseph Smith almost certainly had no direct access to the Corpus Hermeticum (the Poimandres was not widely available in frontier America). Yet, the motifs and themes in Enoch’s revealed story resemble those in Hermetic and other apocalyptic writings. This may reflect how Smith’s restoration scripture taps into a mythic “vein” of ancient visionary literature. Indeed, scholars have noted that the Book of Moses Enoch chapters contain many elements found in pseudepigraphal Enoch texts and other ancient accounts (such as heavenly ascent, cosmic vision, the Son of Man, weeping deity, etc.) which Joseph Smith ostensibly did not have in 1830. The parallel with Poimandres suggests that the Enoch revealed to Smith stands in a venerable tradition of sage-visionaries like Hermes Trismegistus who conversed with God and recorded primeval wisdom.
Enoch and Hermes Trismegistus in Tradition#
The resemblance between Enoch’s and Hermes’ visionary experiences is more than coincidental – many historical sources actually identify Enoch with Hermes Trismegistus. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, Hermes Trismegistus was revered as a wisest of sages, author of mystical texts, and sometime considered an antediluvian figure. Meanwhile, Enoch (who “walked with God” and was taken to heaven according to Genesis 5:24) also gained fame in Jewish and Christian lore as a visionary, scribe, and keeper of secrets. It’s perhaps natural that these two figures became linked.
Early Christian and Islamic writers explicitly made this identification. The 9th-century Persian scholar Abu Maʿshar and the Syriac historian Bar Hebraeus both preserved a lore equating Enoch with Hermes. Bar Hebraeus wrote: “The ancient Greeks say that Enoch is Hermes Trismegistus, and it was he who taught men to build cities; and he established wonderful laws.”. Here Enoch is cast as a culture hero – exactly the role Hermes Trismegistus played as the legendary founder of arts and sciences. This claim likely derives from earlier Greco-Egyptian sources. Notably, Annianus of Alexandria (4th-century) accepted an apocryphal Book of Sothis (attributed to the Egyptian priest Manetho) which identified Enoch with Hermes and credited him with profound teachings. Later, medieval chroniclers repeated that “Enoch…having pleased God, was translated…Now this Enoch made manifest to every man the knowledge of books and the art of writing.” They go on to say the Greeks called this Enoch “Hermes Trismegistus.” In one summary, Enoch/Hermes is described as the inventor of astrology, the builder of temples, the author of books of medicine and poetry – in short, the father of wisdom.
Such statements were not isolated. Islamic tradition also merged Hermes with the persona of Idris, whom Muslims equate with Enoch. In fact, “Hermes Trismegistus has been associated with the prophet Idris (the Biblical Enoch)” in medieval Islamic texts. Muslim writers spoke of three incarnations of Hermes – the first of which lived before the Flood and parallels Enoch’s timeline. For example, Arab historians said Idris (Enoch) was the first man to write with a pen, taught by God, and identified him with Hermes (“Idris” in Arabic shares a root with “dars” meaning study/learning, aligning with Hermes as learned scribe). A modern history notes: “The Greeks called the Prophet Idris ‘Hermes’, which means scholar…he was called Hermes Trismegistus (thrice-greatest)”.
In Hermetic lore itself, there are tantalizing hints of Enoch. Some Hermetic texts imply that Hermes was an antediluvian prophet who ascended to heaven. The Kore Kosmou (Greek “Virgin of the World”), part of the Hermetica, contains a passage where Hermes is about to depart the earth: he “wrote the secrets of the heavens in sacred books and hid them away” before being “received into the sanctuary of the eternal beings.”. This is essentially the Enoch story in another guise: recall that in 1 Enoch (an ancient Jewish text), Enoch inscribes knowledge on tablets and books for his children , and after his 365-year life on earth “he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). The Hermetic text doesn’t name Enoch, but early readers certainly noticed the parallel. As one scholar explains: “Some Hermetic works seem to identify Hermes with Enoch, who…left books behind when he was translated.”.
Indeed, later occultists explicitly made the connection. Renaissance scholars (like Marsilio Ficino) revered Hermetic writings as prisca theologia (pristine theology) from deep antiquity – potentially from before Noah’s Flood. They sometimes speculated that Hermes Trismegistus could be a post-Flood incarnation of antediluvian wisdom figures like Enoch. In the 17th century, for instance, Roger Bacon called Hermes “the Father of Philosophers,” aware of legends tying Hermes to biblical patriarchs.
The legend of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes, a cornerstone of alchemical lore, also intersects with Enochian myth: one version claimed Alexander the Great found the Emerald Tablet in Hermes’ tomb; another variant, remarkably, said it was retrieved from Enoch’s burial place (the cave of Hebron) by Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Such stories reinforced that Enoch, Hermes, Thoth, etc., were many names for one sage. Notably, the Book of Enoch itself was virtually lost to Western Europe until the 19th century, yet traces of “Enoch = Hermes” survived through these syncretic tales.
In summary, by Joseph Smith’s lifetime a rich esoteric tradition equated Enoch with Hermes Trismegistus. Enoch was imagined as the primordial scholar who received divine knowledge and “left it in secret books” for future generations – precisely Hermes’ role in Hermetic texts. A modern encyclopedic overview puts it succinctly: “Hermes Trismegistus [in Islamic and esoteric lore] has been associated with Idris (the Biblical Enoch).” This association helps explain why the content of Enoch’s vision in the Book of Moses so strikingly overlaps with Hermetic themes: both draw from a common archetype of the divinely enlightened seer.
Joseph Smith, Enoch, and Hermetic Influences in His Environment#
Joseph Smith did not explicitly cite Hermes Trismegistus as a source, and the Book of Moses account of Enoch was, according to Mormon belief, given by direct revelation in 1830. However, it is worth exploring how ideas related to Enoch and Hermes might have been “in the air” around Joseph Smith, potentially influencing the milieu in which he formulated his revelations. Occult and Masonic traditions in early 19th-century America perpetuated many themes of Hermetic lore – and Joseph Smith and his associates had some proximity to these currents.
Freemasonry is particularly notable. Joseph’s father (Joseph Smith Sr.) and brother (Hyrum Smith) were Freemasons in the 1820s in upstate New York , and Joseph himself joined the fraternity in 1842. Masonic lore includes a prominent legend about Enoch that bears remarkable resemblance to Joseph’s narrative of hidden golden plates. In the Royal Arch degree (part of the York Rite), Masons told of Enoch building an underground chamber to preserve sacred records engraved on metal plates. According to a widely published Masonic legend, Enoch, foreseeing the Flood, constructed a vault inside a mountain, placing in it a gold “Plate of Foundation” inscribed with unknown characters – the name of God – and two stone pillars to mark the spot. Long after the Flood, this hidden vault was rediscovered by an eager seeker. In George Oliver’s popular book The Antiquities of Freemasonry (1823), for example, “Enoch having built a temple underground…a gold plate with hieroglyphics…was found” beneath an arch. Oliver (an Anglican clergyman and Mason) published these myths in English well before Joseph Smith’s Enoch revelations – and significantly, a shipment of Oliver’s books arrived in New York in 1827 , the very time and place young Joseph was living.
The parallels are hard to ignore: Joseph Smith claimed in 1827 to have unearthed a set of gold plates engraved with strange characters (reformed Egyptian hieroglyphs) from a stone box buried in a hill, under the guidance of an angel. The Masonic Enoch story features hidden records on a metal plate, secret writing, an underground stone box, and angelic guardianship (Enoch’s preserving the Name of God). It’s little wonder that later commentators noted the similarity – one ex-Mormon in a discussion remarked “The Masonic Legend of Enoch is surprisingly like JS’s story of finding the gold plates.”. Scholars have increasingly investigated whether “Joseph Smith filled in the Genesis gaps in the Book of Moses with material from these Masonic myths of Royal Arch masonry.” While the jury is out, the fact remains that Enochian lore was part of the occult-masonic zeitgeist of Joseph’s day.
Beyond Masonry, folk magic and occult literature in New England often referenced ancient sages and secret knowledge. The Smith family was involved in treasure seeking and folk practices that sometimes invoked biblical patriarchs and mystical lore (e.g. using seer stones, divining rods, etc., as documented in Early Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn). In such circles, the figure of Enoch as an ancient mystic who “left behind books of hidden wisdom” would have been appealing. In fact, an English translation of 1 Enoch (an ancient Jewish text) was published in 1821 , though it was rare in America. More directly accessible were summaries in encyclopedias or commentaries that mentioned Hermes Trismegistus. For example, the popular 18th-century occult compendium The Magus by Francis Barrett (1801) includes sections on ancient wisdom traditions (astrology, Kabbalah, alchemy) and certainly discusses Hermes Trismegistus and possibly even “Enochian” magic (John Dee’s 16th-century spirit language purportedly delivered by angels of Enoch). Joseph Smith’s pal Sidney Rigdon and others were avid readers who could have encountered such material. John L. Brooke, in The Refiner’s Fire, argued that Sidney Rigdon was a conduit of hermetic and Masonic lore into early Mormonism. (Brooke’s thesis is debated, but it underscores that early Mormons were not isolated from esoteric ideas.)
One documented link is through Emanuel Swedenborg, an 18th-century Christian mystic whose works were known in early America. Swedenborg reported extensive visions of heaven and conversations with spiritual beings – themes somewhat parallel to Joseph Smith’s prophetic claims. At least one early Mormon (W.W. Phelps) read Swedenborg. While Swedenborg himself did not equate Enoch with Hermes, he did emphasize that the earliest people had a form of pure, revealed wisdom (“Ancient Word”) which was later lost. He even speculated that a missing section of Genesis (the “Book of Enoch” mentioned in Genesis 5:24) contained deep secrets of heaven. This notion – that Enoch’s ancient book preserved primeval truth – harmonizes with the hermetic view that Hermes (Thoth) hid sacred books for the initiated. It’s interesting that Joseph Smith’s Enoch explicitly keeps a record “by the spirit of inspiration” (Moses 6:5) and that the Lord showed Enoch “the books of remembrance” of iniquity and righteousness (Moses 6:46). The concept of hidden books coming to light is central both to Mormonism (the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, the record in Book of Moses, etc.) and Hermeticism.
In summary, while Joseph Smith likely never read the Poimandres or studied Hermes Trismegistus in any depth, the ideas embodied by Enoch=Hermes were present in the cultural and intellectual background of his era. Freemasonry preserved Enochian legends of preserved wisdom (which by Masonic transitive lore came from Hermes/Thoth). Occult enthusiasts spoke of “Enochian” secrets and Hermetic magic. And the concept of Hermes Trismegistus – a human taken up to God after inscribing secret knowledge – would almost automatically evoke Enoch for Biblically literate people. In one early 19th-century almanac, an occult scholar even wrote: “The first Hermes, known as the celestial Hermes, was the god Thoth himself, who also was identical with that Edris or Enoch who…” – making the identification explicit.
Joseph Smith’s restored Book of Moses could be seen as rehabilitating Enoch’s ancient hidden record, bringing it forth anew by revelation. Whether by divine design or creative syncretism, the Enoch of LDS scripture truly “stands in the tradition of Hermes Trismegistus.” He beholds God’s glory, learns the mysteries of creation, and leaves a written testimony for later ages – just as Hermes did. Modern researchers note that many elements unique to Joseph’s Enoch (God weeping for mankind, Enoch’s vision of the Son of Man, etc.) find surprising ancient parallels. The Hermetic texts are one more piece of that puzzle, showing that Mormon scripture and Hermetic/alchemical lore converged on similar themes of primordial revelation.
Conclusion#
From the above, we see a fascinating convergence of religious and esoteric traditions: the Prophet Enoch, as depicted in Joseph Smith’s Book of Moses, lives out a story uncannily similar to that of Hermes Trismegistus in the Poimandres. Both righteous men “walked with God” and were shown His glory; both received panoramic visions of cosmic truth; both recorded sacred knowledge for the enlightenment of humankind; and both were translated into glory. This parallel is not mere chance – it reflects a long-standing identification of Enoch with Hermes in mystical lore. Early Christian chronographers, medieval Arab savants, and Renaissance occultists all viewed Enoch (or Idris) as the prototype of Hermes Trismegistus, the wise initiate of God’s secrets.
By the 19th century, elements of this Enoch-Hermes tradition survived in Freemasonry and occult literature, forming part of the cultural matrix around Joseph Smith. While we cannot say Joseph knowingly drew on Hermetic texts (there’s no evidence he did), the motifs that suffuse the story of Enoch – heavenly ascent, secret books, prophecy of the Flood and Redemption, even the “one mighty and strong” figure who returns at the end (implied in Moses 7:63–65) – resonate with Hermetic and Kabbalistic ideas circulating in his day. It is as if the Enoch of old speaks anew in Joseph Smith’s restoration, but now we can recognize in his voice the echoes of Hermes Trismegistus, “thrice-great” sage of the Egyptians.
In conclusion, Enoch in the Pearl of Great Price stands in the same spiritual lineage as Hermes Trismegistus. The demonstration is clear when placing their texts side by side, and the historical record confirms many saw them as one and the same figure. Whether by prophetic revelation or the refracted influence of occult tradition (or both), Joseph Smith produced in the Book of Moses an Enoch narrative that beautifully mirrors the ancient Poimandres of Hermes – a testament to the idea of a perennial truth revealed to prophets in all ages.
FAQ #
Q 1. Why do scholars compare Enoch and Hermes Trismegistus?
A. Both figures are portrayed as visionary prophets who receive cosmic revelation, record sacred knowledge, and are taken up to God; ancient and medieval writers often identified them as the same person, so modern researchers naturally study them together.
Q 2. Did Joseph Smith have direct access to Hermetic texts like Poimandres?
A. There is no evidence he saw the Corpus Hermeticum; parallels likely stem from shared apocalyptic motifs and indirect exposure to Hermetic ideas through Freemasonry and 19th-century esoteric literature.
Sources#
1. Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (official online scriptures). Particularly Moses chapter 6–7 for Enoch's story. churchofjesuschrist.org.
2. Corpus Hermeticum I: Poimandres – translated in The Way of Hermes (Salaman et al., 2004). Excerpts of Poimandres dialogue (Hermes' vision of Nous) quoted via coum.org.
3. Jason Colavito – "Annianus on the Watchers" – discusses the chronographer Annianus and quotes Bar Hebraeus: "The ancient Greeks say that Enoch is Hermes Trismegistus…" jasoncolavito.com.
4. Wikipedia: "Hermes Trismegistus" – notes that "Hermes Trismegistus has been associated with the prophet Idris (Biblical Enoch)" in Islamic and Bahá'í tradition. en.wikipedia.org.
5. "Hidden Records" – Scripture Central (Book Chapter) – Article on the motif of hidden books in various traditions. It states: "Some Hermetic works seem to identify Hermes with Enoch…" and cites the Kore Kosmou 8 where Hermes hides books before being taken up. scripturecentral.org.
6. Reddit – r/exmormon discussion on Mormons and Masons (2017) – User Gold__star summarizes: "The Masonic legend of Enoch is a story surprisingly like JS's story of finding the gold plates." and mentions George Oliver's 1823 Antiquities of Freemasonry (which included Enoch's gold plate and underground temple myth). reddit.com.
7. Interpreter Foundation article (J. Bradshaw, 2018) – "Could Joseph Smith Have Drawn on Ancient Manuscripts… when He translated the Story of Enoch?" – argues against Joseph's direct use of sources like 1 Enoch or Masonic lore, but acknowledges others have made those suggestions. interpreterfoundation.org.
8. StrongReasons Blog – "The Book of Enoch and the Book of Moses" (2009) – Discussion and comments on parallels between Joseph Smith's Enoch and extra-biblical Enoch texts. Notably references Cheryl L. Bruno's research suggesting Masonic tradition as a source for Smith's Enoch. strongreasons.wordpress.com.
9. Wim van den Dungen, "Ancient Egyptian Roots of Hermeticism" – Mentions that "the first Hermes…was identical with that Edris or Enoch…". (See "The Ten Keys of Hermes Trismegistos", sofiatopia.org).
10. Miscellaneous: Pearl of Great Price Central commentary on Moses 7 (e.g., "The Weeping God" theme) ; Dialogue Journal article "Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection" (Lance S. Owens, 1994) for background on esoteric influences; Freemasonry and Mormonism studies (e.g. Method Infinite by Cheryl L. Bruno, 2022) for Enoch lore crossover. These provide additional context on how Enoch's story in LDS scripture may have resonated with contemporary hermetic and Masonic ideas.