Jacob and Enos - Methuselahs of the Book of Mormon

Life Overview of Jacob son of Lehi
600 BC - 592 BC born while his family journeys in the wilderness.
570 BC has already seen the glory of God and been ordained a priest and teacher.
544 BC takes responsibility for the plates, leads the church.
___ BC confounds Sherem the Anti-Christ

Life Overview of Enos son of Jacob
___ BC   prays and receives forgiveness of his sins
___ BC   leads unsuccessful missions to the Lamanites
420 BC records his life story in the small plates, passes them to his son Jarom

The incredible thing about Jacob and Enos is their longevity. Jacob was born as Lehi was wandering in the wilderness. 180 years later, Jacob's son Enos finishes his entry in the plates. On the news today there are stories of men up to age 96 fathering children. To put these stories in perspective, Gordon B Hinckley was 97 years old when he died, and he was born in 1910. If is father had been born in the 1820's it would have made the same collective 180 year span between father and son.

This also provides an interesting context for Enos' story about receiving a remission of his sins. Enos learned his father's language and remembered his words. Enos promised obedience to keeping the plates for his father before he passed away. Enos says he remembered "the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life and the joy of the saints." Enos was hunting, and it seems likely that his father had passed away while Enos was young. Enos was likely remembering his deceased father's words. I think this makes Enos situation more poignant and desperate than if his father was 20 years older than him and living.

I also wonder how old Enos was when he received responsibility for the plates. Mormon was 10 years old when he knew he would receive the plates, but that was in a time where the majority of the Nephite civilization was turning to wickedness. Mormon was told by Ammaron to wait to take the plates until he was "about twenty and four years old." If Enos was at least that age when he took the plates, it only makes his and his father's longevity all the more impressive!