Noah

by Andrew C. Skinner

Noah is one of God's most notable prophets, Patriarchs, and ministering messengers. He became a second father—with adam—of all mankind following the Flood and later returned to earth as the angel Gabriel to announce the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (HC 3:386; TPJS, p. 157). LDS revelation has amplified what is known about Noah in the Bible.

Lamech, son of Methuselah and grandson of Enoch, begat Noah, fulfilling covenants that the Lord made with Enoch that a remnant of his posterity would always be found among all nations (Moses 7:52) and that Noah would be born of his lineage through Methuselah (Moses 8:2). Lamech chose the name Noah because of the "comfort" the child would bring to his family in their toil (8:9). Though Noah had brothers and sisters, nothing about them is known (8:10).

A promised child of noble ancestry, including Adam and other "preachers of righteousness" (Moses 6:22-23), Noah was ordained to the priesthood at age ten by Methuselah (D&C 107:52), an unusually young age when compared with the ages at which other antediluvian Patriarchs were ordained (D&C 107:42-51).

Though Noah lived in times of wickedness (Moses 8:20-22, 28-30), Noah successfully raised three sons who "hearkened unto the Lord…and they were called the sons of God" (8:13). Unfortunately, his "fair" granddaughters "sold themselves" by marrying wicked husbands, losing the benefits of living in a righteous environment (8:14-15). He taught the gospel of the anticipated Savior Anointed (Jesus Christ), as Enoch had, including faith, repentance, baptism in the name of the Savior and reception of the Holy Ghost (Moses 8:16, 19, 23-24). He warned that failure to heed his message would bring the floods upon his hearers (D&C 138:41; Moses 8:24).

Noah was "perfect in his generation; and he walked with God" (Moses 8:27). Like Adam, he received dominion over the earth and all living things (HC 3:386). Thus, Methuselah's prophecy "that from his [own] loins should spring all the kingdoms of the earth (through Noah)" was dramatically fulfilled (Moses 8:3).

Noah stands "next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood" (HC 3:386), and "in third position from the Lord" (Petersen, p. 2), and conferred the power of the priesthood on his righteous posterity (D&C 84:14-15).

Eighteen centuries after announcing Christ's birth, Noah—again as Gabriel—visited the Prophet Joseph Smith to restore priesthood keys (D&C 128:21). Noah is to return to earth after Christ's second coming to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (D&C 27:5-7).

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Bibliography

Parrish, Alan K. "The Days of Noah." In Studies in Scripture, ed. R. Millet and K. Jackson, Vol. 2, pp. 145-59. Salt Lake City, 1985.

Petersen, Mark E. Noah and the Flood. Salt Lake City, 1982.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism

Noah

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