Moses 8 (Genesis 6:1–12)
READ Introduction
ASK Who was Noah?
-Enoch was 4th great grandson of Adam
Enoch saw Noah and his children in vision: "And Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation" (Moses 7:42).
-Methuselah was the son of Enoch. He was "not taken, that the covenants of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to Enoch; for he truly covenanted with Enoch that Noah should be of the fruit of his loins" (Moses 8:2).
-At the youthful age of 187, Methuselah "begat" Lamech ( 8:5).
-At the age of 182, Lamech "begat" Noah (Moses 8:8-9).
READ Joseph Smith
READ President Joseph Fielding Smith
ASK At the time of Noah what was the condition of the world?
READ Genesis 6:4-6
-What was on the earth? How big were they?
-What is meant by the sons of God and the daughters of man?
-What was in the hearts of these men?
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "The picture one gets of the dispensation of Noah is of a people who were increasingly wicked and who felt increasingly self-sufficient. Their attitude was described as follows: 'And every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually' (Moses 8:22)." (Things As They Really Are, p76)
Introduction: The Lord promised Enoch that Noah would be one of his descendants. The Lord called Noah to preach the gospel and warn the people that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed by a flood. Because the people were wicked and corrupt and refused to repent, the Lord determined to destroy all flesh from the earth.
Joseph Smith: "Then to Noah, who is Gabriel: he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in this day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth, and then in heaven." (TPJS p 157)
President Joseph Fielding Smith: "Summarizing the facts - Joseph Smith revealed that Gabriel was Noah; Luke declared that it was the angel Gabriel who appeared to Zacharias and Mary; and the Lord has declared that Elias appeared to Zacharias and Joseph Smith. Therefore, Elias is Noah." (Answers to Gospel Questions 3:141)
Genesis 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
OT6 SS Lesson Jan 31-Feb 6 Genesis 6-11, Moses 8 “Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord”
-What was the situation with marriage in these times?
-Why was the Lord unhappy?
-Why is it important for members to marry other worthy members?
-When was the flood to come?
READ Moses 8:17
-What was the reason for the 120 days?
-READ Moses 8:23-24
-How could the people of Noah’s time have avoided disaster?
-Are our circumstances different today?
-These people were facing the flood, what are people today facing?
The wickedness in the days of Noah can remind us of the wickedness we see around us today.
READ Elder Neal A. Maxwell
READ Moses 8:27
-What is grace?
-Why was the flood necessary?
-What was the benefit to future generations?
-Was God justified in sending the flood
Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained that at the time of the Great Flood, “corruption had reached an agency-destroying point that spirits could not, in justice, be sent here” (We Will Prove Them Herewith [1982], 58).
-Why will there never be another flood?
-What is it that we have to worry about in our time?
Moses 8:17 And the Lord said unto Noah: My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he shall know that all flesh shall die; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years; and if men do not repent, I will send in the floods upon them.
Moses 8:23 And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words;
24 Believe and repent of your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as our fathers, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, that ye may have all things made manifest; and if ye do not this, the floods will come in upon you; nevertheless they hearkened not.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "Long ago it was prophesied that the last days would be rampant with selfishness and the other cardinal sins, just as in the days of Noah. Society in the days of Noah, scriptures advise, was 'corrupt before God' and 'filled with violence' . Corruption and violence—does that sound familiar? Both of these awful conditions crest today because of surging individual selfishness. When thus engulfed, no wonder men’s hearts in our day will fail them because of fear. Even the faithful can expect a few fibrillations." (Men and Women of Christ, p9)
Moses 8:27 And thus Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; for Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation; and he walked with God, as did also his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
-Why is the story of Noah valuable to us today?
-How many people were saved? D&C 138:9
-Why was the flood like having the restore button pushed?
SEE Additional Resources for more information about the Ark and the Flood.
There is spiritual safety in following the Lord’s prophet.
-What do you have in your home, or do you wear to remind you of important decisions or events?
-Why are they important to you?
Tokens or symbols help us remember our covenants with the Lord.
-Does the Lord us symbols or tokens?
For a great talk on the symbols of marriage READ Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk later. (This qualifies as a “nugget,” it is something of great value but is outside of this particular lesson.)
Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments - BYU Speeches
-What symbol or token did God give to Noah?
READ Genesis 9:11-17
READ The JST addition to verse 21
The covenant was made with both Enoch and Noah.
-What were the two parts of the covenant?
(Enoch’s seed would always be upon the earth, no flood)
-When you see a rainbow do you think about the pot of gold or the covenant made with Enoch and Noah?
Genesis 9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17 And God said unto Noah, This is the hetoken of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
JST, Genesis 9:21 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.
-What greater significance might the rainbow have?
READ Joseph Smith
The people of Babel build a tower to reach heaven
READ Genesis 11:4
-Why did they want to make a name for themselves?
-What is the difference between making a name for ourselves and taking upon ourselves the name of Christ?
-What was the consequence of this unrighteous venture?
READ Genesis 11:6-7
-These people were wicked people. Their desires were evil.
-Why was their language confounded?
READ It was a means…
-Was everybody's language confounded. Immediately?
READ The Tower of Babel…in Add’l Resources
The only way to reach heaven is by following Jesus Christ.
-Although the ancient city of Babel no longer exists, the pride and worldliness it symbolizes do.
-How do you see this in our time?
Joseph Smith: "I have asked of the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, He gave a sign and said, 'In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seedtime and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant'." (TPJS, pp 340-341)
11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
11:6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
It was a means of confounding their efforts in building the tower and stopping the commission of greater evil. It may be that the perfect language they spoke enabled them to communicate more efficiently than we find possible. Maybe they were no longer entitled to speak this pure language. According to Orson Pratt, our means of communication is inefficient and imperfect (JD, 3:99-100).
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "The course leading to eternal life is both strait and straight. It is straight because it has an invariable direction -- always it is the same. There are no diversions, crooked paths, or tangents leading to the kingdom of God. It is strait because it is narrow and restricted, a course where full obedience to the full law is required." (Mormon Doctrine, p769)
Latter-day prophets teach that the Flood or the total immersion of the earth in water represents the earth’s required baptism. Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained: “Latter-day Saints look upon the earth as a living organism, one which is gloriously filling ‘the measure of its creation.’ They look upon the flood as a baptism of the earth, symbolizing a cleansing of the impurities of the past, and the beginning of a new life. This has been repeatedly taught by the leaders of the Church. The deluge was an immersion of the earth in water.” He writes that the removal of earth’s wicked inhabitants in the Flood represents that which occurs in our own baptism for the remission of sins. Evidences and Reconciliations (1960), 127–28; see also Doctrines of Salvation, 2:320–21.
-What has God provided to help us “reach unto heaven”?
READ John 3:16
-So what is our path to heaven?
Matthew 7:13-14"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
READ Elder Bruce R. McConkie
The people who built the tower of Babel were punished because they tried to reach heaven by worldly means. Conversely, Noah and his family were saved from the flood because they lived according to God's commandments.
READ Latter-day Prophets
The only way for us to reach heaven--to return to live with our Heavenly Father--is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must live righteously, as did Noah, having faith in Christ, repenting of our sins, being baptised and receiving our sacred ordinances, and enduring to the end of our lives. If we do these things, we will rise above evil and be able to return to the presence of God.
My Thoughts: Noah was/is real. He is Gabriel, second to Adam in the priesthood according to Joseph Smith, and the modern (if some four thousand years can be modern) father of the world. He lived for hundreds of years and fathered three sons that, with him, walked and talked with God. Noah had giant problems. Real giants who were 13 to 14 feet tall.He and his sons were commanded to preach the gospel to people who seemed to thrive on being unrighteous. They enjoyed being evil, it was said that their every imagination was wicked. On top of this he was commanded to build a boat. Not a boat, because it wasn’t steerable, but a 450 foot long barge. A floating animal house in which he catered to two (a few accounts read 14) animals of every species. His contemporaries mocked him. Until the rains came. Then they died.
The flood was real. It was the great reset, cleansing the world of evil and providing a rest for the earth from the sin and degradation it had witnessed ( and which it had requested relief from, having groan weary of the wickedness ). It got that along with being baptized. In spite of the beliefs of some biblical scholars and scientists, it was really and truly a worldwide flood. It rained for 40 days. All life was destroyed except for the 8 people and the animals on the Ark. They lived on the Ark for another 110/111 days. That this would happen was communicated to Adam and to Moses through the visions they beheld. I think all the Patriarchs either had the same vision or were taught the same. Enoch foresaw the flood and was so distraught that the Lord covenanted with him that his seed would be preserved and that there would never be another flood like this. The token of this covenant is the rainbow. Joseph was told that we would cease seeing rainbow a year before the 2nd coming. I’m now on a rainbow watch.
Methuselah was not taken up at the same time as Enoch. Methuselah was on a later flight. His longer time in the City of Zion allowed him to father Lamech who was Noah’s father. It has been said that Methuselah departed the year that the rains came. His timing was propitious.
When it finally landed the earth had changed. The Continents had separated. Noah and his sons offered sacrifices upon disembarking, thanking the Lord for their survival. They were told to begin repopulating the earth. Many of the new citizens of the world became unrighteous. Wickedly so. They believed they didn’t need God anymore (their language was still the language of Adam, their conceits were such that they wanted to build a tower to talk with God and to make a new name for themselves. They were not satisfied with being in His name. Nimrod became their king. They were evil. With their knowledge and sophistication they were a danger to the future of the world. The Lord tolerated as much as He could, then confounded, in time, their languages and scattered them. It appears to me, that with their loss of their language, they lost a great deal of their knowledge, or at least their ability to spread their knowledge. We had dual societies, the people of God and the people of the tower, or Babylonians.
I believe this to be true. It is part of my testimony. These were important times in which the protecting of the Seed of Enoch, as well as the earth, for the years to come…for our time,for us was paramount. The lessons to be learned here is that (1)we will be safe if we listen to and follow the Prophets. It is just as important to do this now as it ever has been in the past. And (2) the only way we can reach Heaven is through Jesus Christ. Let us cease building our individual towers, and work with our fellow saints, under the name of Christ, to build Zion.
I hope you have dug out from our snow storm (it took us a couple of extra minutes to scrape some ice off the windshield). Have a good week.
Greg
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
What Was the Ark Like?
“The ark: the Hebrew word means ‘box’ or ‘chest.’ It is used elsewhere only for the watertight ‘basket’ in which the baby Moses floated on the Nile—an interesting parallel.
“The ark is vast, designed to float, not sail—and there were no launching problems! An 18-inch cubit gives the measurements as 450 x 76 x 45 feet or 137 x 23 x 14 metres.” (Alexander and Alexander, eds., Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, p. 132.)
Were Any Saved by Means Other Than the Ark?
“During the first 2200 or so years of the earth’s history—that is, from the fall of Adam to the ministry of Melchizedek—it was a not uncommon occurrence for faithful members of the Church to be translated and taken into the heavenly realms without tasting death. Since that time there have been occasional special instances of translation, instances in which a special work of the ministry required it.
“… Methuselah, the son of Enoch, was not translated [with Enoch’s city], ‘that the covenants of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to Enoch; for he truly covenanted with Enoch that Noah should be of the fruit of his loins.’ (Moses 8:2.) But during the nearly 700 years from the translation of Enoch to the flood of Noah, it would appear that nearly all of the faithful members of the Church were translated, for ‘the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.’ (Moses 7:27.)” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 804.)
Spencer W. Kimball on Noah's preparations for the flood: "As yet there was no evidence of rain and flood. His people mocked and called him a fool. His preaching fell on deaf ears. His warnings were considered irrational. There was no precedent, never had it been known that a deluge could cover the earth. How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual! But time ran out. The ark was finished. The floods came. The disobedient and rebellious were drowned. The miracle of the ark followed the faith manifested in its building." (Faith Precedes the Miracle, pp5-6)
How Could the Flood Cover the Entire Earth, Including Mountains?
What Was the Significance of This Immersion?
“I would like to know by what known law the immersion of the globe could be accomplished. It is explained here in a few words: ‘The windows of heaven were opened’ that is, the waters that exist throughout the space surrounding the earth from whence come these clouds from which the rain descends. That was one cause. Another cause was ‘the fountains of the great deep were broken up’—that is something beyond the oceans, something outside of the seas, some reservoirs of which we have no knowledge, were made to contribute to this event, and the waters were let loose by the hand and by the power of God; for God said He would bring a flood upon the earth and He brought it, but He had to let loose the fountains of the great deep, and pour out the waters from there, and when the flood commenced to subside, we are told ‘that the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained, and the waters returned from off the earth.’ Where did they go to? From whence they came. Now, I will show you something else on the back of that. Some people talk very philosophically about tidal waves coming along. But the question is—How could you get a tidal wave out of the Pacific ocean, say, to cover the Sierra Nevadas? But the Bible does not tell us it was a tidal wave. It simply tells that ‘all the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen cubits upwards did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.’ That is, the earth was immersed. It was a period of baptism.” (John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 26:74–75.)
Orson Pratt declared:
“The first ordinance instituted for the cleansing of the earth, was that of immersion in water; it was buried in the liquid element, and all things sinful upon the face of the earth were washed away. As it came forth from the ocean floor, like the new-born child, it was innocent; it rose to newness of life. It was its second birth from the womb of mighty waters—a new world issuing from the ruins of the old, clothed with all the innocence of this first creation.” (In Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:20.)
Brigham Young, “The earth, in its present condition and situation, is not a fit habitation for the sanctified; but it abides the law of its creation, has been baptized with water, will be baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost, and by-and-by will be prepared for the faithful to dwell upon” ( in Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:20).
Illustration of the Tower of Babel, by David Green
Where Did Noah Land When the Ark Came to Rest?
It should be remembered that the Garden of Eden was in the land now known as North America (see Reading 2-17). Although it is not known how far men had moved from that general location in the sixteen hundred years between the fall of Adam and the Flood, it is likely that Noah and his family lived somewhere in the general area. The Bible says that they landed on Mount Ararat when the ark finally came to rest. No location for Mount Ararat is given in the scriptures. The traditional site is a mountain found in northeastern Turkey near the border of Russia. Commenting on the distance traveled, Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said:
“We read that it was in the seventeenth day of the second month when the great deep was broken up, and the rain was forty days. The Ark landed at Ararat on the seventeenth day of the seventh month, therefore there were five full months of travel when the Lord drove the Ark to its final destiny. Without any question a considerable distance separated the point where the Ark commenced the journey and where it landed. There can be no question to contradict the fact that during the flood great changes were made on the face of the earth. The land surface was in the process of division into continents. The rivers mentioned in Genesis were rivers that existed in the garden of Eden long before the land was divided into continents and islands. [Genesis 2:11.]” (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:94.)
The Flood - An act of mercy.
Victor L. Ludlow suggests five reasons why the flood was an act of mercy:
-The wicked would have less time in this phase of their existence to commit further sins.
-God's prophets had already demonstrated his power and witnessed his judgments; to have allowed more witnesses would have brought the people under greater accountability.
-God's spirit children still residing in his presence needed a more pure spiritual environment in which to come.
-The earth itself was a living entity and desired a rest from wickedness (see Moses 7:48-49).
-The earth needed to go through its own baptism of water preparatory for a later baptism of fire and eventual celestialization. Unlocking The Old Testament, pp8-9
Elder W. Don Ladd said, "We all need to build a personal ark, to fortify ourselves ourselves against this rising tide of evil, to protect ourselves and our families against the floodwaters of iniquity around us. And we shouldn't wait until it starts raining, but prepare in advance. The key is to accept the invitation of our prophet...'to live with ever more attention to the life and example of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially the love and hope and compassion He displayed'." (CR, Oct 1994) We need to build our ark by:
Studying the scriptures and listening to the prophets.---Praying frequently and sincerely..---Attending church regularly ---.having Family home evening & Family prayer.---attending the Temple .--- Teaching “For The Strength Of Youth.”---Keeping the Sabbath day holy.
Arguments Against a Universal Flood
Uniformitarianism Some cite geological data to argue against the Flood. The issue for them, perhaps, revolves around the concept of uniformitarianism, which has been described simply in this way: “The present is the key to the past.” Uniformitarianism, first postulated by James Hutton in 1795,6 proposes three primary concepts: (a) there were no processes (such as geologic processes) operating in the past which are not operating now; (b) there are no processes operating now which were not operating in the past; and (c) process rates have not changed. Because modern scientists observe geologic change to be relatively slow now, many have naturally concluded that geologic processes have always been slow. Yet uniformitarianism, a premise on which much of geologic science is based, is an idea, not a fact. With our limited knowledge, it presently is a powerful paradigm for examining the earth, and given our ignorance of how the Lord has done things, it does help explain many things. The science that uses the idea has found for us such things as gas, oil, and certain types of minerals.
Yet although uniformitarianism is a powerful perspective, it is still a premise, not a fact. Uniformitarianism cannot explain all of the oddities and anomalies about the earth. Further, it neglects a God who can speak and have the dust of the earth obey, who can move mountains at will, and who can divide the Red Sea. As Latter-day Saints, we have scriptural evidence that God has intervened in the affairs of the earth and modified the landscape on numerous occasions. Among other things, he changed the earth’s environment after the Fall, he gave Enoch power to move mountains and rivers before the Deluge, he caused the Flood, and he was the cause of the catastrophic events in America at the Savior’s death. Donald W. Parry,”The Flood and the Tower of Babel” The Ensign, Jan 1988 [also the 3 articles below]
The Tower of Babel In addition to providing an explanation for the numerous languages now found on the earth, this account of the tower of Babel shows how quickly man forgot the lessons of the Flood and turned again from the Lord. The Book of Mormon shows that the actual confounding of the languages may not have been an instantaneous thing but may have happened over an unknown length of time. Jared asked his brother to call upon the Lord and request that their language not be confounded. This request was granted. Then Jared asked his brother to plead that the language of their friends stay the same as theirs. This request, too, was granted. (See Ether 1:33–38.) These events imply that the confounding of the languages did not happen in an instant. (For more information on the tower of Babel, see Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Babel.”) Institute Manual, OT, “The Patriarchs: Genesis 4-11
The tower of Babel had a momentous impact on the events of world history, occurring not too long after the Flood and immediately before the confusion of tongues. The confusion of tongues came as a curse from the Lord because of the wicked people’s attempt to build the counterfeit temple, or tower, as Moses explained (Gen. 11:5–7). Before the tower, “the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech” (Gen. 11:1), but the building of the tower brought the Lord’s decision to confuse the tongues so the people could “not understand one another’s speech” (Gen. 11:7), preventing further defilement of the Lord’s sacred ordinances. The curse, in addition, resulted in the scattering of the people “upon the face of the whole earth,” a phrase given three different times for emphasis (see Gen. 11:4, 8, 9).
The Akkadian or Babylonian word babel means “gate of God.” The word translates from Hebrew into English as “confusion” or “confound”—hence Moses’ text, “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth” (Gen. 11:9).
For some in the modern world, the historicity of the tower of Babel story, as with the Flood, is often discounted. One modern school of thought considers the account to be nothing more than an “artful parable” and an “old tale.”11 But Latter-day Saints accept the story as it is presented in Genesis. Further, we have the second witness of the Book of Mormon. The title page of the Book of Mormon explains that the book of Ether “is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven.” The book of Ether itself then tells of when “Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth” (Ether 1:33).
The Flood is a Matter of Faith: For Latter-day Saints, the Flood is a matter of faith and belief. We believe in many events that today we cannot scientifically explain. For example, in a world where change and death are the norm, the scriptures promise immortality and eternal life. Indeed the scriptures teach that this earth will be burned (see 2 Pet. 3:10), receive a resurrection (D&C 88:26),7 and become a celestial kingdom (D&C 88:17–18).8 Such future events will make the incident of the Flood look like child’s play in comparison.
Further, with all of the advancements of science in recent decades, we still cannot explain how angels are able to defy gravity and descend or ascend through a building’s ceiling (see JS—H 1:43); how rapid interplanetary travel is possible for heavenly beings (see D&C 130:6–7); how a righteous man can raise the dead using God’s power (see 1 Kgs. 17:17–23); how heavenly messengers can appear to mortals (see D&C 110:2, 11–13); or how Jesus Christ’s divine sacrifice is able to atone for our sins.
Though we cannot yet explain the physics or dynamics behind those events, we look forward to the time when the Lord will come and explain them. In the Millennium—a time of great physical change in the earth—he will “reveal all things—
“Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof---
“Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven” (D&C 101:32–34).