Noah

(See Moses 8 the Pearl of Great Price; Gen. 6:14–8:20.)

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; for Noah was a just man … and he walked with God (Moses 8:27).

Noah was a righteous man who lived amid great wickedness. Almost all the people on the earth spent their time doing evil things, and they would not listen when Noah taught them the gospel. Noah warned the people that if they did not repent, a mighty flood would come upon the earth and destroy them. But they paid no attention to his words, and Noah’s heart ached with sorrow because he knew that their evil ways would lead to their destruction.

For one hundred twenty years Noah tried to convince the people to repent. At that time many men who lived on the earth were so tall and powerful that they were called giants. They and others tried to kill Noah, but the Lord was with him and protected him.

Finally the people were so wicked that the Lord told Noah: “The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold I will destroy all flesh from off the earth.”

He commanded Noah and his family to build a huge wooden ark and to gather into it animals, birds, and insects of every kind, both male and female. “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

The people laughed and mocked Noah’s family building the ark, and they jeered at the sight of the animals being guided into it. Though Noah grieved at seeing how wicked the people had become, he knew that he was doing the right thing in obeying the Lord’s commandment.

The laughter soon faded as the sky grew dark and the low rumblings of thunder could be heard. Drops of rain began to fall, and then a great storm arose that continued for many days. Water covered the whole earth, even the highest mountains; there was nothing visible but water as far as the eye could see. Every living thing “that creepeth upon the earth” was destroyed except for Noah’s family and the animals they had gathered. As the rain poured and the waves crashed around them, the Lord protected them in the safety of the ark.

After forty days and forty nights, the rain finally stopped. After another one hundred fifty days, the waters began to dry up. After many more days, Noah and his family were able to leave with the animals and settle upon the land. Noah built an altar to give thanks unto the Lord for protecting his family.

Illustrated by Mike Eagle