During his lifetime, Noah notably held a predominant role as a prophet who warned a corrupt society of the imminent divine judgment. His most crucial work involved constructing an ark as a means of preserving his family and various animal species from the destructive global flood decreed by God as a result of rampant wickedness upon the earth. According to scripture, Noah was regarded as a “just man and perfect in his generations” and someone who “walked with God,” highlighting his righteousness amidst a depraved world (Genesis 6:9).
In the Book of Mormon, Noah’s righteousness and the cataclysmic flood were referenced on multiple occasions to illustrate God’s judgments upon the wicked. Amulek, a prominent Nephite missionary, related the destruction brought upon the people in Noah’s time to the destruction awaiting the unrepentant city of Ammonihah, albeit by famine, pestilence, and the sword rather than by flood (Alma 10:22). Later, Jesus Christ Himself, during His visitation to the Nephite people, reinforced the Lord’s covenant promise, initially made with Noah, that the earth would not be again destroyed by flooding (3 Nephi 22:9). Moreover, the construction and design of the Jaredite barges, as recorded in the Book of Ether, were compared to the ark built by Noah, emphasizing their watertight integrity (Ether 6:7). Noah’s crucial role as a preserver of life during a time of global divine judgment stands reiterated in the Book of Mormon, reaffirming his significant place in the scriptural canon.