Moses 8 — JST

30 verses • Pearl of Great Price, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Preamble

Summary

Moses 8 corresponds to JST Genesis 6-8 (primarily Genesis 6) and covers the period from Methuselah through Noah's preaching and the onset of the Flood. It portrays Noah as a gospel preacher who baptizes and calls the people to repentance before the Flood — a significant expansion of Genesis 6's brief mention of Noah as righteous.

What Is Remarkable

Smith transformed the terse Genesis 6 account into a narrative where Noah preaches the gospel, calls people to repentance, and is rejected. The 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men' passage (Genesis 6:1-4) is reframed: instead of divine beings marrying human women, it is the righteous sons of God marrying wicked women and falling away. This demythologizes one of the Bible's most debated passages. Noah becomes a gospel minister whose rejection justifies the Flood.

Points of Friction

The KJV Genesis 6:1-8 contains the enigmatic 'sons of God' and Nephilim passage, which has generated centuries of debate. The JST removes the supernatural reading entirely. The addition of Noah as a baptizing preacher has no parallel in Genesis or known ancient manuscripts. The chapter ends at Moses 8:30 with the Flood beginning — the Pearl of Great Price's Book of Moses ends here, with the JST of the remainder of Genesis continuing only in manuscript form.

Connections

Noah as a preacher parallels 2 Peter 2:5 ('a preacher of righteousness'). The 'sons of God' reinterpretation connects to LDS readings that emphasize covenant lineage. The Flood narrative continues in the JST Appendix passages (Genesis 9:4-15). Noah's role connects to D&C 107:52 (Noah holds priesthood keys) and D&C 84:14-15 (priesthood lineage through Noah).

1 Genesis 5:23 (modified)

And all the days of Enoch were four hundred and thirty years.

Source Text

Moses 8:1

KJV Genesis 5:23 gives Enoch 365 years. The JST changes this to 430, perhaps to accommodate the expanded ministry narrative. Enoch's lifespan is extended in the JST tradition.

2 No direct parallel

And it came to pass that Methuselah, the son of Enoch, 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.

Source Text

Moses 8:2

Methuselah is specifically not translated (taken to heaven) so that the covenant lineage can continue to Noah. This provides a theological reason for Methuselah's long life — he must survive until Noah carries the line forward.

3 No direct parallel

And it came to pass that Methuselah prophesied that from his loins should spring all the kingdoms of the earth (through Noah), and he took glory unto himself.

Source Text

Moses 8:3

Methuselah as prophet. The parenthetical '(through Noah)' clarifies the lineage. 'All the kingdoms of the earth' spring from Noah through Methuselah.

4 No direct parallel

And there came forth a great famine into the land, and the Lord cursed the earth with a sore curse, and many of the inhabitants thereof died.

Source Text

Moses 8:4

A pre-Flood famine not mentioned in Genesis. The land is cursed and people die before the Flood — the Flood is not the first judgment but the final one.

5 Genesis 5:25

And it came to pass that Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begat Lamech;

Source Text

Moses 8:5

Close to KJV.

6 Genesis 5:26

And Methuselah lived, after he begat Lamech, seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begat sons and daughters;

Source Text

Moses 8:6

Close to KJV.

7 Genesis 5:27

And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

Source Text

Moses 8:7

Identical to KJV. Methuselah remains the longest-lived human in both traditions.

8 Genesis 5:28

And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and begat a son,

Source Text

Moses 8:8

Close to KJV.

9 Genesis 5:29

And he called his name Noah, saying: This son shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.

Source Text

Moses 8:9

Close to KJV. The name Noah is connected to comfort (Hebrew nacham). The ground-curse from Genesis 3:17 is still in effect.

10 Genesis 5:30

And Lamech lived, after he begat Noah, five hundred and ninety-five years, and begat sons and daughters;

Source Text

Moses 8:10

Close to KJV.

11 Genesis 5:31

And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

Source Text

Moses 8:11

Close to KJV.

12 Genesis 5:32 (expanded)

And Noah was four hundred and fifty years old, and begat Japheth; and forty-two years afterward he begat Shem of her who was the mother of Japheth, and when he was five hundred years old he begat Ham.

Source Text

Moses 8:12

KJV simply says Noah was 500 and begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The JST adds specific ages and reveals that Shem and Japheth share a mother while Ham apparently has a different mother. This detail is not in the KJV.

13 Genesis 6:1-2 (reframed)

And Noah and his sons hearkened unto the Lord, and gave heed, and they were called the sons of God.

Source Text

Moses 8:13

Dramatic reinterpretation. In KJV Genesis 6:2, 'the sons of God saw the daughters of men.' The traditional reading involves divine beings or angels. The JST makes 'sons of God' = Noah's righteous family. This demythologizes the passage entirely.

14 Genesis 6:1-2 (reframed)

And when these men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, the sons of men saw that those daughters were fair, and they took them wives, even as they chose.

Source Text

Moses 8:14

Continues the reframing: 'sons of men' (the wicked) see the fair daughters and marry them. In the KJV, it is 'sons of God' who take daughters of men. The JST reverses the identification.

15 No direct parallel

And the Lord said unto Noah: The daughters of thy sons have sold themselves; for behold mine anger is kindled against the sons of men, for they will not hearken to my voice.

Source Text

Moses 8:15

God speaks directly to Noah about the problem: the righteous daughters have 'sold themselves' to the sons of men (wicked). God's anger is kindled because of disobedience.

16 No direct parallel

And it came to pass that Noah prophesied, and taught the things of God, even as it was in the beginning.

Source Text

Moses 8:16

Noah as a gospel preacher — 'even as it was in the beginning' means the same gospel taught to Adam. This continuity of the gospel from Adam through Noah is a key JST/LDS claim.

17 Genesis 6:3 (expanded)

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.

Source Text

Moses 8:17

KJV Genesis 6:3 is a cryptic verse about the Spirit and 120 years. The JST clarifies: the 120 years is a grace period before the Flood, contingent on repentance. If they repent, no Flood; if not, destruction.

18 Genesis 6:4 (reframed)

And in those days there were giants on the earth, and they sought Noah to take away his life; but the Lord was with Noah, and the power of the Lord was upon him.

Source Text

Moses 8:18

The 'giants' (Nephilim of Genesis 6:4) appear but are simply large violent men who threaten Noah. The JST removes the supernatural dimension (no 'sons of God' mating with humans to produce giants). God protects Noah.

19 No direct parallel

And the Lord ordained Noah after his own order, and commanded him that he should go forth and declare his Gospel unto the children of men, even as it was given unto Enoch.

Source Text

Moses 8:19

Noah is ordained — given priesthood authority 'after his own order' (Melchizedek priesthood language, cf. Hebrews 7). He preaches the same gospel as Enoch. D&C 84:14-15 places Noah in the Melchizedek priesthood line.

20 No direct parallel

And it came to pass that Noah called upon the children of men that they should repent; but they hearkened not unto his words;

Source Text

Moses 8:20

Noah preaches, the people reject him. This establishes the Flood as judgment on those who had the chance to repent and refused — not arbitrary divine violence.

21 Genesis 6:4 (reframed)

And also, after that they had heard him, they came up before him, saying: Behold, we are the sons of God; have we not taken unto ourselves the daughters of men? And are we not eating and drinking, and marrying and giving in marriage? And our wives bear unto us children, and the same are mighty men, which are like unto men of old, men of great renown. And they hearkened not unto the words of Noah.

Source Text

Moses 8:21

The wicked claim the title 'sons of God' for themselves and boast of their marriages, children, and mighty men. 'Mighty men... of great renown' echoes Genesis 6:4 but is now spoken by the wicked as self-justification. 'Eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage' echoes Jesus' description of pre-Flood society in Matthew 24:38.

22 Genesis 6:5

And God saw that the wickedness of men had become great in the earth; and every man was lifted up in the imagination of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually.

Source Text

Moses 8:22

Close to KJV ('every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually') with the addition of 'lifted up' — pride is the root sin.

23 No direct parallel

And it came to pass that Noah continued his preaching unto the people, saying: Hearken, and give heed unto my words;

Source Text

Moses 8:23

Noah persists in preaching despite rejection. His perseverance mirrors Enoch's (Moses 6-7) and establishes the prophetic pattern of persistent witness.

24 No direct parallel

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.

Source Text

Moses 8:24

Noah's sermon is explicitly Christian: believe, repent, be baptized in Jesus Christ's name, receive the Holy Ghost. 'Even as our fathers' — the same ordinances since Adam. The Flood is the consequence of rejecting the gospel, not just general wickedness. They 'hearkened not.'

25 Genesis 6:6 (transferred to Noah)

And it repented Noah, and his heart was pained that the Lord had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at the heart.

Source Text

Moses 8:25

In KJV Genesis 6:6, 'it repented the LORD that he had made man.' The JST transfers this grief from God to Noah — a significant theological move. God does not repent of creating humanity; Noah grieves for them. This protects divine sovereignty while allowing human prophetic grief.

26 Genesis 6:7 (modified)

And the Lord said: I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Noah that I have made them, and that he hath made them; and he hath called upon me; for they have sought his life.

Source Text

Moses 8:26

Another significant change: the Flood comes partly because Noah intercedes — 'he hath called upon me; for they have sought his life.' The death threats against Noah (v. 18) become part of the justification for the Flood.

27 Genesis 6:8-9

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.

Source Text

Moses 8:27

Close to KJV with the addition that his three sons also 'walked with God.' This extends the righteous characterization to the entire family who will be saved.

28 Genesis 6:11

The earth was corrupt before God, and it was filled with violence.

Source Text

Moses 8:28

Nearly identical to KJV.

29 Genesis 6:12

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

Source Text

Moses 8:29

Close to KJV.

30 Genesis 6:13

And God said unto 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.

Source Text

Moses 8:30

Close to KJV. The chapter and the Book of Moses end here. The Pearl of Great Price does not continue the JST Genesis narrative beyond this point. The remainder of Genesis was revised by Joseph Smith but exists only in manuscript form, with excerpts published in the JST Appendix of the LDS Bible.