Lessons from Noah and the Flood

I studied and taught about Noah this week, but I wanted to study it from a different perspective. Something I have not thought about previously is how Noah and his family might have felt during their preparations. Preaching to strangers would have been hard, but being mocked by them, including friends, neighbors, and even extended family, would be a tough trial. On top of that, they had to build a massive ark and prepare to be on the ark for an unknown amount of time with thousands of animals.

This quote from President Kimball really stuck out to me: "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 flood could cover the earth. How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual!" (Teachings of Spencer W Kimball, 2006, pg 140-141). Too often I feel mocked, foolish, and irrational for doing things that I feel prompted by God to do. Noah is a great example to me of someone who continues to do what is right no matter what others, or even his own doubts, may tell him.

President Monson said this in the Oct 2002 conference: "The wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men; but the greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right."