Science and the Church of Jesus Christ/Global or local Flood

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Criticism

Modern scientific knowledge regarding the diversity of species, language and evidence of continuous human habitation does not support the Biblical story that a global flood wiped out most life as recently as 4400 years ago. Critics claim that LDS scriptures require us to believe in a global flood, and that if LDS doctrine or leaders are fallible in their statements concerning the flood, then they must be wrong about the Book of Mormon as well.

Source(s) of the criticism

• Internet message boards

Response

Belief in a global flood within the Church

Although this criticism is directed at the LDS church, it is really directed at anyone who believes in the Old Testament. LDS leaders have in the past taught the concept of a global flood based upon the scriptures. Although the idea of the global flood has been used as an example, Church leaders have never stated that a belief in a global flood is necessary for salvation.

The Bible states in Genesis 7:19-23:

19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

A similar reference to the destruction of all flesh from off the earth is found in Latter-day scripture in 30?lang=eng#25, 30 Moses 8:25, 30. These passages have long been interpreted to mean that the entire globe was covered by water (although one is left to wonder how “the mountains were covered” by water which was only “fifteen cubits” deep – approximately 23 feet.) A primary reason for this global interpretation is the use of the word “earth.” When we see the word “earth” in modern times, we envision the entire planetary sphere. The concept of a spherical earth “did not appear in Jewish though until the fourteenth or fifteenth century.”^[1] The word “earth,” in fact, may have simply represented all known land within the perception of the person recording the event.

The concept of a global flood has become further reinforced within the Church by the fact that modern day prophets and apostles have taught that the flood washed away the earth’s wickedness. For example, on August 1, 1880, Orson Pratt stated that God “required our globe to be baptized by a flow of waters, and all of its sins were washed away, not one sin remaining.”^[2] Joseph Smith, Jr. taught that Noah was born to save seed of everything when the earth was washed of its wickedness by the flood; ^[3]

Modern research into the possibility of a local flood

A current hypothesis that has been gaining ground since 1998 is that a significant flooding event occurred in the area now occupied by the Black Sea. Evidence has been discovered which has led a number of researchers to believe that the Black Sea area was once occupied by a completely isolated freshwater lake at a much lower level than the ocean. The theory is that the sea level rose and eventually broke through the Bosporus shelf, resulting in a rapid flooding event which would have wiped out all life living along the shores of the lake.^[4]

Are Church members required to believe in a global flood?

The early prophets and apostles taught their beliefs regarding a global flood using the scriptures. Modern scientific knowledge was unavailable to them, and they taught concepts which were in accordance with the popularly known belief. The 21st Century church, however, does not emphasize the flood in its teachings, and a belief in a global flooding event, while still a widely held belief within the Church, does not constitute a critical part of Latter-day Saint theology.^[5]

Conclusion

The belief in a global flooding event, while still very popular in Christianity, is not a requirement for Latter-day Saints. The fact that 19th and 20th Century Church leaders have believed in and taught the concept of a global flood should be understood in the context of the widely accepted and known beliefs of their day. The mission of a prophet is not to be able to deduce undiscovered scientific facts in advance of their discovery by humanity, but rather to communicate God’s will to us regarding the manner in which we should live.

Endnotes

• [note]  History of the Church 1:283; Evening and Morning Star, August 1832;
• Orson Pratt, "INTRODUCTORY REMARKS—HEAVEN AND EARTH TO PASS AWAY—NOT ANNIHILATED-HEAVEN AND EARTH NOT CREATED FROM NOTHING-MATERIALS ETERNAL—MATERIALS UNDER THE DOMINION OF LAWS—CENTRAL AND ORBITAL FORCES-COMPOUND AND ELEMENTARY SUBSTANCES-EARTH IN THE BEGINNING—NO MORTALITY, THEN KNOWN, ON THIS CREATION-THE FALL-THE EARTH'S BAPTISM IN WATER—ITS BAPTISM IN FIRE—ITS BAPTISM BY THE SPIRIT—ITS JUSTIFICATION—ITS SANCTIFICATION—ITS PURIFICATION—ITS THOUSAND YEARS' REST, ETC.," Journal of Discourses, reported by George F. Gibbs, John Irvine, and others, (1 Aug. 1880), Vol. 21 (London: Latter-day Saint's Book Depot, 1881), 323–{{{end}}}.off-site
• [note] Duane E. Jeffery, "Noah’s Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions," Sunstone 134 (October 2004), 27–45. off-site
• [note] Duane E. Jeffery, "Noah’s Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions," Sunstone 134 (October 2004), 31–32. off-site
• [note] Duane E. Jeffery, "Noah’s Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions," Sunstone 134 (October 2004), 34. off-site

Further reading

FAIR web site

• FAIR Topical Guide: