"Noah came before the flood. I have come before the fire"

Noah is a pivotal figure in biblical tradition, revered as the visionary who, forewarned by God, prepared an ark and preserved life before the destruction of the world by water. His coming signaled an urgent message, a trial was pending, but escape was possible through heedful obedience and faith. Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, draws a direct parallel between his own mission and that of Noah’s, positioning himself as a herald of pending catastrophe, but one of fire, not water.

The phrase suggests an apocalyptic framework, rooting itself in biblical prophecy and typology. Water, in the story of Noah, was purgative, cleansing the earth of corruption and allowing for a fresh beginning. Fire, by contrast, is associated throughout scripture with refinement, judgment, and the end of days, the ultimate purification preceding the anticipated establishment of Zion or God’s kingdom. Joseph Smith interprets his own prophetic calling as one meant to warn humanity before a future, more devastating judgment. He likely references scriptures, such as those in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, that prophesy the world’s final destruction by fire at the Second Coming of Christ.

The comparison frames Joseph Smith’s mission within an urgent, eschatological context. He positions himself as a watchman, a bearer of crucial instruction before the unfolding of divine consequences. By referencing Noah, he places himself in a line of ancient prophets, emphasizing both the gravity and the divine authority of his warnings. The world, unchanged and unheeding in Noah's era, is implied to be similarly imperiled now, but the coming calamity is not water, a symbol of mercy and renewal, but fire, a symbol of irrevocable purification and finality.

Joseph Smith’s declaration is thus both a warning and an invitation. As with Noah, there is an opportunity for preparation and redemption, but the severity and mode of judgment are heightened, underscoring both the urgency of repentance and the unique role he claims as a modern-day prophet.