King Noah

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People in the Book of Mormon
Lehi (far right, bearded) bestowing a blessing on his family. At least 21 different figures are visible (inclusive of infants and children). There is a mix of men, women, and children. A man in blue appears to be writing, perhaps transcribing what Lehi is saying. One infant is nursing. Several men have beards. All but the children wear hats or scarf-like head coverings. The fashion and style is reminiscent of nineteenth-century Christian art of Old Testament scenes. There is a vibrancy of color, with clothing in blues, greens, whites, and reds. The family gather in something like a circle, on a green, grassy field. There are tents visible in the background. This is cropped from a full version of the scene.
Lehi Blessing His Posterity, C. C. A. Christensen (1890)
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King Noah (/ˈnoʊə/)[1] is a Nephite king in the Book of Mormon who appears in the Book of Mosiah. Noah rules over a colony of Nephites who come from Zarahemla and settle in the land of Lehi-Nephi, succeeding his father, Zeniff. In the Book of Mosiah, King Noah distances from his father's teachings, committing what the text calls "all manner of wickedness."[2] Noah and his priests sentence a prophet named Abinadi, who prophesies of his kingdom's downfall if they did not repent, to death by fire. During a Lamanite invasion, Noah and some of his people flee the land, and those who remain are subjected to Lamanite control. Noah attempts to forbid his men from returning to their families, and they burn him at the stake. Noah is succeeded by his son, Limhi.[3]

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) commonly label Noah a "wicked king", with his character typically presented in a negative light. Art historians and other commenters suggest that Arnold Friberg's painting, Abinadi Before King Noah, has contributed to many Latter-day Saints' perceptions of the story of King Noah. LDS commentators write that Noah's reign is an example of a system of absolute power and discuss the defining traits of Noah's character.

  1. ^ churchofjesuschrist.org: "Book of Mormon Pronunciation Guide" Archived 2020-05-16 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 2023-10-17), IPA-ified from «nōʹa»
  2. ^ Mosiah 11:2
  3. ^ Largey 2003, p. 613; Thomas 2016, pp. 77–79; Bingman 1978, pp. 273–275