One of Joseph Smith’s most peculiar doctrines is that the angel Gabriel was the Prophet Noah. In a discourse recorded in the pocketbook of Wilard Richards dated to the summer of 1839, the Joseph Smith Papers have transcribed the following:

The Priesthood was. first given To Adam: he obtained to the first Presidency & held the Keys of it, from genration to Generation; he obtained it in the creation before the world was formed as in Gen. 1, 26:28,— he had dominion given him over every living Creature. He is Michael, the Archangel,2 spoken of in the Scriptures,— Then to Noah who is Gabriel,3 he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office & was the Father of all living4 in his day, & To him was Given the Dominion. These men held keys. first on earth, & then in Heaven.⁴²

Assuming that this discourse has been transcribed accurately (which we are not sure of), it is not known exactly where Joseph Smith obtained this information whether by reason or revelation, but there is one intriguing possibility. Joseph Smith records that he heard the voice of Gabriel and had several other interactions with other angels to effectuate the beginnings of the Restoration (Doctrine & Covenants 128:21). It may be that this interaction with Gabriel confirmed that he was Noah.

If indeed Noah is Gabriel and this discourse has not been misrecorded, then this opens us up to several exciting avenues of doctrinal discovery. It would mean that Noah appeared to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:15–19; Daniel 9:21–23). It would mean that he appeared to Zacharias to announce the birth of John the Baptist and Mary, the mother of Jesus, to anoint her as Jesus’ mother (Luke 1:18–19, 26–27). Latter-day Saint scriptures reveal much more about Noah than we know from the biblical accounts of him.⁴³

To this author’s knowledge, there is no other religious group that is even open to the possibility that Noah is the Angel Gabriel. This is truly a unique and exclusive gift to those that believe in the Prophet Joseph Smith.