Chapter 6—Crime before the Flood
Those who honored and feared to offend God, at first felt the curse
but lightly; while those who turned from God and trampled upon
his authority, felt the effects of the curse more heavily, especially in
stature and nobleness of form. The descendants of Seth were called
the sons of God—the descendants of Cain, the sons of men. As the
sons of God mingled with the sons of men, they became corrupt, and
by intermarriage with them, lost, through the influence of their wives,
their peculiar, holy character, and united with the sons of Cain in their
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idolatry. Many cast aside the fear of God, and trampled upon his
commandments. But there were a few who did righteousness, who
feared and honored their Creator. Noah and his family were among
the righteous few.
The wickedness of man was so great, and increased to such a
fearful extent, that God repented that he had made man upon the
earth; for he saw that the wickedness of man was great, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The curse did not change at once the appearance of the earth. It
was still rich in the bounty God had provided for it. There was gold
and silver in abundance. The race of men then living were of very
great stature, and possessed wonderful strength. The trees were vastly
larger, and far surpassing in beauty and perfect proportions anything
mortals can now look upon. The wood of these trees was of fine grain
and hard substance—in this respect more like stone. It required much
more time and labor, even of that powerful race, to prepare the timber
for building, than it requires in this degenerate age to prepare trees
that are now growing upon the earth, even with the present weaker
strength men now possess. These trees were of great durability, and
would know nothing of decay for very many years.
A heavy, double curse, first in consequence of Adam’s transgres-
sion, and second, because of the murder committed by Cain, was
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resting upon the earth; yet the mountains and hills were still lovely.
Upon the highest elevations grew majestic trees, rising to a lofty height,
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