Question: How do the seven laws of Noah, which some people advocate, relate to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Answer: The so-called “Seven Laws of Noah” or “Seven Noahide Laws” are a universal moral code formulated by Jewish rabbis for non-Jews. While several of these laws overlap with the Ten Commandments God gave Moses, all but one ostensibly derive from the Book of Genesis. They prohibit cursing God, idol worship, murder, theft, adultery, and sexual sins; and they advocate establishing courts of justice. Persons who observe them, they regard as “righteous Gentiles.”
While orthodox Jews consider the Law of Moses and its 613 commandments, performances, and ordinances formulated by the rabbis a higher law than the seven Noahide laws, the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not accepted by rabbinic Jews, represents a higher law still. Above that, moreover, is the law of Godhood kept by Jesus Christ and also by translated beings—those who become “even as I am”—such as his three Nephite disciples (3 Nephi 28:10; cf. 27:27).
In short, from a gospel perspective those who advocate keeping the so-called “Seven Noahide Laws” operate more than a little behind the times as the revealed object in our day is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, not a lesser law. Doing so leaves no room for condescension by one group of people toward another as we often observe by those paying inordinate attention to the letter of the law while neglecting the spirit of the law or “weightier matters” Matthew 23:23).
In the gospel of Jesus Christ, those weightier matters include not judging or ranting on others; repenting of iniquities or dysfunctional patterns; not resisting evils foisted on you; forgiving all men; praying for enemies; exercising faith in Jesus Christ; letting him fight your battles; and clothing yourself in the bond of charity—not in word only but in very deed (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:37; 1 Nephi 7:12; 2 Nephi 5:22; 3 Nephi 12:39; Doctrine & Covenants 64:10; 88:25; 105:14).
