"the blood of this wicked generation"

Stisa's "Adam and adamah" series has really stuck with me as I've been reading the Old Testament. There is a lot of blood imagery in the ordinances of the tabernacle. Exodus and Leviticus describe numerous situations in which an animal is to be killed and its blood poured on the ground. I can't help but think of this in the context of Cain and Abel. Here are a few examples:

12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. (Exodus 29)

 

9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5)

 

15 And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. (Leviticus 8)

 

9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar: (Leviticus 9)

I'm glad animal sacrifice is not asked of me. However, the symbolism of innocent blood being offered as a means of reconciliation/sanctification is an important symbol, then and now. We find this symbol frequently in scripture, and of course it has significant temple implications. As Stisa pointed out, the purpose of a temple is to create a sacred space -- a part of heaven on the earth -- towards which a covenant people can progress. 

Fallen mortals without the Gospel/covenant begin their journey through life as cursed people in a cursed land. Their default trajectory sends them headlong towards physical and spiritual death. If that was all we had of this story, it would be quite bleak.  But this is where the ministry of angels changes the story and fills it with hopeful anticipation. God sends angels to proclaim the glad tidings. 

42 But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. (Doctrine & Covenants 29)

All those who hearken are taken along a different path -- the covenant path. Though we were "born ... in blood," this path leads to a new birth, in which we are "born again ... of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of [God's] Only Begotten," described in Moses 6:

59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;

60 For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;

The shedding of innocent blood, according to Genesis 4, caused the ground to become cursed. Likewise, by the shedding of innocent blood, those who hearken find a release from this curse.

None of this is new or surprising doctrine, but when we stop to think about the role blood still plays in the covenant process, even if only in a symbolic sense today, it helps deepen our appreciation of Christ's sacrifice. The process that begins when we hearken to the angel leads us to Zion and holiness:

11 Wherefore, hearken ye together and let me show unto you even my wisdom—the wisdom of him whom ye say is the God of Enoch, and his brethren,

12 Who were separated from the earth, and were received unto myself—a city reserved until a day of righteousness shall come—a day which was sought for by all holy men, and they found it not because of wickedness and abominations; (Doctrine & Covenants 45)

"God's wisdom" (discussed in more depth here) is to give us a the means whereby we can begin to progress to that state of holiness while we are still on the earth. In this sense covenants (made possible by Christ's blood being shed) cleanse us from the general state of wickedness of the world. In the process of making these covenants, we are washed and made clean:

74 And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;

75 That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will. (Doctrine & Covenants 88)

What a powerful promise! It is reserved for those who hearken:

17 And it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent; for the cup of mine indignation is full; for behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not. (Doctrine & Covenants 29)

Here are some poignant reminders of the sacrifice which made this cleansing possible:

69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. (Doctrine & Covenants 76) 

4 I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them. (Doctrine & Covenants 38) 

I find beauty in the contrasting references to blood on the ground. On the one hand, the voice of Abel's blood cries unto God from the ground. On the other hand, Jesus pleads before the Father for those who have believed on His name by virtue of the blood which he spilt.