The Gentiles and the Holy Ghost

For someone who has grown up in a modern Western culture, it may be difficult to understand God's different dealings with different people throughout history. For instance, when Abraham receives special promises concerning his seed, does that favor one nation above other nations unfairly? Personally, I have no problems with this because I simply observe that life favors us all differently anyway, and that is apparently part of the plan. What is important, is what each of us do, individually, in our unique circumstances and with the possibilities that we have been given. "Unto whom much is given, much is required" etc. 

But I also can't help but think that there is wisdom in God's dealing with his children throughout history, also where different nations have been treated differently.

37 And he raiseth up a righteous nation, and destroyeth the nations of the wicked.

38 And he leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes. (1 Nephi 17)

One can argue that we are saved individually and as families, but I have never heard anyone teach that we are saved as nations. But there must be a reason for this focus on nations, even though we don't always fully understand His purposes. For instance, we find a lot of separation between Israel and the Gentiles in the scriptures. Jesus himself said

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24)

Still, only a short time later, Peter received the revelation that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles. Why was it first wrong and then right to preach to the Gentiles? We don't really know but obviously timing is of essence here.

Because of the Abrahamic covenant, Israel became God's chosen people. As such, they even had God dwelling among them. This was the idea with the tabernacle and later the temple. It was a place where God could dwell in their midst. Even though God's covenant people were not always true and faithful, God eventually became flesh and dwelled among them in plain sight. Meanwhile, the Gentiles were ungodly and disfavored. Still, there had been prophecies like this one in Nephi's vision:

And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. (1 Nephi 13:42)

The time was not there yet but it would come and it would happen according to a certain pattern, the first (Jews) being the last and the last (Gentiles) being the first. There also seems to be a certain pattern as to how God would manifest himself unto the different nations. As mentioned, God would manifest himself directly to the Jews who had the temple. He did the same for other scattered parts of Israel. In 3 Nephi 15, he told them:

21 And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

22 And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles; for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching.

23 And they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice—that I should not manifest myself unto them save it were by the Holy Ghost.

These words were spoken at the temple in Bountiful to a branch of the house of Israel. Jesus was there in their midst. This was right around the time when the gospel started being preached to the Gentiles in the Old World. But they would not hear his voice like the Jews and the Nephites had. To the Gentiles, Jesus would only manifest himself by the Holy Ghost. This is consistent with the prophecy in 1 Nephi 10:11

And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.

Not only is the Holy Ghost the means to make God manifest among the Gentiles, it is also a source of strength leading to the scattering of the House of Israel

And after that ye were blessed then fulfilleth the Father the covenant which he made with Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed—unto the pouring out of the Holy Ghost through me upon the Gentiles, which blessing upon the Gentiles shall make them mighty above all, unto the scattering of my people, O house of Israel. (3 Nephi 20:27)

What we observe is "the first" (the House of Israel) having the privilege of God dwelling among them, both in the tabernacle/temple and in an earthly tabernacle. But they reject him. Instead, God manifests himself to "the last" (the Gentiles). But he does not show himself to them and they don't build a temple. Instead, God manifests himself to them through the Holy Ghost. After the day of Pentecost, right before Peter received the revelation to also preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost plays a more dominant role. In the Old Testament, at least, his role is quite obscure.

Why does God not dwell among the Gentiles? Why is he "replaced" by the Holy Ghost? I am not able to answer that, but again I think there might be hidden wisdom and a pattern that is part of a greater plan. In the latter days, the roles are reversed. The Gentiles, who have the Holy Ghost shall be the instrument to bring back the scattered house of Israel to the fold.

And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed (1 Nephi 15:13)

This is the fulfillment of the first becoming last and the last becoming first. But there is another important element to this grand narrative:

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them; wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel. (2 Nephi 10:16)

When the Gentiles are numbered among the house of Israel in the latter days, both the power of the Holy Ghost and the privilege of having God in their midst is now offered to the new, united Israel. In 1836, after the gospel had been restored again to the Gentiles, they became like Israel of old with a temple among them where God could dwell. At the temple invocation in Kirtland:

For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people. (D&C 109:5)

We see the same sentiment in the next chapter where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery have a glorious vision in that temple

7 For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.
8 Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house.

For those who are willing to enter into covenants today and become part of the fold, there is no real division between Gentile and the House of Israel any longer. We have temples among us where God can dwell, like Israel of old, and the power and gift of the Holy Ghost, like Gentiles of old. At some point in the future, Jesus will also dwell among us in plain sight, just like he did among the Jews. There will be one fold and one shepherd in the New Jerusalem.

 

"Sanctified unto us for righteousness"

Given the fact that Lehi's group left Jerusalem around 600 BC, you would think that their religious writings would read much like the Old Testament. That is only partly the case. Critics have argued that it reads too much like the New Testament. There are numerous examples on this blog showing how the Book of Mormon fits an ancient Israelite worldview. Still, it is true that the Book of Mormon "talk[s] of Christ, [...] rejoice[s] in Christ, [...] preach[es] of Christ [and] prophes[ies] of Christ" (2 Nephi 25:26), something that we don't see much of in the Old Testament in such a straight-forward manner.

There are theories postulated that our current Old Testament has been highly influenced by King Josiah and the so-called Deuteronomic reforms. Before these reforms, the ancient Israelites had a richer temple worship including a Heavenly Mother and the Son of God, among other things. King Josiah was primarily concerned with the Law (of Moses). Margaret Barker and other scholars argue that the former theology was not completely forgotten and is one of the reasons why Christianity could be accepted and spread like it did. This Deuteronomist thinking and theology is still prevalent today among orthodox Jews. They interpret the tree of life as the Torah (the Law). 

Interestingly, the Nephites actually explain why the Book of Mormon reads like an Old/New Testament hybrid themselves. Their explanation fits very well into the paradigm briefly laid out in the previous section and explained in more detail in the link I gave.

24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law (Torah) of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law (Torah) shall be fulfilled.
25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law (Torah) hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law (Torah) because of the commandments. (2 Nephi 25)

For Deuteronomists as well as believing Jews today, the Torah seems to be considered an end goal in itself. Lehi and Nephi's views came from an older tradition, where the Torah was just the means to an end. The end was the Son of God, the Messiah, Christ who should redeem them and who the law was pointing to. They brought this tradition with them to the promised land and taught their children about it. There is a similar sentiment in Jacob 4

4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.

Jacob talks about the holy prophets that lived before and their hope in Christ. This is an ancient tradition and goes all the way back to Adam as we read in the Pearl of Great Price, even though it was corrupted and lost several times throughout history. Jacob clearly also views the law of Moses as a means to a higher end. That does not mean he does not keep it. It was important for the Nephites to keep the law but the reason for doing so was completely different from the Deuteronomists. When the Nephites kept the law of Moses with the intent to have their souls pointed to Christ, the law was sanctified unto them for righteousness.

I find that phrase intriguing. The law in itself is dead according to Nephi, but it is sanctified for them when they use it as a vehicle to come unto Christ. We do not live the law of Moses anymore. It was replaced by a higher law. Does that mean we got better commandments now? Commandments that can actually bring salvation unlike the "dead" law of Moses? No. If we let any commandment be an end in and of itself, we make the same mistake as the Jews. 

8 For behold, the covenant which I have made with my people is not all fulfilled; but the law which was given unto Moses hath an end in me.

9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

10 Behold, I have given unto you the commandments; therefore keep my commandments. And this is the law and the prophets, for they truly testified of me. (3 Nephi 15)

These are the words of the Savior. My conclusion from these verses is that even though we don't follow those weird rules in Leviticus and Numbers, nothing else has changed much. We are still asked to keep the commandments in verse 10, but the reason for that is clear: They testify of Him. They bring us to Him. He is the law. If we let the commandments point our souls to the Savior, they are "sanctified unto us for righteousness". It is not only the law of Moses that point our souls to Him. 

Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him. (2 Nephi 11:4)

All things given by God point to him. Anything that we treat as an end goal instead of a gateway to Christ becomes "dead". As Nephi stated, we are made alive in Christ.

This is expressing New Testament views in Old Testament times. Testament means covenant and Christ is the mediator of the new covenant (Hebrews 9:15). Lehi and Nephi coming from an Israelite culture in 600 BC Jerusalem, having a pre-Deuteronomist belief that they passed on to their children in the Americas, explains perfectly well why the Book of Mormon is written the way it is.

Book of Mormon language in D&C 10

D&C 10 was part of the the Come, Follow Me reading for this week and the revelation that Joseph Smith received as he and Oliver tried to figure out how to go on with the translation after the loss of the 116 pages (which according to church historian Don Bradley probably were much more than 116). As I read it, I noticed all the Book of Mormon language in this Section. This is of course language from the Book of Mormon we have today, not the part that was lost. At the time of this revelation, this part had not been translated yet. Consequently, God gives Joseph Smith a revelation about a record that he is about to translate containing some of the language that God uses in the revelation.

Consider these examples:

D&C 10	Book of Mormon
I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. (v. 43)	I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. (3 Nephi 21:10)
build up churches unto themselves to get gain (v.56)	build up churches unto themselves to get gain (4 Nephi 1:26)
I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. (v.57)	I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. I came unto my own, and my own received me not. (3 Nephi 9:15-16)
I am he who said—Other sheep have I which are not of this fold—unto my disciples, and many there were that understood me not. (v.59)	And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. And they understood me not (3 Nephi 15:21-22)
And this I do that I may establish my gospel, that there may not be so much contention; yea, Satan doth stir up the hearts of the people to contention concerning the points of my doctrine; and in these things they do err, for they do wrest the scriptures and do not understand them (v.63)	29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. 30 Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. (3 Nephi 11:29-30)
For, behold, I will gather them as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if they will not harden their hearts (v.65)	O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. (3 Nephi 10:6)
Yea, if they will come, they may, and partake of the waters of life freely. (v.66)	Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely (Alma 42:27)
And now, behold, whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. (v.69)	Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. (3 Nephi 11:39)

Most of this comes from 3 Nephi where Christ himself speaks to the Nephites. But Joseph Smith has not translated this part at the time when D&C 10 was given. The language Jesus Christ uses when giving this revelation to Joseph Smith is a sort of precursor to what is going to come when he later reveals to Joseph Smith the English translation of the Book of Mormon of his own words to the Nephites of old.

I think the standard works are given to us not only to be considered as separate witnesses of Christ to different people at different times, but also as a unified whole set of God's words to us today. Comparing the word of God across different standard works and seeing how they both confirm and supplement each other enriches my studies.

The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants in the Book of Mormon -- Part 3

In part 1, I gave an introduction to this topic, largely based on Tyler Halverson's last FairMormon conference presentation. In part 2, I focused on the Abrahamic covenant and how it is referenced in the Book of Mormon. In this part, I want to focus on the Mosaic covenant and how it is referenced in the Book of Mormon.

I mentioned in part 1 that the Mosiac covenant is about the promises Abraham's seed, the Israelites, made to God. Moses received commandments. But didn't God promise something in return? Absolutely, but those promises were not new. They were only a repetition of those he already made to Abraham and his posterity.

In Exodus 2:24, the Israelites are suffering in Egyptian bondage, and complain.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

The Exodus, the promised land and blessings promised to the Israelites were all part of the old covenant God had made with Abraham. I find it interesting that the Israelites had not made any promises at this time. They were freed from bondage in Egypt simply out of mercy. But entering into the promised land was conditioned on them making and keeping covenants. Simliarly, we are freed from physical and spiritual bondage through the atonement. This is a free gift. But to enter into the highest kingdom of glory (our promised land or "his rest") and receive the fullness of that gift, we must make and keep covenants.

On Mount Sinai, Moses received commandments and instructions for all of Israel to follow. This is the Mosaic covenant. In return, God would give them the blessings promised to Abraham, prosperity and a promised land. According to Halverson, the Book of Deuteronomy is basically a long summary of these covenant terms and blessings/curses. The short version is what I previously have labelled the Book of Mormon proverb. At the time, I had no idea about this context. Compare this with some statements in Deuteronomy.

All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. (Deuteronomy 8:1)

In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:16)

There are several other examples. We see the same in the Book of Mormon. Lehi's family was not in bondage in Jerusalem like the Israelites had been in Egypt. But they were in the middle of wickedness and were led out into the wilderness and to a promised land. With all those similarities, Nephi draws many parallels to the Exodus in his narrative and the Lord echoes the words of Moses to the group to indicate that the same covenant applies to them.

20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. (1 Nephi 2)

This is repeated consistently throughout the Book of Mormon. I will not repeat the examples since many are given in the previous post that I referenced. Having no idea about the Mosaic covenant relation at the time, I noticed that the Book of Mormon proverb is only used before the coming of Christ. Now I understand why. As Halverson also mentions in his presentation, the Mosaic covenant was updated when "the second Moses", Christ, came to fulfill it. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses prophecies of this.

The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken (Deuteronomy 18:15)

When Jesus came to the Nephites, he identified himself as this prophet

Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me (3 Nephi 20:23)

"The second Moses" came to update the Old Testament/covenant and the reference to the Mosaic covenant and Deuteronomy was not relevant anymore. That is why it disappears from the Book of Mormon.

Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end. (3 Nephi 15:5)

This does not mean the end of a covenant altogether. As part of the restoration, the new and everlasting covenant is the fullness of the gospel and includes all ordinances and blessings necessary for our salvation. In the Book of Mormon we repeatedly read that God in the latter days ("on that day") will show that He has not forgotten his covenants. True to his word, He has caused the Book of Mormon to be found and translated and restored the priesthood and his church. Anyone who wishes to enter into a covenant with Him will be counted as part of the House of Israel and the promised blessings to Abraham and his posterity will apply, with our "promised land" being the celestial kingdom.

Consider how neatly Alma ties all this together in Alma 36:1-3

1 My son, give ear to my words; for I swear unto you, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.
2 I would that ye should do as I have done, in remembering the captivity of our fathers; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it was the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he surely did deliver them in their afflictions.
3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Verse 1 consists of the Book of Mormon proverb, the reference to the Mosaic covenant. As discussed, "keep the commandments" was the condition for the Israelites and "prosper in the land" was the repetition of the blessing originally given to Abraham. To fulfill His promise, God first delivered the Israelites from captivity. I don't know if Alma in verse 2 refers to the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt or the captivity of Alma's father and/or the people of Limhi among the Lamanites. Perhaps both. But he definitely refers to the Abrahamic covenant ("the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"). This is the God that delivers His people.

Not only that. In verse 3, Alma seems to make a case for physical bondage and delivery only giving a pattern that can be applied on a spiritual level. Since the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has kept his promises and always will, we can "put [our] trust in [Him]" and He can also deliver us from our spiritual captivity and afflictions and be "lifted up" at the last day to our personal promised land.  

Come Follow Me Resources: September 21–27. 3 Nephi 12–16: “I Am the Law, and the Light”

 This week's lesson covers 3 Nephi 12-16:

3 Nephi 12 -- Good works, faith, and repentance, Remembering the words, What the Book of Mormon teaches about the Eternal Father and the Son (and each of us)

3 Nephi 13 -- 3 Nephi 11-18 as a Temple Text, 

3 Nephi 14 -- What does it mean to call upon the name of God?, Building upon the Rock

3 Nephi 15 -- Receiving the Law (BofM - OT Connection series)

3 Nephi 16 --  "Fulness of the Gospel," God's covenant with Israel and the latter days 

What the Book of Mormon teaches about the relationship between the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (and each of us), part 1

10 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one; (3 Nephi 28)

This is a big topic, hard to cover in a single post. This will likely become a series of two posts. Even so, I won't be able to fully describe everything I've learned in the process  Rather, I'll plan to summarize what I consider to be the most important findings I made while studying this topic. I've included a list of passages I studied so you can see what material I am drawing on to base my conclusions.

One somewhat unexpected pattern I found while studying about the relationship between the Father and the Son was the central importance of unity. Although I set out to learn more about two perfected Beings, I also ended up learning about their desires for me (and everyone).  Here is a pattern I discovered:

1. The Father and the Son are perfectly united.
2. They desire each of us to be perfectly united with them.
3. They have established a perfect plan to produce that unity with them. This includes faith, repentance, ordinances, miracles, spiritual gifts, and the confirming/purifying influence of the Holy Ghost.
4. The only aspect of their plan that is in question is our willingness to follow it.

Here is a list of passages I studied:

• 1 Nephi 1
• Mosiah 15:1-9
• 3 Nephi 9:14-17
• 3 Nephi 11:11-41
• 3 Nephi 12:17-20, 48
• 3 Nephi 15:1
• 3 Nephi 16 
• 3 Nephi 17:14-25
• 3 Nephi 18:1-11
• 3 Nephi 19 (esp. v. 23)
• 3 Nephi 20 (esp. vv. 19-25)
• 3 Nephi 21 (esp. v. 27)
• 3 Nephi 27:13-30
• 3 Nephi 28:10-11
• Moroni 7:2-3, 48

Unity

As you read through these passages, notice how often it is mentioned that the Father and the Son are "one."  Often, this unity is also extended to righteous disciples, or at least an invitation is given to us to become one with them. Here are a few examples:

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. (3 Nephi 9)

27 And after this manner shall ye baptize in my name; for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one; and I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. ...36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one. 37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. (3 Nephi 11)

23 And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one. (3 Nephi 19)

10 ...and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one; (3 Nephi 28)

Another common statement is that the will of Christ was united, or "swallowed up," with the will of the Father.

7 Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. (Mosiah 15)

11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning. (3 Nephi 11)

We'll end this part on that note. It is abundantly clear to me that mortality is all about surrendering our own will to that of God's will.  When we are baptized, we lay down the old creature, and arise anew as a spiritual being, willing to follow Christ in all things.  When we partake of the sacrament, we promise to always remember Him.

In the next post in this series, we'll look in more detail at what it means to be united, and how covenants fit into this picture.

Book of Mormon - Old Testament connection series: Receiving the Law

In this chiasmus, we now consider element B. That means moving one step forward in the Book of Mormon and one step backwards in the Bible from the last post about the period of judges. That brings us to 3 and 4 Nephi in the Book of Mormon and Exodus-Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. What do these have in common? It describes receiving (and in the case of 4 Nephi, also living) the law. When giving the new law in 3 Nephi, Christ even refers to the law of Moses as defined in Exodus-Deuteronomy several times, like 12:17-47 and 15:2-10. Another interesting link is found in 3 Nephi 20:23, where Jesus refers to Deuteronomy 18:15-19

Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.

Moses received the old law on Mount Sinai but prophesied of another later prophet that they should hear. Jesus identifies himself as this prophet and gave the new law at the temple in Bountiful. So these parts of the Book of Mormon and Old Testament are not only connected because of the law, but also the lawgiver. In addition, the circumstances of the people at these periods seem to be linked as well, at least so Kramer makes his case in the book, "Beholding the tree of life - A rabbinical approach to the Book of Mormon".

Both Exodus and 3 Nephi begin with a crisis for the people of God. In Exodus, Israel are enslaved by the Egyptians and Pharaoh orders all of the male Israelite infants to be killed in Exodus 1:9-16. In the Book of Mormon, faithful Nephites live in a similarly oppressive state where all those who believe in the birth of Christ are scheduled to be executed (3 Nephi 1:9). Both peoples are rescued by a deliverer, who is the same as the later lawgiver. After Moses' birth, there is no more mention of killing Israelite babies in the Exodus. Moses loses contact with his people as he grows up in Pharaoh's court before he delivers Israel out of Egypt. Similarly, at the sign of Christ's birth the killing of faithful Nephites is called off. Jesus grows up in a far away land before he appears to the Nephites.

Kramer mentions many more connections, like the condition of the people worsening while waiting for the deliverer (slavery in Egypt and Gadianton robbers in America), the plagues in Egypt resembling the signs of Christ's death in America, etc. These similarities continue also during Sinai/the temple where they receive the law, and afterwards.

As always, these connections are only there to inspire a parasha - haftarah type rabbinic reading that can enhance learning. One learning point Kramer identifies, is that the connection "greatly increases the significant of the Sermon on the Mount. It shows Jesus not merely intensifying the laws of Moses but realizing Moses' mission." What was Moses' mission or the purpose of the old law? At least one of them was to make unto the Lord a "holy nation/people" (see for instance Exodus 19:6, Deuteronomy 14:2 and 28:9). The last post in this series about the subsequent time of Judges is a reminder that this mission was not really fulfilled. But after the "New Moses", Jesus, visited the Nephites, there was a 200-year period of prosperity and peace.

12 And they did not walk any more after the performances and ordinances of the law of Moses; but they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord.

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15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God. (4 Nephi)

In this sense, the Mosaic mission was fulfilled. But we also notice that Jesus spends a lot of his time among the Nephites speaking about the latter-day gathering of Israel. There is clearly an aspect of the law that has a future fulfillment. Kramer states

The more righteous Nephites have been miraculously delivered from their oppressors, they have gathered at the temple, they are listening to Jesus, and they will soon become the kind of people God wanted them to be at Sinai. But there is more to do, and the holy state of these New World Israelites is but a foretaste of what God has in store for all Israel in the future.

We live in a day that has been prophesied, where Israel will be gathered. I have written before about how the Exodus was a foreshadowing of that. If we receive and keep the law, we will be blessed as the Lord's "holy people".