I honestly thought that I would combine at least 2-3 dispensations in each post, but this turned out to be more elaborate and a longer series than anticipated.
Moses
This post is about the gospel dispensation of Moses. Usually, there is a general apostasy between the dispensations. But this dispensation is a bit different in that regard. We know that there was a righteous priesthood line from Abraham: Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. They lived in Egypt and prospered before they were enslaved. The text does not really say anything about the people of Israel falling into apostasy and it does not really seem to be the case. The midwives described in Exodus 1 feared God and in Exodus 2, the people cried to him in their agony.
Yet, this is counted as one of the seven gospel dispensations, perhaps because there is a re-establishment of the everlasting covenant, which underscores my point of this series.
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Exodus 2:24)
This is the backdrop of the Exodus. God remembers the covenant with Abraham and therefore he liberates the people of Israel and establishes a covenant with them, basically giving them the terms by which they can obtain the blessings promised to Abraham's seed. So this is another example of a connection between the dispensations with a new dispensation referring to other dispensations. When it comes to Moses and Abraham, this article discusses the many similarities between the Book of Moses and the Apocalypse of Abraham.
There are also obvious similarities to Noah. The name, Moses, means "to pull/draw out" (implied: of water). This is what he is called because he is placed in an ark on the Nile and pulled out or rescued by Pharaoh's daughter. Lord Wilmore describes more about the similarities here.
The similarities to Enoch are also interesting. Compare Moses 1 and Moses 7:
1 The words of God, which he spake unto Moses at a time when Moses was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain,
2 And he saw God face to face, and he talked with him, and the glory of God was upon Moses; therefore Moses could endure his presence.
3 And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?
4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease. (Moses 1)
This is Moses talking with God face to face on a mountain and being shown his works. Just like what Enoch experienced.
3 And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory;
4 And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face; and he said unto me: Look, and I will show unto thee the world for the space of many generations. (Moses 7)
Enoch establishes Zion on the mountain and they are blessed there (see Moses 7:17-18). "In the process of time" they are taken up because of their righteousness. So Enoch was blessed on the mountain, talked with God face to face and saw his glory. But he also managed to gather a people and prepare them for that same experience. The same can be said about Moses on Mount Sinai, except he did not manage to give the people the same experience. The people of Israel were invited to prepare to be in God's presence too, but failed (see Exodus 20:18-19). D&C 84 explains this in more detail.
19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God;
24 But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory.
25 Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also;
26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel
We learn from these verses that the priesthood is the key to seeing the face of God like Moses and Enoch did. Being ordained after his holy order is one of the characteristics of the gospel dispensations that we have discussed in this series. But since the Israelites were not ready, they got the lesser priesthood and wandered around in the wilderness without entering into his rest. The higher priesthood came back with Jesus Christ in the next dispensation. That is the topic for the next post.
But as always, there are references to the creation in conjunction with a gospel dispensation. Like Abraham, Moses is the source of one of our creation accounts. Also, just like Abraham 3 is the precursor of the creation account in Abraham 4 (as explained in the previous post of this series), Moses 1 is the precursor of the creation account in Moses 2. As explained in this article, Moses 1 (as well as the whole Book of Moses) is an example of ancient ascent literature, a temple text describing a journey that ultimately leads to God's presence. This represents the reversal of the creation and fall. (See figure 1 and figure 2 in the linked article). I consider individual covenants as steps on this way and the everlasting covenant as the sum total making up this journey that leads back to God's presence. Moses epitomized this journey, the way of life, but the children of Israel epitomized the other way, the way of death. This serves as a warning to the latter-day Israel in the final dispensation of the fullness of times.
This post continues the exploration of an endowment pattern found throughout the Book of Mormon in which a new covenant group is formed and called by God to:
leave the fallen world behind,
enter into the wilderness,
learn to be led by the hand of God, and
find a promised land.
In previous installments of this series, we've focused on many symbols and details shared in these stories, and then discussed the meaning of those symbols. I've mentioned that I believe this pattern is typified by the story of Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden into the world to fulfill the first commandment given to them by God, that they should "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over ... every living thing that moveth upon [it]." (See Genesis 1:28.) In this post, we'll look at other ancient stories which also follow this endowment pattern, at least to some degree, and see what we can learn.
There are two comprehensive examples, Abraham and Moses, followed by a few partial examples. We'll begin the Abraham, as found in Genesis and the Book of Abraham. With each example we cover, I'll begin by giving references to the symbols we've already discussed, then I'll give a general assessment of how the endowment pattern relates to that story.
Abraham
Cry unto God: Abraham 1:15 "...I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard..."
Warned to depart: Abraham 2:3 "Now the Lord had said unto me: Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee." Also Genesis 12:1.
Escape secret plans to murder: Abraham 1:7, 12, 15
Bring all who will hearken: See also Abraham 2:6 for a connection to a promise contained in the Abrahamic covenant that all who hearken to God's voice will be given to Abraham as his "seed" for "an everlasting possession."
Pass through a wilderness: Genesis 12:9 makes reference to the Negev, a desert region in the south of Palestine.
"Many days": Not specifically found, but we know from the chronology of the story that the journey was long.
Tents: Genesis 12:8; Abraham 2:15, 20
Animals: Genesis 13:2.
Seeds: A reference to bringing physical seeds or grain is not found. Abraham 2:15 mentions "all our substance that we had gathered." See also Genesis 12:5. There is an important connection to the word "seed" in Abraham 2:6 (see note about "hearken" above). See also Abraham 3:14.
Inherit a new land: Abraham 2:3
New Name: Genesis 17:5.
Obedience to Commandments: Genesis 22:18.
"Prosper": Genesis 13:2
Led by a righteous patriarch/king: Abraham 1:2-3 contains father/son language (he sought "the blessings of the fathers" and desired to be "a father of many nations" and "a rightful heir" and "a prince of peace." Verse 3 describes Adam as the Firstborn and the first father.)
Moses
Cry unto God: Exodus 2:23 - "...the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage." See also Exodus 3:9.
Warned to depart: See Exodus 3:8-10.
Escape plans to murder: Pharaoh's plan for the Israelites is bondage and captivity.
Bring all who will hearken: Exodus 3:16-18 - "Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me ... And they shall hearken to thy voice"
Pass through a wilderness: Exodus 13:20.
"Many days": The Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness.
Tents: The tent/tabernacle of the congregation is a major topic of the later chapters of Exodus. See Exodus 39:32 for example.
Animals: Exodus 12:38. Of additional note, Moses was keeping the flock of his father in law at the time of his call on Horeb.
Seeds: Manna, which fed the children of Israel of forty years, is described as "like coriander seed" in Exodus 16:31.
Inherit a new land: Exodus 3:17.
New Name: Interesting note -- In Numbers 13, Moses sends twelve spies to assess the land of promise. He gives a new name to Hoshea, the head of the tribe of Ephraim in Numbers 13:16 (This will be the topic of a standalone post in the near future.)
Obedience to Commandments/"Prosper": Deuteronomy 29:9 - "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do."
Led by a righteous patriarch/king: Moses has a dual lineage. He is a Levite by birth (Exodus 2:1) but was raised in the house of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:10).
The story of Moses is long and complex, but these symbols offer fascinating insights into deeper meaning. For example, notice in Exodus 9 how the fiery hail destroys the Egyptians' cattle and some of their crops (interestingly only those which had fully ripened -- more about this in a future post). See Exodus 9:19-22, 31-32. The cattle of the Israelites had been gathered to Goshen and were unaffected (see Exodus 9:26).
Incomplete examples
From this point on, we won't be dealing with complete patterns. The following examples contain a few of the symbols, but I'm not sure how interpret these examples aside from pointing out the symbols that are present.
Christ
The story of the beginning of Christ's earthly ministry breaks the pattern in some ways, but many of the same symbols are present when we look at the ministry of John the Baptist.
Mark describes it like this:
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. (Mark 1)
Cry unto God: We don't have a direct mention of Christ crying to God (at least not at the beginning of His ministry), but we do see John the Baptist in the wilderness. John is described as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Matthew 3:3).
Warned to depart: See Matthew 3:7.
Pass through a wilderness: Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:1.
"Many days": Forty days in the wilderness
Seeds: Wheat mentioned in the context of gathering in Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17.
Animals: "with the wild beasts" in Mark 1:13
Enos
This example is almost a counter-example in some ways. The Nephites are in decline as covenant-keepers.
Enos uses some familiar language as he describes his conversion process:
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. (Enos 1)
He is reminded of the central promise connecting obedience and that promised land, as well as the covenant God made with the Nephites:
10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their transgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads. ...
16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bringthem forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
He also contrasts the Nephites and Lamanites using some of these symbols, but the meaning doesn't seem completely clear:
20 And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God. But our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax. And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us.
21 And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses.
I honestly don't know how to interpret these verses. On the one hand it seems the Nephites are trying to bring about the promises of God to restore the Gospel to the Lamanites, but they are unsuccessful due to their own wickedness (see verse 22). Wandering in the wilderness and feeding upon beasts of prey makes sense in this symbolic context, but why does Enos describe the Lamanites as dwelling in tents? Perhaps he's simply documenting the facts as they are, or perhaps he's indicating symbolically that the Lamanites had not yet found the rest of the Lord. Verse 21 seems more obviously in line with the endowment pattern. Even though I don't understand all of the deeper meaning here, it is certainly interesting to ponder how these symbol impact the message of Enos' account.
Lehi's dream
This example is an endowment pattern embedded within another endowment pattern. Just after leaving Jerusalem, as his family was camped in tents in the wilderness, Lehi has this dream of the tree of life. It is interesting to note that in the first edition of the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 6-9 were all one chapter. Notice how the vision of the tree of life is embedded within a larger narrative -- beginning right after the brothers take wives and right before Nephi closes the chapter by describing his plates and their content.
Notice 1 Nephi 8:1-2, which opens the account of the dream --
1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.
2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.
And 1 Nephi 9:1, which concludes the account of the dream --
1 And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates.
Cry unto God: "I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies."
Bring all who will hearken:
14 ... I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.
17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.
18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.
Pass through a wilderness: "a dark and dreary wilderness" in verse 4
"Many days": "many hours in darkness" in verse 8
Other examples
This pattern is found in other stories as well. Consider the story of Isaac in Genesis 26 and see how many of these elements are contained in that account. Consider what it means that Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness and the Lord hear Hagar's cry and blessed them with water (see Genesis 21:12-21). As we deepen our understanding of each individua symbol and also of the pattern as a whole, we can find beautiful new messages in these familiar stories.
Conclusion
This post is very long and contains far more references than I normally include in a single post. I sincerely hope you will take the time to look these up on your own and study these examples for yourself. I hope this exercise has been fruitful for you.
This pattern is so intimately connected to covenants, and yet (aside from the accounts of Abraham, King Benjamin, and Alma-1) covenants are not really ever the central focus of the stories. This is a great example of how hidden wisdom is contained in the scriptures, waiting to be discovered by those with eyes to see.
In my next post -- which I intend to be the final post in this series -- we will turn to the Doctrine & Covenants and look at hos some of these same symbols are found in latter-day revelations. For me, this brings the message out of the ancient past and right into my heart. It is clear that God stand ready to bless us with the same blessing he gave His people throughout human history.
This post continues an overview of many related concepts, ultimately connecting Noah's ark with the rest we find through an everlasting covenant with God.
Today we'll focus on "remember" -- a word we've discussed many times on the blog (see here and here for example).
The Hebrew context of the word "remember" is very interesting. It's a two-way street that goes far beyond merely recalling information -- it is about bringing a person to mind and then acting for their benefit. One scholar put it this way:
God's remembering has to do with his attention and intervention, whether in grace or judgment.1
As it relates to man remembering God, another scholar said this:
Thus, Hebrew ×–ָ×›ַר (#2349) when collocationally related to Yahweh carries a connotative meaning of encouragement (remembering past mercy) or of repentance (remembering past judgment). Indeed, the semantic domain of ×–ָ×›ַר is extensive, involving reflection, reasoning, meditating, submitting, committing.2
Thus, when God remembers us, He intervenes on our behalf, and when we (properly) remember Him, we act in accordance with His will for us.
"And God remembered..."
This Old Testament phrase delights me. It shows up in various contexts, but you can see in the passages below that God's remembering is always connected to His intervention.
Noah (Genesis 8:1)
Abraham (Genesis 19:29)
Rachel (Genesis 30:22)
Israel (Exodus 2:23-25)
Hannah (1 Samuel 1:19)
Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:20)
When God remembered Noah, He caused the flood to subside. He later covenanted with Noah and gave him a sign to remember the covenant. When He remembers Rachel and Hannah, He gives them each a son. Abraham receives protection for Lot. Ephraim will receive mercy. Each of these actions points our minds to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the ultimate act associated with God "remembering" His people. For us, mercy comes in the form of deliverance from destruction by our brother, a Messiah willing to covenant with us.
"Remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men"
Many scriptures speak of our duty to remember God, both what He has done for the faithful in the past, what He does for us each day, and what He will yet do for us in the future. Moroni exhorts us to "remember" in four separate verses in the final chapter of the Book of Mormon. We are to remember His mercy to His children from Adam to the present day (v.3), that "every good gift cometh of Christ" (v. 18), that God is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (v. 19), and finally he exhorts us to remember God's word, specifically the Book of Mormon by which we shall be judged (v. 27). This "remembering" is certainly coupled to action.
'Remember' and harmony in the creation
The balance between us remembering God and God remembering us bring about a harmony in the creation. This is righteousness, as will be discussed in the next post. The concept is beautifully illustrated in Psalm 105:
4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. ... 38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. 40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. 43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: 44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; 45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord. (Psalm 105)
1: Leslie C. Allen, "2349 זכר" NIDOTTE, 1:1100-1105
2: VanGemeren, W. (Ed.). (1997). New international dictionary of Old Testament theology & exegesis (Vol. 1, p. 148). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
This post continues a series of posts connecting Noah, his ark, Enoch, his city, and the "rest" we find as we enter into the everlasting covenant.
In this post, I'll lay out the case connecting Noah's ark to 'the word' of God, which is an expansive concept Stisa and I have both discussed many times (see here, here and here for some examples). In that first link, written in February 2020, I said the following:
I believe ... that we can greatly benefit by seeing the rod as an implement of gathering in the hands of a divine messenger. It is more than just printed words on a page, it is divinely inspired messages, the voice of the Spirit, and invitations to follow the Savior.
A rod is a very apt metaphor for the word of God, a tool used by shepherds to direct their flock. How we choose to respond to the portion of the word we receive is what will ultimately determine our destiny.
In that same post, I outlined how Nephi connects "the word" with the power to save (particularly power over the waters) and do "great work" on the earth. (See 1 Nephi 17:26.)
My recent studies on the topics of Noah and 'entering into His rest' have repeatedly led me back to the concept of the word. I'll attempt to illustrate how intimately connected these concepts are in this post.
Let's take a closer look at the two Old Testament stories in which the Hebrew word 'tevah' is used: the story of Noah and the story of infant Moses.
In both cases, a group of people faces death by drowning: all humanity in the case of Noah (see Genesis 6:7) and all male sons of Hebrew women in the story of Moses (see Exodus 1:22).
Both vessels were covered in pitch (Genesis 6:14 and Exodus 2:3).
In both cases, only a single family or individual is saved from the waters.
These specific parallels to tell me that a deeper message connecting these two stories can be found here. So imagine my surprise when I learned that the Hebrew word 'tevah' -- only used to describe these two life-saving vessels -- can also mean 'the word' of God! The connection is very old, so old that two main branches of Judaism and the Ethiopian Christian church use the word in a similar context yet in different ways:
Post-biblically, however, the use of tevah to signify the ark in the synagogue is old, going back to early rabbinic times, in which the word also meant “box.” (As it does today in such contemporary words as tevat-do’ar, or “mailbox.”) We know this not only from the Talmud, but also from the more exotic evidence of Ge’ez, the ancient sacred language of the Ethiopian Christian church, in which tabot means “holy ark,” too. This usage has, according to the scholars, no indigenous Ge’ez derivation and must have entered Ge’ez in the early centuries C.E. from a Hebraic source. (The old legend that the original Ark of the Covenant was taken to Ethiopia after the destruction of the Temple may be related to this.) ... The word teva does designate the pulpit in Sephardic synagogues, i.e., the table or stand on the bima or platform from which prayers are recited and the Torah is read. The ark, on the other hand, is called by Sephardic Jews the hehal (pronounced “HEY-khal”), from the Hebrew heykhal, “temple.” (source)
It's very intriguing to realize that 'tevah' can refer to the pulpit in a Sephardic synagogue or the box in which the Torah scrolls are kept in an Ashkenazi synagogue. A variant of the same word refers to a replica of either the Ark of the Covenant or the Tablets of Law (ten commandments) in the Ethiopian Church. (Not to mention that Sephardic Jews refer to the ark using the Hebrew word for temple.)
This is particularly interesting because in the Old Testament the Ark of the Covenant is not referred to using the word 'tevah.' Rather, 'aron' is used. But the fact that three very old Judeo-Christian religions substituted a form of 'tevah' to refer to 'the word' is quite telling.
In light of all of this, it seems that one deeper message we can take from both stories is this: 'the word' can save us from death if we "enter into" it. On that, it seems there is general consensus. This begs this question, though: How do we enter into God's word? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is uniquely positioned to offer a deep answer to that question, which has to do with Christ, covenants, baptism, temples, and latter-day revelation.
Parallels to Christ
I believe the symbolism embedded in the story of Noah is intended to point our minds to Christ's atonement, which is the ultimate means by which we can obtain everlasting life. Just as Noah entered the ark after hearkening to God's command to build it, each of us must build an ark of sorts from the word of God in our own lives and enter into it by trusting God to lead us and guide us through the chaos of mortality in safety. Recall that the ark had no sail and no oars.
Christ is the Word, who was with God and was God from the beginning. Those who receive Him obtain power from Him "to become the sons of God" by becoming "born ... of God." (See John 1:1-2, 12-13.)
I like the connection between baptism and the story of Noah. When we are baptized, we lay down the old creature into the water and allow a "new creature" to arise. (See Mosiah 27:25-26.)
This new creature rejoices and diligently serves God for the rest of his or her time on earth. As discussed in this post, we do not serve Him to somehow earn eternal life. As I stated in that post:
...our good works are not performed in an effort to be saved. They are not the cause of salvation, they are an effect of it! These good works spontaneously appear when we truly recognize by what power we are saved.
The new creatures are the sons and daughters of God (Mosiah 27:25). His children perform good works such as baptism "as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world." (Mosiah 18:13)
There isn't a set number of "good works" we must perform in order to qualify for salvation. Rather, we must use our agency to bring about a "mighty change in [our] hearts" (Alma 5:13-14), after which good works flow naturally from us like pure water from a fountain.
Baptism as the gate by which we "enter in"
The connections to Noah and baptism go a little bit deeper, too.
Noah "enter[ed] into the ark" (Genesis 7:13) prior to the flood.
Baptism is the "gate by which [we] should enter" in order to "receive." (See 2 Nephi 31:9, 17-18.)
This is the beginning of the process by which we become "peaceable followers of Christ" who "have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven." (Moroni 7:3)
Alma masterfully connects the covenant and "entering into His rest" in Alma 12-13. We've touched on this a little already in this series and we'll come back to it as we contrast God's "wrath" and His rest in the next two parts of this series.
I'll give Alma-2 the last word:
37 And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word. (Alma 12)
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.