Covenant Making
Alma 46:21; “And it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God; or, in other words, if they should transgress the commandments of God, or fall into transgression, and be ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ, the Lord should rend them even as they had rent their garments.”
Leviticus 21:10; “And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes.”
Ezra 9:5-6; “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, 6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.”
Hebrews 9:14-17; “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”
Tearing of clothes in the Bible was a sign of distress and never part of making a covenant with God.
Where in the Bible does it say that God will rend you like you rent your clothing if you don’t obey? What kind of god would do such a thing? God isn’t vindictive!!
Where in this Book of Mormon passage is there any indication of what God expects through covenant making? Nowhere in this chapter does it mention any shedding of blood via a sacrifice of an animal in a temple for God, so once again we’re taking the attention away from what the Lord expects from us and how we can have a relationship with Him.
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