Law of Moses
Alma 25:15; “Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them.”
Deuteronomy 12:5-7; “But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: 6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: 7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.”
Now this group of Lamanites who had decided to obey the Law of Moses was still in violation of the Law. They were not from the tribe of Levi. Only priests from the tribe of Levi were lawfully allowed to offer sacrifices.
The Israelites would attend the feasts three times a year in Jerusalem as God commanded them to do and they gave their sacrifices to the priest at the temple to act as proxy on their behalf. They would offer the sacrifices to God for that family and the family would then be blessed by God for obeying His commandment.
Because God demanded holiness and righteousness in His temple anyone not from the tribe of Levi inside the temple was seen as unclean and unfit to perform the sacrifices. Therefore, the sacrifice would be for naught and unrecognized by God.
We see in Alma 30:3 where Joseph Smith tries to sell the idea the Nephites were obeying the Law of Moses in “strict obedience”. This too is contrary to what the Bible says! The Nephites weren’t from the tribe of Levi and therefore unworthy of serving as priests in the temple.
Also note the location these Lamanites and Nephites were “observing with strict obedience” the Laws of Moses…they weren’t in Jerusalem where God had commanded the Israelites go for the feasts and sacrifices at the temple. According to the text these people were still here in America!
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