Sacrament and Sacrifice

I taught a lesson this last week on the fulfillment of the Law of Moses (3 Nephi 9, 15) and then on the introduction of the sacrament (3 Nephi 18). We watched a seminary video on animal sacrifice and I had some cool thoughts about the sacredness of the sacrament.

Here are some of the basic steps that took place in the law of Moses when someone offered sacrifice:

1. Pick out an animal that symbolized the Savior (male, unblemished). It could have been a dove, a lamb, a bull, or even loaves of bread.
2. Purchase the animal
3. Take it to the tabernacle because that is where (a) the priests worked and (b) the Altar of Sacrifice stayed.
4. Dedicate the animal for sacrifice by putting your hands on its head and transferring your sins to the animal.
5. The priest would hole the animal while the person who brought it would kill it (or the priest would do it in behalf of the congregation).
6. The priests would keep the blood in a bowl and sprinkle it on the altar.
7. The meat of the animal is burned on the altar.

Similitude means to "look forward to," so after the sacrifice of the Savior the people no longer had to do that. Instead, he instituted the sacrament to remember His sacrifice. 

The sacrament is very similar to animal sacrifice.

1. Bring in a humble heart and contrite spirit before the sacrifice is made
2. Go to church looking forward to the ordinance.
3. Priests break the bread and offer the water on the sacrament "altar."
4. Christ "transfers" our sins to Him through repentance and the ordinance.
5. Our sins are "burned" on the altar  when we do the ordinance correctly.

Studying animal sacrifice has really helped me focus on the Savior during the sacrament. 

Here is a link to the throwback seminary video: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-050-sacrifice-and-sacrament?lang=eng