I really like the following Ensign Article. I think it gave me a different perspective on the Law of Moses:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1981/06/reflections-on-the-law-of-moses-old-testament-apostasy-in-context?lang=eng
Some of my other random unorganized thoughts:
*It seems like the part of the Law of Moses that dealt with the carnal commandments was intentionally made very specific for a purpose. 1) All the carnal commandments were symbolic of Christ (kind of like the Sacrament is for us today) so if you had to constantly do very specific things that reminded you of Him, your chances of catching onto that symbolism and "always remembering Him" as a result would be increased. 2) There is ONE way back to Heavenly Father, and that path is very narrow. Following this path requires great diligence and precise measurements so you don't get off track even by just one degree. Sounds very specific and detailed to me. 3) Children require that you specify commands more often than adults do- mostly just until they understand the why on their own. Considering where the Children of Israel were coming from (apostasy and being surrounded by a culture of false Gods and teachings), they really were Children... so God gave them step by step rules to help lead them to an understanding of the why, at which point, they could more effectively govern themselves (like Joseph Smith says about the church members in our dispensation).
*I wonder if the difference between the Nephites and the Children of Israel (in that the Nephites developed an understanding of the meaning of the law and the Children of Israel overall did not), has to do with where they came from spiritually? Lehi, Nephi, and their righteous descendants came from a multi-generational covenant keeping family. This would give their children a spiritual advantage in better understanding the real meaning behind the law. Maybe the people in the Old Testament, through disobedience, had lost that multi-generational strength as a people, and as a result, had resorted back to starting over spiritually as children. I also wonder if the children of Israel had the same type of access to the scriptures that the Nephites did (since Nephi went back for the Brass Plates). Maybe this would impact a people's ability to fully remember the why behind the covenant they'd been given. It could also be as simple as the Nephites chose to use their agency to obey the law, and as a result, developed spiritual eyes to see. Whereas the children of Israel (and even the Lamanites) chose not to obey even the Law of Moses, so they remained blind to a testimony of the Savior, as well as stayed unprepared for a higher law which would allow for more listening to the Spirit to determine the nature of ones choices, rather than just following a stagnant list of things to do.
*How does obedience bring you to Christ? Other than just the symbolism of the law, just the act of obeying helps us to draw closer to the Savior. I think this is because this is the very essence of who the Savior is- He is perfectly obedient to the Father because He loves and trusts Him. As we love and trust the Savior, we become like Him in that way, and as a result get to know Him better.
*I think sometimes we think we know what the commandments are- we're supposed to do this and this, and not do this. But I think the Law of Moses intended to lead humble followers beyond the "this's" and "that's" to gain a testimony of the principle of obedience itself. For example, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son. Nowhere in the context of Abraham's spiritual understanding did this commandment make any sense, other than in his testimony of exact obedience. As a result, he gained a testimony and understanding of the Savior as the Father's sacrifice for all mankind. Nowhere in the context of Hosea's spiritual experiences would taking a prostitute to wife be considered moral, but he did it anyway because he had a testimony of exact obedience. And through his obedience he and we learn a great lesson about how the Savior feels when we are unfaithful to him. I think even with the Higher Law, we still find ourselves with limited spiritual understanding compared to God's omniscience. That gap between our understanding and His requires a testimony of exact obedience if we plan to be able to continue to become like the Savior.
No comments:
Post a Comment