The Old Testament Aaronic Priesthood Handbook of

Instructions

Leviticus

Law of the Gospel of Christ

Law of Egypt (Worldliness)

Law of Moses • Preparatory Gospel• Daily Ordinances (sacrifices)• Carnal Commandments• Performances• Strict Dietary Code• Lots of Rituals

Why was the Law of Moses instituted?D&C 84:18-27

Law of Moses Law of the Gospel of Christ

?

The Goal of the Law of Moses?

Lev. 11:44-45Alma 25:16

The Goal of the Law of Moses?

The Goal

Sacr

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Levi

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1-6

Cle

anlin

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Levi

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11-

15

Sepa

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1, 1

8-20

Rem

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Mos

iah

13:2

9-30

The Way

The Basic Principles of the Law of Moses

Be Holy (Christlike) Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26

Strengthen Faith in ChristAlma 25:16; 34:14; 2 Nephi 25:24-27; Jacob 4:5

RemembranceMosiah 13:29-30

29 And now I say unto you that it was expedient that there should be a law given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God; 30 Therefore there was a law given them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards him.

LAW OF MOSESPreparatory Gospel

1. Faith in Christa. The Burnt Offeringb. The Peace Offeringc. The Meat Offering

2. Repentancea. The Sin Offeringb. The Trespass Offering

3. BaptismCarnal Commandments

4. Outward Performances a. Dietary & Purification lawsb. Laws of Planting & Harvesting, etc.c. The Feasts and Festivals

5. Ordinances (see above)

(Implies the Ten Commandments)

The Teaching Instruments of the Law

of Moses

Edward J. Brandt (LDS Educator)“A synonym for the word carnal is flesh. The law of carnal commandments was, therefore, commandments intended to help the children of Israel to control the flesh—to develop self control and self-discipline in their lives. It was to help them to get a handle on their lives so they could begin to focus on the basic fundamentals that would lead them to Christ.”(Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book 2005), 133–153)

“Part of [your] test is to determine if your body can become mastered by the spirit that dwells within it.” Russell M.

NelsonQuorum of the

Twelve(Ensign, Nov. 1985,

30)

“We are here to learn how to bridle our passions and control every lustful and evil desire.” Bruce R.

McConkieQuorum of the

Twelve(The Mortal

Messiah, 2:151)

“Will my body rule over my spirit, or will my spirit rule over my body? Will I yield to the enticings of the natural man or to the eternal man? That, brothers and sisters, is the test. We are here on the earth to develop godlike qualities and to learn to bridle all of the passions of the flesh.”

David A. Bednar("Ye Are the Temple

of God," Ricks College Devotional, January 11, 2000)

The Law of Sacrifice

“Anciently, through blood sacrifices, the law of sacrifice brought people to Christ through typifying and foreshadowing his life and mission….“Due to the rebellious nature of the children of Israel in the days of Moses, the law of sacrifice changed and became a strict law requiring a daily practice of performances and ordinances.

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

“From Adam’s day to Moses’, there was just one kind of sacrifice offered. During the time of Moses there was an expansion in the number and variety of offerings under the law of sacrifice….“The Mosaic sacrifices consisted of five major offerings that fell into two primary categories, namely obligatory and voluntary.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

Obligatory OfferingsOffering Purpose

Sin Offering Offered for one’s “sinful” nature rather than for specific sins.

Trespass Offering

Offered for specific sins committed.

Voluntary OfferingsOffering Purpose

Burnt Offering To show the Lord the offerer was willing to surrender all things to him and to point one to Christ

Peace Offering Signifies the taking or renewing of a vow or covenant.

Meat Offering To complement the peace offering meal for the priests

Click Here for More Detailed Chart

“While there were many different offerings, one thing remained the same in all of them. Everything about Mosaic sacrifice focused on Christ.”M. Russell Ballard

Quorum of the Twelve

(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

“Like Christ, the priest acted as the mediator between the people and their God. Like Christ, the priest had to have the right parentage to officiate in his office. Like Christ, the offerer through obedience willingly sacrificed what was required by the law.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

The Priest as a Type of Christ

“The part of sacrifice that most strongly paralleled the Savior was the offering itself…. First, like Christ, the animal was chosen and anointed by the laying on of hands. As you are aware, the Hebrew name Messiah and the Greek name Christ both mean “the Anointed One.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

The Offering as a Type of Christ

“By means of this act the animal was designated as the representative or substitute of the man who brought the sacrifice.”

Leviticus 1:4

(J. H. Hertz, ed. and trans., The Pentateuch and Haftorahs: Leviticus (1932), pp. 2, 48, 167–68)

The Jewish scholar Mahmanides taught that “when observing the pouring out of the blood and the burning of sacrifice, the person should acknowledge that were it not for divine grace he should be the victim, expiating his sins with his own blood and limbs.” (Encyclopedia Judaica, 16 vols. (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, 1971), 14:614)

“Second, the animal spilt its life’s blood. Third, it had to be without blemish-totally free from physical flaws, complete, whole, and perfect. Fourth, the sacrifice had to be clean and worthy. Fifth, the sacrifice had to be domesticated, that is, not wild but tame and of help to man (see Leviticus 1:2–3, 10; 22:21; Numbers 15:3).

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

The Offering as a Type of Christ

“Sixth and seventh, for the original sacrifice practiced by Adam and the most common sacrifice in the law of Moses, the animal had to be a firstborn and a male (see … Leviticus 1:3; 22:18–25).

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

The Offering as a Type of Christ

“Eighth, the sacrifice of grain had to be ground into flour and made into breadstuffs, which reminds us of our Lord’s title the Bread of Life (see John 6:48). Ninth, the firstfruits that were offered remind us that Christ was the firstfruits of the Resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15:20).”

The Offering as a Type of Christ

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

The Law of Sacrifice Today

“At the fulfillment of the law of Moses, the Lord changed the practice of the law of sacrifice. To change a law that had been practiced for centuries served as a means to further emphasize the importance of the Atonement. Prior to the Atonement, blood sacrifice pointed forward to his sacrifice; after the Atonement the sacrament points minds back to the Atonement.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

Then NowThe Ordinance

“[T]he ordinance of the sacrament replaced the ordinance of sacrifice…. [T]his change moved the focus of the sacrifice from a person’s animal to the person himself. In a sense, the sacrifice changed from the offering to the offerer.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

How do we live the law of Sacrifice

Today?

“Real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed!”

Neal A. MaxwellQuorum of the

Twelve(Ensign, May

1995, 68)

“How is it that we show the Lord that we have symbolically put ourselves upon today’s sacrificial altar?…“When we overcome our own selfish desires and put God first in our lives and covenant to serve him regardless of the cost, then we are living the law of sacrifice.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

Natural M

an

What role does the Sacrament play in

this?

Peace Offering

Aka: the Vow OfferingSignifies the taking or renewing of a vow or covenant.

Sin OfferingOffered for one’s “sinful” nature rather than specific sins. Prepared the offerer to receive forgiveness as a part of the renewal of their covenants.

Trespass Offering

Offered for specific sins committed. Offered following repentance and specific restitution.

Faith in Christ

Repentance

CovenantsMaking,

Renewing, & Keeping

Receive the Holy

Ghost

Purified/ Sanctified

Grow in Christlike Attributes

The Law of the Gospel

“We are still commanded to sacrifice, but not by shedding blood of animals. Our highest sense of sacrifice is achieved as we make ourselves more sacred or holy. This we do by our obedience to the commandments of God. Thus, the laws of obedience and sacrifice are indelibly intertwined.”

Russell M. Nelson Quorum of the Twelve(“Lessons from Eve,”

Ensign, Nov. 1987, 88)

“As we sacrifice our selfish desires, serve our God and others, we become more like him.”

M. Russell BallardQuorum of the

Twelve(CES Symposium on the New Testament,

13 August 1996)

What Will You Bring to the Altar?

Where are we?

The Presence of God(Celestial)

Where are we?

Paradisiacal State(Terrestrial)

Where are we?

Lone and Dreary World

(Telestial)

Where are we?

The Offering of a Lamb

Remember: the altar is the turning point.

What Will You Bring to the Altar?

Repentance means “a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined…. Repentance is not optional for salvation; it is a commandment of God.”

Bible Dictionary“Repentance”(p. 760-761)

“Repentance requires spiritual dominion over appetites of the flesh.”

Russell M. NelsonQuorum of the

Twelve(BYU Speeches, 29

March 1987)

“The renewal of our covenants by partaking of the sacrament should ... be preceded by repentance, so we come to that sacred ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit (see 2 Ne. 2:7; 3 Ne. 12:19; D&C 59:8).

Dallin H. OaksQuorum of the Twelve

(“Always Have His Spirit”, Ensign,

November 1996, p.59)

Laws of CleanlinessLeviticus 10-15

The Goal

Sacr

ifice

Levi

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1-6

Cle

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Levi

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11-

15

Sepa

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nLe

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1, 1

8-20

Rem

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Mos

iah

13:2

9-30

The Way

The Basic Principles of the Law of Moses

Be Holy (Christlike) Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26

Strengthen Faith in ChristAlma 25:16; 34:14; 2 Nephi 25:24-27; Jacob 4:5

Welcome to

InstructionsLook over your menu and decide what you would like to eat. Oh, and make sure it’s “Kosher”. Use Leviticus 11 as your guide to be sure you order “faithfully”.

Are you a covenant person?

A modern Jew, still practicing the Levitical law, explained:

“A hog could be raised in an incubator on antibiotics, bathed daily, slaughtered in a hospital operating room, and its carcass sterilized by ultra-violet rays, without rendering kosher the pork chops that it yields. ‘Unclean’ in Leviticus is a ceremonial word.”

(Wouk, This Is My God, 100–101)

“If the dietary code is seen… symbolically, it becomes apparent how it served. God was using the diet as a teaching tool. People may forget or neglect prayer, play, work, or worship, but they seldom forget a meal. By voluntarily abstaining from certain foods or by cooking them in a special way, one made a daily, personal commitment to act in one’s faith. At every meal a formal choice was made, generating quiet self-discipline.

Old Testament Student Manual, p. 173

“Strength comes from living such a law, vision from understanding it. Further, the law served to separate the Hebrews from their Canaanite neighbors. Each time they got hungry they were forcibly reminded of personal identity and community bond. Indeed, they belonged to a people set apart.

Old Testament Student Manual, p. 173

“The [dietary] law therefore acted as • a social instrument for keeping the Hebrew nation intact • a psychological instrument for preserving the identity of the individual, and • a religious instrument for keeping the people in remembrance of Jehovah.”

Old Testament Student Manual, p. 173

Laws of SeparationLeviticus 18-20

The Goal

Sacr

ifice

Levi

ticus

1-6

Cle

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Levi

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11-

15

Sepa

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nLe

vitic

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1, 1

8-20

Rem

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Mos

iah

13:2

9-30

The Way

The Basic Principles of the Law of Moses

Be Holy (Christlike) Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26

Strengthen Faith in ChristAlma 25:16; 34:14; 2 Nephi 25:24-27; Jacob 4:5

What’s the commandment in Leviticus 18:3-5?

Put it into your own words.

What exactly were the Egyptian & Canaanite Lifestyles they were forbidden

to follow?18:2118:2218:2319:419:11, 1319:1219:1619:1819:26

19:2719:2819:2919:3019:3120:920:1020:1320:15-16

Which of these sins are prevalent today?How do we keep our selves separate from these sins today?

“Behold, I, the Lord, who was crucified for the sins of the world, give unto you a commandment that you shall forsake the world.”Jesus Christ

D&C 53:2

The Goal

Sacr

ifice

Levi

ticus

1-6

Cle

anlin

ess

Levi

ticus

11-

15

Sepa

ratio

nLe

vitic

us 1

1, 1

8-20

Rem

embr

ance

Mos

iah

13:2

9-30

The Way

The Basic Principles of the Law of Moses

Be Holy (Christlike) Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26

Strengthen Faith in ChristAlma 25:16; 34:14; 2 Nephi 25:24-27; Jacob 4:5

LAW OF MOSESPreparatory Gospel

1. Faith in Christa. The Burnt Offeringb. The Peace Offeringc. The Meat Offering

2. Repentancea. The Sin Offeringb. The Trespass Offering

3. BaptismCarnal Commandments

4. Outward Performances a. Dietary & Purification lawsb. Laws of Planting & Harvesting, etc.c. The Feasts and Festivals

5. Ordinances (see above)

(Implies the Ten Commandments)

TODAY’S LAWPreparatory Gospel

1. Faith in Christ

2. Repentance

3. BaptismCarnal Commandments

4. Modern Variations with the same aim to help us conquer our flesh.

(The Ten Commandments)

… and much more!

End

Blessings for Obedience

Leviticus 26:3-13