the Purpose of the Law of Moses

Today's reading was the Book of Jarom. Several things stood out to me in the chapter. First, I find it odd that even from the beginning there have always been so many more Lamanites than there were Nephites, and yet, as far as we are aware, when Nephi's group split with Laman's group, almost double the amount of people went with Nephi.

Now, towards the end of the Nephite civilization I can understand why so there were so many more Lamanites since they included dissenters from the Nephi's also, but in the beginning the Lamanites were comprised of Laman, Lemuel and the 2 sons of Ishmael. Whereas Nephi took Sam, Zoram and their families as well as Jacob and Joseph with him. It is just strange to me how much quicker the Lamanites spread and that they have always been since the beginning a way to stir up the Nephites to remembrance of their covenants.

The 2nd thing that stood out to me is that unlike the Jews, the Nephites always seemed to recognize what the true purpose of the law of Moses was. Abinadi teaches later in the book of Mosiah that salvation does not come by the law of Moses but through Christ who the law of Moses was meant to turn us towards. But even from the beginning the Nephites recognized this principle. And I think that in the beginning the Jews did too. However, somewhere along the way they got lost. Certain priests read in the scriptures how the Jews would kill their own Messiah and he had those passages removed, thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. He tried to avoid the future and by so doing inadvertently set the stage for it's fulfillment!

The law of Moses came about of course because of the stiffneckedness of the Jews who were brought out of Egypt. The Lord saw that they needed in addition to the law, a set of daily tasks to keep them focused on the goal and to help remind them by what power they would be saved. When it was first given to them, they knew that there was nothing about killing a certain animal that would save them. It was a way to point them towards the ultimate sacrifice that WOULD save them. But the fact that the Jews no longer believed it by 600 B.C. is evidenced by the statement of Laman and Lemuel to Nephi in 1 Nephi 17 where they declare that they know the Jews are a righteous people because they keep the law of Moses.

I think in a lot of ways all of us can be like that. Where we know what we should be doing, but over time, either through sin or for other reasons, we trick ourselves into believing something that isn't true and getting our hopes up. Children are notorious for this. But adults are no less susceptible. We need to all stay on the strait and narrow path and endure to the end to gain salvation and everlasting happiness in the Kingdom of our Father. Until tomorrow.