14 Yet the Lord God saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto them a law, even the law of Moses.
15 And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows
showed he unto them, concerning his coming; and also holy prophets spake unto
them concerning his coming; and yet they hardened their hearts, and understood
not that the claw of Moses availeth nothing except it were through
the atonement of his blood.
16 And even if it were possible that little children
could sin they could not be saved; but I say unto you they are blessed; for
behold, as in Adam, or by nature, they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth
for their sins.
17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be
no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto
the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord
Omnipotent. (Mosiah 3:14-17)
After detailing the ministry
of Christ, Benjamin returns to the Law of Moses. The Jews were a stiffnecked people. This is why they received the Law of Moses. Those tablets were received the second time
Moses went up on Sinai and spent 40 days and nights speaking to the Lord.
Previously, Moses had spent
40 days and night on Sinai. He received
tablets that were written by the finger of God.
When he went down among the Israelites, they were worshipping the golden
calf. He was angry and broke the stone
tablets (Exodus 32:19). It is believed
by some scholars that those tablets contained the gospel and the higher
law. It was only after they proved they
were not ready for the higher law that they received the lesser law, the Law of
Moses.
The Nephites will keep the
Law of Moses until the death of Christ.
Even though they will keep the Mosaic Law, the only way they will be
saved is through the atonement of Christ.
Nephi wrote, “And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save
Christ should come all men must perish” (2 Nephi 11:6).
Hugh Nibley writes, “Eager as
they are, the people must again be cautioned before the law itself is set
before them, for though the law of Moses is adapted to their weaker natures,
these people, like those taught by Moses, remain ‘a stiffnecked people’ (Mosiah
3:14), and after all God did for them, ‘yet they hardened their hearts’ (Mosiah
3:15).”[1]
Abinadi would teach the Law
of Moses to Noah and his priests.
“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;
“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.
“But behold, I say unto you,
that all these things were types of things to come.
“And now, did they understand
the law? I say unto you, Nay, they did
not all understand the law; and this because of the hardness of their hearts;
for they understood not that there could not any man be saved except it were
through the redemption of God” (Mosiah 13:29-32).
The sons of Mosiah taught
their Lamanite converts the importance of the Law of Moses.
“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.
“Now they did not suppose
that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to
strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through
faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake
of those things to come” (Alma 25:15-16).
As we will see, the Law of
Moses will become the foundation of the legal system. “[I]t is clear that the
Nephites viewed the law of Moses as the foundation of their law and legal
system. They understood that the purpose of the law was to foster obedience: ‘And
for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to [Christ];
and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness’ (Jacob 4:5); ‘The
Lord God saw that his people were a stiffnecked people, and he appointed unto
them a law, even the law of Moses’ (Mosiah 3:14). Explicit statements by Nephi (2 Nephi 5:10),
Jarom (Jarom 1:5), Alma (Alma 30:2–3), and others demonstrate beyond any doubt
that for six centuries the Nephites saw themselves as strictly observing the
judgments, statutes, commandments, and ordinances of God in all things
according to the law of Moses until the coming of Christ.”[2]
Earlier in his sermon, King
Benjamin mentions that those who are ignorant of the law will be covered
through the blood of Christ. So it is
with little children. If little children
could sin, they would not be saved. He
makes it very clear little children cannot save. Like with those who never know
Christ or His commandments, “the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.”
Mormon would emphasize this
in an epistle to Moroni2.
“Listen to the words of
Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God.
Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to
repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore,
little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin;
wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power
over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.
“And after this manner did
the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I
know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little
children” (Moroni 8:8-9).
King Benjamin makes it clear
how salvation is given. “[T]here shall
be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come …
only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” King Benjamin could have been referring to
the writings of Nephi1.
Towards the end of his record, Nephi1 wrote, “And now,
behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor
name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of
Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end.
Amen” (2 Nephi 31:21).
These two scriptures make the
requirements of salvation very clear. “Some
people think that if Christ had not completed the Atonement, another person
would have been brought in. That is not true.”[3]
Robert Millett continues Todd
Parker’s observation. “Jesus Christ is
also known as Father through the spiritual rebirth of mankind (see Born of God). As the
foreordained Redeemer, he became the ‘author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey him’ (Heb. 5:9). He is the Savior. No person will come unto the
Father except through him and by his name (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Mosiah
3:17).”[4]
The essential role of Christ
gives us insight into Lehi’s Tree of Life vision.
“We recall that, early on in Nephi’s
vision (1 Nephi 11:26–33), the interpretation of the ‘rod of iron’ was given as
the ministry and atonement of Jesus Christ. Now we can more fully appreciate
the symbolism involved in that interpretation. Even as the rod of iron is the
only manner by which the multitudes can approach and obtain the fruit of the
tree of life, so is the atonement of Jesus Christ the only way by which we can
overcome the effects of the fall, be forgiven of our sins, and return to the
presence of God (see Mosiah 3:17). (As we have seen, the strait and narrow
path, and the rod of iron by which it runs, represent the atonement of Jesus
Christ. In this context, it may be remembered that the Savior himself declared,
‘I am the way, the truth,
and the life; no man cometh unto
the Father but by me’ (John 14:6).)[5]
“We
have an eternal hope in Christ. We know this life is given us to prepare for
eternity, “and that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among
us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now
enjoy” (D&C 130:2).
“We believe, and it is our testimony, and we proclaim it to the world ‘that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent’ (Mosiah 3:17) (emphasis in original).”[6]
[1] Work
We Must, but the Lunch Is Free, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute.
[2] The
Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon – Queries and Prospects, Maxwell Institute.
[3] Abinadi:
The Message and the Martyr (Part 2), Todd Parker, Maxwell Institute.
[4] Jesus
Christ, Fatherhood and Sonship of, Robert Millett, Maxwell Institute.
[5] Lehi’s
Dream of the Tree of Life: Springboard to Prophecy, Corbin T. Volluz, Maxwell
Institute.
[6] An Eternal Hope in Christ, President Spencer W.
Kimball, October 1978 General Conference.
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