Jesus and rituals in BOM


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So I have been skipping around a little bit through the BOM. I read most of 1 and 2 Nephi as well as Jacob through Omni but then skipped up to 3 Nephi. I am having a little trouble wrapping my head around the use of "Jesus" in place of "LORD" or similar as well as the references of baptism, using the "Name of Jesus" etc. before Jesus came to them. I think that I understand how Jesus is used as a replacement of LORD or similar as He is the LORD of the OT? Did I miss where the people were commanded to baptize, use Jesus's name, etc. before he came? It is clear from 3 Nephi 11 that Jesus is teaching these things, but how did they know ahead of His coming? Did I miss that part? 

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2 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

Thank you, that helps with the name question...do you have any insight on the other parts of what are more ore less hallmark to Christianity (Baptism, etc.)? The Baptism mentioned does not sound like Mikvah use as one might imagine would have been practiced if they were following Mosaic Law.

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Right, I understand that God is outside our time, and that makes sense for atonement, etc. but not really for how the people of the BOM knew to do these rituals that are distinctly Christian but not really Jewish. I have not made it through the whole book yet, so I am totally open to the fact that I might just have not made it to that part yet. Take Baptism for example, it is a more or less one time event commanded by Jesus in 3 Nephi 11 and various places in the NT. Baptism comes from the Jewish ritual of using a Mikvah to ritually cleanse oneself after or before certain times and actions. Of course John was "baptizing" in the Jordan, which would have been used as a Mikvah by the Jewish people, so they would have been familiar with the process of what they were doing. There are specifics of the Mikvah being running water, a certain depth, etc. They are still used today by observant Jewish people. 

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The Gospel, the collections of God’s teaching on important subjects, has been available to God’s children at various periods of time,

. These time periods are called dispensations. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/dispensations

32489_000_004_06_dispensation.pdf

Today, we are in the final dispensation in which all of the Gospel truths are/will be restored. However, some Gospel truths and practices have been available previously. Adam’s dispensation was the first. As Gospel truths and ceremonies have been in use for limited periods of time since Adam, frequently memories of Gospel truths and ceremonies are found as part of disparate cultures.

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1 hour ago, Tampasteve2 said:

So I have been skipping around a little bit through the BOM. I read most of 1 and 2 Nephi as well as Jacob through Omni but then skipped up to 3 Nephi. I am having a little trouble wrapping my head around the use of "Jesus" in place of "LORD" or similar as well as the references of baptism, using the "Name of Jesus" etc. before Jesus came to them. I think that I understand how Jesus is used as a replacement of LORD or similar as He is the LORD of the OT? Did I miss where the people were commanded to baptize, use Jesus's name, etc. before he came? It is clear from 3 Nephi 11 that Jesus is teaching these things, but how did they know ahead of His coming? Did I miss that part? 

His name was made known to the Nephites before His birth by prophecy (see 2 Nephi 25:19-20; and see later references: Mosiah 3:8; Alma 5:48: Helaman 3:28 and 14:12).

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(re-)read 2 Nephi 31. Here Nephi instructs his people that they need to be baptized to follow the example of the Messiah and to receive the Holy Ghost. Additional Latter-day Saint scripture teaches that Adam was the first to be baptized and the ordinance was practiced whenever the gospel was on the earth in its fulness.

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15 minutes ago, mordorbund said:

(re-)read 2 Nephi 31. Here Nephi instructs his people that they need to be baptized to follow the example of the Messiah and to receive the Holy Ghost. Additional Latter-day Saint scripture teaches that Adam was the first to be baptized and the ordinance was practiced whenever the gospel was on the earth in its fulness.

Perfect, thank you, that is the kind of backup scripture I was looking for! :)

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One big-picture thing to point out--

I've seen other Christian groups draw a big line between OT "Jewish" stuff and NT "Christian" stuff as if they were two completely separate faiths.  LDS don't approach it like that: there's only one Gospel.  In OT the disciples of God* were truly practicing the Gospel to the best knowledge/practice they had at that time, honoring the Son of God.   Likewise, in NT times the disciples of God* were truly practicing the Gospel to the best knowledge/practice they had at that time, honoring the Son of God.  Yes, over time our collective knowledge has increased and practices have evolved.  But it is always the same Gospel.  

*Obviously I'm talking about when they're doing things right, not times of apostasy. 

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@Jane_Doe, yes, thank you! That is one of the major attractions of the LDS faith for me. Currently I identify with Messianic Judaism, which would be a similar philosophy with claiming to be a continuation of the faith without separating the OT and NT. Obviously the expression of the faith, worship, and beliefs are somewhat different. However, the claim of continuation, a holistic approach to scripture and faith is what I am looking for and I believe the LDS church has this while most other churches fall short.

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13 minutes ago, Tampasteve2 said:

@Jane_Doe, yes, thank you! That is one of the major attractions of the LDS faith for me. Currently I identify with Messianic Judaism, which would be a similar philosophy with claiming to be a continuation of the faith without separating the OT and NT. Obviously the expression of the faith, worship, and beliefs are somewhat different. However, the claim of continuation, a holistic approach to scripture and faith is what I am looking for and I believe the LDS church has this while most other churches fall short.

You're in a good place then :)

Like my last Sunday School lesson was on modern day implications of the Abrahamic Covenant.  Walking through how at the time it was originally made it was focused on Abraham's immediate nuclear family, then spread out to a nation as people multiplied, and then brought to all the world (continuing today).  How people are adopted into the the covenant when we are baptized and we are to take those rights and responsibilities (such as the responsibility to share the Gospel with our families and friends).  

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8 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

@Tampasteve2. Mikvah? Sorry, former atheist here!

This may help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_baptism#Background_in_Jewish_ritual

I found this interesting as well: https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/was-baptism-originally-jewish/

And, this as well: http://thetorah.com/on-the-origins-of-tevilah-ritual-immersion/

Lasrly: http://www.heartofisrael.net/teachings/rabbi/mikveh.htm

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

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