Lehi making sacrifices

[Edspringer]

Hi, everyone. It's been a while from my part LOL.

Studying and pondering this week's Come, follow me assignment, I came across something that made me think a little. Why did Lehi make sacrifices in the wilderness being him a descendant of Joseph and living under the Law of Moses, that prescribed that the temple rituals were only to be performed by the priests? 

[Carborendum]

3 minutes ago, Edspringer said:

Hi, everyone. It's been a while from my part LOL.

Studying and pondering this week's Come, follow me assignment, I came across something that made me think a little. Why did Lehi make sacrifices in the wilderness being him a descendant of Joseph and living under the Law of Moses, that prescribed that the temple rituals were only to be performed by the priests? 

As I understand it... (this means that I am not an expert in this area, but I've read a few things).

• Samuel was also an Ephraimite.  He was chosen as God's prophet of that era.  He even wore priestly robes (as evidenced by Saul tearing them).  And the sacrifices were to be offered by Samuel, not Saul.
• David was of the tribe of Judah and he offered sacrifices in the temple.  He was considered a prophet-king.
• So, it appears that prophets (at least) were allowed to offer sacrifices just like the Levites.
• Likewise, Lehi was clearly called as a prophet.  So, that means that he held the priesthood authority to do so.

The common understanding is (and I don't know what the scriptural basis is, but it makes sense):

While the Melchizedek priesthood was not common, it was still present.  And those holding it could also offer sacrifice.  And it was that authority that Lehi brought to his sons and the Nephite nation.

[Edspringer]

It makes sense when the Melkizedek priesthood is present. Besides, all the examples you gave show a kind of pattern: If you are God's chosen, you will have His authority and power to perform His works. Thanx a bunch.

[laronius]

For the Nephites to practice the law of Moses fully they would have had to of had the authority to do so. I think, just like Alma going from a priest of King Noah to one authorized to baptize and establish a church, there are many details that were left out of the account. It's interesting though that while it's made clear in the Book of Mormon that they practiced the law of Moses there is relatively very little said about it. Rather the focus is on what it all foreshadowed, namely the coming of Christ.

[Edspringer]

I think the thing about Lehi exercising levitical cerimonies IS slightly different from Alma baptizing people. The first case Lehi was a Jew living under jewish laws, while the second case Alma was not a Jew nor was living strictly under the Law of Moses, but also under the Melkizedek priesthood authority. But I agree with you that many details are ommited in the accounts. Thanx for sharing your thoughts.

[mikbone]

Martin freaking Harris…

I’m sure that the answer is within the lost 116 pages.

Some day.

[laronius]

3 minutes ago, Edspringer said:

I think the thing about Lehi exercising levitical cerimonies IS slightly different from Alma baptizing people. The first case Lehi was a Jew living under jewish laws, while the second case Alma was not a Jew nor was living strictly under the Law of Moses, but also under the Melkizedek priesthood authority. But I agree with you that many details are ommited in the accounts. Thanx for sharing your thoughts.

I wasn't trying to equate the ordinances, just the fact that some of the details were omitted.

Here is something I found that is interesting.

Sacrifices and Offerings: Foreshadowings of Christ

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1980/09/sacrifices-and-offerings-foreshadowings-of-christ?lang=eng

Richard Draper breaks down animal sacrifice into two categories: burnt offerings, which is what we generally read about in the temple, and then slain offerings. This is what he says about slain offerings:

"The slain offering. The slain offering was a token of the covenant fellowship between various patriarchs and Jehovah. The offerer kept a share of the sacrifice. Only a portion of the offering was burned; the remainder was cooked and eaten by members of the offerer’s household. This represented living fellowship or communion between God and man. This explains why Jacob offered a slain sacrifice before taking his family into Egypt (see Gen. 46:1). He was asking the Lord to preserve the covenant among Israel’s children while they sojourned in this foreign land. He entered Egypt only after receiving the assurance that it would be so. (See Gen. 46:2–4; Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 1:268–69.)"

Sounds a lot like Lehi.

[zil2]

I've heard some speculate that Zoram may have been a Levite, and thus able to facilitate living the law of Moses.  But of course, we have no scriptural support for that.

[mikbone]

Excellent question.  Thanks, I learned something new.

S. Kent Brown, “What Were Those Sacrifices Offered by Lehi?” in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla: Literary and Historical Studies of the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1998), 1–8.

https://rsc.byu.edu/jerusalem-zarahemla/what-were-those-sacrifices-offered-lehi#:~:text=When Lehi “made an offering,safely completed a long journey.

 

Also, there are huge similarities between Lehi and Moses.  

Moses and the burning bush - Lehi and the pilar of fire

Exodus from Egypt - Exodus from Jerusalem

Travel thru the wilderness

Destination of the promised land.

 

Perhaps the Lord was trying to impress upon Lehi and his family that Lehi was a similitude of Moses.

Laman and Lemuel both believed in Moses.  But they couldn't believe that their own father (or brother) could be a prophet.  

Edited January 14, 2024 by mikbone