The people of the Book of Mormon lived in the Americas in ancient times. However, they initially came here from Jerusalem, fleeing around 600 B.C. and bringing with them the scriptures available to that point. As a result, they had the law of Moses and, until the Savior appeared to them between his death and resurrection, they practiced it.
Jacob, the third prophet of the Book of Mormon and son of the first prophet, brother of the second, explained the purpose of the records they kept, which was written for people of a future time (our time), including their descendants.
4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. (Jacob 4)
The purpose of the law of Moses was to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Savior. M. Russell Ballard, an apostle of the Lord in modern times, explained:
“…everything about Mosaic sacrifice focused on Christ. 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.
The part of sacrifice that most strongly paralleled the Savior was the offering itself. Notice with me some of these parallels.
First, like Christ, the animal was chosen and anointed by the laying on of hands. (The Hebrew title Messiah and the Greek title Christ both mean “the Anointed One.”) Second, the animal was to have its life’s blood spilt. 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. 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. 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. Ninth, the firstfruits that were offered remind us that Christ was the firstfruits of the Resurrection.”
(M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign, Oct 1998, 7. Please see article for Biblical references.)
The Nephites, as the people who kept the Book of Mormon record were known, knew of Christ. Their prophets had seen Him in visions, and even knew what His name would be. They knew that someday He would come to them as well, for a brief few days. His coming would be different than that of the time in Jerusalem, since He would come after his death to teach them.
So, although they were far from their first homeland of Jerusalem, they too awaited the birth of a Savior. Through spiritual signs, they would know when He was born and they’d know when He died. When He died, it would finally be their opportunity to learn from Him and to have the church established through His authority, just as the Savior established it in Jerusalem.
In the meantime, the Law of Moses helped them to understand the sacrifice He would make for them and would teach . While we don’t know exactly what was in the five books of Moses they brought with them, we can presume it was the Torah or nearly the Torah, and the laws mentioned throughout the book appear to be similar to those practiced in Old Testament times. In addition, they had prophets of their own, of course, and God could communicate to them exactly what was expected.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
