What is the law of Moses?

This article was updated in 2022. Some casual readers of the scriptures often mistakenly assume the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments are identical sets of laws. Actually, the Ten Commandments were given as a portion of the law of Moses, which was a collection of written laws given as a replacement of the

This article was updated in 2022.

Some casual readers of the scriptures often mistakenly assume the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments are identical sets of laws.

Actually, the Ten Commandments were given as a portion of the law of Moses, which was a collection of written laws given as a replacement of the higher law that the Israelites had failed to obey.

What is the law of Moses?

"The law of Moses consisted of many ceremonies, rituals and symbols to remind the people frequently of their duties and responsibilities," states the Bible Dictionary in the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Bible. "It included a law of carnal commandments and performances, added to the basic laws of the gospel.

"Faith, repentance, baptism in water, and remission of sins were part of the law, as were also the Ten Commandments. Although inferior to the fulness of the gospel, there were many provisions in the law of Moses of high ethical and moral value that were equal to the divine laws of any dispensation.

"The law of carnal commandments and much of the ceremonial law were fulfilled at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The law functioned under the Aaronic Priesthood and was a preparatory gospel to bring its adherents to Christ.

"One of the major questions the early Church in Palestine had to decide was about the obligation of Christians to the ceremonial law of Moses. ... The Jewish Christians in particular had difficulty giving up the ritual of the law of Moses."

Jesus gave and fulfilled law of Moses

Jesus Christ, in speaking to the Nephite multitude, proclaimed He was the Giver of the law of Moses and that the law was fulfilled in Him:

"Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.

"Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end" (3 Nephi 15:4-5).

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