From the time of Moses until the Savior’s Atonement, faithful believers in God followed the law of Moses. This was the system of ordinances that included circumcision and animal sacrifices, plus dietary restrictions and other prohibitions. It was a strict law, meant to remind the children of Israel of the Messiah and prepare them for His coming (see Mosiah 13:29–30).
Once the Savior fulfilled His Atonement, the law of Moses was fulfilled. People didn’t need to follow those rules and ordinances anymore. The gospel of Jesus Christ invited them to live in a higher and holier way!
Yet some of the early Saints had a hard time accepting this and thought the old laws should still be enforced. Paul spoke to some of them in Galatians. He testified that it’s a blessing that the Lord replaced the law of Moses with a higher law!
No one today is suggesting we return to the law of Moses. But people do sometimes make the gospel more complicated than it needs to be, or are resistant to the change and progress that comes with continuing revelation. Let’s do the simple things in a meaningful way, be willing to adapt, and let God lead us from there!
Meaningful Obedience
This is part of a weekly series about the “Come, Follow Me” scripture reading. You can find this week’s lesson here.