was the Sermon on the Mount a Temple Prep class?

[nuclearfuels]

Read somewhere -likely a blog- that the Sermon the Savior gave the Nephites was a Temple Prep class.

Wondering if the same could be claimed for the original Sermon on the Mount.

Seems like in Jerusalem many people already used the Temple, so why would they need a Temple Prep class unless it was like prep for the Higher Law and graduating from the Mosaic Law...?

Also seems like a main point of the Sermon is to contract the law of moses and the Savior's Higher Law, which was and is challenging enough without adding Temple Prep to it...?

Edited February 24, 2019 by nuclearfuels

[Calm]

Book is online:

https://publications.mi.byu.edu/book/illuminating-the-sermon-at-the-temple-sermon-on-the-mount/

This might be a good chapter for you:

https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1132&index=4

Edited February 24, 2019 by Calm

[Robert F. Smith]

The Introduction to the Sermon (Matt 5:3-16)
    The blessings of the kingdom: the Beatitudes (5:3-12)
    The nature of discipleship: the metaphors of salt and light (5:13-16)

The Body of the Sermon: Three Teachings on Righteousness (5:17–7:12)
    Introduction: Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets (5:17-20)
        Righteousness in doing the Mosaic Law (5:21-48)
        Righteousness in practicing almsgiving, prayer, fasting (6:1-18)
        Righteousness as single-minded service to God (6:19–7:11)
    Conclusion: Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets (7:12)

The Conclusion to the Sermon (7:13-27)
    The two ways (7:13-14)
    The danger of false prophets (7:15-23)
    The two builders (7:24-27)

Frank J. Matera, The Sermon on the Mount (Liturgical Press, 2013), p. 23.  https://litpress.org/Products/3523/The-Sermon-on-the-Mount .

[cdowis]

It was a master class on the Terrestial KIngdom, otherwise commonly known as heaven..

[Lemuel]

The point of the temple is to bring us into God's presence.  They were already in God's presence.  

[clarkgoble]

The Sermon on the Mount is interesting in terms of how little scholarly consensus there is on it. The presumption of many is that this was an oft repeated text that he probably gave in each location he visited. Although the Matthew account suggests it was just for the disciples and not the masses. (Mt 4:25) This may also explain the slightly different context to the text in each of the gospels. Many aspects of the text arise out of traditional Pharisee teaching of the era - particularly the approach of Rabbi Gamaliel.  So for instance despite the portrayal of Pharisees as hypocrites just focused on getting credit for righteousness, most of Jesus' teachings about giving alms in secret arise out of Pharisee teaching. 

A lot of the sermon deals with persecution due to following Jesus (and presumably the apostles in the post-crucifixion era when the texts were composed). 

[The Nehor]

No, it is more a cross between a teacher development training and a PEC meeting.