Examples of the Mosaic Law in the Book of Mormon

[Hamilton Porter]

This deserves its own thread. Let's dispel the ignorance and idiocy once and for all. 

Go!

Edited February 20, 2023 by Hamilton Porter

[Kenngo1969]

I realize this does not fulfill your call for information exactly because, except for sacrifice, it does not speak of specific performances and ordinances, but I did find this:

https://bookofmormonstudynotes.blog/2019/08/11/why-did-the-nephites-keep-the-law-of-moses/

As @Kevin Christensen always says, For What It's Worth.  

[Nevo]

Looking forward to this🍿

Maybe Kent Jackson will learn something from this thread too:

Quote

The Book of Mormon speaks of the law of Moses in doctrinal terms but reveals very little about how Lehi's descendants practiced it. . . . it is not certain that they had the same collection of Mosaic laws and rituals that is in the Bible today, including all of the Aaronic temple ordinances of Exodus and Leviticus. . . . The only sacrifices mentioned by name are burnt offerings (Mosiah 2:3; 3 Ne. 9:19), which had been performed by Melchizedek Priesthood holders since Adam. None of the annual feasts of the law of Moses are mentioned specifically. . . . Mormon, the book's author/compiler, never lived under the law of Moses himself, but he knew that his latter-day readers would not live under it either, and perhaps felt it unnecessary to discuss it in his record (Kent P. Jackson, "Law of Moses," Book of Mormon Reference Companion, ed. Dennis L. Largey [Deseret Book, 2003], 505–506).

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Nevo

[SeekingUnderstanding]

41 minutes ago, Nevo said:

Looking forward to this🍿

Maybe Kent Jackson will learn something from this thread too:

 

He must have missed Welch’s (500 page!) book on the subject. 

[Nevo]

1 hour ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

He must have missed Welch’s (500 page!) book on the subject. 

Welch's book came out a few years after Jackson's article, but I don't think it would have made much difference.

I have Welch's book and like it, but I don't think anyone who has read it would describe it as "a 500-page book on the subject [of the Law of Moses in the Book of Mormon]." As the title indicates, it's a study of seven legal cases in the Book of Mormon. Welch is trying to reconstruct Nephite law, which he tries to relate to biblical laws wherever possible. He notes that biblical laws "are rarely quoted in the Book of Mormon," so he is left with trying to identify "paraphrases of or allusions to biblical law." He also draws on extra-biblical sources from the ancient Near East and from the Talmud. But at the end of the day, he believes that "Nephite law was largely autonomous and independent" (Welch, Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, 34, 51–52).

Edited February 20, 2023 by Nevo

[Kenngo1969]

1 hour ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

He must have missed Welch’s (500 page!) book on the subject. 

I was just about to ask you to what book you are referring.  I have Legal Cases in The Book of Mormon, but haven't gotten around to studying it in-depth yet.  Perhaps (though I make no claim to knowing for sure) it would be best to say that law in the Book of Mormon is based on Mosaic Law, similar to the way United States law is based on English law.

Even though it can be said that United States legal scholars, lawyers, and judges borrowed concepts from English law, relatively few of them were borrowed wholesale, changing nothing.  I think those who used (use?) English law in this manner felt (feel?) absolutely free to adapt the concepts and institutions as they felt necessary to better suit United States customs, ways of thinking, and so on.

I suspect something similar happened with Book of Mormon peoples and the Law of Moses.

Edited February 20, 2023 by Kenngo1969

[Kevin Christensen]

A few good places to start:

In 2003 FARMS and Studia Antiqua: The Journal of the Student Society for Ancient Studies produced a volume containing papers from a conference on Biblical Law in the Book of Mormon.  It includes a Bibliography of studies on law in the Book of Mormon on pages 181 to 186.

John Welch published The Legal Cases of the Book of Mormon in 2008.

The important FARMS volume on King Benjamin's Speech: That Ye May Learn Wisdom, includes essays on "King Benjamin's Speech in the Context of Ancient Israelite Festivals" and "Benjamin's Speech as a Prophetic Lawsuit."

On the ongoing tension between the Deuteronomist approach and the First temple approach in the Book of Mormon, see Val Larsen here:

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/josiah-to-zoram-to-sherem-to-jarom-and-the-big-little-book-of-omni/

And Neal Rappleye's earlier paper:

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/the-deuteronomist-reforms-and-lehis-family-dynamics-a-social-context-for-the-rebellions-of-laman-and-lemuel/

It should be fairly obvious that Abinadi quotes the 10 commandments, and makes much reference to the Law in Mosiah 12-13.  I think it significant that he quotes the Exodus version, rather than the Deuteronomy version.

In Reexploring the Book of Mormon, note chapter 16 on "statues, judgements, ordinances, and commandments" and chapter 38 on "Abinadi and Pentacost", chapter 44 on "The Law of Mosiah," chapter 50 on "The Law of Apostate Cities", chapter 54 on "Exemption from Military Duties", Chapter 56 on "Sons of the Passover," Chapter 58, "Holy War", chapter 72, on "Thieves and Robbers" chapter 73 on "The Execution of Zemnarihah".  

In 3 Nephi 15, Jesus discourses on fulfilling the law.

Taylor Halverson in Interpreter on "Deuteronomy 17:14-20 as Criteria for Book of Mormon Kingship." 

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/deuteronomy-1714-20-as-criteria-for-book-of-mormon-kingship/

FWIW,

Kevin Christensen

Canonsburg, PA

 

 

[Hamilton Porter]

You guys are making this way harder than it is. Just cite examples, dammit.

In contrasting Nephites who lived the Mosaic law and Lamanites:

5 And now, behold, two hundred years had passed away, and the people of Nephi had waxed strong in the land. They observed to keep the law of Moses and the sabbath day holy unto the Lord. And they profaned not; neither did they blaspheme. And the laws of the land were exceedingly strict. 6 And they were scattered upon much of the face of the land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more numerous than were they of the Nephites; and they loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts.

 

Drinking animal blood is a violation of Leviticus 17.

“And if any Israelite or any stranger who resides among them hunts down an animal or a bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of all flesh – its blood is its life. Therefore I say to the Israelite people: You shall not partake of the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off”

[Hamilton Porter]

2 hours ago, Nevo said:

Welch's book came out a few years after Jackson's article, but I don't think it would have made much difference.

I have Welch's book and like it, but I don't think anyone who has read it would describe it as "a 500-page book on the subject [of the Law of Moses in the Book of Mormon]." As the title indicates, it's a study of seven legal cases in the Book of Mormon. Welch is trying to reconstruct Nephite law, which he tries to relate to biblical laws wherever possible. He notes that biblical laws "are rarely quoted in the Book of Mormon," so he is left with trying to identify "paraphrases of or allusions to biblical law." He also draws on extra-biblical sources from the ancient Near East and from the Talmud. But at the end of the day, he believes that "Nephite law was largely autonomous and independent" (Welch, Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, 34, 51–52).

I think it's fascinating the Hebrew Bible has laws but no cases, but the Book of Mormon has cases based on those laws.

I took a Coursera class on the Bible and the ANE and they said that it's possible laws weren't enforced, but only used to boost the King's prestige as just.

[Hamilton Porter]

2 hours ago, Nevo said:

Welch's book came out a few years after Jackson's article, but I don't think it would have made much difference.

I have Welch's book and like it, but I don't think anyone who has read it would describe it as "a 500-page book on the subject [of the Law of Moses in the Book of Mormon]." As the title indicates, it's a study of seven legal cases in the Book of Mormon. Welch is trying to reconstruct Nephite law, which he tries to relate to biblical laws wherever possible. He notes that biblical laws "are rarely quoted in the Book of Mormon," so he is left with trying to identify "paraphrases of or allusions to biblical law." He also draws on extra-biblical sources from the ancient Near East and from the Talmud. But at the end of the day, he believes that "Nephite law was largely autonomous and independent" (Welch, Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon, 34, 51–52).

That's over the head of a reductive troll.

[Pyreaux]

Some think some Mosaic laws and some feast days were meant for Levites only, later regimes imposed them upon every Israelite around the time Lehi left. I don't think the Nephites followed Deuteronomic Law, with multiple temple building. Deuteronomic "centralization” idea dictated the Israelites to worship YHWH not in the way the Canaanites did (Deut 12:4), i.e. in multiple places (which the Israelites are commanded to destroy), but only at His one chosen place (Deut 12:5-7).

[Hamilton Porter]

1 hour ago, Pyreaux said:

Some think some Mosaic laws and some feast days were meant for Levites only, later regimes imposed them upon every Israelite around the time Lehi left. I don't think the Nephites followed Deuteronomic Law, with multiple temple building. Deuteronomic "centralization” idea dictated the Israelites to worship YHWH not in the way the Canaanites did (Deut 12:4), i.e. in multiple places (which the Israelites are commanded to destroy), but only at His one chosen place (Deut 12:5-7).

Some things they did were obviously apostate, like (as you mentioned, temple building after the cult was centralized) and offering burnt sacrifices when they're not Levites.

But Richard Elliott Friedman said the law codes in the Pentateuch were all pre-exilic, and yhe Nephites were demonstrably at least aware of them.

[Pyreaux]

I'm reminded of various articles I've seen members write on how when the Nephites stay in their tents during King Benjamin’s speech was the Feast of Tabernacles.

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/why-did-the-nephites-stay-in-their-tents-during-king-benjamins-speech/

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Pyreaux

[Kenngo1969]

I have, but have not read fully yet, Don Bradley's The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing The Book of Mormon's Missing Stories.  My general impression from what I have read is that the Book of Mormon's character as a Mosaic text is much more apparent in the missing Book of Lehi than it is elsewhere, including in the text that we have today.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Kenngo1969

[Kenngo1969]

And then there's this, for what it's worth:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

Edited February 21, 2023 by Kenngo1969

[Hamilton Porter]

Stop making excuses and offer examples, like I did.

[Calm]

9 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

And then there's this, for what it's worth:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

You can trim everything after the question mark for a tidier look, btw…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

Edited February 21, 2023 by Calm

[Kenngo1969]

5 hours ago, Calm said:

You can trim everything after the question mark for a tidier look, btw…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

Thanks!  Done!  (You're welcome to do the same in your quote of me. )

[SeekingUnderstanding]

5 hours ago, Calm said:

You can trim everything after the question mark for a tidier look, btw…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

For what it’s worth, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/

You just need the dp/ASIN, where the ASIN is Amazon’s unique product identifier (similar to a UPC). Everything else is just tracking, or some attempt to track key words searched for etc. (said as an Amazon seller). 

[Calm]

22 minutes ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

For what it’s worth, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8FQ286/

You just need the dp/ASIN, where the ASIN is Amazon’s unique product identifier (similar to a UPC). Everything else is just tracking, or some attempt to track key words searched for etc. (said as an Amazon seller). 

Even better.  

[Hamilton Porter]

12 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

I'm reminded of various articles I've seen members write on how when the Nephites stay in their tents during King Benjamin’s speech was the Feast of Tabernacles.

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/why-did-the-nephites-stay-in-their-tents-during-king-benjamins-speech/

 

Great thank you.  

Everyone, please reply in this form:

Nephites were living the Mosaic law by___(a)_______ (BOM reference). ______(a)____ is found in (Mosaic book reference).

[Calm]

Quote

Everyone, please reply in this form:

Good luck with getting cats to jump through hoops…

What is your purpose in requiring so precise a response?

Edited February 21, 2023 by Calm

[blackstrap]

What about Abinadi's prophecy about King Noah dying in the same way Abinadi does? " Eye for an eye " law.  

Ya, probably aa stretch. 

[Hamilton Porter]

38 minutes ago, blackstrap said:

What about Abinadi's prophecy about King Noah dying in the same way Abinadi does? " Eye for an eye " law.  

Ya, probably aa stretch. 

No that's an ancient Near Eastern simile curse.

Here's an object (garment).

Do something to it (burn it in a furnace).

That's what's going to happen to Israel (or to Moab, or to you, or to whoever).

[Benjamin McGuire]

On 2/21/2023 at 10:37 AM, Hamilton Porter said:

Everyone, please reply in this form:

Nephites were living the Mosaic law by___(a)_______ (BOM reference). ______(a)____ is found in (Mosaic book reference).

Just a quick note - your little chart references Nehemiah in several places. Nehemiah is not only a post-exilic text, it claims to be a post-exilic text. So it cannot possibly be considered part of Mosiac Law. So why is it here, and why do the references matter? Beyond that, it's a lot harder to make an argument that involves some sort of continuity when on the one side, you seem to be pulling from very different places - it's almost like you are prooftexting ...