To the Intent that Ye Might Believe on His Name
Coming to Christ through Types, Signs, and Symbols of His Atonement
After leaving Jerusalem, for a time, the family of Lehi camped on the border of the Red Sea. They remained there during the experiences of obtaining the brass plates, going back to Jerusalem to win the hearts of the daughters of Ishmael. Also while camped there, Nephi received a great vision in which He was shown the life of Christ, from which much of the content of chapter 3 is drawn.
Having done all that was necessary for them to be ready for the journey to the wilderness, The Lord commanded Lehi that they should move forward in their progress toward the promised land. Though not stated, surely Lehi was willing to continue in their exodus, though he did not know the way they should go.
The next morning, a method of directing their travel was provided by The Lord. As Lehi 'arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness' (1 Ne 16:10). In great faith, they packed all their belongings and journeyed according the direction of this gift of God.
Over time, they began to understand the nature of this compass, which they called the Liahona. When the people were righteous and following the commandments of God, the compass directed them in a sure path toward their land of promise. When they were unfaithful, or slothful, or disobedient, the compass ceased to work, and they remained lost in the wilderness (see 1 Ne 16:28, 18:12). Only through continued obedience could they continue in their course, making their way toward the land which The Lord desired that they should go.
Several hundred years later, Alma taught his son Shiblon regarding this powerful gift given to their forefathers. Importantly, he hoped that his son would 'understand that these things were not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual. For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land... For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise' (Alma 37:43-45).
Truly, the words of Christ are available to all of us through His holy scriptures, His prophets, and the whisperings of His Holy Spirit and His servants to guide us through our lives. When we do not follow these words, we falter in life, we do not progress in our spiritual journey, and we become lost. If, however, we but give heed to these things, we will arrive in a coming day at the promised land, that of eternal life, which The Lord has prepared for us.
In addition to prophets, His Spirit, and angels, spoken of in the last chapter, God also teaches mankind of the atonement through signs and symbols. These are given to mankind in order to help them always look toward His sacrifice and better understand the atonement. Samuel the Lamanite predicted two great signs, the sign of the birth and the sign of the death of Christ, which would be given to the people. In referencing the purpose of these, and all other signs, he stated that they were given ‘to the intent that ye might believe on His name (Helaman 14:12). To the believers of Christ, greater signs would be given, ‘to the intent that they might believe that these signs and these wonders should come to pass upon all the face of this land, to the intent that there should be no cause for unbelief among the children of men’ (Helaman 14:28). These signs and symbols have been given to mankind from the fall of man to the present, that mankind might gain understanding of His gospel and come to Him.
As Many as Did Look Did Live
Though there were many other signs and symbols given to the descendants of Lehi throughout the Book of Mormon, one of the most important to this people actually did not occur among the people of the Book of Mormon. Rather, it occurred hundreds of years earlier with their Israelite ancestors under the direction of Moses. This occurred during the Israelite probationary state on the wilderness, while they were prohibited from entering the promised land for 40 years because of their wickedness. During this time, The Lord sought to 'straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten...there were many who perished.' Yet, The Lord in great mercy 'prepared a way that they might be healed' (1 Ne 17:41).
The Lord had Moses raise up a 'brazen serpent in the wilderness...and as many as [would] look upon that serpent [would] live' (Helaman 8:13-15). Though the means for their deliverance was established, 'there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished.' Why didn't the people simply look at the serpent? 'Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe it would heal them.' The way was provided, 'and many did look and live' (Alma 33:20). Yet, 'because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.' (1 Ne 17:41).
Just as Moses 'lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even [was Christ] lifted up... And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal' (Helaman 8:13-15). So often in life, when we are racked with the pain of sin, when the guilt of our actions becomes unbearable, and when all hope seems lost, we turn our back on Christ and His atonement, disbelieving that He can heal us. Christ, in His perfect love, stands with arms outstretched, anxious to remove the poison of sin from our hearts. If we but look to Him in faith, believing in His atoning sacrifice and coming to Him, He will heal our wounded souls and make us whole once more.
To Keep them in Remembrance of God and Their Duty Toward Him
As mentioned in the previous chapter, the law of sacrifice had been instituted from the fall of mankind. This law was the basis for the law of Moses, which was ‘given to the children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God; therefore there was a law given unto them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards Him’ (Mosiah 13:30).
As part of this law, mankind took the firstborn of their herds, an animal that was without blemish of any kind. This animal was taken and laid upon an altar in payment for sins which had been committed. During this process, the person offering the sacrifice laid his hands onto the lamb, symbolically transferring the weight of sin from himself to the perfect animal about to be sacrificed. Then, the blood of this animal was spilt, its life laid down in payment for the laws which had been broken. In this way, the animal symbolically acted as the means through which forgiveness can be received for sin, acting as restitution for the wrongs committed.
Importantly, this sacrifice is symbolic only, and, as spoken by the prophet Abinadi, ‘salvation doth not come by the law alone, and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of His people, that they must unavoidably perish notwithstanding the law of Moses’ (Mosiah 13:28). Instead, he taught them that the law ‘is a shadow of those things which are to come’ (Mosiah 16:14).
In a very real way, this act represents the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, who was perfect and without sin, yet who offered His life as a sacrifice for our sins. In reference to this great act of our Savior, Amulek taught that ‘it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice...And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice, and that great and last sacrifice will the the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal (Alma 34:13-14).’ The people kept the Law of Moses, providing them a constant reminder of the atonement of our Lord and Redeemer in the Meridian of time.
The Law of Moses was a central feature in the lives of the descendants of Lehi from the first pages of the Book of Mormon until Christ gave up His life on the cross of calvary. After leaving Jerusalem and establishing a temporary residence for his family, the first act of this great patriarch was to build an altar and offer sacrifice of gratitude to the Lord (see 1 Ne 2:7). From this moment on, the rites of the Law of Moses were continued by this people, with numerous references to sacrifices performed according as well as doctrinal discussions on the meaning of law (a few examples include 1 Ne 5:9, 7:22, Jarom 1:11, Mosiah 2:3, Alma 25:15-16, Helaman 12:1, and 15:5).
Although the descendants of Lehi practiced the Law of Moses just as those at Jerusalem, an important distinction arose among those on the American continent when compared to the Israelites: they understood the meaning of law. While the Jews missed the mark by 'hedging' up of the law in order to protect people from breaking this law, the Nephites studied and understood the purpose of the law. As a result, the righteous Nephites kept 'the law of Moses, and look[ed] forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto [them], and [they were] made alive in Christ because of [their] faith (2 Ne 25:24-25). This same chapter asserts that by teaching their children the true nature of the Law of Moses, they would not harden their hearts when the law was done away. While a few groups lost sight of the true meaning of the law, throughout the Book of Mormon there are references to the people keeping the Law of Moses with the intent of looking forward to Christ (e.g. see Jacob 4:5 and Alma 25:16). In stark comparison, because the Jews had lost sight of the meaning of the law, they ultimately rejected their Redeemer when He came to them.
Just as the people knew that the purpose of the Law was to help them look forward to the sacrifice of their Savior, they understood that, upon His coming, He would fulfill the Law through the shedding of His blood, making an infinite and eternal sacrifice for all mankind. In fact, there were some among the people of Nephi who, upon learning of the birth of Christ through the sign which was given, questioned whether the Law was already done away. As Christ had not yet offered Himself up as a sacrifice for sin, however, the law was not yet fulfilled and was maintained until the people experience the great sign of His death (see 3 Ne 1:25).
With the death of Christ, as the people sat in darkness, they heard the voice of The Lord, making it known to them that they 'shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings' (3 Ne 9:19). How was this change in the Law enabled? Said He, 'the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses. Behold, I am He that gave the law...therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end' (3 Ne 15:4-5). Christ offered up Himself, having lived a life without sin, and laid down His own life. In a very real way, just as the herds of the people of Israel had been offered up in payment for sin, Christ's blood was shed as an offering for the sins of all mankind.
Though the Law of Moses has been fulfilled, the law of sacrifice is an eternal law. Though we no longer are asked to shed the blood of the firstborn of the field, we are asked to 'offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit' (3 Ne 9:19 or 20). In following this law, we offer up in humility our will and our hearts to God. The payment for our sins is then laid upon Christ, who suffered and paid for the penalty for the sins of all. In this way, as we sacrifice our lives in following Him, we can become healed from the burden of sin and ultimately perfected in Him.
The Light of the World
As mentioned in the previous chapter, the birth of Christ was long-foretold to the people of Nephi. The prophet Samuel had declared that they would be given a sign whereby they might know of a surety that their Savior had come into the world.
Five years later, as predicted, the sign was given to the people: 'for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came...And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth...And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was midday. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given. And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word’ (3 Ne 1:15,17,19).
The cycle of day and night, having light to guide our way during the day, afterward experiencing the darkness of night as the sun sets, is much like the pattern that many of us encounter in our lives in our effort to become perfected in Christ. In times of heightened spiritual light and hope, we experience success and light, manifesting power and ability through Christ. Yet very often, hardships come, trials hedge up the way, and temptations lead us to falter. However, just as day always follows night, these times will pass, and the light of Christ will fill our lives once more. Even more significant, if we choose to rely on Christ during the dark hours of our life, we will be endowed with even greater spiritual strength when the dawn appears and casts out the shadows through which we struggled.
During this great sign, though, there was no darkness in the coming of night. Similarly, the coming of Christ represents to us a hope that, through Him, there can be everlasting light and life. He demonstrated that in a coming day, night will no longer darken our lives but that we can eternally live in His light. He is the Light of the World, and on that night He showed the people of Nephi that He could quench the darkness and bring light to their lives.
In addition, a new star appeared in the heavens for this people. Though cycle of day and night would return, He offered them hope that even in the darkest night, the light of His influence was still with them. They could look to the light of this star and know to whom they should look. They could have hope that the night of their lives would end, the sun would rise, and they would be filled with light once more. It is no wonder that, in response to this great sign, 'the more part of the people did believe, and were converted unto the Lord' (3 Ne 1:21).
In spite of the beauty and wonder of the sign of His birth, the people, over time, forgot their Savior and turned back to their wicked ways. Over the thirty-three years of Christ's life, this people started out nearly all converted to Him. Yet, they became increasingly wicked, until only a small number of the people believed in the coming of Christ. It was then that the people suffered the darkness of the sign of His death.
As Christ hung on the cross, His body ravished by the elements, so was the earth itself a victim ‘a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land. And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder’ (3 Ne 8:5-6)
Across the world in Jerusalem, Christ was judged and condemned to an agonizing death on the cross. As His body was pierced, so did the Nephites land groan with great quakings, and the whole land was broken up. Many of the wicked cities were sunk in this upheaval of the earth. As Christ’s side was pierced, letting forth blood and water, so were the most wicked of the Nephite cities covered in water. As Christ was ‘wounded for our transgressions’ and ‘bruised for our iniquities,’ (see Mosiah 14:5), the whole face of the Nephites land ‘became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quakings of the earth. And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land’ (3 Ne 8:17-18).
And finally, Christ cried with a loud voice, His spirit leaving His body, and the Light of the World leaving this world. Then, the Nephites people cried, for the land was then covered in impenetrable darkness. Until the third day, the Light of the World, the Savior of Mankind, the Lamb of God lay in the tomb, the world having rejected His light that He offered. So in the American continent, ‘there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness; And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly wood, so that there could not be any light at all; and there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land. And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them’ (3 Ne 8:20-23).
The Jews had rejected the Light of the World that had come to them, He who had offered them a more excellent way through His grace. And so, for three days as Christ lay in the tomb, the world suffered with His death. As the Life and Light of the World let out His final breath, the people of Nephi suffered, many in death, and all in darkness because the world had lost their Light.
Yet, at the end of this ordeal of darkness, Christ rose on the third day, and the vapors of darkness left the land. Light had returned to the people, and those righteous individuals remaining then gathered together at the temple of their God. They would no longer suffer in darkness, physical or spiritual, for they had come to their God, their Light, and their Life.
To these faithful saints, Christ provided the greatest sign of them all: visiting them and showing His wounded and now immortal body to them. For ‘it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was He, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come’ (3 Ne 11:15). Truly what a blessed people these individuals were, for they knew with certainty their Lord, their God, and their Light.
All Things Denote that there Is a God
Indeed, 'all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of Him' (2 Ne 11:4). So said Alma to the anti-Christ Korihor, who asked for a sign verifying the truth of the gospel: 'Thou hast had signs enough...ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets...The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote that there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator' (Alma 30:44).
To those who can look with an eye of faith, they will come to see a world that, in every way, testifies of the verity of the atonement of Christ They will see a world formed in majestic beauty by a God who loves His children. They will see purpose in the daily events of their lives as God shapes their days, this in order to help them continually to come to Him They will ultimately feel the enabling and ennobling power of the atonement enter into their lives, as they strive to come to Him. Truly, all things around us testify of God, of His divinity, and of His great love for the children of men.
God has done all in His power to help His children in coming to Him. He will never take away the agency of the children of men, but He guides through the whispers of the Holy Spirit, He uplifts through the ministering of angels, He leads through His holy prophets, He exhorts through His written word, and He calls righteous men of all beliefs. In this manner, He helps to enable men to come to Him. In addition to these, He provides for His people signs, symbols, and types through which they can better understand the majesty of the infinite atonement. Through all of these means of gaining access to Christ, our Father is doing everything within His power to prepare the way for mankind to come to Him, to change our lives, and become perfected in Him. Let us run into His outstretched arms and come to Him, that we may become all that He would have us become!