Monday, December 16, 2019

Alma 25:15 and the "Expediency" of Keeping the Law of Moses


In Alma 25:15, we read:

Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled. But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them.

In other words, the people, notwithstanding their explicit knowledge that the Law of Moses would be abrogated with Christ’s then-future death and resurrection had to keep the Law of Moses, being on the Old Testament side of the atonement of Jesus Christ. In other words, they were saved (by their baptism, faith in Christ, and perseverance to the end) “after all they could do” (i.e., the keeping of the Law of Moses”) to borrow the language from 2 Nephi 25:23.

For a fuller discussion of the Law of Moses and Book of Mormon soteriology before the abrogation of the Law of Moses, see: