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Nephite burnt offerings
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Contents
Were Nephite burnt offerings not consistent with Jewish law or practice?
Questions
It is claimed that the Book of Mormon report that Nephites offered burnt offerings of the firstlings of their flocks is not consistent with Jewish law or practice.
To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, [[../CriticalSources|click here]]
Answer
While firstlings were not used for every sacrifice, they certainly did have a role in the sacrificial practices of Israel. The critics have misunderstood the Bible on this point.
Detailed Analysis
The critics have misunderstood the biblical practice:
- It is true that firstlings (the first lambs or calves born to their mothers) were not used for the normal burnt offering. However it is a mistake to think that they were not sacrificed at all. Under Mosaic law as given in Exodus 13:12 and 15 the firstborn of flocks and herds were dedicated to the Lord and were to be given to the Levites for their use. Other Israelites were forbidden to use them for work or economic gain (see Deuteronomy 15:19—20). On appointed occasions, the people were to take those firstlings to the temple where they would be slain as sacrifices. Deuteronomy 12:5—6 commanded that to the designated sacrificial altar "ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes . . . and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks." Their blood was to be sprinkled on the altar and their fat burned (see Deuteronomy 18:17—18). What was left of the meat then was given to the individual making the offering for him and his family to eat in a specified place (see Deuteronomy 15:19—20). Thus we see that the statement in the book of Mosiah that firstling animals were brought to the temple in Zarahemla and sacrificed is not contrary to the commandments given to Moses.[1]
More detail is available on-line.[2]
== Notes ==
- [note] Anonymous, "Book of Mormon Answers:Authority to sacrifice among the Nephites? Did the Nephites sacrifice first-born animals contrary to the law of Moses?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 8/1 (1999). [71–71] link
- [note] For a more detailed discussion, see section entitled "Firstlings, Sacrifices, and Burnt Offerings," in Matthew Roper, "A Black Hole That's Not So Black (Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book, vol. 1 by Jerald and Sandra Tanner)," FARMS Review of Books 6/2 (1994): 156–203. off-site