During His mortal ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ introduced the ordinances of the sacrament into the worship practices of the membership of His Church. After His resurrection, He introduced these ordinances to the members of His Church in the Americas. We may safely assume that He did the same during the time He spent with His additional sheep that were neither to be found in America nor in Palestine at that time (3 Nephi 16:1-3). By partaking of the blessed bread and the wine, members of His Church were able to renew the covenants they had made at the time of their baptism and confirmation. While in the modern Church, we partake of the blessed bread and water, the purpose of participating in these sacred ordinances is unchanged from that of Christ’s day.
If down through the ages since the time of Adam baptism and confirmation have been the only means by which the children of God have been able to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and accept His gospel, then by what means were His followers in ancient times able to renew their covenants made upon entry into the Kingdom? They did so through the ordinance of blood sacrifice. Saints of old looked forward to the time of Christ’s atoning sacrifice; the Saints during the meridian of time and of this dispensation look back to that event with the same reverence.
A thought concerning the subject of sacrifice is appropriate here. This is a complex subject of which I know but little of the particulars. Further study on this subject might profitably begin with a careful reading of the relevant entry in the Bible Dictionary found at the back of our Church sponsored publications of the Bible. For purposes of this writing, I have reference to only one form of blood sacrifice namely, the one practiced by members of Christ’s Church from the days of Adam down to the time of Christ’s ministry whereby they renewed their introductory covenants of baptism and confirmation.
A wonderful illustration of using blood sacrifice to renew gospel covenants is found in the scriptures reporting the preparations taken by those planning to attend the presentation of King Benjamin’s famous address: “And it came to pass that after Mosiah had done as his father had commanded him, and had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them. And there were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land. And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses; And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just men to be their teachers, and also a just man to be their king, who had established peace in the land of Zarahemla, and who had taught them to keep the commandments of God, that they might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men” (Mosiah 2:1-4).
Be careful and do not allow the phrase “that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses” throw you off track. The descendants of Lehi's emigration were all members of the tribe of Joseph according to the record. Indeed, no reference is made anywhere in the Book of Mormon of Levites playing a role in any of their societies and worship. Under those circumstances, none of them were living according to the dictates of or under the auspices of the Aaronic and Levitical Priesthoods. Thus it appears safe to assume that King Benjamin’s followers were not living by the carnal commandments inherent in the law of Moses given to the children of Israel after their fall in the wilderness. In fact, the writers of what became the Book of Mormon justify over and over again the conclusion that they possessed the fullness of the gospel made possible only through their exercise of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Those who responded to the call to hear King Benjamin’s address were to be taught gospel truths and called upon to repent of their sins. Having properly repented of past sins which would include asking God for forgiveness for their wrong doings, the people would have done what we have the opportunity to do in each sacrament meeting we attend through the partaking of the sacrament namely, they sought to renew their baptism and confirmation covenants through offering blood sacrifices.
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