This section may be called “the Lamb Section” because the word “Lamb,” referring to Christ, occurs 59 times. The word “Lamb” is only found thirteen times elsewhere in the Book of Mormon. [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 14:24] [Zarahemla Research Foundation, Study Book of Mormon, p. 19]
“He Should Behold and Bear Record That He Had Baptized the Lamb of God”
According to Robert Matthews, the accounts given in Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell of John’s preaching to “prepare … the way” for the Lord, whereas the fourth Gospel emphasizes that John came to “bear witness” of the Lord. Matthew, Mark, and Luke deal with John’s ministry before he baptized Jesus, and therefore emphasize preparing the way, while the fourth Gospel deals with John’s ministry after he baptized Jesus, and hence the emphasis on being a witness.
An analysis of John the Baptist’s words leaves one impressed with his extensive knowledge of the gospel and the wide range of gospel topics which are found in his teachings. Martin Luther felt that except for Jesus and possibly Paul, John the Baptist was better informed on the Old Testament than any other personality in the New Testament. Indeed, the Inspired Version by Joseph Smith projects an even greater image of John, especially with regard to the scope of his gospel knowledge (see JST Matthew 3:27-32; 3:33-36, 38-41, 45-46; 11:12-14; 17:9-14; Mark 1:5-6; 9:3, 9-11 Luke 3:3-11, 13, 17-20; 16:17-21; John 1:6-9, 15, 20-33; 3:26-36). John came both as a forerunner to prepare the way before the Lord and also as a witness that Jesus is the Messiah, and what we have of John’s teachings are directed primarily to these ends. To prepare the way before the Lord and bear a witness of him required that John have considerably more to say than simply to mention the fact that the Messiah was coming. He was divinely commissioned to “overthrow the kingdom of the Jews,” and “prepare … [a people] for the coming of the Lord” (D&C 84:28). An adequate testimony must include something about the purpose of the Messiah’s coming, the work that he would do, the significance of that work, and something of the laws and principles pertaining to his kingdom. If such were not the case, then what was the need of the pre-earth appointment of the forerunner, the frequent mention of him in prophecy, the specific earthly lineage, the special ordination by an angel, and the years of training and preparation prior to the forerunner’s public ministry? The responsibilities of John’s divine commission included a proclamation of the laws and principles of the gospel as well as the announcement that the Messiah was among them in person. In addition to sealing this testimony concerning these things with his life, John also prepared a written record (see D&C 93:6-18). [Robert J. Matthews, A Burning Light: The Life and Ministry of John the Baptist, pp. 35, 45-78]
“The Lamb of God”
John Tvedtnes reports that according to the writings of Theodor Reik and Karl Abraham, the prayer shawl, or tallith, worn by Jews during certain prayers, is actually a representation of the sacrificial ram.
Though often made of silk, the prayer shawl is ideally made of sheep’s wool, and some worshipers prefer the wool of lambs raised in the Holy Land. The rectangular shawl has tassels (zizzith) attached to each corner, each tassel consisting of four white and four blue threads and bound together by knots formed by the longest thread. Reik suggest that “the tallith, made from the wool of a ritually clean animal, might be the substitute for the fleece of a ram, originally roughly cured and worn by the Hebraic tribes. The zizzith would then allude to the animal’s four legs, and the knotting of the many threads would represent the joints,” to which [Tvedtnes] adds that the blue threads may have originally represented the veins running through the legs.
Reik concludes that wearing the tallith, a garment sacred to the Jews, was originally intended to identify the wearer with the God of Israel.
To the Christian--and to Latter-day Saints in particular--this would suggest that the wearer “put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27; compare Romans 13:14), thus representing “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). or to “The Lamb of God who should take away the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 10:10)]. When, therefore, the priests wore the prayer shawl and raised their arms to bless the people, they unknowingly symbolized the Messiah too. [John A. Tvedtnes, “Temple Prayer in Ancient Times,” in The Temple in Time and Eternity, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 86-87]
John Tvedtnes notes that the tallith today is usually an undergarment covering the chest and upper back, worn by Orthodox Jewish men. For certain prayers, however, a larger version is worn draped over the head (hence the term “prayer shawl”). According to Jewish tradition, this tallith is at least dated back to the time of Noah and Shem. Anciently, it also appears to have been a long garment. [John A. Tvedtnes, “Priestly Clothing in Bible Times,” in Temples of the Ancient World, p. 659]
1 Nephi 10:10 (The Tallith--Priestly clothing representing the Lamb of God) [[Illustration] Figure 53. In this Dutch engraving of 1725, the worshiper wears the tallith over his three-corner hat. The “prayer shaw” has four embroidered corners from which hand the tzitzith, consisting of eight threads and five knots each. He wears tefellin, or phylacteries, on his left hand and forehead. [John A. Tvedtnes, “Priestly Clothing in Bible Times,” in Temples of the Ancient World, p. 660]
“The Lamb of God”
According to Joy Osborn, in the Old Testament, the Lord is never referred to as the “Lamb of God,” yet the Book of Mormon repeatedly refers to the promised Messiah as the “Lamb of God.” Herein lies a bit of evidence which verifies the fact that these Nephite descendants of Joseph did, indeed, have the writings of the ancient prophets with them, and especially the writings of Joseph.
Though he is never referred to as the “Lamb of God” in the Old Testament, prophecies of Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, as the sacrificial Lamb of God are clearly seen in the rituals and sacrificial beliefs of ancient Israel. Moses is instructed by the Lord to call and set Aaron and his sons apart as priests over Israel. A “firstling of the flock” - “without blemish” was to be offered up as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of Israel. Then there was to be a “scapegoat” who would carry away on his head the sins of Israel. This was symbolic of and in anticipation of the Lamb of God who would become the “scapegoat” and take upon himself the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:21-22)
Several hundred years later after Israel had been divided into two separate nations, the northern House of Israel - Joseph, and the southern House of Judah became a wicked people. They turned away from the God of Israel and began to worship Baal - the god of the Canaanites. The former sacrifice of an unblemished lamb evolved into the cruel sacrifice of their children to the god Moloch. In their wickedness, belief in the God of Israel and the promised Messiah as the Lamb of God was lost.
That the ancient prophets had known, and prophesied of the Savior as the Lamb of God, is seen in the references to Jesus as the Lamb of God in the New Testament. The apostle John wrote that when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he declared: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Later, the apostle Peter describes Jesus as a “lamb without blemish” who was foreordained to his calling before the foundation of the world:
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1 Peter 1: 18-20)
Then, in the Book of Revelation, the apostle John sees the final judgments that will come upon the earth, and describes the honor, praise, and glory that is bestowed upon the Lamb of God and his worthy followers, as they stand before the throne of God.
John sees that Babylon the Great “shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14). In Revelation, Chapter 21, John sees the “holy city” - the new Jerusalem “descending out of heaven from God,” and none shall enter in “but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
In the Book of Mormon both Nephi and his father Lehi were shown visions of the birth of the Messiah and his mission here on earth. Both were shown that a prophet would be sent to “prepare the way of the Lord” that he would baptize the Messiah with water, and would bear record “that he had baptized the Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world” (1 Nephi 10: 10, 11:27).
Joseph Smith’s critics were quick to point to this as proof that he was simply plagiarizing from the Bible. Yet, Lord Kingsborough, in his Mexican Antiquities, stated: “The Aztecs have a tradition of a God suffering and crucified named Quetzalcoatl, and of one preceding Him to prepare the way and call them to repentance.”
Why did the descendants of Joseph, who kept the records found in the Book of Mormon beginning in 600 B.C., refer so frequently to the promised Messiah as the Lamb of God, while the descendants of Judah in the Old Testament fail to refer to the Messiah as the Lamb of God, and only once even refer to him as the Messiah? (See book of Daniel) And why did these Nephite prophets, descendants of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh, constantly refer to the promised Messiah as the Lamb of God, and identify him as the one who should take away the sins of the world?
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi, who has already stated that they have the writings of Joseph with them, prophesies of the coming of the Messiah in almost the same exact words spoken by Joseph so many years earlier in ancient Egypt. In the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, in the Testament of Joseph, Joseph tells of a dream in which he saw that a virgin from the tribe of Judah would give birth to the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world:
And I saw that a virgin was born from Judah, wearing a linen stole; and from her was born a spotless lamb… . And the angels and mankind and all the earth rejoice over him… . You, therefore, my children, keep the Lord’s commandments; honor Levi and Judah, because from their seed will arise the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world, and will save all the nations, as well as Israel. (Testament of the Patriarchs, Testament of Joseph, 19:8-11)
The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, including the Testament of Joseph, was not available to Joseph Smith when he translated the Book of Mormon from the ancient record on the gold plates written by Mormon. Yet we now know ancient Israel once accepted them as authentic canon. And Biblical scholars tell us that Jesus, himself, quoted from the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs.
This helps us understand why the Nephite descendants of Joseph so frequently referred to the future Messiah as the Lamb of God, whereas the Old Testament, as we have it today, never referred to the future Messiah and Christ as the Lamb of God. This again gives support to the Book of Mormon statement that many plain and precious parts had been removed from ancient Israel’s scriptures.
According to Nephi’s record, they had the writings of Joseph with them when they fled from Jerusalem about 600 B.C. The Mayas of Central America and Mexico say their ancient ancestors came from across the sea and brought their Scriptures with them when they came.
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the caves of Qumran, we find the Essene’s had scrolls containing the writings of Isaiah, as well as the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs.
Then the most important piece of evidence to support the fact that writings of Joseph would have been available to these descendants of Joseph when they fled from Jerusalem, as described in the Book of Mormon, can be found in The History of the Church, written by Eusebius, who is recognized as the Father of Early Church History, which shows that the early Christians recognized the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs as a part of the Old Testament scriptures of ancient Israel. In this Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, we find the Testament of Joseph and the Testament of Benjamin. Both describe the coming Messiah as the Lamb of God. This explains why Lehi, Nephi, and the other Book of Mormon prophets so frequently referred to the coming Messiah as the Lamb of God and establishes the fact that these Book of Mormon prophets did actually and truly have the writings of Joseph with them. [Joy M. Osborn, The Book of Mormon -- The Stick of Joseph, pp. 265-270]