“In the Service of Thy God”

Alan C. Miner

According to John Welch, when Lehi dedicated his son Jacob to spend all his days "in the service of thy God" (2 Nephi 2:3), it seems likely that he was prophesying of Jacob's consecration as a priest (see 2 Nephi 5:26) and of his future temple service, for the Hebrew words for service (avodah, sharat) often appear in phrases such as "the service of the tabernacle" (Exodus 30:16), "service in the holy place" (Exodus 39:1), and the "work of the service of the house of God" (1 Chronicles 9:13). In addition, by calling Jacob his "firstborn" in the wilderness (2 Nephi 2:1-2,11), Lehi appears to allude to another aspect of the law of Moses: "The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me" (Exodus 22:29). [John W. Welch, "The Temple in the Book of Mormon," in Temples of the Ancient World, pp. 321-322]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

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