Out of seventy souls, including the eleven sons of the Patriarch Jacob, who went down into Egypt at the behest of Joseph, another son who was already there, there grew a people who “increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty”; and filled the whole land with a goodly offspring. This caused a great fear to come upon Pharaoh, the King of that Land, who was new there and did not know Joseph. Pharaoh appealed to his people, saying: “Behold, the people of the Children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply....Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens....But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the Children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the Children of Israel to serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor.” (Exodus 1:7-14)
Many harsh measures were heaped upon the backs of God’s children, increasing their labor far beyond the possibility of its completion, thereby adding to their suffering and mental anguish. Even it was decreed by Pharaoh that all male children born of Israelitish parents should be cast into the River Nile.
“And it came to pass in process of time, that the King of Egypt died: and the Children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the Children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” (Exodus 2:23-25)
God called Moses to be an instrument in His hands for their deliverance. Both Moses and his brother, Aaron, at God’s command, presented themselves before Pharaoh many times, demanding that the Children of Israel be set free from bondage, that thereby they might worship, or serve, the God of their Fathers. Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not that they should go. Many times penalties, the most severe, settled upon the land and upon its inhabitants because of his refusal. At length, when other, what are called plagues, failed to soften his heart, or cause him to relent, the death of all first-born of both man and beast in all the Kingdom including those from Pharaoh down to the captive that was “in the dungeon,” together with the first-born of all cattle, caused him to yield. Fear came upon the Egyptians for they said: “We be all dead men,” so they urged haste in the Israelites’ departure. Pharaoh, too, was anxious that they depart quickly, “And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said: ’Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the Children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. And also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone;...” (Exodus 12:31-32)
“Now the sojourning of the Children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:40-41) In all there were more than 600,000 numbered among the Israelites besides women and children. (Ibid., 12:37)
It was a heterogeneous mass of humanity that made up the numbers of the Children of Israel; there were old and young. There were both male and female, infirm and whole; there were farmers and stockraisers who brought along with them their flocks and herds; there were fishermen who had plied their trade along the banks of the River Nile; there were makers of brick, and workers in brick and stone; there were carpenters and laborers of every kind. Altogether, in one grand effort, they formed the Army of Israel which was the Army of the Lord.
However, they were not united in their purpose as an army should be. Some sought glory; some for advantage over their fellows; some adventure, but most sought freedom to serve the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their different objectives disarranged their orderly advance. Notwithstanding that the power of God and His goodness in their behalf was manifested to them, they, at times, openly rebelled against Him. (Witness the incident of the Golden Calf.) Even some wanted to return to Egypt and to their former bondage. (Exodus 18:25;Deut. l:l5) and to be to them righteous judges. Their unity was the discipline of the rod, not the inspiration of their hearts.
The story of the famous Exodus of the Children of Israel has been told thousands of times, and thousands of times has God’s goodness to them and His watchful care over them been extolled. It reminds us of the 114th Psalm of King David wherein is accounted how the Lord prepared their way: “When Israel went out of Egypt, the House of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.” (See, Deut. 8: 15 )
Now, as we have noted, that from the very first, Israel was an obstinate and stiff-necked people. Often it refused to walk in the Lord’s path which had been shown to it, but chose different ways that led it along the road to degradation and sorrow. It was so imbued with the ideas and sympathies of the Egyptians that it could not shake itself free from its habits and customs. Only a few of the people could live the Gospel of Christ with its high moral standards. They understood not its spirit of love.
"...It was expedient that there should be a law given to the Children of Israel, yea, even a very strict law; for they were a stiffnecked people, quick to do iniquity, and slow to remember the Lord their God. Therefore there was a law give them, yea, a law of performances and of ordinances, a law which they were to observe strictly from day to day, to keep them in remembrance of God and their duty towards Him. But I say unto you, that all these things were types of things to come.
"And now, did they understand the Law? I say unto you, Nay, they did not all understand the Law; and this because of the hardness of their hearts; for they understood not that there could not any man be saved except through the Redemption of God. For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem His people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began-have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?
"Have they not said that God Himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon Him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth? Yea, and have they not said also that He should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that He, Himself, should be oppressed and afflicted? (Abinadi, Mosiah 13:29-35)
“And the Lord God hath sent His holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceeding great joy, even as though He had already come among them. Yet the Lord saw that His people were a stiffnecked people, and He appointed unto them a Law, even the Law of Moses. And many signs, and wonders, and types, and shadows, showed He unto them, concerning His coming; and also holy prophets spake unto them concerning His coming; and yet they hardened their hearts, and understood not that the Law of Moses availeth nothing, except it were through the Atonement of His blood.” (King Benjamin, Mosiah 3:13-15)
The Law of Moses was, we may say, prophetic. It commanded sacrifice, which was indicative of the great Sacrifice that was to be made. Its performances and ordinances were visible signs of the Messiah, Whose coming they foretold.
The Nephites were of Israel. All Israelites of ancient times were taught to accept the Law as their guide. It was emblematic of things to come. It pointed out the way to Christ, the Messiah, Whose coming they awaited. By faith they saw these things as though they had already happened. The Law thus promised Salvation to everyone who looked to Christ for Redemption. Faith in that which is to come is not unusual, nor is it strange. There is no doubt that faith imposes burdens, but its rewards are sure. All things are done by the power of faith. Israel, in the days of Moses, as now, walked by faith. Ancient Israel looked forward to His coming; we look back. Both visions are equally efficacious.
Passages from the Book of Mormon, showing the purpose for which the Law of Moses was given and its fulfillment, are made particularly clear by the following: “Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the Law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of Him.” (II Nephi 11:4)
“And notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the Law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the Law be fulfilled?” (II Nephi 25:24)
“For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of His glory many hundred years before His coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of His glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in His Name, and also we worship the Father in His Name. And for this intent we keep the Law of Moses, it pointing our souls to Him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness....” (Jacob 4:4-5)
“And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the Law of Moses.” (Mosiah 2:3)
“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. Now they did not suppose that Salvation came by the Law of Moses; but the Law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto Salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of things to come.” (Alma 25:15-16)
As many as have received Me, to them have I given to become the sons of God. In spite of the fact that He was rejected by His Own, and was crucified by them notwithstanding He sought only their good, Christ foretold of no retaliation for His evil reception by the Jewish hierarchy, but promised all who shall believe on His Name that they would become the sons of God
John, in his Gospel, says: “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” (John 1:12) Bible commentators on this important subject say that Christ gave to them that should believe on His name the right, or privilege, to become the sons of God. That is true. But not all the meaning of Christ’s promise is therein expressed. Words too often, somehow or other, fail to reveal the real meaning of a thought; they do not fully elucidate and explain it. They hide the sense they intend to convey under a mass of verbiage just as a beautiful flower is sometimes hidden underneath a growth of rank grass. This promise of our Lord is one of the fair and fragrant flowers of Christianity. It blossoms in our hearts. We not only have the privilege to become one among the sons of God, but also through the Atonement of Christ we have restored to us, and that literally, our rightful inheritance in His Kingdom as a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father, Who is God.
When we read the above-mentioned statement of John’s, we remember that the power Christ gave to those who believed on His Name was not like the power of a priest who can make an ecclesiastic, or the power of man that can make a just and an upright person, but that only a divine power from Heaven above, can make of a mortal one who is worthy to be called a son of God.
The best comments on this wonderful theme are those made by the Savior Himself, and some of His inspired servants. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read: “I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on My Name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in Me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in Me, that we may be one.” (D. & C. 35:2)