When one hears the words, "the Law of Moses," there's a tendency on the part of many people to associate that law with something very undesirable. . . .A program so far removed from what one would hope or expect to be associated with the gospel of Christ that some might wonder if there were any worth in it at all. Such a view of the Law of Moses is false.
The Law of Moses could not have an influence on a person's life unless that person had some measure and portion of the Spirit of the Lord in his life.All of the standard works, not just the Old and New Testament, teach of this law. A proper perspective of this law provides a meaningful dimension to gospel understanding.
The Doctrine and Covenants says that the Law of Moses consists of the preparatory gospel and the law of carnal commandments. The preparatory gospel includes the elements of faith, repentance and baptism.
We are counseled to "come unto Christ" which ultimately means to become Christ-like. The Lord has established a path to help us achieve that end. There are many significant steps along the way, all centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There are some fundamentals which open the door and set one on the path. These fundamentals are called the first principles of the gospel - faith, repentance, baptism. These are a part of the preparatory gospel, which is part of the Law of Moses.
Other scriptures include the law of sacrifice or the burnt offering as an integral part of the preparatory gospel.
The Doctrine and Covenants indicates that the Lord added something to these fundamental things. He described it in D&C 84:27 as the "law of carnal commandments." The purpose of the law of carnal commandments was to help the children of Israel focus on the basic fundamentals.
These two elements then - the preparatory gospel and the law of carnal commandments - were what have commonly come to be called the Law of Moses.
So to most accurately describe the Law of Moses, we would have to say that it was part, or contained the basic part, of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was never intended to be something apart, separated, or event in a sense, lower. It was simply to try to help the people with their focus and understanding. The scriptures help us to have a clearer perspective about this ancient law. . . .
The key to making the Law of Moses operative in the lives of the Israelites was keeping the spirit of the law. The law died when the people followed only the letter of it. Many have a tendency to equate the Law of Moses with the letter alone. This is an error. The law had spirit and power and it provided the spirit in their lives. . . .
When Christ is recognized in the Old Testament then comes understanding and a love of it!. . . .That is the key. There must be teachableness, meekness and humility.