"1 And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord.
4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
5 And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord." (Leviticus 1:1–9)
"Sinners are forgiven through sin offerings of animals without blemish—Priests thereby make an atonement for the sins of the people.
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering.
4 And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the Lord.
5 And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:
6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the veil of the sanctuary.
7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8 And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
9 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,
10 As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.
11 And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,
12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
13 ¶ And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
14 When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.
15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord.
16 And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:
17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, even before the veil.
18 And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
19 And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.
20 And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.
21 And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.
22 ¶ When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;
23 Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:
24 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord: it is a sin offering.
25 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.
26 And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
27 ¶ And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty;
28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.
29 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.
30 And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.
31 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the Lord; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
32 And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.
33 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
34 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:
35 And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the Lord: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him." (Leviticus 4)
"How and when Aaron must enter the holy place is explained—Sacrifices are offered to reconcile Israel to God—The scapegoat carries away the sins of the people—The sins of all Israel are forgiven on the Day of Atonement.
1 And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died;
2 And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 ¶ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20 ¶ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29 ¶ And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.
31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses." (Leviticus 16)
"19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Nephi 9:19–20)
"34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days." (Doctrine and Covenants 64:34)
"7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth." (Moses 5:7)
"As we read the Old Testament, we sometimes find long passages about things that were clearly important to the Lord but may not feel immediately relevant to us today. Exodus 25–30; 35–40 and Leviticus 1–9; 16–17 are examples. These chapters describe in detail Israel’s tabernacle in the wilderness and the animal sacrifices to be performed there. The tabernacle was a portable temple, the Lord’s dwelling place among His people.
Our modern temples share similarities with Israel’s tabernacle, but they certainly don’t match its description in Exodus. And we don’t kill animals in our temples—the Savior’s Atonement ended animal sacrifice almost 2,000 years ago. Yet despite these differences, there is great value today in reading about ancient Israel’s forms of worship, especially if we see them as God’s people in the Book of Mormon did—as a way “to strengthen their faith in Christ” (Alma 25:16). When we understand the symbolism of the tabernacle and animal sacrifice, we can gain spiritual insights that will also strengthen our faith in Christ.
The Tabernacle Strengthens Faith in Jesus Christ
When God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle in the camp of the Israelites, He stated its purpose: “that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). Within the tabernacle, the presence of God was represented by the ark of the covenant—a wooden box, covered with gold, containing the written record of God’s covenant with His people. The ark was kept in the holiest, innermost room, separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a veil. This veil can symbolize our separation from the presence of God because of the Fall, as well as our way back to Him—through the Savior.
Other than Moses, we know of only one person who could enter that “most holy place” (Exodus 26:34)—the high priest. Like the other priests, he first had to be washed and anointed and dressed in sacred clothing symbolic of his office. Once a year, on a day called the Day of Atonement, the high priest would offer sacrifices on behalf of the people before entering the tabernacle alone. At the veil, he would burn incense. The scented smoke ascending to heaven represented the prayers of the people ascending to God. Then the high priest, carrying blood from an animal sacrifice, would pass through the veil and approach the throne of God, symbolized by the ark of the covenant.
Knowing what you know about Jesus Christ and His role in Heavenly Father’s plan, can you see how the tabernacle points us to the Savior? Just as the tabernacle, and the ark within it, represented God’s presence among His people, Jesus Christ was God’s presence among His people. Like the high priest, Jesus Christ is the Mediator between us and God the Father. He passed through the veil to make intercession for us by virtue of the blood of His own sacrifice.
Some aspects of Israel’s tabernacle may sound familiar to you, especially if you have been to the temple to receive your own ordinances. The temple is the house of the Lord—His dwelling place among His people. Like the tabernacle’s most holy place, the temple’s celestial room represents the presence of God. To enter, we must first be washed and anointed. We wear sacred clothing. We make covenants. We pray at an altar from which prayers ascend to God. And we finally pass through a veil into God’s presence.
Perhaps the most important similarity between modern temples and the ancient tabernacle is that both, if understood correctly, strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and fill us with gratitude for His atoning sacrifice. God wants all of His children to enter into His presence; He wants “a kingdom of priests” and priestesses (Exodus 19:6). But our sins prevent us from obtaining that blessing, for “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (1 Nephi 10:21). So God the Father sent Jesus Christ, our “high priest of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11). He parts the veil for us and empowers all of God’s people to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy” (Hebrews 4:16).
Today, the purpose of temples is more than obtaining exaltation for ourselves. After receiving our own ordinances and making covenants with God, we can stand in the place of our ancestors and receive ordinances on their behalf. In a sense, we can become something like the ancient high priest—and the Great High Priest—opening the way to God’s presence for others.
Sacrifice Strengthens Faith in Jesus Christ
The principles of atonement and reconciliation are taught powerfully in the ancient practice of animal sacrifice, which existed long before the law of Moses. Adam and Eve offered sacrifice. They understood its symbolic reference to the Savior’s sacrifice. And they taught this to their children.
The symbolism of animal sacrifice may have seemed especially poignant on ancient Israel’s Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur” in Hebrew). The need for this annual ceremony was expressed in Leviticus 16:30: “On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.” This allowed God’s presence to remain among the people. This atonement was accomplished through a variety of ceremonies. In one of these, a goat was killed as an offering for the sins of the people, and the high priest took the goat’s blood into the most holy place. Later, the high priest laid his hands on a live goat and confessed the sins of the children of Israel—symbolically transferring those sins to the goat. The goat was then driven out of the camp of Israel.
In these rituals, the goats symbolized Jesus Christ, taking the place of the sinful people. Sin must not be allowed in God’s presence. But rather than destroy or drive out the sinners, God provided another way—a goat would be killed or driven out instead. “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities” (Leviticus 16:22).
These rituals pointed to the way God has provided to bring us back into His presence—Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The Savior has “borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows,” even “the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4, 6). He stood in our place, gave His life to pay the penalty of sin, and then conquered death through His Resurrection. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the “great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast” but rather “an infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:10). He was the fulfillment of everything the ancient sacrifices pointed toward.
For this reason, after His sacrifice was complete, He said, “Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices … shall be done away. … And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:19–20).
So when you find passages in the Old Testament about sacrifices and the tabernacle (or, later, the temple)—and you’ll find a lot of them—remember that the primary purpose of it all is to strengthen your faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Connect what you read and learn with your worship in His house. Let your heart and your mind turn to Him. Ponder what He has done to bring you back into God’s presence—and what you will do to follow Him." (Thoughts to Keep in Mind: The Tabernacle and Sacrifice)
And here's the commentary entitled: "Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, I can be forgiven." :
"Much of the book of Leviticus may seem strange to us—animal sacrifices, rituals involving blood and water, and laws governing small details of life. But these rituals and laws were meant to teach principles that are familiar—repentance, holiness, and the Savior’s Atonement. To find these principles as you read Leviticus 1:1–9; 4; 16, consider questions like these:
What words or phrases do I find that remind me of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice?
What do I learn from these sacrifices about the Savior’s sacrifice?
How am I like the people who made these sacrifices?
The Lord doesn’t require animal sacrifices anymore. But sacrifice is still an important principle of the gospel. To learn about the kinds of sacrifice the Lord does require, study 3 Nephi 9:19–20; Doctrine and Covenants 64:34. How are you offering these kinds of sacrifices? What does Moses 5:7 teach you about how you should view your sacrifices?
See also “Thoughts to Keep in Mind: The Tabernacle and Sacrifice.”"
What words or phrases do I find that remind me of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice?
He shall offer it of his own voluntary will
It shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him
He shall kill the bullock before the Lord
The priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar
He shall flay the burnt offering
A young bullock without blemish
The priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation
What do I learn from these sacrifices about the Savior’s sacrifice?
The Savior offered Himself voluntarily. He was without sin. He's the only one qualified, so He was anointed to sacrifice His life for us. Through His sufferings and through His blood, which was spilt for us, we are able to receive forgiveness of our sins.
How am I like the people who made these sacrifices?
Just like the people who made these sacrifices, I am a sinner, and I need the Savior's sacrifice so I can be forgiven of my sins. I also need to remember that every time I sin, I am contributing to what Jesus Christ went through when He took upon Himself the punishment for my own sins--it's like whipping severely and killing the Lord on the cross again, just as flaying and killing the animal without blemish all over again. So, I need to repent daily and strive to become like my Savior--choose to align my life with His rather than give in to my natural tendency to sin.
How are you offering the kinds of sacrifice the Lord does require?
I am repenting daily. I am striving to leave my sins behind. I am striving for purity and cleanliness and choosing to align my life with the Lord more, so that the Spirit of the Lord is able to lead and guide me more than ever before. I am striving to serve the Lord more and help in building His kingdom with the resources He's blessing me with. I am striving to increase my own resources so that I will be able to use more of them in the service of the Lord.
What does Moses 5:7 teach you about how you should view your sacrifices?
My sacrifices are like the sacrifice of my Savior, Jesus Christ. If he had to sacrifice, and if Heavenly Father had to sacrifice His Only Begotten Son, I am also required to sacrifice.
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