David Rolph Seely

David Rolph Seely is associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.

At the beginning of time, Adam and Eve demonstrated for their posterity the proper way to worship. They "called upon the name of the Lord" (Moses 5:4) after leaving the Garden of Eden. In response to their prayer, the voice of the Lord "gave them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God" (Moses 5:5). Moses tells us that Adam and Eve were "obedient unto the commandments of the Lord" (Moses 5:5). They were commanded to "offer the firstlings of their flocks . . . [in] similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father" (Moses 5:5, 7), to repent of their sins, and to participate in other ordinances of the gospel, namely to receive baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost (see Moses 6:64–8). As Adam and his posterity called upon the Lord, the Lord blessed them. Moses records that a book of remembrance was kept that included inspired writings, and Adam and Eve’s children were blessed by being able to read the words contained therein (see Moses 6:5–6). And it is recorded that Adam and Eve "blessed the name of God" (Moses 5:12). These verses suggest that true worship of the Lord includes at least seven elements: (1) calling upon the Lord in prayer, (2) obedience, (3) sacrifice, (4) repentance, (5) ordinances, (6) reading and studying the word of the Lord, and (7) continuing to bless the Lord’s name.

These same principles were taught to the covenant people in the law of Moses. In the books of the Pentateuch, the Lord instructs Israel in regards to worship. Israel was commanded to continue to call upon the Lord in prayer. In Deuteronomy the Lord teaches, "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Deuteronomy 4:29). In the Psalms he said, "O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: . . . Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore" (Psalms 105:1, 4). The Old Testament gives many examples of people who call upon the name of the Lord: Abraham pleads for the preservation of Sodom (see Genesis 18:23–33), Hannah gives thanks for the birth of Samuel (see 1 Samuel 2:1–10), and Solomon dedicates the temple (see 1 Kings 8:12–53). Obedience was defined as becoming "holy" as God is holy. The Lord commands in Leviticus, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2), and the Lord blessed Israel with many commandments to help them in their quest for holiness.

The sacrificial system was greatly expanded at the time of Moses, as delineated in the book of Leviticus, to include the sin, trespass, and peace offerings in addition to burnt offerings, as further symbols of the atonement that was to come. Israel was taught to repent with a "broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart" (Psalms 51:17) accompanied by sacrifices and ordinances of purification to remind them of the atonement that made repentance possible. Many ordinances in addition to circumcision, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost were revealed to the children of Israel. Those ordinances included the sacrifices and rituals of purification as well as the observance of a whole series of festivals designed to help covenant Israel remember their God, their sacred history, and their covenantal relationship with him. In addition, the reading and study of the Law were legislated as a part of worship. For example, every seven years Israel was commanded to gather and read the entire Law (see Deuteronomy 31:10–2).

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