"And notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled; for, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ, because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments; and we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. Wherefore, we speak concerning the law, that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward to the life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given. And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him, when the law ought to be done away."—2 Nephi, xxv, 24-27.
Which agrees with the statement of Paul: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
So firm a foundation having been laid for the faith of the Nephite people, we find that in every period of their history they retained their reverence for the law of Moses, though disputations sometimes arose, by reason of iniquity, with regard to its symbolism or its saving quality. The apostates, who separated themselves from the Church, occasionally fell into the grievous error ef exalting the law above the Gospel, and, whilst maintaining its divine origin, they ignored its typical value and denied that it was a preparatory system leading to a higher, holier and more perfect law; they refused to recognize it as a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. The first of these apostacies occurred in the days of Jacob, the brother of Nephi. With regard to the people in general, he writes:
"Behold, they believed in Christ and worshipped 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, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness, to be obedient unto the commandments of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his only begotten Son."—Jacob, iv, 5.
But while the majority of the Nephites fully recognized these saving truths, there arose a man named Sherem, who disputed and denied that the law pointed the souls of men to Christ, as the great Propitiator for sin and the Redeemer of the world.
This Sherem declared unto the people that there should be no Christ, and his flatteries and sophistries led away many people. Of him and his doings Jacob writes:
"And it came to pass that he came unto me; and on this wise did he speak unto me, saying: Brother Jacob, I have sought much opportunity that I might speak unto you: for I have heard and also know, that thou goest about much, preaching that which you call the gospel, or the doctrine of Christ; and ye have led away much of this people, that they pervert the right way of God, and keep not the law of Moses, which is the right way: and convert the law of Moses into the worship of a being, which ye say shall come many hundred years hence. And now behold, I, Sherem, declare unto you, that this is blasphemy; for no man knoweth of such things; for he cannot tell of things to come. And after this manner did Sherem contend against me. But behold, the Lord God poured in his Spirit into my soul, insomuch that I did confound him in all his words. And I said unto him, Deniest thou the Christ who should come? And he said, If there should be a Christ, I would not deny him; but I know that there is no Christ, neither has been, nor ever will be. And I said unto him, Believest thou the scriptures? And he said, Yea. And I said unto him, Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you, that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ. And this is not all: it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know, if there should be no atonement made, all mankind must be lost."—Jacob, vii, 6-12.
Somewhat similar was the argument that took place between the martyr Abinadi and the apostate priests of the iniquitous Noah, king of the land of Lehi-Nephi. They officiated in the Temple, observed the outward forms of the Mosaic law, but revelled in licentiousness, covetousness, gluttony and all manner of iniquity. To them was Abinadi sent to warn them and their king of the results of their mutual wrong doing. In the account of this mission of Abinadi we read that he said:
"Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, What teach ye this people? And they said, We teach the law of Moses. And again he said unto them, If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon riches? Why do ye commit whoredoms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and cause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy against this people, yea, even a great evil against this people? Know ye not that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God. And it shall come to pass that ye shall be smitten for your iniquities: for ye have said that ye teach the law of Moses. And what know ye concerning the law of Moses? Does salvation come by the law of Moses? What say ye? And they answered and said, that salvation did come by the law of Moses. But now Abinadi said unto them, I know if ye keep the commandments of God ye shall be saved; yea, if ye keep the commandments which the Lord delivered unto Moses in the mount of Sinai."—Mos., xii, 27-33.
He then rehearsed to them the commandments; after which he again inquired: