Should we follow the Torah since it is the first five books in the bible?

Question

Gramps,

Jesus Christ consistently asked his followers to follow the teachings found in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, specifically the books of Moses. We know that He fulfilled the law, but He never abolished it. Speaking to the Nephites, he told them, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill; For verily I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled.” Should we follow the Torah today?

Kyle

Answer

Kyle,

The origins of the Law of Moses are traditionally attributed to Moses and articulated most fully in Deuteronomy. The law shaped the lives of the ancient Israelites, providing both religious direction and a social covenant. As Hugh Nibley explained, “Deuteronomy is the definitive statement of the law by which Israel is supposed to live. That law was never rescinded, but only superseded by the higher law, which embraced and reinforced all its principles.”

The purpose of the Law was twofold: spiritual and practical. Spiritually, it set Israel apart, detailing how a covenant people should worship and behave. Practically, it structured everyday life, with commandments ranging from dietary restrictions to civil justice. The Pentateuch (or Torah), the five books traditionally ascribed to Moses, became foundational scripture, as did the prophetic and poetic writings that followed. Virtually all Jews in Jesus’ day accepted the divine authority of the Torah and revered its teachings, even as the precise canon of scripture was still evolving.

The Book of Mormon provides a fascinating parallel scripture: When Lehi’s family left Jerusalem, they brought with them scriptures containing “the writings of Moses”—the Pentateuch—as well as the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets. The record is clear: “There can be no question as to this record brought by Lehi’s colony from Jerusalem to America being identical with the Pentateuch of our Bible.” The Ten Commandments were seen as the summation of God’s law—awaiting the fuller revelation to come through Christ.

The ancient Nephites “followed [the law] to the letter because they could not receive higher law on any other conditions; it pointed their minds forward… Deuteronomy definitely is the plan, guide, and handbook for ‘success’ in this world; and as such, it is accepted as no other book by Israelis today.”

During His mortal ministry, Jesus’ relationship with the Law of Moses was complex yet consistent with the tradition of ancient Israel. As scholarly accounts confirm, “Jesus accepted, followed, interpreted, and taught the Hebrew Scriptures to his disciples… His teachings are, in large measure, an interpretation of the law.” Jesus was often called “Rabbi”—a title meaning “teacher of Scripture”—and engaged in debates with other Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees, about proper interpretation and practice.

Importantly, when asked about eternal life, Jesus responded by quoting commandments from the Law of Moses and emphasized the two greatest commandments: to love God (Deuteronomy 6:4) and one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). These were not new; rather, Jesus affirmed the continuing validity and ultimate intent of the law.

Even the so-called Antitheses of the Sermon on the Mount—where Jesus says, “You have heard it said… but I say unto you”—are not rejections of the law, but deeper clarifications of its true purpose. For instance, the prohibition against murder is expanded to include anger; the commandment against adultery is deepened to address lust. In all these, the deepest intentions of these laws, for Jesus, were to be followed, not simply their surface meaning. Jesus saw the Law as a direction from God about how to live and worship.

Early followers of Jesus, such as Paul and the other writers of the New Testament, did not discard the Law of Moses, but saw it as fulfilled in Christ. These Christians viewed Jesus not as the founder of a new religion that cast aside the old, but as the fulfillment of the ancient promises.

In the theology of the Church, understanding the Law of Moses is essential for appreciating the Restoration’s scriptural richness. The Church teaches that the Law of Moses was divinely instituted, preparatory, and ultimately superseded by the law of the Gospel through Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

The Book of Mormon is particularly forthright about this progression. The Nephites, for example, strictly observed the Law of Moses, but understood it as a temporary and symbolic system: The early Nephites knew that salvation did not come by the law of Moses, but they followed it to the letter because they could not receive a higher law on any other conditions; it pointed their minds forward. In this sense, the Law of Moses is not a rejected relic but a stepping stone toward higher knowledge and a relationship with God.

Significantly, the Church’s focus is on canonized scripture and modern revelation, not on apocryphal or “lost books” that did not become part of the scriptural canon. We don’t use these books in our church curriculum, but instead focus on canonized scripture and the teachings of modern prophets. LDS scholars and gospel enthusiasts use these apocryphal works in their personal and professional studies, and I think they’ve found great benefit from them… but in determining doctrine and teachings, they rely on the spirit of revelation.

This approach mirrors the process described by early Christian authorities: the authority to interpret and, where necessary, supersede ancient laws through living prophets and apostolic authority, guided by revelation.

So why should modern members of the Church concern themselves with the Law of Moses? The answer, according to prophetic and scholarly voices in the tradition, is that the Law acts as a mirror for our own spiritual journey: a reminder that divine teachings progress in accordance with our readiness to receive them.

The law’s emphasis on justice, mercy, purity, and the worship of God remains embedded in Christian and Latter-day Saint morality. As Abinadi taught in the Book of Mormon, the Ten Commandments “are expounded as the sum of the Law of Moses, and its relation to the whole plan of God for the salvation of men defined.”

Gramps