The Things I Write About

It begins with the high priest going through at meticulous cleansing process. The high priest is to go to the holy place of the tabernacle with a “young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.” (Leviticus 16:3). He is clean is body and put on holy linen clothing. Once he has offered the sin and burnt offering for himself, he is then to make a sin offering and a burnt offering on behalf of Israel. This involves two kid goats for a sin offering and one ram. He offers the two goats symbolically before the Lord “at the door of the tabernacle” (Leviticus 16:6). One goat will be offered as a sin offering for Israel, and the other will offered to the Lord as a scapegoat. Once he makes the sacrifices for himself, he is to “take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward: and before the mercy seal shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times” (Leviticus 16:14). The sprinkling of the blood in the holy place of the temple is symbolic to the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood cleanses each of us from our sins. Once this is done the high priest is cleansed and able to perform the cleansing rituals for Israel.

To make the atonement for the children of Israel, the high priest then kills the goat for the sin offering. The blood of the goat is then brought to the veil and sprinkled at the mercy seat in the same manner as the bullock. Once he has reconciled the people of Israel through the sin offering, the high priest brings the scapegoat to the altar. There he lays his hands upon the head of the goat, and confess all the sins of Israel. Then the scapegoat is lead into the wilderness by a man appointed by the high priest. Once the high priest is done, he removes his holy garments and leaves the holy place in the tabernacle.

Aaron who was the high priest at the time needed to make atonement for himself before he made the atonement for the people. He needed to do this because Aaron was symbolically the Savior, and must be cleansed from his own sins to atone for the sins of others.

The use of the two goats was also symbolic. The first goat was symbolic to the Savior being sacrificed for the sins of the world, and the scapegoat was symbolic to the adversary being cast of the presence of the Lord. Thus its exile was symbolic of the people of Israel exiling their sins and influence of the adversary.

Both goats represent Jesus Christ and the atonement he made for each of us. The first goat was sacrificed as a type of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the scapegoat represented the liberty of sin that His atonement makes possible for us.

The duties of the high priest are symbolic to the duties of the Savior as well. Only Jesus Christ had no need to purify himself first because he had no sin. The man who was appointed to lead the scapegoat out of the wilderness represents the Lord’s appointed servants. They direct and lead the church through the authority given to them by the Savior. Our current leaders are the prophet, sears, and revelator’s of our time; President Thomas S Monson, and the members of the first presidency and quorum of the twelve apostles.

The ritual “Day of Atonement” is an example of vicarious work done for the benefit of another. The high priest vicariously atoned for the sins of Israel. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was also done vicariously. Vicarious means to be done by another. Jesus Christ atoned for sins on our behalf. Elder James E Talmage said “God has never refused to accept an offering made by one who is authorized on behalf of those who are in any way incapable of doing the required service themselves.” For a person’s sins to be forgiven they must humble themselves. By repenting of their sins, rejecting their sins, and making all possible recompense, a person qualifies themselves access to the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.