The Book of the Law of the Lord was the most important book of Scripture until lost shortly before the Babylonian Captivity (588 BC).  One copy was preserved and brought to this hemisphere in 600 AD by a Jewish Prophet.  In 400 AD his people had become wicked and were destroyed; but, the last Prophet buried the records.  It is from the copy of the Book of the Law contained in those records that a modern translation was made in 1851.

Every kingdom must have laws to prevent anarchy.  Throughout the Bible we are told, “Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.” (Lev. 22:31) “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10)

It is requisite to keep the laws of God for it is through obedience to the will and laws of God that we may be sanctified—that we may have hope of a better resurrection, of life during the Sabbath of Creation, and of inheriting the earth in its celestial glory for eternity.  The Book of the Law of the Lord was given to Adam.  A violation of one of those laws caused a terrible curse to fall upon his son Cain. Abiding by the law rendered Abraham Noah, Moses and others righteous in their generation.

These laws were carefully passed down from generation to generation in written format.  The Book of the Law was brought across the Great Flood by Noah and kept through his progeny to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It was evidently lost during the 400 years of captivity in Egypt .  Then, the Book of the Law was restored by Moses. “If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.” (Deut. 30:10) “In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” (Deut. 30:16)

Copies of the Book of the Law were made by Moses for the (Levitical) Priests to teach the people the ways of righteousness. God told Israel that Kings would be established in Israel and those Kings would teach out of copies of the Priests Book of the Law. “18 And it shall be, when he [future kings] sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them.” (Deut. 17)

  “8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.  And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.” (2 Kings 22)  “9 And they taught in Judah , and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah , and taught the people.” (2 Chron. 17)  The Bible continuously refers to the Book of the Law and to the necessity of the people living according to these laws.

The Bible makes reference to the Book of the Law over twenty times by name; and as the law of God hundreds of more times. The Book of the Law was the single most important book of Scripture. Before the Babylonian Captivity in 588 BC, the Prophet Jeremy took the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Book of the Law, and hid it until the time when Israel is gathered.

“4 It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God. 5. And when Jeremy came thither, he found an hollow cave, wherein he laid the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door. 6. And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but they could not find it. 7. Which when Jeremy perceived, he blamed them, saying, As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy.” (2 Mac. 2)

The Book of the Law was held to sacred to fall into the hands of the heathen, so all copies were destroyed.  The Babylonian Captivity began in 588 BC and lasted for seventy years. After the Babylonian Captivity, Israel attempted to re-write the Book of the Law; but, much of the law was lost. When the Septuagint translation was made, the Book of the Law was kept back, and the book was lost to the Jewish nation in the time that they were subject to foreign powers; and was therefore lost to the Gentiles.

One copy survived.  In 600 BC, a Jewish Prophet by the name of Lehi received a vision from the Lord that advised him of the coming destruction of Jerusalem .  He led his family into the wilderness where He told them they would be led to a Promised Land, a land which is choice above all others. Lehi was commanded to have his sons return to Jerusalem and retrieve the Scriptures to take with them. Among these there were plates of brass upon which was written the Book of the Law.  Afterwards, Lehi and his family were led for eight years to a place where they built a ship to travel to the Promised Land. They sailed for many days before reaching Zion .  They landed in Central America .

The family soon divided into a righteous and a wicked people.  The wicked continually came upon the other with many wars; but, the righteous were preserved and maintained with all the books they brought with them.  This continued until 400 AD when the righteous people turned from God and sought their own will and pleasures.  They were killed by the wicked including every man, woman, and child; except the last who was a Prophet of God and buried their records in a hill in what is now in the State of New York .

Two of these books were to be revealed in the last days.  “19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph [Book of Mormon], which is in the hand of Ephraim [Joseph Smith], and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah [Book of the Law], and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.” (Ezek. 37)  Joseph Smith was led by an angel of the Lord to the hill Cumorah where these ancient records were recovered.  He was permitted to translate only one of the books:  the Book of Mormon.

The people under Joseph failed to live by the will and commandments of God and Joseph was martyred on June 27, 1844 , while under the supposed protection of the Governor of Illinois. Joseph had given four revelations that in the event of his impending death that he would “appoint another” in his stead and that his successor would be ordained under the hands of angels the same as Joseph.  “4 But verily, verily, I say unto you, that none else shall be appointed unto this gift except it be through him; for if it be taken from him he shall not have power except to appoint another in his stead. 5 And this shall be a law unto you, that ye receive not the teachings of any that shall come before you as revelations or commandments; 6 And this I give unto you that you may not be deceived, that you may know they are not of me. 7 For verily I say unto you, that he that is ordained of me shall come in at the gate and be ordained as I have told you before, to teach those revelations which you have received and shall receive through him whom I have appointed.” ( Utah Doctrine and Covenants, Section 43)

On June 18, 1844, Joseph was caught up in a vision and understood that he was about to be taken; and was commanded to appoint James J. Strang in Burlington , Wisconsin as his successor.  He dictated the Letter of Appointment that night and mailed it from Nauvoo the next day.  The same hour that Joseph was murdered, James J. Strang claimed to have been ordained under the hands of angels to the same office held by Joseph (although he was 400 miles away).  The Letter of Appointment arrived by regular course of mail on July 9. It is in Yale University Library today.

The Book of the Law (one part of the records recovered by Joseph) was given to James by an angel of the Lord.  He translated and published it in 1851.  A second edition was printed on Beaver Island in 1856, containing notes by James. There have been three reprints.  The last was by Samuel E. West in 2000.  It is a word for word, line for line, and paragraph for paragraph copy of the 1856 Edition. Purchase information is below.

The Constitution of God’s law has been the Ten Commandments. With the loss of the Book of the Law, sectarian Christian churches were left with only the nine commandments in Exodus and Deuteronomy. They leave out the second greatest commandment given to man in their Ten Commandments.  “36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22)  If mankind would live by this commandment there would be no poverty, dissention, or wars.  This second greatest commandment was restored in Chapter One of the Book of the Law—the Decalogue.

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: thou shalt not revile him, nor speak evil of him, nor curse him: thou shalt do no injustice unto him; and thou shalt maintain his right, against his enemy:  thou shalt not exact rigorously of him, nor turn aside from relieving him: thou shalt comfort him when he mourns, and nurture him when he sickens: thou shalt not abate the price of what thou buyest of him, for his necessity; nor shalt thou exact of him, because he leaneth upon thee: for in so doing thousands shall rise up and call thee blessed, and the Lord thy God shall strengthen thee in all the work of thy hand.”

What of the first and greatest commandment?  It is not possible to have faith in God to salvation without a correct understanding of His attributes, character, and perfections. These are covered in Chapter Two.  Joseph Smith and James J. Strang both taught from the Bible and contrary to the pagan Trinity and Virgin Birth.  The unbaptized, pagan Roman Emperor Constantine organized the modern Christian church (Catholic Church).  He stood as the absolute head of the Christian Church.  He brought these pagan doctrines into Christianity in 325 AD.  He was a loyal follower of the sun god and even changed the Sabbath to “the venerable day of the sun.”

The Sabbath was sanctified by God at the end of this creation; and is to remain as a perpetual covenant. “16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Ex. 31) “27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ... 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3) These errors are corrected in the Book of the Law; which was originally written by the finger of God. “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) It is not possible to have faith unto salvation without a correct understanding of the attributes, character, and perfections of God.  Chapter Two provides this understanding.

“16. God alone is one. There are choirs of angels, hosts of spirits; and multitudes of men: but God hath no fellow. A great King, is to him as the unseen spawn before the monsters of the deep; Methusalah, as the ephemera of a day: the most glorious spirit, is bodiless, and a breath. And the Lord Jesus, who created the earth, and the heavens; possesseth but a speck, amid the stars he made. He alone is one. Thou shalt love him with all they heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Thou shalt adore him, and serve him, and obey him; and beside him, thou shalt have no other God:  for he alone hath immortality, and omniscience, and omnipotence, and omnipresence. He alone is one; and they who obey his law, shall be like him.” (Book of the Law, p. 63)

God established a plan of salvation before Adam walked on the earth. “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” ( Rom. 1) “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” (1 Thess. 1:5)  The Book of the Law provides the word of the gospel and also the power of the gospel.

The word of the gospel includes faith, repentance, baptism of water and the Holy Spirit, and the holy Eucharist.  “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God .” (John 3:5)An understanding of these comes only through personal revelation. “And I fell at his feet to worship him.  And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10)

The power of the gospel is the divine priesthood that is called of God.  “And no man taketh this honour [of the priesthood] unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” (Heb. 5:4) “ 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Acts 1) One can only be ordained by one already holding at least as high an office in the kingdom.

No kingdom can survive without officers. There are only two orders of the priesthood (officers) noted in the Bible: the Aaronic/Levitical and the higher Melchisedec.  The Book of the Law and the Bible teach us that no one can enter the kingdom of God without the administration of the Melchisedec Priesthood. Jesus organized the kingdom in His day with all of these officers. “11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists [high priests]; and some, pastors [elders] and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Eph. 4)

The Book of the Law provides direction for almost every element of our lives.  It is the guide to assure that we are living by the will of God.  The day is soon at hand when Jesus will return, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 1) Jesus will stand as King over the whole earth and the Book of the Law will be known by all. “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:2)

“6. Though God founded his government in love, and made that the chief sanction of his law, we are not allowed for one moment to imagine that he will not punish sin, or that he will look upon it with any degree of allowance. 7. For in the same breath he tells us that he is a jealous God, visiting iniquity on all that hate him; not as some have said, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their innocent children; but upon their children who abide in their sins.” (James J. Strang, Book of the Law, p. 19)