What is the Higher Law?
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Some people think that the higher law is to love your neighbor and that the Law of Moses taught people to hate their enemies, but that’s not true. The Law of Moses taught Israelites to love their neighbors: Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19: 17, 18, KJV). The Pharisees recognized the two great commandments to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. What, then, was the higher law? Jesus taught with the authority of a higher priesthood, His own priesthood, which had the ability to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon people who were baptized. This gift enabled the righteous followers of Christ to have the commandments written on their hearts. They knew by the Spirit how to love, serve, and give. By “witnessing” Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection these disciples were personally inspired to live moral, unselfish, lives. They increased in the knowledge of God’s glory as they faced adversity and clung to their faith. The Law of Moses was all about sacrifice and repentance, which are foundational principles of Jesus’ gospel. Jesus’ law focuses on consecration. Each follower can consecrate him- or herself to be a true disciple by living a higher moral law and showing the same kindness Jesus did.