Who ordained Moses to be a prophet in the bible?

In the Bible, who appointed Moses to be a prophet?

Jethro ordained him to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Moses was called from a burning bush to return to Egypt to lead the children of Israel from bondage. (See Ex. 3.)

Who ordained Moses to be a prophet in the bible?

Jethro gave Moses the Melchizedek Priesthood and probably told him about the coming Messiah at the same time. (D&C 84:6.) About the time he turned 80, Moses was taking care of his flocks when the Lord spoke to him from a burning bush. He told him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and told him that he was the great I Am.

Third, from age 80 to 120, he was in the Sinai desert. After seeing the burning bush, Moses went back to Egypt. With a lot of hard work and the Lord’s help through 10 plagues, he was able to get Israel out of Egypt and into the Sinai peninsula.

After the “burning bush,” which happened when he was about 80, two very dramatic things happened: the “passover” of the angel at death, who spared everyone who had faith and put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts, and the “parting of the Red Sea,” which allowed Israel to leave Egypt.

In the time between these two events, Moses had the amazing visions that are written about in the book of Moses. (1:17-26.) In these visions, Moses learned more about God’s glory, the many worlds he made, God’s purpose and work, and the work the Only Begotten would do in the future. He also learned that Satan didn’t have any glory, that he claimed to be the “Only Begotten,” and that he had evil power. This set of visions used to be in the sacred records, but they were taken and lost until the Bible was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Out in the wild

Moses tried to get the people ready to go to Canaan, the promised land, soon after they left Egypt, but they were not spiritually or emotionally ready. He also tried to teach them the whole gospel and bring them into God’s presence, but they were not spiritually ready for either of these things.

Only through later revelation do we know that the writing on the stone tablets at Sinai contained the higher ordinances of the priesthood and the gospel of Christ. However, because Israel would not listen, a second set of tablets were given that contained the law of carnal commandments, the law of Moses, instead of the higher law. (JST Ex. 34:1-2; JST Deut. 10:1-2.) The Melchizedek Priesthood was in charge of the first law, while the Aaronic Priesthood was in charge of the second law.

Moses led the Israelites for 40 years, getting them ready to cross the Jordan River and enter the “milk and honey” land that God had promised them. He couldn’t come in with his people, which has led to a lot of confusion. Some Bible passages seem to say that it was because the Lord was mad at Moses. (Num. 20:1-12; Deut. 3:24-28; 31:2.) But later revelation shows us that Moses was taken up to heaven. (Alma 45:19; D&C 84:25.)

It doesn’t make much sense that the Lord would not let him into Canaan because he did something wrong, but he could be translated, which is a greater blessing. A better reason why Moses didn’t go into Canaan is that the people no longer needed him to lead them. D&C 84:20–25 tells us more about this. He was taken to heaven so that he could have a body of flesh and bones and give Elijah, who was also taken to heaven, the keys to the priesthood on the Mount of Transfiguration, as Matthew 17 says. (See page 158 of Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.) Moses and Elijah were with Jesus on the Mount. This showed that they knew about Christ and that the plan of salvation has never changed.

A witness for Jesus Christ, Moses

Moses’ most important job was being a prophet and a seer. All real prophets testify about Christ. Moses would have known that the Lord Jehovah who spoke to him at the burning bush, on Mount Sinai, and all the other times was the same person who would come to earth as the Messiah to save people. Moses taught his people about the work of Jesus Christ in many different ways. So well did he teach about Christ that when Jesus was alive and the Jewish leaders turned Him down, He told them:

“Don’t think that I will say bad things about you to the Father. Moses, whom you trust, is the one who says bad things about you.

“Because if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.

“But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how can you believe what I say?” (John 5:45-47.)

Also, the day after Jesus rose from the dead, as He walked with two disciples to Emmaus, He scolded them for being “slow of heart” to believe everything the prophets had said. Then Jesus said, “Let’s start with Moses and all the prophets, and tell them what they mean.”

Old TestamentT the things that had to do with him.” (Luke 24:25-26.) Later, when He was talking to the Twelve, He said:

“These are the words I told you while I was still with you, so that everything that was written about me in the Law of Moses and the Psalms would come true. (Luke 24:44.)

When Philip first met Jesus three years earlier, he was so excited that when he found his friend Nathanael, he told him, “We have found Jesus of Nazareth, about whom Moses and the prophets wrote.” (John 1:45.)

How did Moses talk about the Messiah in his writings? Jesus talks about one of these times. “And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up,” says the Bible. (John 3:14; see Num. 21:6-9.) The prophets of the Nephites knew that the brass serpent that Moses put up after people were bitten by poisonous snakes was a sign of Christ. (See 1 Ne. 17:41; 2 Ne. 25:20.)

Alma said this about this sign: “Behold, Moses spoke of him; and behold, a type was set up in the wilderness so that anyone who looked at it would live. And many who looked at it lived.”

Moses also wrote about Christ in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, and 19. There, he talks about a prophet who would be so important spiritually that everyone who didn’t listen to him would lose their salvation. Peter (Acts 3:22–23), Stephen (Acts 7:37), Nephi (1 Ne 22:21), and Moroni all say that this prophet was Christ (JS-H 1:40). The most important answer comes from Jesus Himself:

“Look, I am the prophet Moses talked about when he said, “The Lord your God will raise up from among your own people a prophet like me, and you should listen to everything he says.” And it will happen that anyone who refuses to listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.” (3 Ne. 20:23.)

And finally, the Lord set up animal sacrifices as a priesthood rule starting with Adam and continuing through the law of Moses. The sacrifice of a male lamb of the first year that was killed without a broken bone or any other flaws was a sign of the coming atonement of Jesus Christ. (Moses 5:5-8; Ex. 12:1-14; 1 Cor. 5:7.) In fact, everything that God has shown us, including the priesthood, the ordinances, the law of Moses, and everything else, points to Jesus Christ. (Alma 13:1-9; Mosiah 13:29-31; D&C 107:1-3; Moses 6:62-63.)