Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 4:1, 19

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 4:1, 19

"Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;"

Had an interesting question come to mind after I read about the altars. After a temple is dedicated are there any stories of altars being built and worshipped at outside of them? We don't have altars in our chapels, only in our dedicated temples that are the House of the Lord, like Solomon's.

In attempt to find the answer to that question I found this in the Bible Dictionary.

"Under the Law (Deut. 12:5, 11–14) the people were forbidden to build an altar except in the place where God should choose to put His Name—the temple at Jerusalem; but until the days of Hezekiah sacrifices apparently were offered in other places as well. Altars are also mentioned in Matt. 5:23; Acts 17:23; Heb. 13:10; Rev. 6:9; 8:3; 9:13; 11:1; 1 Ne. 2:7; Alma 15:17; D&C 135:7; Abr. 1:8–13."

The place where God should choose to put His Name, would totally fit with a House of the Lord. A temple is only built and dedicated through the revelation received by a prophet. On the outside of the temple in a very prominent place it says "HOLINESS TO THE LORD, THE HOUSE OF THE LORD". That is His name upon it, and how I can identify it as such.

As I went through the verses mentioned in the bible dictionary this one stood out.

"And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.

And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.

And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God. "

(1 Nephi 2:2, 6-7)

This is the only incident I could find outside of a dedicated temple where an altar is built. Lehi left Jerusalem in 600 BCE, and Solomon's temple wasn't destroyed until 587 BCE. The mention of a altar later in Alma is after they came to the promised land and built temples there. So why did Lehi build an altar outside of the temple while still on the same continent as one? I can only assume it was because God commanded him to leave. Going into the wilderness and traveling three days journey ensures they left the world behind them. With no temple there to offer sacrifices at the altar he was allowed to build one. Lehi was a prophet after-all.

As I pondered all this I thought, one would never go up in the mountains and build an altar and worship there. Nor would you make one and have it in your home. A temple and altar are sacred. To do so outside of a dedicated temple would risk not knowing who would show up. Odds are it would be someone not on God's team.

Day 2530