Exodus: Then and Now

The exodus of the Old Testament is the even many people think of as the story of Moses. Moses brought his people out of Egypt, where they were kept in slavery. He lead them through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, where the Lord gave them the law, or the ten commandments. The continued on through the wilderness until eventually reaching the promised land, Jerusalem. An interesting geographical fact about this area is that their is a fresh, living sea connected by a river to the dead sea.

As times have gone on, many religions find events that parallel the exodus of the Old Testament. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no exception. Joseph Smith informed the saints that they needed to move to Ohio, taking them out of the state of New York where they were suffering much persecution. While in Ohio, they built a temple, which many believe is what Mount Sinai is supposed to represent. Within the temple the saints received the law of the church. They were not able to stay in Ohio long though before persecution forced them to leave again. Due to the death of Joseph, Brigham Young instead lead the people through the wilderness to the Salt Lake Valley. The valley happened to have two lakes, one fresh water and one salt water connected by a river that was named the River Jordan.