Types and Shadows of Christ

A type is a person, object, or event in scripture that foreshadows something greater to come -- most often Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The Apostle Paul and Book of Mormon prophets taught that the law of Moses and the history of Israel were filled with such 'types and shadows.' The Passover lamb whose blood spared Israel pointed to the Lamb of God; the brazen serpent lifted in the wilderness pointed to the Son of Man lifted on the cross; the rock that gave water in the desert, Paul wrote, 'was Christ.'

This tool pairs each scriptural type with the passage that reveals its fulfillment in Christ, showing both in full with a short note on the connection. It includes the great Old Testament types -- Melchizedek, manna, the Day of Atonement, the offering of Isaac, the tabernacle -- as well as types unique to the Book of Mormon, such as the Liahona and the rod of iron, which prophets explicitly identified as similitudes of Christ and His word.

Studying typology deepens scripture study and strengthens testimony. It reveals the unity of the scriptures and shows how, from the beginning, God taught His children to look forward to the redemption that would come through His Son. Filter by Old Testament or Book of Mormon to focus your study.