There was an exception to the requirement that the Israelites offer their sacrifices and burnt offerings at the temple. In Deuteronomy 12:21 it says, "If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there [the temple] be too far away from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after." In other words, if the temple was too far away you could sacrifice the burnt offering at your own home. Although the Old Testament doesn't say how far away "too far away" is, Lehi's party was in the wilderness and God had commanded him to leave Jerusalem to avoid being killed.
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Tom JohnsonJanuary 12, 2016
There was an exception to the requirement that the Israelites offer their sacrifices and burnt offerings at the temple. In Deuteronomy 12:21 it says, "If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there [the temple] be too far away from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after." In other words, if the temple was too far away you could sacrifice the burnt offering at your own home. Although the Old Testament doesn't say how far away "too far away" is, Lehi's party was in the wilderness and God had commanded him to leave Jerusalem to avoid being killed.
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