During His visit with the Nephites in the new world (the Americas), Jesus ended the Law of Moses as practiced by the Nephite people. Not completely comfortable in my knowledge of the law, I looked it up in the Bible dictionary and discovered its purpose and the need for its fulfillment in Christ. I'd paraphrase but why...
LAW OF MOSES
he name assigned to the whole collection of written laws given through Moses to the house of Israel, as a replacement of the higher law that they had failed to obey. The law of Moses consisted of many ceremonies, rituals,and symbols, to remind the people frequently of their duties and responsibilities. It included a law of carnal commandments and performances, added to the basic laws of the gospel. Faith, repentance, baptism in water, and remission of sins were part of the law, as were also the Ten Commandments. Although inferior to the fulness of the gospel, there were many provisions in the law of Moses of high ethical and moral value that were equal to the divine laws of any dispensation. The law of carnal commandments and much of the ceremonial law was fulfilled at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The law functioned under the Aaronic Priesthood and was a preparatory gospel to bring its adherents to Christ. See JST Ex. 34: 1-2; Rom. 3: 20; Gal. 3: 19, 24; Eph. 2: 14-16; Heb. 7: 11, 18-19; Heb. 9: 7-14; 2 Ne. 25: 24-30; Mosiah 12: 27 to 13: 32; 3 Ne. 9: 17; 3 Ne. 15: 1-8; D&C 84: 23-27.
The law as given through Moses was a good law, although adapted to a lower spiritual capacity than is required for obedience to the gospel in its fulness. However, the Jewish leaders had added many unauthorized provisions, ceremonies, and prohibitions to the original law, until it became extremely burdensome. These innovations were known as the "traditions of the elders." By N.T. times among the Jews the law had become so altered it had lost much of its spiritual meaning almost to the point that the law was worshipped more than the Lord. It is this form of the law that is so harshly spoken against by Jesus and by Paul (see Matt. 15: 1-9; Mark 7: 1-13; Gal. 2: 16-21). There is no evidence that the law of Moses had become as altered among the Nephites as among the Jews, and this may partially explain why the Nephites had less trouble in giving it up when the Savior came.
Interesting right? Like the slow erosion of the Bible as handed down from age to age, so to was the Law of Moses altered and changed over time - especially in Jerusalem and the old world. Joseph Smith renewed the purity of the Bible through the spirit of God, adjusting a missinterpreted word here and there and, in some cases, returning whole lines of verse that were missing. Jesus doesn't adjust the Law of Moses, he simply deems it fulfilled and sets up a new plan, a new law...
3 NEPHI 15:4-5
4 Behold, I say unto you that the law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses.
5 Behold, I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end.
I set up the law and now I am saying it is finished, it has run its course, I am Alpha and Omega, hear me! The law given unto Moses is fulfilled in me - it hath an end. Enough said...
-Kipling
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