SACRIFICE AS CHRIST
What did the Savior do just for you? Do you understand the
gift and power of the Atonement in your life? How is this gift an expression of
pure love?
Matthew 8:17
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Matthew 20:28
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John 6:51
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John 11:25
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John 14:6
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Romans 5:9
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2 Nephi 2:7
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2 Nephi 9:7
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Jacob 4:11
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Mosiah 13:28
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Alma 7:11
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Alma 42:23
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Helaman 5:9
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3 Nephi 11:14
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D&C 19:16-19
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D&C 38:4
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Moses 5:7
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SACRIFICE AS CHRIST QUOTES
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES
Matthew 26:28
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This is my blood, shed for many for the
remission of sins
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Alma 34:9-16
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Atonement necessary; sacrifice of God
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Hebrews 9
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We are sanctified by the shedding of
the blood of Christ
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Articles of Faith #3
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All may be saved
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Matthew 16:21
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Jesus sacrifice was necessary
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Isaiah 1:18
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Sins shall be made white
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THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST
“[Jesus Christ’s] Atonement is the greatest event in human history.
There is nothing to compare with it. It is the most fundamental part of our
Father’s plan for the happiness of His children. Without it, mortal life would
be a dead-end existence with neither hope nor future. The gift of our divine
Redeemer brings an entirely new dimension to our lives. Because of our Savior’s
sacrifice, instead of dismal oblivion, death becomes only a passage to a more
glorious realm. The Resurrection becomes a reality for all. Eternal life
becomes available to those who walk in obedience to His commandments”[1]
“As used in the scriptures, to atone is to suffer the penalty for an
act of sin, thereby removing the effects of sin from the repentant sinner and
allowing him to be reconciled to God. Jesus Christ was the only one capable of
making a perfect atonement for all mankind. He was able to do so because of his
selection and foreordination in the Grand Council before the world was formed[2],
his divine Sonship, and his sinless life. His atonement included his suffering
for the sins of mankind in the Garden of Gethsemane, the shedding of his blood,
and his death and subsequent resurrection from the grave[3].
Because of the Atonement, all people will rise from the dead with immortal
bodies[4].
The Atonement also provides the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and live
forever with God. But a person who has reached the age of accountability and
received the law can receive these blessings only if he has faith in Jesus
Christ, repents of his sins, receives the ordinances of salvation, and obeys
the commandments of God. Those who do not reach the age of accountability and
those without the law are redeemed through the Atonement[5].
The scriptures clearly teach that if Christ had not atoned for our sins, no
law, ordinance, or sacrifice would satisfy the demands of justice, and man could
never regain God’s presence[6].”[7]
“As in all things, our Lord and Savior manifested the supreme example
of sacrifice. His divine mission was culminated as He gave His life for our
redemption. Through His personal sacrifice, He provided a way for us to have
our sins forgiven and return to the presence of our Father.”[8]
HE SUFFERED ALL THINGS
“Moreover, Jesus not only took upon Him our sins to atone for them, but
also our sicknesses and aching griefs[9].
Hence, He knows personally all that we pass through and how to extend His
perfect mercy—as well as how to succor us. His agony was all the more
astonishing in that He trod “the wine-press alone”[10].”[11]
“The cumulative weight of all mortal sins—past, present, and
future—pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our
infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of
the Atonement.”[12]
SACRIFICE: AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE
“How Jesus loves us, to suffer
such spiritual and physical agony for our sake! How great the love of Heavenly
Father that He would send His Only Begotten Son to suffer and die for the rest
of His children.”[13]
“Sacrifice is a demonstration of
pure love. The degree of our love for the Lord, for the gospel, and for our
fellowman can be measured by what we are willing to sacrifice for them. Our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ manifested the supreme example of this love. His
life and ministry established a pattern for us to follow. His divine mission
was culminated in a supreme act of love as He allowed His life to be sacrificed
for us.”[14]
“This tender, personal glimpse of the Savior’s loving sacrifice is a
fitting introduction to the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Indeed the Atonement of the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh is the
crucial foundation upon which all Christian doctrine rests and the greatest
expression of divine love this world has ever been given. Its importance in The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot be overstated. Every other
principle, commandment, and virtue of the restored gospel draws its
significance from this pivotal event.”[15]
“The law of sacrifice provides an opportunity for us to prove to the
Lord that we love Him more than any other thing.”[16]
“Sacrifice is still necessary if we are to develop faith strong enough
to lay hold on eternal life. I believe we should increase our spiritual
devotion and service to the Lord and others in order to demonstrate our love
for Him and our Heavenly Father.”[17]
A WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE
“Latter-day Saints believe that the law of sacrifice is an important
element of their lives. Because the great sacrifice of the Son of God ended
sacrifice by the shedding of blood, today we live the law of sacrifice in other
ways.”[18]
“Our Savior requires us to continue to offer sacrifices, but the
sacrifices He now commands are that we “offer for a sacrifice unto [Him] a
broken heart and a contrite spirit”[19].
He also commands each of us to love and serve one another—in effect, to offer a
small imitation of His own sacrifice by making sacrifices of our own time and
selfish priorities. In an inspired hymn, we sing, “Sacrifice brings forth the
blessings of heaven.”[20]
“I believe that Latter-day Saints who give unselfish service and
sacrifice in worshipful imitation of our Savior adhere to eternal values to a
greater extent than any other group of people. Latter-day Saints look on their
sacrifices of time and means as a part of their schooling and qualifying for
eternity… Just as the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is at the center of the
plan of salvation, we followers of Christ must make our own sacrifices to
prepare for the destiny that plan provides for us.”[21]
“Our greatest blessings in this
life and in the hereafter will come through our willingness to sacrifice as the
Lord directs. Only through sacrifice and the faith it generates can we achieve
happiness in the eternities.”[22]
““A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never
has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and
salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the
enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice
of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God
has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium
of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are
doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. … It is vain for
persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs
with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtain
faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they, in
like manner, offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering
obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him.”[23]
“Sacrifice, no matter how disagreeable it may be, is absolutely vital,
for it is the only means the Lord has provided for his children to gain the
faith and assurance necessary to successfully return to his presence in
condition to enjoy eternal life.”[24]
“Remember, sacrifice brings
forth the blessings of heaven. Remember also that the things of greatest worth
to us today—our membership in the Church, the knowledge we have of God and his
son Jesus Christ, the plan of life and salvation, the bounties of the earth,
the standard of living we enjoy—were all obtained by the sacrifices of many. We
have a tendency to forget these sacrifices. Where would the Church be today
without the sacrifices of the pioneers who suffered privation, hardships,
trials, and discouraging experiences? We owe them a great debt of gratitude
which we can repay by our own sacrifices made in behalf of our children and
their children who should be able to look with pride at the heritage we leave
for them.”[25]
“Great gift giving involves
three things: you feel what the other feels, you give freely, and you count the
sacrifice a bargain.”[26]
“Those who will inherit the
celestial kingdom will be those who have been “faithful in the testimony of
Jesus while they [have] lived in mortality; and who [have] offered sacrifice in
the similitude of the great sacrifice of the Son of God, and [have] suffered
tribulation in their Redeemer’s name”[27].”[28]
“Through the Savior’s Atonement and by following … basic patterns of
faithfulness, we receive “power from on high” to face the challenges of life.
We need this divine power today more than ever. It is power we receive only
through temple ordinances. I testify that the sacrifices we make to receive
temple ordinances are worth every effort we can make.”
“Sacrifice allows us to learn something about ourselves—what we are
willing to offer to the Lord through our obedience.”[29]
“Truly, our lives of service and sacrifice are the most appropriate
expressions of our commitment to serve the Master and our fellowmen."[30]
THE SACRAMENT
“To worthily partake of the sacrament, we remember that we are renewing
the covenant we made at baptism. For the sacrament to be a spiritually
cleansing experience each week, we need to prepare ourselves before coming to
sacrament meeting. We do this by deliberately leaving behind our daily work and
recreation and letting go of worldly thoughts and concerns. As we do, we make
room in our minds and hearts for the Holy Ghost. Then we are prepared to ponder
on the Atonement. More than just thinking about the facts of the Savior’s
suffering and death, our pondering helps us to recognize that through the
Savior’s sacrifice, we have the hope, opportunity, and strength to make real,
heartfelt changes in our lives.”[31]
"Now is the time to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, which means
accepting His invitation to 'come, follow me'[32].
This is the decision we made in our premortal lives. Now we must make it again
here in mortality, every day, in every situation by taking the Savior's name
upon us, remembering His atoning sacrifice, and keeping His commandments. This
we covenanted to do when we were baptized, and we have the opportunity to renew
those covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament."[33]
"When we partake of the sacrament worthily, we remember the
sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, that He gave up His life and took upon
Himself the sins of the world that we may have the blessing of immortality. We
take upon ourselves the name of our Savior and promise to always remember Him
and to keep His commandments--that is, to 'live by every word that proceedeth
forth from the mouth of God'[34]."[35]
"Worthy partakers of the sacrament are in harmony with the Lord
and put themselves under covenant with Him to always remember His sacrifice for
the sins of the world, to take upon them the name of Christ, and to always
remember Him, and to keep His commandments. The Savior covenants that we who do
so shall have His Spirit to be with us and that, if faithful to the end, we may
inherit eternal life."[36]
“Before partaking of the
sacrament, we are to prepare ourselves spiritually. The Lord emphasizes that no
one should partake of the sacrament unworthily. That means we must repent of
our sins before taking the sacrament… During the sacrament service we should
dismiss from our minds all worldly thoughts. We should feel prayerful and
reverent. We should think of the Atonement of our Savior and be grateful for
it.”[37]
THE TEST OF ABUNDANCE
“The spirit of the law of sacrifice promotes gratitude… Let us maintain
the spirit of the law of sacrifice and always thank Him for what we have, even
if it is not as much as some others have. Listen to the language of the
scriptures as they describe the level of sacrifice the Lord requires of us:
“Offer your whole souls as an offering unto [God]”[38].
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God”[39].
The Lord Himself has said that we should keep our “covenants by sacrifice—yea,
every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command”[40].
The sacrifice the Lord asks of us is to wholly rid ourselves of the “natural
man”[41]
and all the ungodliness associated with it. When we completely surrender
ourselves to the Lord, then He will cause a mighty change in us and we will
become a new person, justified, sanctified, and born again with His image in
our countenances[42].”[43]
The
Praying Hands[44]
The “Praying Hands” are much, much more than just a
work of art;
They are the soul’s creation of a deeply thankful
heart—
They are a priceless Masterpiece that love alone could
paint,
And they reveal the selflessness of an unheralded
saint.
These hands, so scarred and toilworn, tell the story of
a man
Who sacrificed his talent in accordance with God’s
plan—
For in God’s plan are many things man cannot
understand,
But we must trust God’s judgment and be guided by His
Hand.
Sometimes He asks us to give up our dreams of
happiness,
Sometimes we must forego our hopes of fortune and
success.
Not all of us can triumph or rise to heights of fame,
And many times what should be ours, goes to another
name—
But he who makes a sacrifice, so another may succeed,
Is indeed a true disciple of our blessed Savior’s
creed—
For when we give ourselves away in sacrifice and love,
We are laying up rich treasures in God’s kingdom up
above—
And hidden in gnarled, toilworn hands is the truest art
of living
Achieved alone by those who’ve learned the victory of
giving;
For any sacrifice on earth made in the dear Lord’s
name,
Assures the giver of a place in Heaven’s Hall of Fame—
And who can say with certainty where the greatest
talent lies,
Or
who will be the greatest in our Heavenly Father’s eyes!
—Helen Steiner Rice
SACRIFICE AS CHRIST - ADDITIONAL NOTES
[1]
Gordon B Hinckley, Inspirational
Thoughts, Liahona, Sep 2007
[2]
Ether 3:14; Moses 4:1–2; Abr. 3:27
[3]
Isa. 53:3–12; Mosiah 3:5–11; Alma 7:10–13
[4]
1 Cor. 15:22
[5]
Mosiah 15:24–25; Moro. 8:22
[6]
2 Ne. 2; 9
[7]
Guide to the Scriptures, Atonement
[8]
M Russell Ballard, The Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, Oct 1998
[9]
Alma 7:11–12; Matt. 8:17
[10]
D&C 133:50
[11]
Neal A Maxwell, Plow in Hope,
Ensign, May 2001
[12]
Neal A Maxwell, Willing to Submit,
Ensign, May 1985
[13]
Gospel Principles, 61
[14]
M Russell Ballard, The Blessings of
Sacrifice, Ensign, May 1992
[15]
Jeffrey R Holland, The Atonement of
Jesus Christ, Ensign, Mar 2008
[16]
M Russell Ballard, The Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, Oct 1998
[17]
M Russell Ballard, The Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, Oct 1998
[18]
Monte J Brough, Living the Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, April 2000
[19]
3 Nephi 9:20
[20]
Dallin H Oaks, Sacrifice, Ensign,
May 2012
[21]
Dallin H Oaks, Sacrifice, Ensign,
May 2012
[22]
Monte J Brough, Living the Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, April 2000
[23]
Joseph Smith, In Lectures on Faith,
comp. N. B. Lundwall, Salt Lake City: N. B. Lundwall, n.d., p. 58.
[24]
Hartman Rector Jr, Sacrifice Still
Brings Forth Blessings, Ensign, Dec 1971
[25]
N Eldon Tanner, Sacrifice, Ensign,
June 1981
[26]
Henry B Eyring, How to Give,
Liahona, October 2008
[27]
D&C 138:12–13
[28]
Monte J Brough, Living the Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, April 2000
[29]
M Russell Ballard, The Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, October 1998
[30]
Elder Dallin H. Oaks,
"Sacrifice", General Conference, Apr. 2012
[31]
Robert D Hales, Coming to Ourselves,
Ensign, May 2012
[32]
Luke 18:22
[33]
Robert D. Hales, "To the
Aaronic Priesthood: Preparing for the Decade of Decision," Ensign, May
2007, 49
[34]
D&C 84:44
[35]
L. Tom Perry, "As Now We Take
the Sacrament," Ensign, May 2006, 41
[36]
David B. Haight, "The
Sacrament—and the Sacrifice," Ensign, Apr. 2007, 18
[38]
Omni 1:26; see also Mosiah 2:24
[39]
Rom. 12:1
[40]
D&C 97:8
[41]
Mosiah 3:19
[42]
see Mosiah 5:2; Alma 5:14; Moses 6:59–60
[43]
M Russell Ballard, The Law of
Sacrifice, Ensign, October 1998
[44]
N Eldon Tanner, Sacrifice, Ensign,
June 1981
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