The Law of Sacrifice
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your body. Whether you are sitting, standing, or laying down, make sure your body feels relaxed and supported. Relax the muscles in your face, jaw, neck, and shoulders.
Take a few deep breaths. As you breath in, imagine drawing peace, calm, humility, and openness into your body and mind. As you breath out, imagine expelling tension, negativity, pride, and stress from your body and mind.
In this state of calm and receptiveness, take a moment to say a brief prayer that your mind will be guided to any revelation the Lord has for you today as you ponder.
As your breathing returns to normal, turn your thoughts and attention to the temple endowment covenants. As I share teachings about the Law of Sacrifice, allow your thoughts and the Spirit to guide you. Don’t worry about focusing on every statement or question I share.
The Law of Sacrifice
During the endowment ceremony inside the temple, participants covenant to keep the law of sacrifice.
What do we need to give up?
The Church’s General Handbook says the meaning of the Law of Sacrifice is “sacrificing to support the Lord’s work and repenting with a broken heart and contrite spirit.” (General Handbook, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Section 27.2.)
That definition covers both temporal and spiritual sacrifices. So does this definition from Bruce R. McConkie, when he said that “The law of sacrifice is that we are willing to sacrifice all that we have for the truth’s sake—our character and reputation; our honor and applause; our good name among men; our houses, lands, and families; all things, even our very lives if need be.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice,” General Conference, April 1975.)
What does it mean to give up something for “truth’s sake”? What would you be willing to give up for truth’s sake? Character and reputation? Honor and applause? Your good name? Your home? Your family? Your life?
Neal A. Maxwell points out that “the submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” . . . are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,” Ensign, May 1995.)
Elder Maxwell also explained that “Real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! For the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him.” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,” Ensign, May 1995.)
In the Book of Mormon, when King Lamoni’s father was taught the gospel, he put everything on the proverbial altar when he declared to the Lord “I will give away all my sins to know thee.” (Alma 22:18.) It may be helpful to ask yourself what sins or weaknesses or temporal things you are willing to give away to better know your Savior?
Why Sacrifice?
Why do we need to make sacrifices?
One reason may be because we are only willing to sacrifice for what we love. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
Elder Ballard explained that “The law of sacrifice provides an opportunity for us to prove to the Lord that we love Him more than any other thing.” (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” General Conference, October 1998.)
Because we only sacrifice for the things we love, a good way to evaluate or reflect on the condition of your heart is to pay attention to your habits, which reveal your values. And pay attention to your sacrifices, which reveal what you love. What do your sacrifices and habits reveal about where your heart is?
After Christ’s crucifixion, some of His apostles who were fishermen by trade went back to their fishing boats and took up their livelihood. Christ visited them and asked “lovest though these more than me?” (John 21:15.) Is there anything in your life that might cause the Lord to ask you: “lovest thou me more than these?”
Ponder these additional reasons for the law of sacrifice highlighted by Elder Ballard: “The two major purposes [of the law of sacrifice] are to test and prove us and to assist us in coming unto Christ. . . . The Law of Sacrifice provides an opportunity for us to prove to the Lord that we love Him more than any other things. . . . When we overcome our own selfish desires and put God first in our lives and covenant to serve Him regardless of the cost, we are then living the law of sacrifice”. (M. Russell Ballard, “The Law of Sacrifice,” Ensign or Liahona, March 2022 (from an address given to Church Educational System educators at Brigham Young University on 13 August 1996).)
Blessings
There are many scriptures that promise a proportionate return to those who are willing to sacrifice. Ponder this promise as I read a few of these verses:
“He who seeketh to save his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (JST Matthew 10:34)
“Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or, what shall a man exchange for his soul?” (JST Matthew 16:29.)
“And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30.)
“For it is better that you should deny yourselves of these things, wherein he will take up your cross, than that you should be cast into hell.” (3 Nephi 12:30)
“Whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name’s sake, shall find it again, even life eternal.” (D&C 98:13.)
Elder Maxwell says that the Lord “is only asking us to lose the old self in order to find the new self. It is not a question of one’s losing identity but of finding his true identity!” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” General Conference, November 1995.)
Think about the kind of person you want to be—what kind of identity you want to have. What sacrifices need to be made so that you can find that identity? Do you trust that God knows better than you what your true identity can or should be?
Finally, ponder this quote from Elder Maxwell about sacrificing your will and allowing it to be “swallowed up” in the will of the Lord: He says, “the more one’s will is thus “swallowed up,” the more his afflictions, rather than necessarily being removed, will be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ” (Alma 31:38). (Neal A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” General Conference, November 1995.)
To wrap up our pondering the law of sacrifice, think about anything that stood out to you while you were pondering. Did you learn anything new? Were you prompted to act or to make any changes? How do you feel about your efforts to live the law of sacrifice? Consider asking the Lord at some point how He feels about your efforts as well.
When you are ready, take a final deep breath. As you open your eyes and return to your surroundings, take a few minutes to write down any thoughts, questions, or promptings that came to mind while you were pondering. And if necessary, make a plan to act on those things.