How Sacrifice Makes Sacred

By Anne Maxson

Joseph Smith was one who knew much about sacrifice. It is significant that a hymn that honors him includes the line, “Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.” In Lectures on Faith he said, “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.” That increase in faith is accompanied by a reminder of the Savior and His sacrifice for us. 

In the talk, “We Can Do Hard Things through Him,” Elder Isaac K. Morrison said, “Sacrifice has always been part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all who have lived or will live on earth.”

In the temple, we are invited to covenant to obey the Law of Sacrifice. The word “sacrifice” comes from two Latin words - sacer and facere. Taken together, these two words me “to make sacred.” In the talk, “Tithing: A Privilege” by Elder Ronald E. Poelman, he said, “That which we return to the Lord is indeed made sacred, and the obedient are edified.”

I have experienced that in my life. As I have sacrificed time to attend the temple, that time has been made sacred. Even when my schedule is busy and it can be difficult logistically to take time away from other demands to attend the temple, I have found that when I prioritize the temple, I am more efficient in accomplishing my other tasks.  

For many, sacrifice does not necessarily look like giving of our possessions. Instead, it is often in regard to time and talent. In the talk, “Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice” Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated, “The scriptural account means is that to gain celestial salvation we must be able to live these laws to the full if we are called upon to do so. Implicit in this is the reality that we must in fact live them to the extent we are called upon so to do.”

It reminds me of the recent talk “I Love to See the Temple” by President Henry B. Eyring. In it, he talks about the day he was sealed to his wife. President Spencer W. Kimball said to them, “Hal and Kathy, live so that when the call comes, you can walk away easily.” Years later he said, “A call came from the Church commissioner of education, Neal A. Maxwell. The warning given by President Kimball to be able to ‘walk away easily’ became a reality. It was a call to leave what seemed an idyllic family situation to serve in an assignment in a place that I knew nothing about. Our family was ready to leave that blessed time and place because a prophet, in a holy temple, a place of revelation, saw a future event for which we then were prepared.”

Just by thinking of “sacrifice” as an opportunity to “make something sacred,” it helps in that transition to sacred. As I attend the temple, considering the covenants made and the perspective given, I can see the eternal returns that come from our sacrifice.

What experiences have you had where what was initially thought of as a sacrifice became something sacred?