Lessons on the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ and His Apostles
Lesson No. Forty

Willing Obedience is the Sacrifice the Lord Requires

Paul considered his sacrifice of all things as nothing compared to gaining a testimony of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8) – After his conversion Paul lived the rest of his life in service and sacrifice to the Lord and His Church.  In the end Paul gave his last full measure of devotion and died a martyr for the Lord and His work.  He counted all earthly things as nothing compared to the promise of eternal life.

The Prophet Joseph Smith confirmed Paul’s belief in the importance of sacrifice:  “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” (Lectures on Faith, 58).

Willing obedience is the sacrifice the Lord requires - "And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3 Nephi 9:20).  The commitment of our agency to willingly obey is the sacrifice the Lord desires but never compels.  It is the only thing we have to give him that is really our own. Everything else is already his.

Some are required to give their lives, but for most living in willing obedience is the sacrifice the Lord requires.  Elder Robert Hales said:  “The Lord expects us to be as faithful, as devoted, as courageous as those who went before us.  They were called to give their lives for the gospel.  We are called to live our lives for the same purpose” (Ensign, Nov 2005, 91-92).

In passing through the refiner's fire of mortality all give some and some give all – "In the heroic effort of the handcart pioneers, we learn a great truth.  All must pass through a refiner's fire, and the insignificant and unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong.  There seems to be a full measure of anguish, sorrow, and often heartbreak for everyone, including those who earnestly seek to do right and be faithful.  Yet this is part of the purging to become acquainted with God" (James E Faust, Ensign, May 1979, p. 62). 

The reason our prophets continually remind us of the sacrifice made by our pioneers as they settled the western part of the United States is that if we understand what sustained them in their sacrifice, we can be sustained by the same principles when we experience the refiner's fire.

The blessings of temple worship – In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple we are introduced to some of the blessings of temple worship: “And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house…that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing” (D&C 109:14).

Continuing, “We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity; That no weapon formed against them shall prosper…That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house” (D&C 109:24, emphasis added).

We should not just go to or attend the temple, but our objective should be to worship in the temple. 

Temple worship requires sacrifice - President Thomas S. Monson in a keynote general conference sermon gave several examples of people and families who made great sacrifices in order to receive their temple blessings.  Then he observed:  "Some degree of sacrifice has ever been associated with temple building and with temple attendance. Countless are those who have labored and struggled in order to obtain for themselves and for their families the blessings which are found in the temples of God.

"Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort" (The Holy Temple - a Beacon to the World, Ensign, May 2011).

Temple worship requires regular temple attendance – We cannot worship at sacrament meeting if we do not attend.  Likewise, temple worship requires regular temple attendance. 

President Monson continued:  "Today most of us do not have to suffer great hardships in order to attend the temple. Eighty-five percent of the membership of the Church now live within 200 miles of a temple, and for a great many of us, that distance is much shorter.  "If you have been to the temple for yourselves and if you live within relatively close proximity to a temple, your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly" (Ibid, emphasis added).

Regular temple attendance varies depending on our circumstances – While serving in a temple presidency regular temple attendance is several times a week.  For temple workers it may once or more a week.  For some couples raising families it may be monthly.  Everyone has the privilege and responsibility to decide for themselves how often they should attend the temple to make a true sacrifice, and then make a commitment and work hard to keep that commitment.  We may fall short on occasion, but we press on with real intent and desire.  

Testimony – We should attend the temple often enough that it is a sacrifice – In the early days of the Church members gave their time and effort to build temples.  It took 40 years to build the Salt Lake Temple.  Today we do not donate our time to build temples, but the sacrifice that is required of most of us, as President Monson suggests, is to set aside time in our busy lives for regular temple worship.

We should put temple worship high on our priority list and attend regularly.  This may require setting aside some other discretionary interests and things that we like to do in order to worship at the temple.  This sacrifice will be acceptable to the Lord and we will be blessed richly for it.