A religious rite in which an object is offered to a divinity to establish, preserve, or restore a human being's correct relationship to the divine order. It's a complicated phenomenon that can be found in the earliest known forms of devotion as well as all throughout the globe.
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What are acceptable sacrifices to God?
A shattered spirit is God's acceptable sacrifice; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not scorn. The objective of Hebrew sacrifices and rituals was to mediate forgiveness and repair the people's relationship with God. However, if we do not come to God honestly, he will not be able to reestablish our relationship.
What is the meaning of sacrifice in the Bible?
1. to make an offering of; to consecrate or present to a divinity as an expiation or propitiation, or as a token acknowledgment or thanksgiving; to immolate on the altar of God in order to atone for sin, procure favor, or express thankfulness; 2. to make an offering of; to make an offering of; to make an offering of; to make an offering of; to make an offering of; to make an offering of; to make an offering of; to make an offering
What are the blessings of sacrifice?
“Truly, I say unto you, all among them who know that their hearts are honest, and that their spirits are contrite, and that they are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice indeed, every sacrifice that I, the Lord, shall require they are acceptable of me.” (See D&C 97:8 for more information.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes sacrifice as a fundamental commandment of God. We also recognize that the way in which sacrifices are made varies depending on the period and region. The Lord gave Adam and Eve the original law of sacrifice soon after they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden. When Abel brought “the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof” to the altar, he was abiding by the law. (Genesis 4:4)
Such sacrifices foreshadowed the coming of the Savior, God's Only Begotten Son the Sacrificial Lamb who would be offered in order for all to be saved from eternal death.
We mistakenly associate inconveniences with sacrifices nowadays. When we drive or walk extra kilometers to meet a Church obligation, we may believe we are making a sacrifice. When we stay at home teaching or visiting teaching instead of going to a play, movie, or baseball game that we really want to see, we may feel like we're making a sacrifice.
We just need to turn to the Latter-day Saint pioneers for instances of sacrifice in this dispensation, those men, women, and children who gave up their homes, businesses, farms, and loved ones in order to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
During a June 3, 1860, talk in the Tabernacle, Brigham Young, who was no stranger to what we now call sacrifice, made the following statements on the subject:
“I can honestly declare that I have never suffered anything for this kingdom not even a smidgeon.” Except for the wicked proclivities that are sown in our nature, arising from the seed that was sown during Adam's fall, I have never sacrificed anything. Is that what you'd call a sacrifice? I'm not going to call it that…
“We say we've lost an ox or a horse; or, ‘I've left my farm, my home, and made a great deal of sacrifice for this task.' This is a blunder. You didn't have anything to lose. There isn't a single atom in all of God's immense creation that is ours. Everything we have has been given to us for our use, to see what we will do with it – whether we will utilize it for eternal life and exaltation or for eternal death and degradation, until we cease to exist. Let us not talk about sacrificing because we have nothing to sacrifice.” (Journal of Discourses, no. 8, p. 67.)
That last warning, “Then let us not talk about sacrificing,” may hold the answer to what President Young was trying to teach.
It's easier to preach the gospel than it is to live it. It's simpler to talk about what we've given up – our “sacrifices” than it is to count our “blessings.” We are more likely to count our outgoings than our income in our spiritual ledger.
Are our acts indicative of true sacrifice if we repeatedly tell what we have given up for the Christian cause? Do we make selfless sacrifices or grudging gestures?
Members of the Church in Missouri were forced to sign an agreement to depart Jackson County on July 23, 1833. They had been subjected to a lot of persecution in the previous weeks. Despite their grave circumstances, they were willing to give up everything, including their lives, because they “desired to worship God according to the revelations of heaven, the constitution of their country, and the dictates of their own consciences,” as Joseph Smith put it. (See 1:393 in the Church's History.)
“Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven,” we sing. (No. 27 in the Hymns.) So, what kind of sacrifice do we have to make? The Lord requires that we approach Him with broken hearts and contrite spirits. Everything else will fall into place if we bring such an offering. And, like Abel's, such a gift will be accepted by the Lord.