I have pondered on that statement many times and I want to share a conclusion I have come to about the role of sacrifice in our lives by linking a few scriptures together.
In a revelation received by Joseph Smith, the Lord stated that "eternal life...is the greatest of all the gifts of God." (D&C 14:7)
We could rephrase the line from that hymn and say that sacrifice brings forth eternal life. But what is eternal life?
The Savior in His great intercessory prayer said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." (John 17:3) Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ.
The conclusion or realization I have come to is that if we want to really know our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ there are sacrifices we must make. And when we consider the great and atoning sacrifice our Savior made for us, how could we expect to do anything less?
What are we willing to sacrifice in order to know God? In the Book of Mormon we read the account of a man who so desperately wanted to know God that he said in his humble prayer, "O God...I will give away all my sins to know thee." (Alma 22:18)
Are we willing to give away our sins to truly know God?
Are we willing to submit our will to His will?
What will we do to show our Heavenly Father that we are completely devoted to Him?
These are questions I have asked of myself many times. And I have decided that I want it to always be completely and utterly evident that my Heavenly Father and my Savior come first in my life.
So if that requires me to spend 18 months away from my family and miss my twin sister's wedding and my older brother's wedding and the birth of my sister's first child, I'll do it. I will sacrifice those things and whatever else the Lord may ask of me because I want and need to know Him better.
There are sacrifices that will be required of each one of us that will seemingly demand our all. But when we remember that those sacrifices are the price we pay to know God, suddenly it feels more like an offering than a sacrifice. We want to "come unto Christ, the Holy One of Israel, ...and offer [our] whole souls as an offering unto him." (Omni 1:26)
Our sacrifices, or our offerings, will bring forth the blessings of heaven. And I can't think of any greater blessing than truly knowing God our Father and Jesus Christ.
Your roots are growing deep Hermana. The faith and strength and courage you gain by walking hand in hand with the Lord and asking the liberating and sometimes frightening question, "What would you have me do?" and then doing it will bless your life and the lives of others for generations unknown. -nora
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