Monday, March 24, 2008

SACRIFICE BRINGS FORTH THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN

My husband teaches the Adult Sunday School class at our church. I have been reflecting on the lesson he taught Sunday. In this lesson, one thing he talked about was sacrifice, and how we think sometimes we are sacrificing certain things in our lives. He read a few really good quotes that have made me think about my own life. Here they are:

"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power proficient to produce the faith necessary 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". - N.B. Lundwall

"Sacrifice pertains to mortality; in the eternal sense there is none. Sacrifice involves giving up of the things of this world because of the promises of blessings to be gained in a better world. In the eternal perspective there is no sacrifice in giving up all things - even including the laying down of one's life - if eternal life is gained through such a course." - Bruce R. McConkie

"We once knew our Elder Brother and His and our Father in Heaven. We rejoiced at the prospects of earth life that could make it possible for us to have a fulness of joy. We could hardly wait to demonstrate to our Father and our Brother, the Lord, how much we loved them and how we would be obedient to them in spite of the earthly opposition to the evil one.
"Now we are here. Our memories are veiled. We are showing God and ourselves what we can do. Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side to realize how well we know our Father, and how familiar his face is to us.
"God loves us. He is waching us. He wants us to succeed. We will know some day that He has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us. If we only knew it, heavenly hosts are pulling for us - friends in heaven that we cannot now remember who yearn for our victory. This is our day to show what we can do - what life and sacrifice we can daily, hourly, instantly make for God. If we give our all, we will get His all from the greatest of all.
"Give God your best and His best will come back to you." - President Ezra Taft Benson

3 comments:

Amber said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Inklings said...

I have thought the same thing many times, Amber, that people will some day be mad at me that I didn't try harder to tell them.

Nene said...

Amber and Inside Stories: I think there will be more people who will be madder if we don't live the commandments and stay active in the church - our ancestors or those who come after us (can't remember the term for them) - that's why the comment about people on the other side pulling for us gets to me.