M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E
Abrahamic Purposes, Abrahamic Privileges
By C.S. Bezas
If there is one thing the scriptures teach, it is that we will know God and eternal joy through the (at times puzzling) pathway of sacrifice. One of the most frequently taught examples of this is Abram of Ur.
When Abram (eventually called Abraham) fled the land of his fathers, he left an untenable situation. His father had allowed him to be placed on an altar for sacrificial offering to their society's "strange gods" (Abr 1:8).
One need only look at Abraham's drawing of his experience on a pagan altar to understand the terror one might feel (see page 28, Pearl of Great Price). Yet look at Abraham's understatement of the experience:
In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my fathers, I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence (Abr 1:1).
This certainly could be one of the most bold understatements recorded in history! It is also an incredible insight into the balanced, moderate nature of Abraham, eventually called by the Lord in D&C 138:41, "the father of faith."
Abraham had a Dream
Regardless of the thoughts coursing through Abraham's mind while fleeing his home and family, it is probable he had no clear picture of his future with its impending choice and severely tested faith. But he did have a dream.
And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same;having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God (Abr 1:2).
Abraham knew there was more than what his fathers lived; Abraham desired to be of God. Having hindsight as he made his record, looking back on the completed experience, he described the end of his story as:
I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers (Ibid.).
But between the beginning of his story (fleeing from the land of Ur/Haran) and the end of the story (becoming a rightful heir), came the middle. And during the middle came the sacrifice the very thing to bring about his desired blessings.
Who has not heard of Abraham's required passage through his sacrificial experience paralleled to only One other? Who can know his thoughts as he bound his own son, then, for an offering on an all too-familiar altar experience? Only the Lord could have known, for the Lord knew perfectly well of Abraham's own experience on a pagan altar; He was the one who had sent an angel to remove Abraham from it.
And the Lord knew of the supreme depth of desire Abraham held to have a son. Indeed, the Lord had promised the covenanted son, yet required Abraham to wait till his 100th year for that son.
Why did the Lord give these experiences to Abraham? Listen to what one general authority said:
Why did the Lord ask such things of Abraham? Because, knowing what his future would be and that he would be the father of an innumerable posterity, He was determined to test him. God did not do this for His own sake; for He knew by His foreknowledge what Abraham would do; but the purpose was to impress upon Abraham a lesson, and to enable him to attain unto knowledge that he could not obtain in any other way ....
He required Abraham to submit to this trial because He intended to give him glory, exaltation and honor; He intended to make him a king and a priest, to share with Himself the glory, power and dominion which He exercised" (George Q. Cannon, Conference Report, Apr 1899, 66, emphasis added).
The Very Medicine that makes Us Whole
Who has not struggled with a small child while they are ill? They do not want to take the very medicine that will make them whole. It oftentimes is the same with us, only in a spiritual realm. Elder Neal A Maxwell said,
How can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy! (Ensign, May 1991, 88).
The Lord is willing to give us everything He has in store. But He must first prove us as worthy recipients. Yet how many times are we like the small child; we want wholeness and all that God offers, but are frightened of the "medicine" we must take, of the process of healing or growth we must make? Yet, in truth, we are taught that following the gospel path leads us to eternal joy. It would be well to remember this (2 Ne 2:25).
If we analyze Abraham's self-awareness (an important key to growth), we can read in Abraham 1:2 that he knew he followed righteousness. But he desired more. He recognized a need for more. He wanted further to be:
As Abraham sought for these blessings, the Lord required him to pass through that which would bring those very things.
The Righteous are Proven in Difficult Times
Abraham was not the only righteous individual during those ancient and difficult times. There were others three maidens of royal descent who refused to bow down to the gods of Abraham's fathers, gods of wood and stone. As a result, wicked men killed the young girls on the same altar they later violently laid Abraham on (Abr 1:12).
In this world, where nearly anything immoral is accepted and allowed, it can be difficult to find those seeking a virtuous lifestyle. But they are there! Even if few in number, there are people amongst us found placing God's will beyond their own. Are we amongst them?
This dilemma of righteousness during difficult times is common not only to our time and that of Abraham's, but also is seen in other dispensations.
For example, in approximately 430 B.C. Malachi described the plaintive whine of certain people, those who complained wicked people were receiving "happiness" (see Mal 3:13-15). Malachi reminded the complaining souls the Lord will remember those who serve Him and will spare them His wrath. The faithful prophet implored the people to carefully discern between the "righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not (Mal 3:16-18)."
In the Bible Dictionary, we read an explanation of Malachi's words: "The faithful are encouraged to remain so, with the assurance that the Lord is mindful of them, and the disobedient shall fail in the day of the Lord's coming (p 728)."
Abraham did not falter during his trials. The three young maidens did not. Neither need we. The Prophet Joseph Smith's words ring sublime for those passing through difficult times:
Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison.
Joseph, with his depth of insight hard won through his own personal sacrifices, continues triumphantly:
Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers! (D&C 128:22-23).
The Righteous Trust in Spite of Difficult Times
Just what did Joseph know that steadied his heart? He had lost children, friends, and material goods. Just what taught him that even in loss there still can be rejoicing? What gave him this positive perspective? Was it perhaps that he could see God's hand and had learned to trust Him? That he had come to terms with the will of God during his time in Liberty Jail? Perhaps it might be said that he finally realized after that stint in Liberty Jail (see D&C 121-122) all will be well for those who serve God with full hearts.
Elder John Taylor issued these words as a tribute to Joseph's life, soon after Joseph's martyrdom:
Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought for the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought for the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men .."
If Elder Taylor had stopped here, Joseph's legacy would have been amazing. But there was more.
...[he] gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated (D&C 135:3).
Abrahamic Purposes, Abrahamic Privileges
Now, our purpose may not need to be on the same grand scale of Joseph Smith's, Abraham's, or that of others. But our purpose is mighty and our faithfulness towards God can be just as sure.
Just the other day, on the same page in my local newspaper, I read two articles. One was of heinous crimes committed by a mother and boyfriend against her twelve-year old son. The other article showed the gleaming face of a similar-age girl as she looked up at her father, dancing in his arms at a special event a man who obviously very much cared for his daughter. The contrast could not have been more clear, the meaning more evident.
There are children in our own families who need our love. There are also children in this world who have grown up in a dark and frightening existence, who have never known love. Our paths may not require gargantuan sacrifices along the lines of Abraham's or Joseph's, but to fulfill a life of meaning and purpose, our hearts most definitely will require sacrifice if we are to make our lives meaningful. It is what the Lord asks of us, to lose our lives in the service of others.
It can be a sobering thought: that to receive the Lord's largesse of blessings, we must live an Abrahamic-styled life: prayer, humility, obedience, sacrifice. Yet sacrifice in the proper perspective need not be frightening. It is all in the perspective with which we view its purpose. Abraham's sacrifice was his will for God's. May we offer the same.
A More Holy Perspective
At one point while studying Abraham and his willing sacrifices required of God, I became frightened by the immensity of it all. My mind flooded with images of hugely intense situations wrapped in extreme suffering, potentially winging my way.
One day while praying, a thought came to my mind and gently rested there sacrifice is not measured by size, but by a willing heart. God rejects no sacrifice when offered appropriately and willingly.
Suddenly I understood the principle of sacrifice with a more holy perspective. Sacrifice does not exist simply to bring about anguish (at least to my understanding); it is to bring about a holiness that only can be achieved through sacrifice of our will for God's. Sacrifice is rarely, if ever convenient, but in the process we become transformed, our burdens are lightened, and our hearts are lifted.
In fact, Joseph Smith said:
A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation (Lectures on Faith [1985], 69).
Thus, I began to see my daily activities with clearer light. The many things I hadn't been willing to do before, because of the effort they required, could become holy moments and gifts offered to the Lord, similar to those made manifest by all holy individuals gone before. I do not need a stone altar to prove my love of God; the fleshly tablet of my heart is sufficient.
And the possibilities are endless. Although I might feel too tired to listen to my child prattle on for the "hundredth" time about Sally's party when I make the effort to kindly listen with my heart (not just ears), I make a holy sacrifice that not only sustains my child, but lifts me closer to my Lord.
Although I might feel too tired to cook a healthy meal for my family, when I do anyway, I make a holy sacrifice of effort for the benefit of those the Lord has given me to bless and when done humbly, it lifts me in ways are impossible to describe.
Although I might feel a lack of disinterest in maintaining a home of harmony, when I do I am manifesting a willingness to enter into a holy sacrifice for my God and for His children. It is these kinds of sacrifices that bring a person home to a future eternity of joy in the courts on high.
These efforts, and countless others, become sanctifying efforts. They transform the individual due to the amount of effort the sacrifice requires. By willingly setting aside personal interests, we follow Abraham's amazing example of sacrifice and selflessness. In other words, when I am humble and obedient to, for example, the call of motherhood with all it requires I become as Abraham, following a sacrificial path to the most high God.
FHE Fun
Items Needed:
Opening Song:When Were Helping We're Happy
Opening Prayer.
Theme Scripture: D&C 121:7-9 "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."
Activity:
Read the theme scripture together. Ask what the scripture has to do with sacrificing our will for that of God's. Allow a few minutes for family members to share their ideas.
Have a child volunteer come forward. Direct him to stand immediately in front of you, but to face away from you and to close his eyes. With his arms straight out from his sides, invite him to keep his eyes closed and to fall backwards in your arms. Let him know you'll be there to catch him, but not to open his eyes to look back.
Allow all the children to have the opportunity to participate in the activity.
Once each has had a turn, then give each one a bite-sized candy bar. Then tell them that you have something better for them, if they're willing to give up the bite-sized candy bar. You won't take it from them; they must offer it if they're interested in some unknown "something better" (do not let them know what it is).
Those who have made their choice to give up their candy bar, bring out a really nice cake (or some exciting treat) and offer it to only those willing to give up their candy bar.
Discussion:
Ask the family how these activities were like living the gospel. Then share with them the first exercise required great trust. Those who were willing to fall backwards in the arms of Mom or Dad, did so because of the trust relationship they had built with their parent. Share that it is important to also build a relationship of trust with God.
The second activity built upon the first. Because of the trust relationship, they were willing to give up something good for something better (i.e. the tiny candy bar for a large piece of cake). Again, this is like our experience here on this earth to trust and to sacrifice when God prompts us. Yet, without having a relationship with God, it is very difficult to trust Him enough to discover what He has for us is better than what we have for us.
Ask:If you were God's friend, how would you build a better relationship with your Friend? Discuss this as a family and then pass out paper and pencils. Invite each family member to set a goal for the coming week something they can do to increase their knowledge of God and their friendship with Him, so that they can feel safe listening to Him when asked to do something.
Ask for any examples they can think of that demonstrate positive outcomes in the lives of friends or family that came from trusting God and/or sacrificing for Him.
Close by bearing your testimony as to the importance of sacrificing our will and trusting the Lord's will.
Closing Song: I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
Closing Prayer
Refreshments
Summary
Most likely we will never be called upon to pass through a situation that would parallel Abraham's in severity. But if need be, our daily infinitesimal sacrifices will prepare us to follow Abraham's willing, humble and obedient path toward the almighty God. When we put God's will first in all things, all things align themselves eventually for our eternal wellbeing and the wellbeing of our loved ones.
Joseph Smith said it perfectly when he declared,
Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand; and who can abide the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soup; and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation (D&C 128:24).
Joseph Smith made his offering to the Lord in righteousness, as did Abraham. Let us make sure we do the same by seeking an Abrahamic lifestyle one of full-hearted willingness and obedience to God. In so doing, we too will receive the privileges that Abraham received. For if there is one thing the scriptures teach, it is that through a pathway of humble submission we come to trust God, know Him, and therein find eternal joy.
For additional information on Abraham and
what his covenant and promises
can mean to you, please click here
C.S. Bezas' book is now in LDS bookstores and has been described as perfect for youth leaders and parents of teens. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings is also available by clicking here.
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