I am who I am, and I am where I am because of the sacrifices made by many others on my behalf. My address today is something of a love letter to those who willingly made difficult and important sacrifices. In my talk, I’ll share some of the expectations of those of us who are members of the Church, and I’d like to share some stories of sacrifice from some of my ancestors.
Sacrifice has always been part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. From the Bible Dictionary:
"Soon after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord gave them the law of sacrifices, which included offering the firstlings of their flocks in a similitude of the sacrifice that would be made of the Only Begotten Son of God."[1]Animal sacrifice is obviously no longer practiced as part of our worship. The purpose of animal sacrifice was to symbolize a future event—the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While visiting the people of the Book of Mormon, Jesus proclaimed His divinity and announced that the law of Moses is fulfilled. From 3 Nephi 9:19–20:
"And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. 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."[2]How do we offer up as a sacrifice a “broken heart and a contrite spirit?” Sacrifice in the gospel of Jesus Christ takes on many forms and many levels of sacrifice. Let’s discuss some things that we, as members of the Church, are asked to do or sacrifice on a regular basis:
- Cleaning our meeting houses some Saturday mornings.
- Keeping the Sabbath day holy.
- Attending our church meetings regularly.
- Paying tithing.
- Magnifying our church callings.
- Ministering
- Obeying God’s commandments.
- Being willing to repent and to ask for forgiveness of our sins.
- A willingness to forgive others and ourselves of transgressions.
- Serving a full-time mission.
- Temple attendance
There are obviously many others. If we look at this list or a similar list of responsibilities as things we must do, or things that we don’t want to do but we will do anyway, then they can indeed feel like a burden. However, if we look at these responsibilities as opportunities to serve, as opportunities to build Heavenly Father’s kingdom, as opportunities to feel closer to our Savior, then they help us develop Christ-like attributes, and the responsibility to “sacrifice” doesn’t feel burdensome at all. In his devotional address last week, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III referred to these sacrifices or opportunities to serve as “spiritual work.” That description struck a chord with me.
In Lectures on Faith, we read:
"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation."[3] I love President Hinckley’s teachings of sacrifice:
"Sacrifice is the very essence of religion; it is the keystone of happy home life, the basis of true friendship, the foundation of peaceful community living, of sound relations among people and nations. Without sacrifice there is no true worship of God. I become increasingly convinced of that every day. 'The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life,' and we do not worship unless we give—give of our substance, give of our time, give of our strength, give of our talent, give of our faith, give of our testimonies."[4]Russell Ballard in his conference address from April 1992, entitled “The Blessings of Sacrifice,” taught:
"Many of us are descendants of hardy pioneers, and we feel grateful and inspired by their faith-promoting examples of sacrifice... our pioneer ancestors gave everything, even their lives, for their faith, for the building of the kingdom of God when the Church was in its infancy. Our commitment to the kingdom should match that of our faithful ancestors even though our sacrifices are different. They were driven from comfortable homes and compelled to journey one thousand miles by ox-drawn wagon and handcart to reestablish their families, homes, and Church in safety. Our sacrifices may be more subtle but no less demanding. Instead of physical deprivation and hardship, we face the challenge of remaining true and faithful to gospel principles amidst such evil and destructive forces as dishonesty, corruption, drug and alcohol misuse, and disease often caused by sexual promiscuity. Also, we find ourselves in combat daily with immorality in all of its many forms."[5]The sacrifices we make today as members of the Church are not inconsequential and they are not easy. When we look back to the seemingly impossible sacrifices made by those who’ve come before, we may wonder if we would have been willing or able to pay that price. To be honest, I’m not sure all of us would have. I believe we were prepared to make the sacrifices necessary of us in today’s gospel. I believe our ancestors would look at the difficulty of remaining true to the faith and true to the covenants we willingly make and would marvel at the sacrifices we make daily to resist temptation, to stand apart from the world, and at the efforts we make to continue establishing His kingdom on earth.
The doctrine of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the story of the Restoration of the gospel, and the story of those of us fortunate enough to participate fully as members of the Church, and to attend this university, are made possible through the willing sacrifice of many who came before us. I am eternally grateful to those who have made those seemingly impossible sacrifices so that I and my family can live the beautiful and privileged life in the gospel that we enjoy today.
Through the devotional discussion board, many of you shared beautiful examples of sacrifice that others have made on your behalf. I was humbled as I read your responses. I’d like to share a couple of those examples. From Sylvia Namutebi:
"My parents are the best example I can give you. They sacrificed a lot to see that I grew up healthy and safe. When I was growing up, I was in and out of hospitals and always on oxygen for my breathing support due to my health condition. They sold off most of their belongings to seek out my medical attention because they didn't have a lot and had my other siblings to take care of. I saw them going through difficult situations because they gave all they had in order to bring me up with the help of our Heavenly Father. I thank God that He has been so faithful to us and my family." From Jean Lackey:
"When I was five years old, my mother divorced my father to protect me and my siblings from my father. He was mentally unstable. . . It was very difficult to be a single mother of five children in 1960. She struggled to pay the mortgage, childcare, and to keep food on the table. My brother was also medically fragile and one of my sisters had special needs. Mom never remarried, and I know she was very lonely. Once when in my forties, she tried to apologize to my sister and me for working all the time and not being there for us. We quickly informed her that we knew she did it because she loved us, not out of a need to have a career or socialize. I was blessed to have a loving home to grow up in where good morals and a love of our Savior was always present. We were taught the love of family, a strong work ethic, and to serve others." From Ruth Manu:
"Although there are countless sacrifices from others that have blessed my life over the years, this one stands out the most. I was in a horrific car accident a few years ago that resulted in my mother's death and me being life-flighted in critical condition. My sweet, selfless grandmother sat in the hospital and rehab centers with me every day for just over a month. I did become frustrated with her at times; however, it was one of the biggest blessings ever to have her with me at that time when I felt so utterly abandoned and alone." I could share so many other examples. Please take a minute to read the devotional discussion board.
If you will indulge me, I’d like to share examples of sacrifice from three generations of my ancestors. I am eternally indebted to these people. I love them deeply.
My Great-Grandfather, Ferdinand Rottweiler.
Ferdinand Rottweiler was born in Esslingen, Germany in 1876. At the age of seven, his mother died, his father remarried, and both his father and stepmother died when he was fourteen. At fourteen years old, he was on his own. He worked several jobs, including time serving in the German military for two years. He eventually was employed as a streetcar driver. At work one day, he met missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In his words:
Being of a religious nature, I became interested, reading their tracts and hearing them preach the everlasting gospel. It did not take me long to decide after hearing the testimonies to tell that this was the true Church. I accepted the gospel in 1901 and have never had any doubts to this day that the gospel is true and restored in its fullness.
Shortly after joining the Church, he met Rosa Marie Stelzenmuller, another convert. They were soon married and had a strong desire to emigrate to the western United States to join the body of the Church.
In 1901, not long after his baptism and marriage, they left their homeland and travelled to Utah and were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple. They then travelled north and settled in Dubois, Idaho, then later Menan, Idaho. This is a photograph of Esslingen, Germany, their hometown. Notice how green, how civilized, and how lovely (for lack of a better word). Have you ever been to Dubois? I love eastern Idaho. I even love Dubois, but this must have been a shock. The sacrifice to leave their home, to leave their friends, to come to America—Dubois, Idaho no less—and to learn a new language, to learn how to eke out a living, farming in this cold and dry and desolate and unfamiliar landscape, humbles me greatly.
After establishing themselves in Menan, Idaho, he and his wife, Rosa, who suffered from various health issues and was relegated to a wheelchair until she passed away in 1929, raised five children, including my grandmother, Lillie Clark.
Ferdinand Rottweiler remained faithful in the gospel until his death in 1949. As his life was coming to an end, he wrote the following statement: “I hope the children will be faithful to the gospel which I gave so much for, leaving home and friends, and trying to make a new home.” What an understated summation of his sacrifice-filled life.
My Grandmother, Vallene Dunkley Bell
Vallene Dunkley was born in Whitney, Idaho in 1922. Grandma Bell was always a bit of a mystery to me. She was fun, she was sharp, she was frugal, she was hardworking, she was steadfast in the gospel, and she was loving (if in a distant way). She was also blunt; she was not very personable. For example, she rarely called to wish me a happy birthday or even sent me a birthday card. I never felt like I had a personal or loving relationship with Grandma Bell; she did have 8 children, 26 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren at the time of her passing, so I get it. I guess I just never really knew nor fully appreciated her. The more I learn about Grandma Bell the more I understand and appreciate the sacrifices she made to support her husband and to raise her family. She made difficult compromises and I’m eternally grateful.
Vallene was one of the most popular, creative, musical, and outgoing children in her hometown of Whitney, Idaho. She was elected president of her class in 8th grade. At age fourteen, she was the assistant ward organist. She took advanced organ classes. She represented her school at the Idaho state-wide music contest. She was a high school cheerleader. She was president of the Builders Club (a social/fellowship organization). She continued her musical prowess serving as the high school choir and opera accompanist and as the Franklin Stake organist. She even presented musical programs over radio station KVNU in Logan.
After graduating from high school, she attended Ricks College and began to date Phil Keller Bell, my grandfather. While at Ricks College, she was the private secretary for Hyrum Manwaring, the president of Ricks College.
A brief note in her personal history reads, “School was interrupted that winter to enter the Logan Temple on January 14, 1942 to be married to Phil Keller Bell of Mink Creek, Idaho.”
After 3 years of marriage, Grandpa and Grandma Bell sold their home in Mink Creek and bought some land in Terreton, Idaho to “find our fortune.” Terreton was the last new frontier in that section of the west. It offered the only opportunity to gain a foothold on farming with nothing down and nothing to go on. In her words:
"The hardest adjustment we had to make in Terreton was getting used to the wind. It seemed that practically every morning at 11:00, a gentle breeze commenced, which soon became a roaring blast which lasted until sunset. As the sun set, the wind died down and was quiet until the [next] morning at 11:00. This necessitated our getting up at 3:00am to do the farming, which gave us an 8-hour day before the wind commenced.
In July, the wind brought with it a hailstorm, which took care of all our harvest worries. Within 19 minutes, the hailstones had pulverized all our crops in that area. It broke windows in houses, gouged holes in the siding and roof of the houses. It killed rabbits in the desert and even chickens in the barnyards. In the fall of 1951, we decided to move to Boise. We still loved Terreton, but of the 7 years we planted crops, we had harvested 4. Two years’ crops were taken by hailstorms and one year’s was ruined by early frost."
Grandma Bell was a woman of culture and intellect and musical abilities. Rather than seeking her own fame and fortune, she made enormous sacrifices so that she and Grandpa Bell could raise their 8 children doing what my grandfather knew best: farming. Her enormous talents were put to use serving in the Church, teaching her children music and the gospel, sewing clothes for her children, cooking meals, and offering willing support to her husband. I have no doubt that the sacrifices she made helped my mother become the perfect example of hard work, obedience, and determination that she is today. I love my Grandma Bell and the sacrifices she made for her family.
My Father
I was 16 years old when I realized my father was not perfect. Our family was a pillar of the small community where I grew up. We attended church every Sunday. Our membership and service in the Church was who we were. When I was eight years old, my dad was my Cubmaster, and the best Cubmaster the Cub Scouts ever had. When I was starting high school, he was in the bishopric. My dad was just the best. It was a surprise when we were told to wait at home when my parents went to church earlier than usual one Sunday morning. When they returned, they informed us that my father had been excommunicated from the church. They didn’t tell us why. I later found out the details and this hurt deeply. It embarrassed me; I knew that my friends knew, and I had a very difficult time at a very vulnerable point in my life. My dad also lost his job and this put a heavy burden on my family, and I didn’t take it well. I resented my father for years and blamed him for a lot of my insecurities and failures. I blamed him for much longer than he deserved.
What I failed to realize is that my father was making sacrifices necessary for him to return to the covenant path. My dad never lost hope. He rededicated himself to his family, to obedience, and to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through humility, determination, and the process of repentance, he was able to take advantage of the greatest sacrifice of all: the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. The process was difficult, but he was forgiven by God. He was forgiven by my mother. He was re-baptized, held significant callings in the Church, and remained faithful to the gospel for his entire life. He made significant sacrifices to make it possible to stay on the covenant path. He remained the best dad ever. I, however, still struggled with his mistake and what it did to our family.
It took me years—decades really—to understand that my dad was a great example of somebody who was willing to do everything it took to get himself right in the eyes of God. Jesus Christ paid for our sins, and my dad made the necessary sacrifices in his life so that he could take advantage of the Savior’s Atonement. The reality is that his mistake and his willingness to become humble and to seek repentance and to ask for forgiveness has made me a more understanding, less judgmental, and a more compassionate father, husband, and friend.
I think I realized too late that my dad is a hero. He died a little over a year ago. I miss him dearly and I wish we could have gotten to a point where I could have fully embraced and appreciated who he was, but something continued to hold me back. I regret that deeply. I hope he knows now how much I love him. I hope he knows how indebted our family is to the sacrifices he made.
Our Heavenly Father knew that we would need help to return to him. Somebody needed to pay the price for our sins. Our Savior Jesus Christ willingly offered Himself as a sacrifice. He felt our pain, He felt our loneliness, He felt our despair. Through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and through His painful and humiliating crucifixion, He made it possible for us to receive eternal life. His sacrifice makes it possible for us to reach our full potential as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. All that He asks in return is a willing sacrifice of a “broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
Elder Neal A. Maxwell spoke eloquently of this sacrifice in his April 1995 conference address entitled “Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness.”
"So it is that real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! Such is the 'sacrifice unto the Lord . . . of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,' a prerequisite to taking up the cross, while giving 'away all [our] sins' in order to 'know God' for the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him."[6]Brothers and sisters, please take time to learn of the sacrifices others have made on your behalf. Ponder on those sacrifices and please be grateful for them. Find it in your heart to make the personal sacrifices necessary to partake fully in the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] “Sacrifice,” Bible Dictionary, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013.
[2] 3 Nephi 9:19–20.
[3] Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith.
[4] Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1997.
[5] M. Russell Ballard, “The Blessings of Sacrifice,” Ensign, May 1992.
[6] Neal A. Maxwell, “Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness,” Ensign, May 1995.