Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19: Lesson 54

Leviticus, Part 2

Sacrificing for the Lord

Ancient Israel performed rituals that symbolized Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Among these rituals was the sacrifice of burnt offerings. These offerings also demonstrated Israel’s continual commitment to sacrifice anything the Lord asked of them. This lesson can help students recognize sacrifices they can make to become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Student preparation: Invite students to do something that they feel would be a good sacrifice for the Lord. Some examples might include paying tithing or fast offerings, sacrificing time to help someone in need, or sacrificing a few extra minutes of sleep to study the scriptures. Invite students to reflect on how this sacrifice affects their relationship with the Lord.

Possible Learning Activities

Willingness to sacrifice

Consider beginning class by helping students see the value of being willing to make sacrifices for the Lord. You could do this by writing the following statement on the board. Invite students to discuss the accompanying questions.

The key to making our day successful is …

• How would you finish this statement?

• Why do you feel your answer could help someone have a successful day?

Elder Taylor G. Godoy of the Seventy shared the following about a successful day:

The key to making our day successful is to be willing to sacrifice. (“One More Day,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 34)

• Why do you think being willing to sacrifice can make our day successful?

  Consider writing students’ responses to the following question on the board. You could reference these answers at various points throughout the lesson.

• What are some sacrifices the Lord asks of us that you feel could lead to a successful day, week, or life?

Consider inviting students to reflect on their willingness to make sacrifices for the Lord. One way you could do this is to show students a pie chart. Provide the following instructions.

Create a pie chart in your study journal. Fill in a percentage (0 percent to 100 percent) that you feel reflects your willingness over the past week to sacrifice for the Lord. Then ponder the following questions:

• If you feel your percentage is high, why have you been willing to sacrifice for the Lord?

• If you feel your percentage is low, what may have kept you from being more willing to sacrifice?

Consider offering a silent prayer. Ask Heavenly Father to help you understand what He would have you know and do regarding your personal sacrifices. During this lesson, pay attention to thoughts and feelings that might come to you through the Holy Ghost.

Burnt offerings

In Leviticus 1, the Lord instructs the Israelites to make burnt offerings. Priests made these offerings daily. The offerings were symbolic of the Savior’s Atonement. These offerings were also a sign of Israel’s continual commitment to the Lord.

Read Leviticus 1:3, 8–9, looking for words and phrases that could relate to sacrifices we might make for the Lord today.

• What did you find?

If students need help, you could point out some of the following:

• “He shall offer it of his own voluntary will” (verse 3).

• “Head,” “fat,” “inwards,” and “legs” (verses 8–9). These different parts of the animal could be symbolic of offering the Lord anything He asks of us, including our hearts, minds, and bodies.

• “Burn all on the altar” (verse 9). Burning the whole animal on the altar represented total commitment to the Lord.

• “Sweet savour unto the Lord” (verse 9). This can mean that our sacrifices are sweet and pleasing to Heavenly Father and the Savior.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of offering sacrifice.

• How can our willingness to sacrifice help us become more like the Savior?

One lesson we can learn by understanding burnt offerings is that we can become more like our Savior as we are willing to sacrifice anything Heavenly Father asks of us.

Living the law of sacrifice in our time

After the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ was completed, He adjusted the type of sacrifice He asked His people to make (see 3 Nephi 9:19–20). Though we currently do not sacrifice animals, the Lord still asks His people to make sacrifices. These sacrifices include more than giving up our temporal possessions.

Display the following instructions, scripture passages, and questions. You might invite students to complete this on their own.

Study two or more of the following passages, looking for insights that can help you answer the questions below.

1. Romans 12:1–2

2. Omni 1:26

3. 3 Nephi 9:19–20

4. Doctrine and Covenants 4:2

   • How could you use these passages to help someone understand what the Lord wants us to sacrifice in our time?

   • How could sacrificing in these ways help us become more like the Savior?

   • Why do you think it can be difficult for some people to be willing to sacrifice what the Lord asks of them?

Invite volunteers to share what they learned and how they would answer the two questions above. You might also discuss how these verses could apply to the sacrifices they listed on the board earlier in the lesson. This discussion could lead into the next question.

Blessings of sacrifice

Consider putting students into small groups. Invite them to use their answers to the previous question to create a scenario where someone might hesitate to sacrifice what the Lord asks of them. Following is one simple example. Invite students to discuss the accompanying question in their groups. To help with this discussion, students could study “Sacrifice” in the Guide to the Scriptures.

Imagine you have a friend who feels they don’t have enough time to make some of the sacrifices the Lord asks of them.

• What could you share that might help resolve some of your friend’s concerns?

Invite a few groups to share some of their insights. As they share, consider asking follow-up questions like “What would you want your friend to know about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that could help them be more willing to make sacrifices for Them?” or “What personal experiences could you share that have taught you the value of making sacrifices for the Lord?”

To deepen understanding about sacrifice, you could display the following statement.

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared some of the blessings the Lord gives as we make sacrifices for Him:

Our determination to cast off all that is contrary to God’s will and to sacrifice all we are asked to give and to strive to follow His teachings will help us to endure in the path of Jesus Christ’s gospel—even in the face of tribulation, the weakness of our souls, or the social pressure and worldly philosophies that oppose His teachings. (“Take Up Our Cross,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 114)

• What have you learned about the Lord and His reasons for asking us to sacrifice?

Personal sacrifice

Invite students to reflect on impressions they have received. Consider displaying the following instructions. If helpful, students could refer to the list of sacrifices on the board as they complete this activity.

Complete one of the following in your study journal:

1. One sacrifice I am already making for Heavenly Father is …

   Something I learned today that will help me continue or improve on this sacrifice is …

2. One thing I will start or stop doing to show my willingness to sacrifice for the Lord is …

   Something I learned today that will help me make this change is …

You could invite students to share what they wrote along with their testimony of what they have learned or felt.

Additional Resources

How can making sacrifices help me become more like the Savior?

Sister Tracy Y. Browning, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, taught:

When we bring our offering to the Savior, we are being invited to see more of Jesus Christ in our lives, as we humbly submit our will to Him in recognition and understanding of His perfect submission to the will of the Father. (“Seeing More of Jesus Christ in Our Lives,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 14)

Why should I want to make sacrifices?

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

To sacrifice means to give something up in favor of something more valuable. Anciently, God’s people sacrificed the firstlings of their flocks in honor of the coming Messiah. Throughout history, faithful Saints have sacrificed personal desires, comforts, and even their lives for the Savior.

We all have things, large and small, we need to sacrifice in order to follow Jesus Christ more completely. Our sacrifices show what we truly value. Sacrifices are sacred and honored by the Lord. (“Our Heartfelt All,” Liahona, May 2022, 124)

What can I sacrifice to the Lord?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

The real act of personal sacrifice is not now nor ever has been placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal that is in us upon the altar—then willingly watching it be consumed! Such is the “sacrifice unto [the Lord of] a broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:20). (Neal A. Maxwell, Meek and Lowly [1987], 94)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Examples from the scriptures

Invite students to study one of the following accounts, looking for insights that can help increase their willingness to sacrifice anything the Lord asks of them:

• The widow of Zarephath. 1 Kings 17:8–16

• The widow’s mite. Mark 12:41–44

• A Lamanite king. Alma 22:13–19, 22–23

An example from Church history

During the discussion of student-made scenarios, you could watch “Treasure in Heaven: The John Tanner Story” (20:31) from time code 8:16 to 18:43. Invite students to look for lessons they can learn from John Tanner’s example of sacrifice.

The process of sacrifice

Students might benefit from seeing an example of how our constant efforts to make sacrifices to the Lord help us to become holy as He is. Help them recognize that this process is not always easy. Consider watching “Overcoming Challenges” (5:02). Invite students to look for what continual sacrifices this man made for the Lord and how this process helped make the man holy.