Sacrifice: An Unexpected Answer to Family Challenges

"In this world, it is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich."
–Henry Ward Beecher

Michael Ruse and Julie Dodger had been engaged for six months, but the closer they got to the wedding, the more concerned they were about the marriage. Julie was willing to move to a new location, and Michael was willing to attend all of her family gatherings. When they did the math, it should have worked out. But according to Julie, Michael didn’t earn enough, didn’t listen well enough, and didn’t compromise. And according to Michael, Julie was intolerant, disorganized, and high maintenance. They worried that their differences were irreconcilable.

Through discussion, Michael and Julie came to realize that although their problems were very real, their strengths were real as well, and they showed those strengths best when they sacrificed for one another. Julie felt like it was easier to appreciate Michael when she cleaned her apartment for him and when she forgave his imperfections, and Michael knew from experience that his love for Julie grew when he sacrificed his evening sports show to hear about her day. By focusing on sacrificing for each another, the couple gained the courage to move forward in their relationship. They learned that mutual love grows as we serve and sacrifice for each other.

A Contrary Culture

The popular and professional literature seems to miss the real sources of strength in marriage: the shared goals, the necessary struggles and sacrifices, the calm joy of teamwork, and the comfort in two people carrying out mundane tasks together. All of these elements forge the profound bonds that characterize strong marriage. –Blaine Fowers, Beyond the Myth of Marital HappinessMichael and Julie’s experience illustrates that sacrifice can be a positive influence in family life. The couple was surprised at first that a simple principle like sacrifice provided a solution to their problems. We can understand their skepticism. American culture doesn’t value sacrifice as much as it values individuality. Society places such a large emphasis on self-fulfillment and independence that scholars call modern marriage the “individualized” marriage.³ Although individuality isn’t necessarily bad, too much focus on self can lead us to forget about sacrificing for others, which leads to families being less effective. In addition, sacrifice is usually seen as a religious rather than an academic principle. Self-care and science are the songs of our day, not sacrifice! But things are changing, and sacrifice is gaining importance in the academic world. It came onto the scene almost by accident. In 1998, a team of researchers discovered that sacrifice has positive outcomes. People who sacrifice are happier and have a better outlook on life.⁸Although it may seem strange that giving oneself away makes a person happier, both research and religion teach us that this is true. In Christian tradition, we are most familiar with the words of Jesus: “[H]e that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).

The Sacrifice Paradox

There is a certain inevitability that as one struggles to foster someone else’s growth, one’s own growth, in one way or another, is also fostered. –Dag Hammarskjold¹Sacrifice is a “willingness to forego immediate self-interest to promote the well-being of a partner or relationship”.¹⁰ We often see this kind of behavior family relationships. For example, a new mother sacrifices sleep to feed her baby. A husband sacrifices his weekend plans with friends to take his wife on a date. Or a child sacrifices his lunch money for his younger sister when she forgets hers. Sacrifice is so common in family life that we sometimes fail to notice it.

Sacrifice can be active (doing something for someone you love) or passive (not doing something in order to please someone you love). Scholars call sacrifice a “transformation of motivation” because it changes how we relate to others. We replace self-interested desires with concern for the people we are with.⁷ Rather than leaving us empty, sacrifice actually makes us full.

Research shows that greater sacrifice leads to happier, longer-lasting relationships.^10,9 Scholars include it with other “transformative processes” like forgiveness, commitment, and sanctification.⁴ Though the reasons why sacrifice is so important to families have not all been identified, some researchers have noted that “sacrifice has surplus value, yielding positive consequences for the partner above and beyond any direct impact on experienced outcomes”.¹⁰ However it works, it is obvious that it does work!

A Responsibility and a Reward

Family relationships provide countless opportunities to sacrifice. Parenting, in particular, requires more sacrifice than most relationships. In the case of childrearing, sacrifice is not just a nicety—it is a necessity. The Family: A Proclamation to the World describes some important parental sacrifices:Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.Husbands and wives have important responsibilities to each other and to their children. Fortunately, sacrifice is easier when spouses are unified. “For those individuals who have a strong sense of couple identity . . . and are therefore more interested in the well-being of the couple unit than their own individual gains, it is theorized that acts of sacrifice will be easier because they do not feel like they are as much of a sacrifice”.¹¹ Mature individuals realize that caring for one’s spouse is actually to one’s own benefit because doing so fulfills a deep human need to belong and to nurture. Sacrifice thus becomes a blessing rather than a burden.Children benefit from the sacrificial examples of their parents. As recipients of their parents’ sacrifices, they learn how to sacrifice in return. In this way, sacrifice makes it more likely for family members to reciprocate good behaviors. The result is a more generous, hospitable home atmosphere.¹¹

Motive Matters

To care about someone . . . means devoting them to the person and taking joy in doing so; in the end, one feels richer for one’s efforts, not poorer. –Tzvetan Todorov.¹Not all sacrifice is created equally. Researchers often categorize sacrificial behaviors as having one of two motives:⁷

Approach motives seek to obtain positive outcomes. We call them “approach motives” or “appetitive motives” because the purpose of sacrifice is to gain a reward. For example, a man could buy flowers for his wife because he loves her and wants her to be happy. He is using approach motives because he is seeking the reward of his wife’s happiness and well-being.

Avoidance motives seek to avoid negative outcomes. Avoidance motives (or “aversive motives”) are so-named because the goal is to avoid some sort of punishment. For example, the same man could buy flowers for his wife for Valentine’s Day because he knows that she will be mad if he doesn’t. He exemplifies avoidance motives because he is seeking to avoid her anger.

Research shows that approach motives are better than avoidance motives.⁷ It’s easy to see why. The man who buys flowers for his wife because he loves her will be happy about the gift. He’ll probably feel like a better husband, and he will be confident that his wife will return the affection that he feels for her. In contrast, the man who buys flowers for his wife to avoid her wrath probably feels a little stressed, having to tiptoe around her. He might be mad about the money that it costs, and he will expect her to be ungrateful or undeserving of the gift. Rather than bringing the couple together, sacrificing with avoidance motives has the potential to drive them further apart.

Emily Impett and her colleagues did a study to show the importance of sacrificing for the right reasons. They asked 161 college students to keep a daily journal. For two weeks, students wrote about their romantic relationships and their sacrificial behaviors, including whether or not they were sacrificing for avoidance or approach reasons. The results were impressive:

“On days when participants sacrificed for avoidance motives, they experienced more negative emotions, lower satisfaction with life, less positive relationship well-being, and more relationship conflict…Further, the more often participants sacrificed for avoidance motives over the course of the 2-week study, the less satisfied they were and the more likely they were to have broken up 1 month later…” .⁷

Impett’s findings echo a common theme in the Bible: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Given grudgingly, sacrifice doesn’t benefit the giver or the receiver nearly as much as when it is given willingly.¹⁰ Approach motives and avoidance motives boil down to the principle of sincerity. Approach motives tend to be sincere, while avoidance motives tend to be insincere. Sincere, heartfelt sacrifice benefits both the giver and the receiver. Author Philip Hallie helped explain why sincerity is prerequisite to sacrifice:

[There is a fundamental distinction] between giving things and giving oneself. When you give somebody a thing without giving yourself, you degrade both parties. But when you give yourself, nobody is degraded . . . both parties are elevated by a shared joy. When you give yourself, the things you are giving become . . . féconde (fertile, fruitful). What you give creates new, vigorous life”.¹

Rather than feeling degraded or used when they sacrifice, people who sacrifice with approach motives (sincerely trying to bless someone else) actually feel like beneficiaries. They profit from the possibility of reciprocation, from feeling needed and useful, and from growing to know what is needed and how to meet those needs.¹

To Make Sacred

Sacrifice has found acceptance in academics, but it is also an important religious principle. The roots of the word sacrifice literally mean “to make sacred”.² A team of Brigham Young University scholars explored the link between sacrifice and sacredness. They found that “perceiving parts of family life to be sacred gives them a unique, unusually powerful, and salient influence in families… [Thus] the greater the sacredness of sacrificing, the more unique, powerful, and salient the effects of the sacrificing are on other family processes and valued family outcomes”.²

So, for people who believe that sacrifice is a sacred principle (of special, even transcendent, significance), sacrifice in family life may be more meaningful. For example, the man who believes that fatherhood is a divine duty will probably be more willing to sacrifice work hours for time with his children than the man who thinks little of his fathering efforts. When sacrifices made in the home are considered sacred, we expect individuals and families to sacrifice more often and with purer motives, leading to better family outcomes. We thus recommend that couples and families view sacrifice from a sacred lens, and see family life as directly benefited by religious beliefs.

Learning to Sacrifice

Learning to sacrifice is more than a to-do list. Since motivation matters, sacrifice must be delivered with an attitude of love and appreciation. It is less of an action than it is a process of becoming. So although the following suggestions may help, remember that sacrificing requires a change of heart, and not just a change of behavior:

• Sacrificial Speech: Sometimes sacrifice means biting your tongue. When your partner or child makes a negative remark, don’t respond unkindly. Instead, select a calm and caring reply. This is called accommodation or editing.¹

• Sacrificial Stance: Researchers recommend that rather than focusing on how our family members can change, we should shift our attention to something that we have more control over, such as how we can bless them.⁹ In the spirit of President John F Kennedy, we ask not “what can this person do for me?” but “what can I do for this person?”

• Sacrificial Sight: Change your heart by changing your perspective. Researchers suggest that we should focus on the things that we want to create in our relationships rather than things that we want to avoid.⁷ See family members’ needs and interests as important as your own¹, and notice their strengths rather than their weaknesses.

• Sacrificial Savoir-Faire: Savoir-faire is the ability to act with grace and tact. Sometimes this requires sacrifice. Choose your battles wisely and be willing to set aside personal interests when they conflict with couple or family well-being.¹⁰

Word of Warning

Sacrifice is wonderful for families, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Research says that sacrifice is most helpful when it is voluntary, when it is given in moderation, when it is reciprocated (given in return), and when it is accompanied by commitment.⁹ Sacrifice could easily become harmful if given in the wrong ways. Consider the following circumstances and note how sacrifice could be unhealthy:

Allie and Mark have been married for three months. They love each other, but Mark feels like Allie asks too much of him. She gives him a “honey-do” list every Saturday, and she is constantly nagging him to do things her way. He is happy to do whatever it takes to make theirs a happy marriage, but sometimes he wishes that he could do things for her without being pushed into it.

• Mark’s sacrifices would better if he didn’t feel pushed to sacrifice. Remember, the most beneficial sacrifice is given willingly, with approach motivations rather than with avoidance motivations. Allie could help the situation by being less demanding, more grateful, and by doing a good turn for Mark on a more frequent occasion.

Although Melissa is smitten with her boyfriend, her family is not so fond of him. They affectionately call him “Dan the Dud.” Mel has been dating him for nearly 18 months now, and she does everything she can to convince Dan to marry her. She regularly sacrifices social events and school demands to spend time with him, but he doesn’t seem to reciprocate. In reality, she knows that he really is a dud. She is convinced that things would be better if they were married.

• Melissa is right in one respect—sacrifice and commitment do go hand-in-hand, though it is foolish to believe that Dan’s behavior will change after they get married. Research shows that for men especially, long-term commitment is related to greater willingness to sacrifice.⁹ Sacrifice is always most advantageous when it is reciprocated. Only then can sacrifice contribute to a relationship climate of mutual support and generosity.

Karen and Tanner have three children. Karen has a giving heart, and she rarely considers her own needs. She spends so much time serving her family that she sometimes finds herself crashing, feeling exhausted and burned out. Tanner tries to convince her to take a break to rejuvenate, but she feels guilty about taking care of her own needs.

• The answer to Karen’s problem is moderation! Moms are especially susceptible to burn-out. The problem isn’t sacrifice, but how much sacrifice. We all have finite capacities, and we can only give from what we have—in time, energy, or materials. Even mothers have limits. When Karen replenishes herself, she will be more effective in sacrificing and serving others.

Conclusion

Church leader Gordon B. Hinckley wisely defined love in sacrificial terms: “True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one’s companion”.⁶ Current research and personal experience support Hinckley’s words. When it comes to family relationships, sacrifice is the vital key to individual happiness and family unity. Kenneth Boulding said it well: “[W]ithout the kind of commitment or identity which emerges from sacrifice, it may well be that no communities, not even the family, would really stay together”.¹

Written by Jenny Stewart, Research Assistant, edited by Justin Dyer and Stephen F. Duncan, professors in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

References

1. Bahr, H. S., & Bahr, K. S. (2001). Families and self-sacrifice: Alternative models and meanings for family theory. Social Forces, 79(4), 1231-1258.
2. Burr, W. R., Marks, L. D., Day, R. D. (2012). Sacred matters: Religion and spirituality in families. New York, NY: Routledge.
3. Cherlin, A. J. (2004). The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(4), 848-861.
4. Fincham, F. D., Stanley, S. M., Beach, S. R H. (2007). Transformative processes in marriage: An analysis of emerging trends. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 275-292.
5. Fowers, B. J. (2000). Beyond the myth of marital happiness: How embracing the virtues of loyalty, generosity, justice, and courage can strengthen your relationship. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
6. Hinckley, G. B. (1971, June). Except the Lord build the house. Ensign.
7. Impett, E. A., Gable, S. L., & Peplau, L. (2005). Giving up and giving in: The costs and benefits of daily sacrifice in intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(3), 327-344.
8. Pargament, K., Zinnbauer, B., Scott, A., Butter, E., Zerowin, J., & Stanik, P. (1998). Red flags and religious coping: Identifying some religious warning signs among people in crisis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(1), 77-89.
9. Stanley, S. M., Whitton, S. W., Sadberry, S. L., Clements, M. L., Markman, H. J. (2006). Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes. Family Process, 45, 289-303.
10. Van Lange, P. M., Rusbult, C. E., Drigotas, S. M., Arriaga, X. B., Witcher, B. S., & Cox, C. L. (1997). Willingness to sacrifice in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(6), 1373-1395.
11. Whitton, S., Stanley, S., & Markman, H. (2002). Sacrifice in romantic relationships: An exploration of relevant research and theory. In A. L. Vangelisti, H. T. Reis, & M. A. Fitzpatrick (Eds.), Stability and change in relationships (pp. 156-182). Cambridge, UK: University Press.

A Godly Endeavor

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
–Matthew 10:39

Joseph Smith taught the early saints that a “religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary to salvation” (Lectures on Faith, 6:5). For the pioneers, sacrifice meant wooden handcarts and wintry treks. Today we have no physical journeys to make in offering. What then can we give? The very definition of sacrifice is to “[give] to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work”.⁴ Today there is no godly work more pressing than the interests of home and family.

In face-to-face communion with God, Moses learned that work and glory of God is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). If we want to engage in God’s work, then our mission, like His, is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. How better to promote immortality and eternal life than in a family, where human life is created and eternal principles are taught? Indeed, the family is the setting that God instituted for individuals to learn, develop, and lay hold on immortality and eternal life.

In the Family Proclamation

Although The Family: A Proclamation to the World doesn’t refer to sacrifice in word, the principle is woven throughout. Consider the following instructions from the Proclamation, and notice how sacrifice is a guiding principle in our relationships with children, spouse, extended family, and with our Father in Heaven.

• Sacrificing to Marry & Bear Children: The Proclamation has much to say about the sanctity of marriage and parenthood. We learn first that couples are to “multiply and replenish the earth,” and that “children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony.”

Couples may think it is costly to set aside their personal pursuits and worldly endeavors in order to build a family, but we know that marriage and family are worth any price. President Benson taught that “[n]o sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage . . . By this act of faith, we show our love to God and our regard for a posterity yet unborn”.² It requires faith to choose to marry and bear children even when school schedules, careers, and finances get in the way. Fortunately, our Heavenly Father provides divine assistance. When we sacrifice for His purposes, He endows us with power from on high and blesses us with commandments to keep us safe and happy.

• Sacrificing for Spouse: The Proclamation instructs that “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children” and to “help one another as equal partners.” They are also to “[employ] the sacred powers of procreation … between a man and a woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife” and to “honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”

Loving and caring for one’s spouse as an equal partner sometimes means foregoing personal interests. Maintaining chastity and fidelity sacrifices natural man carnal urges for the eternal joys of a covenant bond. These sacrifices ultimately provide couples with greater intimacy, affection, and unity.

• Sacrificing to Raise Children: The Proclamation describes specific sacrifices that are required of mothers and fathers: “Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live . . . By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”

Parenting is not for the faint-hearted! Raising children is the very heart of sacrifice, demanding a total consecration of one’s time, talents, and interests. All other demands outside the home take second-place to the sacred tasks of providing, presiding, protecting, teaching, and nurturing children.

• Sacrificing for Family Members: The Proclamation says only a little about extended family, but it teaches an important responsibility. “Extended families should lend support when needed,” it says.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” asked Cain (Genesis 4:9). We know from the teachings of Jesus Christ that we are our brother’s keepers. We covenant to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” (Mosiah 18:9). This obligation is most important within our immediate and extended family units.

• Sacrificing for Our Heavenly Father: The Proclamation helps us see that family life is happier when we do things God’s way. We learn that “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

Implicit in the Family Proclamation is the need to sacrifice to God. We choose to do family life in His way, sacrificing some of our own ideas and trusting that the instruction that He provides is the best ways to raise our families.

Blessings and Burdens

Sometimes the demands of family life don’t seem worth the effort. Mothers sacrifice sleep, sanity, and self-interests to nurture their children. Fathers put in forty-hour workweeks to provide for their families. It isn’t always easy to obey laws of tithing, church attendance, chastity, missionary service, or the Word of Wisdom. Yet we believe that it is to our benefit to suspend our personal desires to act in the interest of Heavenly Father’s divine purposes.

To those who tire of giving, remember that the sacrifices are not without reward. Blessings often come as burdens in disguise. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that “[Our] blessings will exceed any sacrifice [we] have made. We can never get the Lord in debt to us.”² So central is the role of sacrifice to our happiness that President Harold B. Lee said, “I [am] persuaded of one great truth: Whenever the Lord has a great blessing for one of his children, he puts that son or daughter in the way to make a great sacrifice”.² Let us sacrifice willingly, and so reap the rewards of earthly peace and eternal salvation.

Sacrifice yields rewards that far outweigh the costs. It may be in this way that God “reaps where he sow[s] not” (Matthew 25:26). Just as one small seed produces many pieces of fruit, so sacrifice multiplies in effect. It is infectious, and promotes a pattern of generosity among family members. The climate that prevails in a home where individuals willingly sacrifice for each other is one of trust, love, and mutual affection.

Note that not all sacrifice is created equally, however. When we give begrudgingly of our time or resources, we may cause more harm than good. Indeed, scriptures teach us that gifts given without real intent “profiteth [us] nothing” (Moroni 7:6-8). When we give willingly, sacrifice becomes a reward in its own right. It is a blessing rather than a burden.

United and Selfless

Unity is the champion of sacrifice, and selfishness is its destroyer. President Benson recommended that we replace selfishness with sacrifice:

“One of Satan’s greatest tools is pride: to cause a man or woman to center so much attention on self that he or she becomes insensitive to their Creator or fellow beings. It’s a cause for discontent, divorce, teenage rebellion, family indebtedness, and most other problems we face. If you would find yourself, learn to deny yourself for the blessing of others. Forget yourself and find someone who needs your service, and you will discover the secret to the happy, fulfilled life”.²

Sacrifice is less of an action than it is a process of becoming. A change of heart is required. As we cultivate a giving heart, sacrifice can become the natural way to live virtuously.

Learning to Sacrifice

"The principle of sacrifice should be taught in every Latter-day Saint home and should be practiced in many simple yet important ways."¹

–Elder M. Russell Ballard

Sacrifice is a lofty principle, but it is best expressed in ordinary settings. Consider applying sacrifice in some of the following ways:

• Sacrifice the impulse to anger. Speak kindly to family members when they speak or behave in unbecoming ways.

• Sacrifice time spent in personal pursuits to spend time with a family member.

• Sacrifice your negative perceptions for more flattering views of others; rather than magnifying faults, look for the good in family members.

Elder Robert D. Hales taught this principle when he advised that “The secret of a happy marriage is to protect the Achilles’ heel and not take advantage of the weaknesses of those you know the best, love the most, and ultimately can hurt the most.”³

• Give gifts to family members; gifts could include material goods, service, attention, or time.

• Sacrifice your personal hurts in exchange for healing. Forgive generously and refuse to take offense when wronged.

• Teach your children to sacrifice. Your example of willingness to sacrifice for Heavenly Father through obedience to the commandments is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

The Wise Gift

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf⁶ reminds us to “forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. Good sacrifices give in exchange for something of far greater worth, while lesser sacrifices give in exchange for something of negligible value. He compares the good sacrifice of a parent giving up sleep to soothe a child after a nightmare with the foolish sacrifice of a mother staying up all night to make the perfect accessory for her daughter’s Sunday dress.

“Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another. How can we tell the difference for our own situation? We can ask ourselves, ‘Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?’ There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective.”

The Atoning Sacrifice

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for [our] brethren."

–1 John 3:16

The scriptures remind us that “the great and last sacrifice” is not of man, but is an infinite and eternal sacrifice (Alma 34:10). Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our earthly sacrifices would mean nothing. Because Jesus Christ overcame death and hell, family relationships are eternal, and we know that our small daily sacrifices will benefit our families now and into eternity. Elder M. Russell Ballard reminds us of the central and pivotal role of our Savior’s sacrifice:

“Having power over life and death, He chose to submit himself to pain, ridicule, and suffering, and offered His life as a ransom for our sins. Because of His love, He suffered both body and spirit to a degree beyond our comprehension and took upon Himself our sins if we repent. Through His personal sacrifice, He provided a way for us to have our sins forgiven and, through Him, to find our way back into the presence of our Heavenly Father”.¹

Sacrifice is central to our Eternal Father’s plan for families. Our small daily sacrifices act as reminders of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. We will develop greater reverence for the Savior’s atonement when we thus act in his similitude. When we sacrifice at home, we remember that “This is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal” (Alma 34:14).

Written by Jenny Stewart, Research Assistant, and edited by Stephen F. Duncan, professor in the School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

References

1. Ballard, M. R. (1992, May). The blessings of sacrifice. Ensign.
2. Benson, E. T. (1979, May). This is a day of sacrifice. Ensign.
3. Hales, R. D. (2011, September). A little heaven on earth. Ensign, 45-49.
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2009). Gospel principles. Chapter 26: Sacrifice, 149-154.
5. The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (1995, November). The family: A proclamation to the world. Ensign, 102.
6. Uchtdorf, D. F. (2011, October). Forget me not. Ensign.