Doctrine and Covenants 130: 22, 2; 132: 50

 

✨ How has the Lord let you know that He sees—and honors—the sacrifices you’ve made out of obedience to Him?

"22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

2 And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 22, 2)

"50 Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the offering of Abraham of his son Isaac." (Doctrine and Covenants 132: 50)

 

And here's the introductory commentary for this week's reading assignment: November 10–16: “I Have Seen Your Sacrifices in Obedience” Doctrine and Covenants 129–132 : 

"Through Joseph Smith, the Lord took some of the mystery out of eternity. The greatness of God, the glory of heaven, and the vastness of eternity can seem almost familiar in the light of the restored gospel, even to finite minds like ours. The revelations in Doctrine and Covenants 129–32 are a good example. What is God like? He “has a body … as tangible as man’s.” What is heaven like? “That same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22, 2). In fact, one of the most joyous truths about heaven is that it can include our cherished family relationships, if sealed by the proper authority. Truths like these can make heaven feel less distant—glorious yet reachable.

But then, sometimes God may ask us to do things that seem uncomfortable and unreachable. For many early Saints, plural marriage was one such commandment. It was a severe trial of faith for Joseph Smith, his wife Emma, and almost everyone who received it. To make it through this trial, they needed more than just favorable feelings about the restored gospel; they needed faith in God that went far deeper than that. The commandment no longer stands today, but the faithful example of people who lived it still does. And this example inspires us when we are asked to make our own “sacrifices in obedience” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:50)."

The Lord would give His commandments to His children through revelation to His servants, the prophets. As the giver of the commandments, it's Him who decides what commandments He wants His children to obey as He sees fit. To kill not is one of His commandments, and yet there were times when He commanded His children to kill. To have only one wife and not commit adultery is also one of His commandments, and yet there were times when He gave the commandment to have more than one wife.

It's truly a severe trial of faith to receive an unexpected commandment from the Lord. It would take sacrifice to obey. I know that the Lord does see our "sacrifices in obedience". He is mindful of us. He sees our every effort, and He strengthens us so that we are able to obey the commandments He gave us, even the ones that require "sacrifices in obedience."