Enos's Sacrifice

In my last post about sacrifice I mentioned Enos, a prophet in the Book of Mormon. I have been thinking about his story and sacrifices and decided to post about it.
Enos went into the wilderness one day to hunt and started thinking about the things his father had taught him. (I am so glad there were no cell phones or Mp3 players, or ipods). As he pondered on his father's teachings, he "hungered" (is what the scriptures say) and he knelt and prayed for his own soul. he prayed all day and into the night. Then he felt the Lord tell him that he was forgiven and he knew the Lord could not lie so it must be so. Now unlike many of us, he stayed on his knees and prayed for all his people the nephites. The Lord answered him and said that He would "visit them according to their diligence in keeping my commandments", Enos 1:10. Now he still continued to pray this time for his enemies the Lamanites and their souls. He desired that if his people fell into iniquity and were destroyed that their records could be preserved so the Lamanites could eventually come unto Christ. They had tried to teach the Lamanites but with no success. The Lord told Enos that his fathers have also "required this of Me". The Lord told him that because of his faith and the faith of his Fathers, that this would be done. Now, Enos finished his prayer but his sacrifice just began. He preached and prophesied to his people from that time forth to keep them in the way of the Lord. He and the Nephites did continue to teach the Lamanites with no success. When he was about to die this is what he said, Enos 1:26-27 "I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world."
"And I soon go the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."
Enos sacrificed and gave his life to the teaching of his people and his enemies the Lamanites and because of this he did not fear jugdement day. He rejoiced in it and knew he would not be guilt ridden as he stood before God but he would be accepted. His sacrifice was enough because of his repentance and service to God and His children. I am so grateful that we can try and do all that is asked of us and repent when we fall short as we all do. I am grateful for my Brother, Jesus Christ who was willing to sacrifice and suffer for us all and die for us that we may be resurrected as He was and live again as He does now live. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Sacrifice

I have been reading the bible lately and I was reading in Exodus when the children of Israel were working on the Tabernacle. They were asked to donate their gold and silver and jewels and material and wood. The cloth had to be spun. So the women spun cloth. Eventually the men blessed with wisdom to do the building of the Tabernacle came to Moses and told him that they had too much. So Moses gave commandment, "Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.... The stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much." Exodus 36:6-7. I was impressed with the generosity of the children of Israel and their willingness to sacrifice and help. And then I started thinking of the things which we are asked to do and how we are asked to sacrifice and wouldn't it be so wonderful if at the end of our earthly lives we could be told it is sufficient. Like Enos, to be told "Come unto me ye blessed there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of My Father. Enos 1:27.
Also when I think about the things we are commanded to do I have a hard time considering it a sacrifice. We are blessed with so much as we strive to do what is right and repent when we fall short it is hard to consider it sacrificing. King Benjamin puts it well when he talks of our debt to Heavenly Father in Mosiah 2:21-25. We are indebted to Him for our very lives and then when we keep His commandments He blesses us and we are still indebted to Him forever. And the only way it is possible for our sacrifices to be considered sufficient is because of our debt being paid by the greatest sacrifice of all, that of our Brother, and Savior Jesus Christ. We all fall short without His sacrifice, but because of His great love for us and His atoning for our sins, our meager sacrifices can be enough. I am so grateful for my Savior and all He has done for me. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.