As An Offering Unto Him

After Lehi and his family left Jerusalem and arrived in the wilderness, they offered sacrifice to the Lord: “And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God” (1 Nephi 2:7). After Nephi and his brothers made it back safely with the plates, they did the same thing: “And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel” (1 Nephi 5:9). And then again, after Nephi and his brethren arrived from Jerusalem safely with Ishmael’s family, they once more offered sacrifice: “And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him” (1 Nephi 7:22). So, they made a sacrifice according to the law of Moses with each successful journey from Jerusalem in order to give thanks. Nephi didn’t mention sacrifices again in his record, but given this pattern they doubtless made similar sacrifices many times on their journey, especially when they arrived in the promised land. Hundreds of years later when King Benjamin gathered his people together, Mormon mentioned their sacrifices: “And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses; And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies” (Mosiah 2:3-4). Once more the sacrifice was at least in part in gratitude for a safe journey, both that of their ancestors and their more recent escape from the Lamanites in the land of Nephi.

The account of King Benjamin is the last time the Book of Mormon specifically mentions that the Nephites performed sacrifice according to the law of Moses, but I have to think that other times when they gave thanks they were indeed doing this. For example, after Alma’s successful escape from bondage under Helam, “They poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God. And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God” (Mosiah 24:21-22). Surely either there or once they arrived at Zarahemla they offered sacrifice to the Lord. Another time the Nephites were delivered from the Lamanites, Mormon recorded this: “Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy” (Alma 45:1). Undoubtedly as they “gave thanks” that included making a formal offering to the Lord as prescribed in the law of Moses.

That the Nephites were still doing sacrifices and burnt offerings by the time the Savior came among them is clear because of what He said to them at that time: “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” (3 Nephi 9:19-20). They had spent hundreds of years offering sacrifice by giving up something of value to the Lord, and now He required that they do the same but in a less tangible way. Perhaps Mormon didn’t focus on the animal sacrifices made by the Nephites because he knew that those receiving his record, like the people in his day, wouldn’t be required to make those. Amaleki summarized well the kind of offering the Lord wanted from His people in ancient times and today: “Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26). Our most important offering is our whole souls, which perhaps is really the same thing as a broken heart and contrite spirit that are turned to Him. No matter what the form of the offering, the Lord wants us to make sacrifices to Him so He can consecrate them for our salvation.