Students often see sacrifice in the Old Testament as something distant and unrelatable—animals on an altar with little connection to their own lives. When that’s the case, the doctrine never reaches them.

In this episode, we show how to help students see beyond the animal and understand what sacrifice really means.

The shift is simple but powerful: moving from an external act to an internal offering. When students recognize that sacrifice is about what they are willing to give to God from their own hearts, the doctrine becomes personal and meaningful.

This matters doctrinally because sacrifice has always pointed to something deeper. If students only see the outward practice, they may miss the invitation to offer a broken heart and a contrite spirit and come unto Jesus Christ.

In this segment, we walk through a practical way to start with students’ real experiences of sacrifice and then connect those experiences to what the Lord was teaching through the law of sacrifice.

You’ll see how to:
• Help students move past confusion about animal sacrifice
• Connect sacrifice to real-life decisions and desires
• Show why sacrifice matters in a relationship with Jesus Christ
• Bridge Old Testament practices to modern discipleship
• Center the meaning of sacrifice on the heart

When students see sacrifice this way, it stops being something ancient and becomes something they can live.

CHAPTERS
(00:00) Introduction
(00:56) Clarifying the Purpose of Sacrifice
(01:39) Why Students Don’t Relate
(02:25) Starting with Personal Experience
(03:02) Why We Choose to Sacrifice
(04:28) What Makes Sacrifice Worth It
(05:17) The Problem with Animal-Only Thinking
(06:42) Real-Life Sacrifice Examples
(08:53) True Meaning of Sacrifice
(09:54) Repentance as Sacrifice
(10:48) Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit
(11:42) Modern Application

ABOUT THE PODCAST
Teach Ye Diligently is a podcast designed to help seminary teachers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints create more effective, Christ-centered learning experiences. Each episode focuses on real classroom challenges and provides clear instructional moves that improve student engagement, responsibility, and gospel understanding.