The Three Pillars of Divine Revelation: Revelation, Submission, Sacrifice

Brothers and Sisters, we are continually called to deepen our knowledge of the Father and to refine our devotion to the covenants He has established for us. When we study the sacred narratives—the very bedrock of our understanding of the Plan of Salvation—a pattern emerges that is both profoundly simple and staggeringly profound. It is a pattern that speaks directly to the heart of discipleship, the very essence of following the iron rod.

The passage concerning Seth, found in 1 Chronicles 6:3, presents a concise summary of how we are meant to progress in our relationship with the Almighty: “And God revealed himself unto Seth, and he rebelled not, but offered an acceptable sacrifice, like unto his brother Abel.”

This is not merely an academic study of ancient genealogies; it is a blueprint for the modern Latter-day Saint. As we sift through the layers of scripture, we must recognize these three distinct, sequential acts required to draw nearer to the Father.

1. The Necessity of Divine Revelation

The first pillar is crystal clear: God must reveal Himself.

We are not equipped, through sheer intellectual effort or exhaustive study, to perfectly interpret the divine will. As the Spirit testifies, it is not enough to simply read the words or to gather knowledge from the best minds in the Church. The truth concerning our purpose, the path back to Him, must be revealed by Him. This revelation flows through the living prophets, through the sacred ordinances, and through the Spirit's gentle prompting. To assume we can divine the necessary truth is to repeat the error of Babel—building high upon human ingenuity rather than divine instruction.

2. The Discipline of Submission

The second pillar demands our utmost vigilance: We must not rebel.

The historical pattern—from the Tower of Babel to Cain’s misplaced offering—is a stark warning. Rebellion is not simply overt sin; it is the subtle, persistent desire to chart the course of our discipleship using our own limited compass, rather than accepting the divinely provided bearings. The Lord has given us covenants, ordinances, and the living voice of His Prophet. To reject any avenue of closeness—to feel that one experience is sufficient, or that a specific covenant is unnecessary—is to plant the seeds of self-sufficiency, and that inevitably leads to spiritual chaos.

3. The Offering of an Acceptable Sacrifice

The final, and perhaps most personal, pillar is the sacrifice. Seth offered an acceptable sacrifice, mirroring Abel. But what does this sacrifice look like in our day? It is not random, nor is it merely material. It is tailored.

These sacrifices are twofold: first, they are the stewardship of the gifts—the unique talents, the callings, the spiritual gifts—that the Lord has entrusted to us. We are expected to use what we have been given to lift others, for the Father has given us precisely for that purpose. Second, and more intimately, these sacrifices are the refining fires. They are the trials, the unexpected pregnancies, the periods of profound limitation, the moments when the Lord requires us to let go of our carefully constructed plans. These moments, when we surrender our will to His, are the crucible where our hearts are molded to be more like the Savior.

To fully grasp the weight and grace of this pattern, I invite you to listen to the full podcast episode. Autumn Dickson unpacks these concepts in depth, drawing powerful parallels between the patriarchs and our modern covenant path.

The message remains clear for every disciple studying the scriptures: Revelation guides us; submission keeps us aligned; and sacrifice refines us. Do not treat the covenants and ordinances of the restored gospel as optional extras. They are the very structure by which we approach the Father. Let us commit ourselves anew to accepting every truth, every ordinance, and every trial the Lord lays before us, trusting that in each acceptance, He is preparing us for the next, higher blessing.

I challenge you this week to review your own life through this lens. Where are you resisting a revealed truth, however small, because it requires a sacrifice of comfort or control? Let the Spirit guide your pondering on this pattern.