Abrahamic sacrifices

*Abrahamic sacrifices refers to the idea of doing whatever the Lord requires, even if it is something extremely difficult or something that seems morally wrong

Pros of Mormonism from the perspective of the
Believer	Ex-believer
Many believing Mormons do not see anything wrong with an “Abrahamic sacrifice”. In Mormon doctrine, there is no sacrifice one can do that can be a net negative. All sacrifices bring forth the blessings of heaven. Indeed, when we do what God asks us to do, he immediately blesses us and we are indebted to him. The more we sacrifice, the more we are blessed.        This explains why Joseph Smith taught: “Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation” Only great Abrahamic sacrifices can bring forth the greatest blessing of all: salvation. Abraham was blessed for his sacrifice, and like Abraham, you should be willing to sacrifice everything and do anything for God, for “whatever God requires is right”.        Believing Mormons likely acknowledge that sacrifice has many practical benefits in addition to the spiritual benefits. Sacrifice can be thought of as giving up a personal commodity or desire in order to achieve or obtain something better. Hard work and sacrifice breed success. Almost all successful people in this world made personal sacrifices to achieve success. Perhaps Mormonism is good at producing so many successful people because it teachers its members to sacrifice.	Ex-believers likely see little value in making a sacrifice that seems immoral or irrationally extreme. They would, however, likely appreciate the value of hard work and sacrifice in general that Mormonism encourages. Sacrifice can be thought of as giving up a personal commodity or desire in order to achieve or obtain something better. Hard work and sacrifice breed success. Almost all successful people in this world made personal sacrifices to achieve success. Perhaps Mormonism is good at producing so many successful people because it teachers its members to sacrifice.

Cons of Mormonism from the perspective of the
Believer	Ex-believer
Many believers struggle with the idea of doing something that seems wrong in the name of God, like killing another person (see Nephi and Abraham).For the believer, this concept can cause cognitive dissonance and even seem immoral.	It is likely that many or even most ex-believers reject the idea of doing something that seems wrong in the name of God, like killing another person (see Nephi and Abraham). The ex-believer is likely to look down, and not up, to Abraham. Doing something that appears morally wrong because God commanded it has been the justification for a multitude of heinous crimes throughout the centuries. How is Abraham any different than a crusader or a jihadist? Why is this type of behavior encouraged? Why do we teach our children about this? It is not OK to do something illogical and immoral if we are promised a reward. Just because someone says that God requires something does not make it right. Emphasizing the need for Abrahamic sacrifices is one reason that many outsiders view Mormonism as a cult.