​You possible keep in mind listening to a letter from the First Presidency learn in your ward or department a number of weeks in the past. That letter introduced that subsequent Sunday—Easter Sunday—all wards and branches are to fulfill for sacrament assembly solely, leaving further time for worship at dwelling as households to commemorate this most essential vacation.¹

The First Presidency’s letter caught my consideration, and it induced me to replicate on the way in which our household has celebrated Easter by way of the years. The extra I considered our celebrations, the extra I discovered myself questioning if we’re inadvertently shortchanging the true which means of this vacation, so central to all believers in Jesus Christ.

​These ideas led me to ponder the distinction between the way in which we have now celebrated Christmas as in contrast with Easter. Throughout December, we one way or the other handle to include the enjoyable of “Jingle Bells,” Christmas stockings, and items alongside different, extra considerate traditions—equivalent to caring for these in want, singing our favourite Christmas carols and hymns, and naturally opening the scriptures and studying the Christmas story in Luke 2. Yearly as we learn this beloved story from a big previous Bible, our household does what your loved ones in all probability does—dressed with towels on our heads and shoulders and donning bathrobes to characterize Joseph, Mary, and the numerous who got here to worship the child Jesus, we reenact the treasured Christmas story of the Savior’s beginning.

​Our household celebrations at Easter, nevertheless, have been considerably totally different. I really feel our household has relied extra on “going to church” to offer the significant, Christ-centered a part of Easter; after which, as a household, we have now gathered to share in different Easter-related traditions. I’ve beloved watching our kids and now our grandchildren hunt for Easter eggs and dig by way of their Easter baskets.

However the First Presidency letter was a wake-up name. Not solely did they invite all of us to ensure our celebration of a very powerful occasion to ever occur on this earth—the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ—contains the reverence and respect the Lord deserves, however in addition they gave us extra time with our households and associates on Easter Sunday to take action.

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He’s Risen

These phrases of the Prophet Joseph Smith add further context to the importance of the occasions surrounding Easter: “The basic rules of our faith are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, regarding Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose once more the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all different issues which pertain to our faith are solely appendages to it.”²

Lesa and I’ve mentioned ways in which our household can do higher through the Easter season. Maybe the query we have now requested ourselves is one we might all ponder: How can we mannequin the educating and celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Easter story, with the identical stability, fulness, and wealthy spiritual custom of the beginning of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story?

It appears we’re all attempting. I observe a rising effort amongst Latter-day Saints towards a extra Christ-centered Easter. This features a larger and extra considerate recognition of Palm Sunday and Good Friday as practiced by a few of our Christian cousins. We would additionally undertake applicable Christ-centered Easter traditions discovered within the cultures and practices of nations worldwide.

New Testomony scholar N. T. Wright instructed: “We must be taking steps to have a good time Easter in artistic new methods: in artwork, literature, kids’s video games, poetry, music, dance, festivals, bells, particular live shows. … That is our best pageant. Take Christmas away, and in biblical phrases you lose two chapters on the entrance of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and also you don’t have a New Testomony; you don’t have a Christianity.”³

​We cherish the Bible for all it teaches us in regards to the beginning, ministry, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. No three phrases embody extra hope and everlasting consequence for all of humankind than these uttered by a heavenly angel on Easter morning on the Backyard Tomb: “He’s risen.”⁴ We’re deeply grateful for New Testomony scripture that preserves the story of Easter and the Savior’s Easter ministry in Judea and Galilee.

As Lesa and I continued to ponder and search methods to develop our household Easter celebration to be extra Christ-centered, we mentioned what scripture studying custom we would introduce to our household—the Luke 2 equal for Easter, if you’ll.

After which we had this heavenly epiphany: Along with the essential verses about Easter within the New Testomony, we as Latter-day Saints are endowed with a most outstanding Easter present! A present of distinctive witness, one other testomony of the Easter miracle that accommodates maybe essentially the most magnificent Easter scriptures in all of Christianity. I’m referring after all to the E book of Mormon and, extra particularly, to the account of Jesus Christ showing to inhabitants within the New World in His resurrected glory.

The Prophet Joseph Smith described the E book of Mormon as “essentially the most right of any e book,”⁵ and starting with 3 Nephi 11, it tells the magnificent story of the resurrected Christ’s go to to the Nephites, the Savior’s Easter ministry. These Easter scriptures bear document of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In these chapters, Christ calls twelve disciples, teaches as He did in His Sermon on the Mount, pronounces that He has fulfilled the legislation of Moses, and prophesies in regards to the latter-day gathering of Israel. He heals the sick and prays for the folks in such an excellent manner that “no tongue can communicate, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of males conceive so nice and marvelous issues as we each noticed and heard Jesus communicate; and nobody can conceive of the enjoyment which stuffed our souls on the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.”⁶

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Jesus Christ Visits the Americas

This Easter, our household goes to deal with the primary 17 verses of three Nephi 11, with which you might be acquainted. You recall the nice multitude spherical in regards to the temple within the land Bountiful who heard the voice of God the Father and noticed Jesus Christ descending out of heaven to increase essentially the most stunning Easter invitation:

“Come up and are available forth unto me, … that ye might really feel the prints of the nails in my fingers and in my toes, that ye might know that I’m … the God of the entire earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

“And … the multitude went forth, … one after the other … and did see with their eyes and did really feel with their fingers, … and did bear document, that it was he. …

“And … they did cry out with one accord, saying:

“Hosanna! Blessed be the title of the Most Excessive God! And so they did fall down on the toes of Jesus, and did worship him.”⁷

Think about: the Nephites on the temple really touched the fingers of the risen Lord! We hope to make these chapters in 3 Nephi as a lot part of our Easter custom as Luke 2 is of our Christmas custom. In actuality, the E book of Mormon shares the best Easter story ever instructed. Let it not be the best Easter story by no means instructed.

I invite you to take a look at the E book of Mormon in a brand new gentle and take into account the profound witness it bears of the fact of the risen Christ in addition to the richness and depth of the doctrine of Christ.

We would ask, How can studying E book of Mormon scriptures at Easter bless our lives and people of our family members in a significant manner? Multiple may understand. Anytime we learn and research from the E book of Mormon, we are able to anticipate outstanding outcomes.

Not too long ago, Lesa and I attended the viewing of a pricey buddy, a lady of religion whose life was reduce quick by sickness. We gathered together with her household and shut associates, exchanging fond recollections of this stunning soul who had enriched our lives.

Whereas standing away a long way from the casket, conversing with others, I seen two younger Major-age ladies method the casket and stretch up on their tiptoes—eyes simply reaching its edge—to pay their remaining respects to their beloved aunt. With nobody else close by, Lesa slipped over and crouched down beside them to supply consolation and educating. She requested how they have been doing and in the event that they knew the place their aunt was now. They shared their unhappiness, however then these valuable daughters of God, with confidence brimming of their eyes, mentioned they knew their aunt was now completely happy and she or he might be with Jesus.

At this tender age, they discovered peace within the nice plan of happiness and, in their very own childlike manner, testified of the profound actuality and easy fantastic thing about the Resurrection of the Savior. They knew this of their hearts due to considerate teachings of loving mother and father, household, and Major leaders planting a seed of religion in Jesus Christ and everlasting life. Smart past their years, these younger ladies understood truths that come to us by way of the Easter message and ministry of the resurrected Savior and the phrases of the prophets as instructed within the E book of Mormon.

I’ve noticed that when President Russell M. Nelson provides a present of the E book of Mormon to somebody not of our religion, together with world leaders, he typically turns to three Nephi and reads in regards to the look of the resurrected Christ to the Nephites. In doing so, the dwelling prophet is in essence bearing witness of the dwelling Christ.

We can’t stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ till we are able to bear witness of Him. The E book of Mormon is one other witness of Jesus Christ as a result of all through its sacred pages, one prophet after one other testifies not solely that Christ would come however that He did come.

​I’m holding in my hand a duplicate of the primary version of the E book of Mormon. Doing so at all times strikes me. For a lot of my grownup life, I’ve been fascinated, enthralled, and riveted with what younger Joseph Smith did to get this sacred e book of scripture translated and revealed. The miracles that needed to happen are staggering to ponder.

​However that’s not why this e book strikes me. It’s as a result of this e book, greater than every other ever revealed on this earth, bears witness of the life, the ministry, the teachings, the Atonement, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. My expensive brothers and sisters, learning recurrently from this e book about Jesus Christ will change your life. It should open your eyes to new prospects. It should improve your hope and fill you with charity. Most of all, it should construct and strengthen your religion in Jesus Christ and bless you with a positive information that He and our Father know you, love you, and need you to seek out your manner again dwelling, with a capital H.

Expensive brothers and sisters, the time has come, foretold by prophets of previous, “when the information of a Savior shall unfold all through each nation, kindred, tongue, and folks.”⁸ We’re seeing the achievement of this prophecy earlier than our very eyes, by way of the witness of Jesus Christ discovered within the E book of Mormon.

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[Christ’s image]

No e book does extra to point out that:

• Due to Jesus Christ, every thing modified.

• Due to Him, every thing is healthier.

• Due to Him, life is manageable—particularly the painful moments.

• Due to Him, every thing is feasible.

His go to as a resurrected Savior, launched by God the Father, is a most wonderful and triumphant Easter message. It should assist our members of the family acquire a private testimony of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, who broke the bands of dying.

I shut with my testimony of the truthfulness of the E book of Mormon and of Jesus Christ because the Son of the dwelling God. Within the title of Jesus Christ, amen.