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He is Risen: A Family Guide to Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter
With every passing year, it’s easy to let Easter pass by in a whirlwind of egg dying, hunts, and baskets. In the midst of these celebrations, we can lose sight of the true meaning of Easter—the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The First Presidency has encouraged us to recenter our Easter festivities on our Savior’s life and ministry, so we don’t lose sight of His ultimate sacrifice for us. He Is Risen: A Family Guide to Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter is designed to help your family come closer to the Savior during the weeks leading up to Easter With twenty-one daily devotionals–each focused on a sacred title of Jesus Christ–this…
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Holy Week
For many, the week leading up to Easter holds great significance. It begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead, which is now called Easter. Holy Week is a good time for us to ponder and reflect on our belief in and reliance on Jesus Christ. How does knowing that He died for us affect us? How does knowing that He lives for us affect us? How does this knowledge influence our day-to-day decisions? Jesus was born of a mortal mother, which made Him human, and of Heavenly Father, which made Him a God. He was born in humble circumstances in a place…
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Jesus is The Healer
When I was young, I had an incomplete understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance. I believed that repentance was for big sins and the Atonement of Jesus Christ was for people who were stealing, robbing banks, committing murder, and other things that I was not doing. When leaders suggested daily repentance, I couldn’t wrap my head around that concept. Were people actually doing that much lying, stealing, and killing? What about people like me? I believed that Jesus had suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and then hung on the cross where He died. And I absolutely believed He rose on the third day. That all made…
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Jesus is The Teacher
As we prepare and look forward to Easter, we focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the glorious news of His resurrection and power over death. This is why we celebrate Easter. It is the most important event in the history of mankind. As we study the events of Easter, we can also study how Jesus taught the people. He taught in the temple, on hillsides, in boats, in homes, and even one by one. Jesus was constantly teaching by word and by deed. He was the master teacher and sets the perfect example for us. We can pattern our teaching after Him and the way He taught and…
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Jesus is The Light of The World
Light dispels darkness. In a dark room, if you flip on the light, it chases all the darkness away. Light illuminates a path and shows us where to go. Light is warm and inviting. Similarly, Jesus is The Light. He chases all the darkness away and shows us what path to follow back to our Heavenly Father. Through Him, we can see truth and right and overcome darkness. We can feel His warmth when we feel His Light. Satan is dark. He is cold. He lives in the shadows and encourages us to stay in the dark. The only way to combat Satan and his influence is to shine a…
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Jesus is The Good Shepherd
A shepherd watches over, protects, and guides his herd. He stays with them, even when there might be danger. He knows each sheep and when one wanders, he is willing to go out and call that one back to the flock. Modern-day shepherds camp with the sheep. They move them to better grazing and watch over them constantly. If a coyote, wolf, or a bear threaten the herd, the shepherd is there to protect the sheep, especially the lambs. Shepherds care about each sheep and will make sure all are fed and nourished appropriately. If any are sick or injured, the shepherd will take extra care to help the sheep…
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The Lamb of God
My brother-in-law owns a large herd of sheep. He has been a sheep herder throughout his life. Lambing happens in the spring when all the babies are born, and those baby lambs are adorable. They soon learn who their shepherd is and they willingly follow and submit their will to the shepherd. We read in John 1:29, “ . . .Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist is referring to Jesus as the Lamb of God. He could have called him a number of other names including, the Messiah, the King, the Lord, but instead he chose to refer to Him…
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Why A Christ-Centered Easter Matters
Easter often arrives amid baskets, multi-colored eggs, baby chicks, and stuffed bunnies. Families dye eggs, have Easter egg hunts, and enjoy a big family dinner. Most of the decorations center on pastel colors and spring. Many even receive new dresses and cute outfits to wear on Easter Sunday. Beneath all of this is something so much more powerful than candy and hardboiled eggs. Easter is not simply a fun springtime celebration. It is the absolute declaration that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins in Gethsemane, was crucified on the cross, and then rose on the third day in His glorious resurrection. When we focus on the Savior, Jesus Christ, and…
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Perfectionism vs Being Perfected in Christ
We read in the scriptures about being perfect. Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 3 Nephi 12:48 “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” We’ve come to define “perfect” as being flawless, without mistakes, or without any blemishes. Because of this definition we have fallen into traps when we think about perfection and can misunderstand this doctrine. Have you ever thought, “I’m not righteous enough?” Or, “I will never be able to keep all the commandments perfectly?” Or, “I keep making mistakes and failing so I shouldn’t attend the temple?” “I’ll never be as…
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Jesus Suffered for Us So We Don’t Have To
While in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ suffered for each one of us. He describes this suffering in the following scripture passage and then adds a condition so that we do not have to experience the same kind of suffering. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19 it reads, “15 Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. 16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; 17 But if they would not repent…
