Hoppy Easter

I love Easter. Such a glorious time of year.

It is especially glorious having General Conference all weekend. So good. Gen Conf is the best.
You know what else is the best? Waking up and discovering Sister hid a little Easter bag full of chocolate treats for me to find. I love Easter time.

And it was so incredible being in Jerusalem last year for Easter.

I could not have spent Easter in a better place or with better people. It was the absolutely best of the the best.

Reading in the New Testament about Christ’s last week and picturing myself in all of the places makes this whole week so much more meaningful and real.

Christ entered triumphantly into Jerusalem, with His divinity being recognized. It is now known as Palm Sunday.

A few days later, on Thursday, Maundy Thursday, he had a Passover feast with his disciples, where he institued the sacrament and where he announced that one of his belobed disciples would betray him.

 

Later that night, he went as he was wont to the Mt. of Olives with some of his disciples. They came to Gethsemane, and Christ told his disciples to “Watch and pray, lest ye enter not into tempataion.” This garden, at these olives trees, is where our Savior suffered ALL the pains and sorrows and sins of the world. There is not one thing he did not suffer, and he did it alone.

Then came Judas Iscariot with the Roman guard to arrest Christ. It was late in the night and Christ was pained and exhausted. They took him to the high priests house where he was mocked and hurt. Then he went from Pilate, to Herod Antipas, and back to Pilate. Where he was bitterly scourged and humiliated in front of many he knew and taught. He was forced to carry his own cross on the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrows, on his way to Golgotha, where he was nailed to a cross and crucified. This day was Good Friday, good often meaning holy.

After Christ died, Joseph of Arimethia begged for his body so he could put him in his tomb. Nicodemus annointed Christ’s body with very expensive oils. Christ was laid to rest in Joseph of Arimethia’s tomb, a borrowed tomb.

Saturday passed. Then came Sunday, the first Easter. Christ overcame death and was resurrected. Mary went to the tomb to pay tribute to her Lord, but he was not there. Angels said to her, “He is not here, for he is risen.” Christ then came and showed his risen self to the people.

He is risen. A very happy Easter.