Holy Week, the week leading up to the Resurrection of the Lord is the ultimate culmination of our Easter celebration. Last week, during Days 13-18, we looked at the Plan of Salvation. We learned about God’s purpose in Creation, our purpose in experiencing mortality with all its triumphs and tragedies, how the Atonement of Jesus Christ corrects the hardships of life while magnifying all that is good about it, and finally how Christ exalts us all as gods and goddesses.
This week, we are going to look at the events of Holy Week itself, the major events of the life of Christ leading up to His suffering Gethsemane, His crucifixion on Golgotha, His ministry in the spirit world, and His glorious resurrection on the following Sunday. Each step along the way we will look at what modern prophets and apostles have taught about these events and how a greater understanding of them can bless our lives, deepen our discipleship, and build our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Day 19: Palm Sunday
Scripture: I like John’s description of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before the Crucifixion to be my favorite because it combines the majesty of Christ coming into the city with the foreshadowing of the plotting Pharisees, thus hinting at what is to come:
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:
“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!” [Zech. 9:9]
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
John 12:12-19
Latter-day Prophets: In his April 2020 General Conference address, Apostle Gerrit W. Gong spoke about the meaning of Palm Sunday for us today:
Of course, the significance of Palm Sunday goes beyond crowds greeting Jesus with palms. On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem in ways the faithful recognized as fulfillment of prophecy. As Zechariah and the Psalmist prophetically foretold, our Lord entered Jerusalem riding a colt as multitudes knowingly cried, “Hosanna in the highest.” Hosanna means “save now.” Then, as now, we rejoice, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
A week following Palm Sunday is Easter Sunday. President Russell M. Nelson teaches that Jesus Christ “came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.” Indeed, through the Atonement of Christ, all God’s children “may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” At Easter, we sing hallelujah. Hallelujah means “praise ye the Lord Jehovah.” The “Hallelujah Chorus” in Handel’s Messiah is a beloved Easter declaration that He is “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”
The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna and hallelujah. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.
Hosanna and Hallelujah—The Living Jesus Christ: The Heart of Restoration and Easter
Hymn: #69 All Glory, Laud, and Honor (link to church Hymns website.)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: First watch this video depicting the Triumphal Entry of Christ that has been produced by the church:
Now you can make palms with your family, expressing your thanks for all that the Lord has given you. All you will need is a pencil, green sheets of paper, scissors, and a piece of wood, ruler, or stiff piece of cardboard on which to tape your palms. Here are the steps to follow:
- Trace six handprints on green paper.
- On each handprint, write a reason you love the Savior, or something you are doing to prepare to see Him again. Maybe alternate with three handprints being what you are thankful for and the other three being ways that you are preparing for His Second Coming.
- Tape the handprints onto the stick/cardboard/ruler you have, fingers facing outward, with three handprints overlapping on each side.
Day 20: The Cleansing of the Temple
Scripture: At the end of Sunday, Jesus and the Apostles left the direct precincts of the city of Jerusalem. The following Monday, He returns and goes to the temple. Here I have chosen to mainly focus on the account of Matthew which includes Christ healing people in the temple:
Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they [the chief priests and scribes] asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read:
‘From the mouths of children and infants
You have ordained praise’?” [Psalm 8:2]Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
Matthew 21:12-17
That said, the version Mark gave shouldn’t be entirely ignored because it again highlights the growing perfidy of the Pharisees. After Christ’s rebuke and temple cleansing, Mark records that:
And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.
Mark 11:15-19
Latter-day Prophets: In his October 1977 General Conference address, Apostle Howard W. Hunter used the cleansing of the temple as an example for the kind of reverence, devotion, and love that Christ had and which we we should have for our Heavenly Father:
In the process of moral decline, reverence is one of the first virtues to disappear, and there should be serious concern about that loss in our times. Love of money had warped the hearts of many of Jesus’ countrymen. They cared more for gain than they did for God. Caring nothing for God, why should they care for his temple? They converted the temple courts into a marketplace and drowned out the prayers and psalms of the faithful with their greedy exchange of money and the bleating of innocent sheep. Never did Jesus show a greater tempest of emotion than in the cleansing of the temple. Instantly he became avenging fury, and before the miscreants knew what was happening, their coins were rolling over the temple floor and their flocks and herds were in the street.
The reason for the tempest lies in just three words: “My Father’s house.” It was not an ordinary house; it was the house of God. It was erected for God’s worship. It was a home for the reverent heart. It was intended to be a place of solace for men’s woes and troubles, the very gate of heaven. “Take these things hence,” he said, “make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:16.) His devotion to the Most High kindled a fire in his soul and gave his words the force that pierced the offenders like a dagger.
…Unfortunately we sometimes find this lack of reverence even within the Church. Occasionally we visit too loudly, enter and leave meetings too disrespectfully in what should be an hour of prayer and purifying worship. Reverence is the atmosphere of heaven. Prayer is the utterance of the soul to God the Father. We do well to become more like our Father by looking up to him, by remembering him always, and by caring greatly about his world and his work.
“Hallowed Be Thy Name”
Hymn: #247 We Love Thy House, O God (link to church Hymns website.)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: First watch this video depicting Christ cleansing the temple that has been produced by the church:
One of the ways that we can demonstrate and build our reverence and appreciation for the temple is by having pictures of our nearest temple in our homes. Use this link to look up a picture of your nearest temple, or if you prefer one of the more iconic temples such as the Kirtland, Nauvoo, or Salt Lake City temples, and draw pictures of them with your family. Then post those pictures around your home to remind you of the holiness of and power we can draw from the House of the Lord.
If it helps, you can follow the guidance from this video:
Day 21: Who Shall Inherit The Kingdom?
Scripture: The Tuesday after Palm Sunday, the Lord returned to Jerusalem and delivered three of His most important parables: The Parable of the Ten Virgins, the Parable of the Talents, and the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. Because of space constraints, I shall only focus on one of them here – the Parable of the Ten Virgins:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 25:1-12
Latter-day Prophets: In his address The Ten Virgins, Apostle Spencer W. Kimball explained the meaning of the parable and its application to our modern day. Picking up his explanation at the point that the virgins are wakened by the approach of the Bridegroom, Elder Kimball taught:
The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. The wise had to go, else the bridegroom would have gone unwelcomed. They needed all their oil for themselves; they could not save the foolish. The responsibility was each for himself.
This was not selfishness or unkindness. The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge? How can one share faith or testimony? How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission? How can one share temple privileges? Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself.
The foolish virgins were not averse to buying oil. They knew they should have oil. They merely procrastinated, not knowing when the bridegroom would come.
In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.
Midnight is so late for those who have procrastinated.
The Ten Virgins as recorded in the book, Faith Precedes The Miracle, pages 255-256.
Hymn: #1028 This Little Light of Mine (link to church Hymns website.)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: First watch the following church video about the Parable of the Ten Virgins. It does a great job of connecting the symbolism of the parable t concrete ideas about how we build our oil of faith in the way that we live, as Elder Kimball discussed.
Then do this activity with your family. Explain that you will be learning how to fill your lamps with oil so that you will be ready when the Savior returns:
- Write (or draw) several ways children can be like Jesus, and print them on name tags. Some ideas might include the following: I can pray, I can be grateful, I can be obedient, I can read the scriptures, I can obey my parents, I can work hard, and so on. For more ideas, see “How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?” (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service [2018],121–32).
- Attach an attribute to each child’s back so it is visible to the group but not to the child wearing it. Give children time to ask each other questions to help them guess what it says on their back.
- After the activity, take all the tags and place them on a table. Have the children gather around the table. Talk about how Jesus showed these attributes and how the children can show these attributes in their lives.
- Invite the children to choose an attribute they would like to work on that week.
- Then make a plan with specific ways they will demonstrate that attribute in the following week. Follow up to ensure that the do so.
Day 22: The Warning That Is Judas Iscariot
Scripture: While all the Gospels explain the betrayal of Jesus by His Apostle Judas Iscariot, I like Luke’s best because it explains why Judas betrayed Jesus and why Jesus latter declared Judas to be a “son of perdition.” (John 17:12, see also D&C 76:32-38)
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.
Luke 22:1-6
Judas betrayed Jesus because Judas had become a thrall of Satan.
Latter-day Prophets: The following quotation about Judas and how he exemplifies what happens to those who apostatize from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints comes from the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was published in April, 1838 and all spelling here is copied exactly from the original:
The Messiah’s kingdom on earth is of that kind of government, that there has always been numerous apostates, for this very fact, that it admits of no sins unrepented of without excluding the individual from its fellowship.
…From apostates the faithful have received the severest persecutions: Judas was rebuked, and immediately betrayed his Lord into the hands of his enemies, because satan entered into him. There is a supreme intelligence bestowed upon such as obey the gospel with full purpose of heart, which, if sinned against, the apostate is left naked and destitute of the Spirit of God, and they are in truth, nigh unto cursing, and their end is to be burned. When once that light which was in them is taken from them, they become as much darkened as they were previously enlightened. And then, no marvel, if all their power should be enlisted against the truth, and they, Judas like, seek the destruction of those who were their greatest benefactors! What nearer friend on earth, or in heaven, had Judas, than the Savior? and his first object was to destroy him!
…From what source emanated the principle which has ever been manifested by apostates from the true church, to persecute with double diligence, and seek with double perseverance, to destroy those whom they once professed to love, with whom they once communed, and with whom they once covenanted to strive, with every power, in righteousness, to obtain the rest of God? Perhaps, our brethren will say, The same that caused satan to seek to overthrow the kindom of God, because he himself was evil, and God’s kingdom is holy.
THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH IN KIRTLAND, TO TEHIR BRETHREN ABROAD
Hymn: #197 O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown (link to church Hymns website.)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: First, watch the following video depicting Judas Iscariot accepting money form the Pharisees and high priest in order to betray Jesus:
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver because Judas served Satan. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that to abandon Christ’s church and Christ’s teachings about how we should live, i.e. becoming an apostate, opens your heart and mind to the influence of Satan as you lose the intelligence and light given by the Holy Spirit to those who keep their covenants.
In this activity, each member of your family will be an anti-Judas and discover thirty ways that you can show your love for and devotion to the Savior.
First, start by watching this video and each of you making a paper box. I suggest a piece of construction paper for this activity to make your box a little stronger. All you should need is the paper, scissors and some glue. There are methods for making boxes without glue, but they are more complex.
Second, write “Jesus Bank” on the top of the box. Decorate the sides of your box with whatever appropriate colors and images you like. Remember these should be themed around the Savior though, not bunnies and eggs.
If you haven’t already, download and print enough of the images of Roman coins below that each person has a sheet with thirty coins.
Third, as a family come up with a list of thirty things you can do to show to the Savior that you are devoted to Him, love him, and will keep His commandments. Once you’ve compiled your list, write one down on the back of each coin. Now, color the front of them gold or silver if you like and cut the coins out.
Fourth, explain that the goal is for each person to fill up his or her Jesus Bank by the end of Easter Sunday. Each time one of you does one of the activities on the back of his or her coin, she or he should deposit it in his or her Jesus Bank.
Fifth, at the end of Easter Sunday, hold a family testimony meeting and talk about how living the way that Christ has commanded us has built your faith, helped you experience the love of the Savior, and brought the Holy Spirit more powerfully into each of your lives and your home. You could optionally offer treats for those who fill their Jesus Bank by the end of this day. Children especially are motivated by tangible rewards. But it is worth considering that it would be a more valuable experience to not offer physical rewards and instead help children recognize the spiritual rewards they have from being loyal disciples of Jesus Christ.
Day 23: Descending Below All Things
Scripture: Two astronomically important events takes place on the Thursday following Palm Sunday. First, after the celebration of the Passover, Jesus instituted the sacrament. After this, He and His followers went to Gethsemane and Christ began His great atoning work.
And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
Luke 22:39-46
The Lord Himself gave us a description of what His sufferings in Gethsemane were like in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, saying:
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.
For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
D&C 19:15-19
Latter-day Prophets: In his April 1985 General Conference address, Apostle Bruce R. McConkie taught this about the suffering of the Lord in Gethsemane:
This sacred spot, like Eden where Adam dwelt, like Sinai from whence Jehovah gave his laws, like Calvary where the Son of God gave his life a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the Sinless Son of the Everlasting Father took upon himself the sins of all men on condition of repentance.
We do not know, we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane. We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his Father had given him. We know he suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death.
We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in his holy name. We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink the bitter cup. We know that an angel came from the courts of glory to strengthen him in his ordeal, and we suppose it was mighty Michael, who foremost fell that mortal man might be.
As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies—this suffering beyond compare—continued for some three or four hours. After this—his body then wrenched and drained of strength—he confronted Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedrin itself; and he was led away with a rope around his neck, as a common criminal, to be judged by the arch-criminals who as Jews sat in Aaron’s seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar’s power.
The Purifying Power of Gethsemane
Hymn: #1009 Gethsemane (Link to church Hymns website. I suggest clicking on the “Lyrics Only” tab as the sheet music for this one can be a little confusing for those who aren’t familiar with how to read sheet music.)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: First watch the following church video about the events of Gethsemane, including the events that I couldn’t go into in the scriptures.
In this activity, you and your family can color and complete a worksheet illustrating ways that we can show gratitude to Christ for His suffering for us.
Day 24: The Crucifixion
Scripture: Christ is taken, beaten, spat upon and condemned to death in an illegal trial by the traitorous and apostate Jewish political and religious leadership. But because they are a client kingdom of the Roman Empire, in word and deed, they must gain the consent of their Roman rulers to kill their Messiah. After events too detailed to go into here, including the torture of Jesus, the Roman governor, a greedy coward by the name of Pontius Pilate, consents and the Lord is crucified.
From Mark we read:
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour [i.e. 9 AM] when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.
Mark 15:21-28
From Luke, we add:
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. …One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:34, 39-43
And finally, from John:
Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” [Num. 9:12] And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” [Zechariah 12:10]
John 19:31-37
Latter-day Prophets: In his magisterial work, Jesus The Christ, Apostle James E. Talmage wrote about the final, physical cause of Christ death, saying:
The strong, loud utterance, immediately following which He bowed His head and “gave up the ghost”, when considered in connection with other recorded details, points to a physical rupture of the heart as the direct cause of death. If the soldier’s spear was thrust into the left side of the Lord’s body and actually penetrated the heart, the outrush of “blood and water” observed by John is further evidence of a cardiac rupture; for it is known that in the rare instances of death resulting from a breaking of any part of the wall of the heart, blood accumulates within the pericardium, and there undergoes a change by which the corpuscles separate as a partially clotted mass from the almost colorless, watery serum.
…Great mental stress, poignant emotion either of grief or joy, and intense spiritual struggle are among the recognized causes of heart rupture.
The present writer believes that the Lord Jesus died of a broken heart.
Jesus The Christ, pg. 669, endnote 8.
In his April 1985 General Conference address, Apostle Bruce R. McConkie taught this about the suffering of the Lord upon the Cross:
Finally, on a hill called Calvary—again, it was outside Jerusalem’s walls—while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.
Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony.
And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred. And, finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll—when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of his Father in all things—then he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and he voluntarily gave up the ghost.
As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the pains and sorrows of mortality, he entered the paradise of God.
The Purifying Power of Gethsemane
Hymn: #194 There Is a Green Hill Far Away or #184 Upon the Cross of Calvary (Links to church Hymns website. I couldn’t choose which of these to post as I love them both. You can choose or sing both as they’re fairly short.)
Below are YouTube videos playing the music for the hymns instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: First watch the following church video about the events of the Crucifixion:
In His crucifixion, Christ was lifted up as the Light of the World, the example to follow ever after in thought, word, feeling, and deed. In this activity, you and your family will be metaphorically lifting up the standard of Christ to yourselves and all the world, just as He was lifted up for us. Each person in your family will create a list of standards that the Lord expects us to believe and do as members of His church. Then you will create a standard (a flag) showing how to keep that standard and the blessings it brings.
- Have each person list two standards on a piece of paper. You can explain these are often related to the commandments to help those who may not have heard the term standard before. For example, the commandment to not lie is based on the Lord’s standard that we should always be honest.
- Next, compile everyone’s list into one large list. Discuss each standard and what they mean.
- Provide a blank sheet of paper to everyone, preferably construction paper if possible. These can be of any reasonable size. It really just depends on how large you want your standard to be.
- Have each person choose a standard from the list.
- Look up a scripture to go with the standard.
- Think of a picture that would be an example of that standard.
- Have each person draw a picture of their standard being lived by someone in the center of his or her paper. Beneath the picture write the name of the standard. Beneath the name, write a description or explanation of the standard. Beneath the explanation, write the scripture verse you looked up to go with the standard.
- Then decorate the rest of the blank space on your standard by draw pictures depicting the blessings that come from living that standard. Add designs and flourishes. Make it beautiful.
- Hang the standards up in your home as a remembrance of how you will follow Jesus Christ and stay loyal to Him.
Day 25: Liberating The Captives
Scripture: The prophet Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would “proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Isaiah 61:1) The Apostle Peter tells us that during the time that His body lay dead, the spirit of Christ went into the world of spirits, and “preached unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18–20) so that they may be liberated from sin and “live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6) This work of salvation could not be done before His ministry in the Spirit World because of the uncrossable “great gulf” (Luke 16:19-31) that separated the place of the righteous dead from the place of the wicked dead. The conditions of each place are described in Alma 40:11-14.
In 1918, Prophet Joseph F. Smith published a vision he had of what happened when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in spirit unto the people in the spirit world, to proclaim to them their liberation from everlasting death. The righteous dead were:
were assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world, to declare their redemption from the bands of death. Their sleeping dust was to be restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fulness of joy.
While this vast multitude waited and conversed, rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death, the Son of God appeared, declaring liberty to the captives who had been faithful; And there he preached to them the everlasting gospel, the doctrine of the resurrection and the redemption of mankind from the fall, and from individual sins on conditions of repentance.
…And the saints rejoiced in their redemption, and bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer from death and the chains of hell. Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them, and they sang praises unto his holy name.
…But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead. And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.
…And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross.
Doctrine and Covenants 138:16-19, 23-24, 30-31, 35
Latter-day Prophets: In his April 2005 General Conference Address, Apostle Henry B. Eyring connected the missionary work done by the righteous in the Spirit World with the ongoing temple work we do today and the bond it creates between the living and their dead ancestors:
President Smith also saw the leaders the Savior called to take the gospel to Heavenly Father’s children in the spirit world. He named some of them: Father Adam, Mother Eve, Noah, Abraham, Ezekiel, Elijah, prophets we know from the Book of Mormon, and some from the last days, including Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff. Think of the power of those missionaries to teach the gospel and to touch the hearts of your ancestors. It is not surprising that Wilford Woodruff said while he lived that he believed few, if any, of the ancestors of the Latter-day Saints in the spirit world would choose to reject the message of salvation when they heard it.
Many of your deceased ancestors will have received a testimony that the message of the missionaries is true. When you received that testimony, you could ask the missionaries for baptism. But those who are in the spirit world cannot. The ordinances you so cherish are offered only in this world. Someone in this world must go to a holy temple and accept the covenants on behalf of the person in the spirit world. That is why we are under obligation to find the names of our ancestors and ensure that they are offered by us what they cannot receive there without our help.
For me, knowing that turns my heart not only to my ancestors who wait but to the missionaries who teach them. I will see those missionaries in the spirit world, and so will you. Think of a faithful missionary standing there with those he has loved and taught who are your ancestors. Picture as I do the smile on the face of that missionary as you walk up to him and your ancestors whom he converted but could not baptize or have sealed to family until you came to the rescue. I do not know what the protocol will be in such a place, but I imagine arms thrown around your neck and tears of gratitude.
If you can imagine the smile of the missionary and your ancestor, think of the Savior when you meet Him. You will have that interview. He paid the price of the sins of you and all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children. He is Jehovah. He sent Elijah. He conferred the powers of the priesthood to seal and to bless out of perfect love. And He has trusted you by letting you hear the gospel in your lifetime, giving you the chance to accept the obligation to offer it to those of your ancestors who did not have your priceless opportunity. Think of the gratitude He has for those who pay the price in work and faith to find the names of their ancestors and who love them and Him enough to offer them eternal life in families, the greatest of all the gifts of God. He offered them an infinite sacrifice. He will love and appreciate those who paid whatever price they could to allow their ancestors to choose His offer of eternal life.
Hearts Bound Together
Hymn: #290 Rejoice, Ye Saints of Latter Days (link to church Hymns website)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: Log in to FamilySearch. If you don’t have a FamilySearch account, create one because the church has already ensured that all members have free accounts on the website. Look at your Family Tree. I especially like organizing by the “First Ancestor” viewing option that will organize your family tree from your farthest back ancestor on record and trace the line all the way directly to you.
Look at the Ordinances Ready section. If you live near enough to a temple, reserve work for an ancestor and make an appointment to go and do his or her work on a specific date and at a specific time. If you live far enough away from the temple that you cannot go in person, refer an ancestor’s name to the temple so that the work can be done.
For children, have them make a family tree using the information from FamilySearch. Tell stories about their ancestors and help those people feel like real and important people to your children. You can also consider doing one or more of these activities that FamilySearch has provided with your children.
Day 26: He Is Risen
Scripture: Of the Resurrection, Mark records:
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Mark 16:1-8
Luke adds the angel asking the women, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.” (Luke 24:5-6)
Some time later, Mary Magdalene, alone at the sepulcher, wept for His death, thinking that His body had been taken. Some have been astonished that she could not have understood what the angels meant, but how could she? She grew up in an apostate religion that believed in the persistent existence of spirits, but not was still divided over the possibility of Resurrection. It seems possible that she though Christ’s rising was a rising of His spirit from the grave, not a fully physical resurrection. So, she wept over the loss of His body, which she fears had been taken or even stolen. It is in this blinding grief that she hears someone ask:
“Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20:15-18
Soon afterwards, in a home where all the doors and windows are tightly shut (John 20:19), the Resurrected Lord appears to all the Apostles, except the absent Thomas:
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
3And he said unto them, “Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, “Have ye here any meat?” And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.
Luke 24: 36-43
Thomas would not believe the reports of his brethren amongst the Twelve Apostles. So,
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:26-29
Latter-day Prophets: In his April 2023 Liahona article, Prophet Russell M. Nelson shared this personal message about what the Resurrection means to him and should mean to all of us:
I am grateful I was home that Saturday in 2005. My first wife, Dantzel, and I had completed our household chores and decided to relax for a few minutes. We sat on the couch, held hands, and began watching a program on television.
Within a few moments, Dantzel suddenly and unexpectedly slipped peacefully into eternity. My efforts to revive her proved fruitless. Shock and sorrow overwhelmed me. My best friend of nearly 60 years was gone. Ten years earlier, I had lost a daughter to cancer. Emily was only 37 years old. In 2019, I lost a second precious daughter to that dread disease. Wendy was only 67.
At those times of loss, how grateful I was for my testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His victory over the grave, we see the promise of our own resurrection. “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18), the Savior declared following His Resurrection. That power includes the keys of the Resurrection. I know He will use those keys to raise Dantzel, Emily, and Wendy, just as He will use those keys to raise the rest of the human family.
For God’s children, resurrection means that aging, deterioration, and decay will be done away. “This mortal shall put on immortality” (Mosiah 16:10), and “the spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form” (Alma 11:43). Resurrection also makes possible another reuniting—the reuniting of families. We live together in love, so we weep when a loved one dies (see Doctrine and Covenants 42:45). But like Mary Magdalene, we can have our tears of sorrow turn into tears of joy as we anticipate the future from the perspective of an eternal family.
…With my Brethren in the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, I witness the reality of that heavenly promise. I witness that we can “have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of [our] faith in him according to the promise” (Moroni 7:41).
I witness that because of the miracle of the Savior’s Resurrection and Atonement, “every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.”
May we prepare for that glorious day.
Jesus Christ Is Our Savior
Hymn: #200 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (link to church Hymns website)
Below is a YouTube video playing the music for the hymn instrumentally with lyrics so you can sing along.
Activity: Make hot cross buns and eat them as a family. Here is a recipe:
And here is a gluten free recipe for hot cross buns.
As you eat your Easter treat, watch the Lamb of God, the best single presentation on the events of the Atonement that the church has ever produced. It even includes the visit to the Spirit World!
This is really useful.