This Easter Morn: Celebration Ideas

 President Hinckley once said: “What a glorious day is Easter! This is the day when we, with Christian people everywhere, celebrate the most significant event in human history—the resurrection from the grave, the return to life from death, of the Son of God” (“The Victory Over Death,” April 1985 General Conference). I have often wondered how I can make my Easter celebration more meaningful. Sometimes when March or April and the Easter season roll around, it’s been months since the fuss of Christmas but I still am not ready for another big holiday.

In some ways because Easter is a little less commercialized than Christmas and less seeped with traditions, it can be an opportunity to have a more quiet and devout celebration of what President Hinckley called “the most significant event in human history.” In celebrating Christmas, we celebrate the Savior’s coming to the world, but in celebrating Easter we celebrate his resurrection and victory over death and the completion of the atonement—the fulfillment of the mission that He came to earth to do.

Just as each December we strive to keep Christ in Christmas, here are a few ideas about how, during this Easter season, to keep “our thoughts turn[ed] to Him who atoned for our sins, who showed us the way to live, how to pray, and who demonstrated by His own actions how we might do so. Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, the Son of God beckons to each of us to follow Him” (President Thomas S. Monson, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives!,” April 2007 General Conference).

1. Study the Scriptures about Easter
 Many families have an advent reading schedule for Christmas or at least read about the Savior’s birth on Christmas Eve. Consider making a tradition of scripture reading for Easter. You could even follow the last week of the Savior’s life. Here is a list of applicable scriptures to get you started:

 - Matthew 27:57–66; 28:1–20;
 - Mark 15:16–20, 40–47; 16:1–20;
 - Luke 22:44; 23:44–46, 50–56; 24:1–53;
 - John 6:51; 10:17; 19:38–42; 20:1–18; 21:1–25;
 - Romans 6:9
 - 1 Peter 2:21
 - 1 Nephi 11:33
 - 2 Nephi 2:7
 - Mosiah 26:23
 - Alma 11:42
 - 3 Nephi 8:5–7, 17–18, 20–22;
 - Mormon 7:5

Personalize your Easter scripture reading for you and your family. Another idea would be to read the entire Gospels and/or 3 Nephi in the weeks leading up to Easter .

2. Keep Your Easter Sunday Holy
 Consider moving your hunts and basket giving to Saturday so that you can have a Christ-focused Easter Sabbath. You can have time for eggs, bunnies, and candy on Saturday and focus on the real reason for Easter on Sunday.

3. Celebrate with Easter Hymns
We don’t have as many Easter hymns as Christmas hymns, but we have several on pages 197-200 of the hymnbook. There are also Easter songs in the Children’s Songbook on pages 64-70. You may want to sing and/or learn these songs during family home evenings leading up to Easter or even carol them on Easter day.

4. Read the Church Magazines
The Church magazines generally have special issues focused on the Savior during the month of Easter. That means more Christ-focused stories and activities for children, teens, and adults, if you receive all three magazines. I always love the Christmas stories in the December Church magazines; the April magazines are likewise focused on gratitude for the Savior’s life.

5. Enjoy a Church Video about the Life of Christ
We watch Christmas movies; try enjoying Finding Faith in Christ, The Lamb of God, or another Church film this Easter season. Special Witnesses of Christ would be another great choice as the apostles testify of Jesus Christ.

6. Watch or Review Easter Sessions of General Conference
In 2010 Easter fell on the Sunday Sessions of General Conference, but in 2011 Easter will not occur until three weeks after General Conference. The coincidence of Easter falling on General Conference brings a special spirit to General Conference. You could look back at past years and read or listen to talks from these special sessions.

There are other special Easter Sundays in the history of the Restored Church. In 1980, Easter Sunday fell on April 6, which was also the weekend of General Conference. President Hinckley gave a special talk on that day commemorating these three events, entitled “What Hath God Wrought through His Servant Joseph!” You may also remember that the Priesthood was restored on Easter in 1836 when Elijah returned and appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple. The Ensign ran a handful of articles by Dr. John P.Pratt about the symbolism of these events several years ago. If you want to learn more about these events, be sure to take a look at these articles:

• “The Restoration of Priesthood Keys on Easter 1836, Part 1: Dating the First Easter,” Ensign, June 1985.
• “The Restoration of Priesthood Keys on Easter 1836, Part 2: Symbolism of Passover and of Elijah’s Return,” Ensign, July 1985.
• “Passover—Was It Symbolic of His Coming?” Ensign, January 1994.

7. Ponder and Share Your Testimony of Jesus Christ
Easter is a great time to contemplate your own testimony of Jesus Christ. Accept the challenge to rekindle and bear your testimony of the Savior during this season. Share your testimony in sacrament meeting, family home evening, or even your personal journal.

I hope that these ideas are just the start of focusing your Easter celebrations on Jesus Christ this year. President Uchtdorf has said: “It is fitting that during the week from Palm Sunday to Easter morning we turn our thoughts to Jesus Christ, the source of light, life, and love. . . . He gave us His gospel, a pearl beyond price. . . . The gospel is the good news of Christ. . . . The gospel is the way of discipleship. As we walk in that way, we can experience confidence and joy” (“The Way of the Disciple,” April 2009 General Conference).

You Home Teach My Son? by Brian Ricks

“Home teaching is not just another program. It is the priesthood way of watching over the Saints and accomplishing the mission of the Church. Home teaching is not just an assignment. It is a sacred calling. Home teaching is not to be undertaken casually. A home teaching call is to be accepted as if extended to you personally by the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . There is no greater Church calling than that of a home teacher. There is no greater Church service rendered to our Father in Heaven’s children than the service rendered by a humble, dedicated, committed home teacher." 
             - President Ezra Taft Benson, “To the Home Teachers of the Church,” Ensign, May 1987, 48.

Shortly after my mission I moved into a single student ward near the university I was attending. I was enthusiastic about making a contribution to our ward and I determined to report perfect home teach every month—no matter what. When I was assigned to home teach an inactive member, I wasn’t disheartened in the least. I was sure I could visit anyone once a month.

Despite my confidence, things got off to a rocky start. I didn’t have his phone number and his roommates said they hardly ever saw him. Most months I didn’t see him either. Occasionally, I could report that I’d said hello as he jogged passed me on the way to his car, but most months I could only report failure.

I grew discouraged and a little cynical. My goal of reporting one hundred percent of my home teaching assignments had failed. I found myself less willing to drop by this brother’s apartment and I started hoping I would get a new home teaching assignment so I could get back to my one hundred percent goal.

One month I felt particularly frustrated with my unachieved goals and decided to try a new way of contacting him. I knew his father, an active member of the Church, taught at the university I attended. With a little trepidation, I walked into the father’s office in hopes of getting some new contact information for his son. After explaining why I was there, the professor did something I had never expected—he started to tear up.

“You home teach my son?” he asked with emotion, “Thank you so much. We’re really worried about him. Please do everything you can to help him.”

I left his office with no new contact information but with a new understanding of what it meant to be a good home teacher. My home teaching assignment wasn’t about statistics; it was about the important worth of a soul—a person with parents and family who cared deeply about him.

It wasn’t much later my home teaching assignment changed because the brother I was assigned to moved several hundred miles away. With my new assignment, I was finally able to report consistent perfect home teaching statistics again, but reporting one hundred percent didn’t bring the satisfaction I had expected; I wanted to be more interested in the lives of those I visited rather than just caring about numbers.

It’s been years since that event, but whenever I feel my home teaching is getting routine or all about statistics, I remember the tears in that father’s eyes pleading with me to help his son. If I were to talk to Heavenly Father about my home teaching assignments, I’m pretty sure he would encourage me with the same emotion as that professor: “You home teach my son? Thank you so much. I’m really worried about him. Please do everything you can to help him.”

President Benson’s Three Fundamentals to Effective Home Teaching

Take a moment to evaluate your calling as a home teacher using the points below. For the women of the Church, think about how you are doing with supporting home teaching in your family and ward.

1. Know well those you are to home teach.
     - Really know them! You can’t serve well those you don’t know well.
     - Become personally acquainted with every child, youth, and adult in the family and know their names.
     - Be aware of their birthdays, blessings, baptisms, marriages, attitudes, activities, interests, problems, employment, health, happiness, plans, purposes, needs, and circumstances.
     - Be close to the father. Know his righteous desires for his family and help him to realize them.
     - Be a genuine friend: care, love, listen, and reach out.

2. Know well the message you are to deliver in each home.
     - Have a purpose or goal in mind and plan each visit to help meet that purpose. Pray and plan with your companion before the visit.
     - Read the scriptures with the families you home teach, especially the Book of Mormon.
     - Carry the right message, and then teach with the Spirit.
     - Prayer should be a part of every home teaching visit.


3. Truly magnify your calling as a home teacher.
     - Do not settle for mediocrity. Be excellent in every facet of the work. Be a real shepherd of your flock.
     - Both the quality and quantity of home teaching are essential.
     - Make your home teaching visit early in the month, allowing time for follow-up contacts.
     - Make a definite appointment for each visit. Respect your families’ time.
     - Train Aaronic priesthood companions well.
     - Keep faithful track of each member you are called to home teach.

“God bless the home teachers of this Church. You are the front line of defense to watch over and strengthen the individual and family unit. Understand the sacredness of your calling and the divine nature of your responsibility. . . . As you do this, I promise you the blessings of heaven and the indescribable joy that comes from helping to touch hearts, change lives, and save souls.”
             - President Benson

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Make the Most of General Conference for Your Family

My experience and attitude towards General Conference has changed as I’ve grown up. When I was a young child, my parents asked my siblings and me to dedicate ourselves to watching at least one session of General Conference each day—both Saturday and Sunday. I remember that we’d ban together and plan out whether to sacrifice our Saturday morning or afternoon depending on what other activities—bike riding, swimming, or street games—were calling and when. On Sunday, we only had to stay in the living room for one session, but the rest of the day we could do quiet inside things—like coloring, reading, drawing, and board games—to keep the Sabbath Day holy even though we didn’t go to the church house on General Conference Sunday.

I can distinctly remember when I was about six or seven when I asked my mother if it was hard to be a grown-up because grown-ups had to sit still for both sessions on both days. My mother smiled and explained to me that it wasn’t hard because she and Dad enjoyed watching General Conference; it wasn’t a chore to them. I puzzled over what she said for quite some time. I remembered it for several more General Conference seasons and I noticed that it was true—she and Dad were always riveted to the television and listened carefully to every talk. They didn’t need coloring books or basic embroidery kits to keep them quiet and entertained; they just listened.

My parents’ interest in General Conference fascinated me. Several years later, when my attention span was finally long enough, I remember the first General Conference Saturday afternoon when I decided to stay in from play and see if I would like watching General Conference like my mother. Even though I was still too young to understand everything in the session, I remember a good feeling flowed into my heart. I knew that feeling came because I did something good even though I didn’t have to—because I did something good because I wanted to.

Now I’m a grown-up too. I am happy that I’m like my mother—that I look forward to General Conference and sincerely want to pay good attention to all sessions. But even now there are often outside distractions that compete for my attention on General Conference weekend and may even keep me from continual study of the Conference report afterward. The following ten tips have helped me make the most of General Conference for myself and my family.

1. Plan Ahead
General Conference is always the first weekend in October and April, but if, you’re like me, if you don’t plan carefully ahead then you’ll forget and schedule something else that Saturday. Carefully mark your family calendar so that everyone can plan to be free to fully participate in General Conference. Planning ahead will save you the stress of rescheduling conflicting events later.

2. Preparatory Family Home Evening
The Monday night before General Conference, present a special Family Home Evening lesson about General Conference. Discuss the importance of modern-day prophets and why we have General Conference. Help family members remember and understand the importance of continued revelation and that the General Authorities are receiving specific revelation for us and for our day. Encourage each individual to prepare themselves spiritually to receive revelation during General Conference by writing questions in their journals and praying for answers. In family prayer, ask for Heavenly Father to help family members to prepare to receive answers and revelation to uplift them in their trials. Also pray for the speakers of the Conference, even several weeks before General Conference, that they can have the Spirit guide them as they prepare talks.

3. Women’s Evening
Encourage the women in your home to attend the General Relief Society and/or General Young Women’s meeting the week before General Conference. Make it a special time for women to receive instruction from the prophet and spend time together as well as a special time for the men in the home to support women’s Church activities.

4. Participate in the Sessions
Listen to or watch every session of General Conference. Encourage family members to take notes and write down personal thoughts on the talks in a personal scripture study journal.

5. Priesthood Session
Encourage the priesthood holders in your home to attend Priesthood session. If there are non-priesthood holding boys or men in your home, spend the time during Priesthood session teaching them about the priesthood to prepare them for that important responsibility.

6. Use Online Resources
If any family members miss a session of General Conference due to scheduling conflicts, record the session to watch later or download the video or audio file from lds.org. Make sure that any family member who missed a session has someone to watch the make-up session with.

7. Continuing Study
Get a copy of the Conference Ensign for every member of the family. Encourage each family member to highlight or underline their copy, write notes in the margins, look up the scriptures cited in the talks, and use the Conference talks as an opportunity for individual study, reflection, and meditation.

8. Family Scripture Study
Read the Conference Ensign aloud as a family as part of daily family scripture study. Invite family members to share insights from their personal study of the conference talks with the rest of the family during family scripture study. Display the pictures of the speakers in the Ensign during the lesson so young children can learn to recognize the General Authorities.

9. Continued Family Discussion
Help family members recognize quotes from the recent Conference talks in Sacrament Meeting talks. Discuss how the speakers did or could have used the talks you are studying as a family.

10. Ongoing Resources
Use video clips and quotes of recent Conference talks to supplement Family Home Evening, Sunday School, Young Men, Young Women, Priesthood, and Relief Society lessons. Remind participants that you’re referring to the most recent General Conference to inspire them to continue to study and treasure the words of the living prophets.

By preparing for General Conference, taking time for it when it comes, and continuing to use Conference addresses for the months afterward, each General Conference can become a bi-annual uplift and enrichment to our homes and to each of us personally. After implementing these ideas, keep looking for ways to let General Conference spiritually rejuvenate you and your family as much as possible. Through your example, you can help other family members learn for themselves the blessings of following our modern-day prophets as you and your family learn to appreciate, love, and look forward to General Conference.