Each day this week, as part of the Church’s #BecauseHeLives Easter initiative, there will be a new question, meme, and/or video that members can share with their friends. Today is Saturday of the Holy Week and the focus of today’s devotional is the burial of Jesus Christ. The scriptures are quiet about the events of Saturday after Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Likely, it was a time of reflection for His followers, just as it can be for His followers today. What things are possible in your life because of Jesus Christ? Share your answer with your social networks, and see what others are saying at http://mor.mn/2qtmz.

We hope you join us back here today and tomorrow to share your thoughts on General Conference and Easter.

Each day this week, as part of the Church’s #BecauseHeLives Easter initiative, there will be a new question, meme, and/or video that members can share with their friends. Today is Friday of the Holy Week and the focus of today’s devotional is the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ. You can find out more about Jesus Christ at http://mor.mn/2puvc.

Here in New Mexico kids are out of school today for Good Friday. I’m very glad, because it gave us some extra time this morning with our daily “scripture-picture”. Each morning over the course of this week, we have focused on the events of the Holy Week. This morning as I sat down next to my kids, my six year old asked if we were going to learn about Jesus on the cross today. Yes, kiddo, we sure are! Continue reading →

Each day this week, as part of the Church’s #BecauseHeLives Easter initiative, there will be a new question, meme, and/or video that members can share with their friends. Today is Thursday of the Holy Week and the focus of today’s devotional is the Last Supper and Atonement of Christ. You can find out more about Jesus Christ at http://mor.mn/2puvc.

I always get a little bit weepy and contemplative on the Thursday before Easter. This day, along with Friday are big days in the course of the Holy Week.

On this night, Christ gathered with his friends and disciples one last time to teach them. During this Last Supper, Christ instituted the ordinance of the Sacrament. He explained to His disciples the meaning of the bread and wine, and how that will relate to what is about to happen to Him. Every week, as Latter-day Saints we repeat this ordinance, just as the Savior revealed it.

Christ also taught His disciples about the power of the Holy Ghost and He promised them that the Holy Ghost will be with them after He was gone. He taught again, that he is the Messiah, and gave the commandment to Love One Another. My favorite verse from this day is John 16: 20, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” Our sorrow shall be turned into joy! What a hopeful scripture. And so many other beautiful and important things were taught during this evening. Continue reading →

Each day this week, as part of the Church’s #BecauseHeLives Easter initiative, there will be a new question, meme, and/or video that members can share with their friends. Today is Wednesday of the Holy Week and the focus of today’s devotional is the teachings of Christ. You can find out more about Jesus Christ at http://mor.mn/2puvc.

One of the most touching events of the Holy Week for me is the Woman anointing Christ in preparation for his death. There is some discrepancy in the time line on this. In the Gospel of John, John states that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, is the woman, and that she performs this act of service on the day Christ raises Lazarus from the dead. Matthew, Mark and Luke do not mention who the woman is, and put this happening somewhere in Holy Week.

All of that aside, I think this day, and occurrence is the most touching event of Holy Week outside of the actual time Christ spends in Gethsemane. Here we have Christ, who has ridden into Jerusalem, has cleansed and taught in the temple, and knows of his impending death, and who is just working and serving and teaching others. Mary takes the time to serve him, because she loves him so very much. She also uses in her offering of service a very expensive vial of oil to anoint the Savior, her King. How very fitting that she serves him with a precious sacrifice.

I also find it so interesting that Mary understood, I think more than Christ’s disciples, that he was going to die at the end of this week. I’m not sure why she got that, and they did not. But here she was in preparation for the death of her Master, and I’m sure she was heart broken as well, because not only was Christ her Master, but I’m sure he was her friend as well. I’d like to think as Christ was teaching his disciples thru this powerful act of service, that he took a quiet moment to thank her, and to bless her, as he did with most people that sought him out. “Suffer the little ones,” in the end, aren’t we all the “little ones” that Christ speaks of?

Scriptures for this event:
Matthew 26: 6-13
Mark 14: 3-9
John 12: 3-7

Each day this week, as part of the Church’s #BecauseHeLives Easter initiative, there will be a new question, meme, and/or video that members can share with their friends. Today is Tuesday of the Holy Week and the question that was shared is,

“On Tuesday, during the last week of His mortal life, Jesus Christ answered questions from accusers and disciples alike. What questions can we find answers to today because He lives? Find out at http://mor.mn/2puvc.”

Last year on my personal blog I did a series of blog posts about the last week of the life of the savior. I wrote the following,

“Jesus Christ taught in the temple on this day, about the Last Days, His Second Coming, and the gospel. I have often wondered how Christ must have felt these last days trying to teach as many people and get them to understand. I’m sure it’s similar to how I felt the last weeks of my mission. I just did not have time to mess around and I worked! I have this memory of my companion and I running from blok to blok trying to share the gospel with whoever would listen to us — which was not many people, but we felt pressed to find as many people and try to teach them.”

One of the things the Savior taught this day is found in Matthew 23: 37-38, which reads, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”

I don’t want to live in a desolate house, or a place without the Lord and the teachings of God. I also have this image in my mind, when I read this passage, of how very much our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, and want us to follow them. They are waiting right there for us. The question is, will we hearken their call and go? Accepting the invitation of coming unto Christ, is a active choice we make. We choose to follow Him. We choose to take His yoke upon us. We choose to enter into His rest, which is not just sitting around waiting for things to happen, but rather actively participating in the Gospel and actively reaching out to others and inviting them to come with us.

I invite you to find the answers to your questions by following Jesus Christ and learning of Him.

The things Christ taught on this day can be found in the following scriptures:
Matthew 23 & 24
Mark 12 & 13
Luke 20 & 21
John 12