Christ Lives, He is Risen

GETHSEMANE

None Were With Him, An Apostles Easter Thoughts on Christ

On this beautiful Easter morning as the sun rose in the East and my children awoke excited for the day...feelings of love, peace, and gratitude came over me.  My thoughts turned to the Savior, Jesus Christ as I pondered upon the meaning of the day and prepared for our Easter program at church.

Easter

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

Easter is the Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. After Christ died on the cross, His body was placed in a sepulchre, where it remained, separated from His spirit, until His Resurrection, when His spirit and His body were reunited. Latter-day Saints affirm and testify that Jesus Christ was resurrected and lives today with a glorified and perfected body of flesh and bone.

For the past couple of weeks my family and I have been practicing the children's song,                    "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus," in preparation for singing in Sacrament meeting today alongside two other families in our ward.

Tell me the Stories of Jesus - Lyrics

1. Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
   Things I would ask him to tell me if he were here.
   Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
   Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.
   2. Oh, let me hear how the children stood round his knee.
   I shall imagine his blessings resting on me;
   Words full of kindness, deeds full of grace,
   All in the love-light of Jesus' face.
   3. Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea,
   Tossing the boat in a tempest on Galilee!
   And how the Master, ready and kind,
   Chided the billows and hushed the wind.
   ~ Words: W. H. Parker, 1845-1929
   ~ Music: Frederic A. Challinor, 1866-1952

This Sabbath has surely been a delight! In Sunday school we learned about prophecies made centuries ago concerning our day by Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet.  I would like to highlight a few verses out of the chapters we discussed. (See Nephi chapters 26-33.)

 2 Nephi 26
Christ will minister to the Nephites—Nephi foresees the destruction of his people—They will speak from the dust—The Gentiles will build up false churches and secret combinations—The Lord forbids men to practice priestcrafts. About 559–545 B.C.

2 Nephi 27
Darkness and apostasy will cover the earth in the last days—The Book of Mormon will come forth—Three witnesses will testify of the book—The learned man will say he cannot read the sealed book—The Lord will do a marvelous work and a wonder—Compare Isaiah 29. About 559–545 B.C.

2 Nephi 28
 Many false churches will be built up in the last days—They will teach false, vain, and foolish doctrines—Apostasy will abound because of false teachers—The devil will rage in the hearts of men—He will teach all manner of false doctrines. About 559–545 B.C.

2 Nephi 29

Many Gentiles will reject the Book of Mormon—They will say, We need no more Bible—The Lord speaks to many nations—He will judge the world out of the books which will be written. About 559–545 B.C. 

2 Nephi 30
Converted Gentiles will be numbered with the covenant people—Many Lamanites and Jews will believe the word and become delightsome—Israel will be restored and the wicked destroyed. About 559–545 B.C.

2 Nephi 31

Nephi tells why Christ was baptized—Men must follow Christ, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end to be saved—Repentance and baptism are the gate to the strait and narrow path—Eternal life comes to those who keep the commandments after baptism. About 559–545 B.C.

In our priesthood meeting we watched the film Finding Faith in Christ which illustrates many events of Christ's mortal ministry, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His death and glorious resurrection in our behalf.

 Finding Faith in Christ

I hope you've enjoyed today's thoughts and words on how my Sabbath has been.  I also hope that you, too, have had an uplifting day which has inspired and edified you to be better and to follow the Savior, Jesus Christ a little more closely.   Hallelujah, He is risen from the grave!   I know that He Lives today and invites all to Come Unto Him. 

#Hallelujah ~ He Lives

~C.J. Poulsen