Happy Belated Easter!!
As I'm thinking about Easter I had several thoughts and quotes that I wanted to share. I was looking up Easter in the Bible, and I read this:This word occurs only once in the Bible (Acts 12: 4) and then would be better translated passover.The word Easter is from Eastre, a Norse goddess whose pagan festival was observed at the spring equinox. The association of this pagan goddess with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was only by adaptation and synthesis. There is no real connection. Jesus, being the Lamb of God, was crucified at passover time and is the true Passover (see 1 Cor. 5: 7). He was raised from the grave on the third day thereafter. It thus became a springtime anniversary, and has come to be called Easter in the Christian world.
I don't know where I was all these years, but I didn't know that it was a pagan
festival. So there's an Easter tid bit for anyone who didn't know. Also, some I'm sure,
have seen this video. But I thought it was very powerful and I loved how they put the
talk and the video clips together. It's one of the top video's on the internet now.
It's called, "None Were with Him" by Elder Holland. I suggest you watch it.
And with the whole Easter topic, I can't help but remember the words of my favourite
Primary Song in, Easter Hosanna, you should look it up. I really enjoy this song,
because I like to think about what he did during those days he was gone and visiting
sheep of other folds" versus keeping our minds only on the crucifixion. Also, one of my
favourite scriptures are in 3 Nephi 17:11- 25 when the Lord is about to ascend to
Heavenly father. He's been teaching the people in the America's about the gospel and
doesn't want to leave them. So he blesses the little children surrounds them with the fire of angels.
I know that Jesus lives and that He was resurrected. I know that He loves his children, even little girls who
try to flush kittens down the toilet. :) I know that we're not alone. Elder Hollands says it best, "one of the
great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone,
we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of
that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of
this Beloved Son,the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family
members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends.
All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of
the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the
summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if
sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, “I will not leave you comfortless. [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide
with you].”... [Another] plea at Easter time is that these scenes of Christ’s lonely sacrifice, laced with moments of denial and abandonment and, at least once, outright betrayal, must never be reenacted by us. He has walked alone once. Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me along His Via Dolorosa in our present day. As we approached this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,” for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
