Easter Thoughts Etc 2025

[SilentOne]

In our mortal condition, no one is perfect. Even in our most diligent efforts to live the gospel, all of us will make mistakes, and all of us will sin. What a comforting assurance it is to know that through our Savior’s redeeming sacrifice, we can be forgiven and made clean again. This process of true repentance and forgiveness strengthens our testimony and our resolve to obey the Lord’s commandments and live our life according to gospel standards.
- Ann M. Dibb, I Know It. I Live It. I Love It.

I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
- Alma 5:48

[SilentOne]

I testify that the tomb is empty, and He is risen. His grace, love, and power to become are available to all if we follow Him and allow Him to change our hearts.
- Valeri V. Cordón, Easter: The Most Important Religious Observance

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
- Moroni 10:32-33

[Ironhold]

This Friday, there is going to be a new movie in theaters called "King of Kings". 

It's an animated faith-based movie in which a fictionalized version of Charles Dickens tells his son the story of Jesus. 

Check your local theaters to see if it's going to show up, as faith-based movies of this nature often don't last very long outside of major cities and/or massive multiplex facilities. 

[SilentOne]

I testify that God loves us because He sent His Son to atone for our sins and for the sins of all humankind everywhere. This is the most powerful manifestation of all. I felt it first as I prepared for baptism and now each week as I prepare to receive the sacrament.

The Atonement has been written about for centuries by prophets both ancient and modern, but is it written in our hearts? The Atonement is not an academic abstract that is learned like the multiplication tables. If we are prepared, like Nephi and Enos, the Atonement can sink deep in our hearts and fill us with wonder
-Rollin H. Hotchkiss, God Loves You

But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.
- 2 Nephi 1:15

[JohnsonJones]

17 hours ago, Ironhold said:

This Friday, there is going to be a new movie in theaters called "King of Kings". 

It's an animated faith-based movie in which a fictionalized version of Charles Dickens tells his son the story of Jesus. 

Check your local theaters to see if it's going to show up, as faith-based movies of this nature often don't last very long outside of major cities and/or massive multiplex facilities. 

Thank you for the heads up.

[SilentOne]

I bear my witness that the Savior’s Atonement is not only infinite in scope but also individual in reach—that it can not only return us to God’s presence but also enable us to become like Him—the crowning goal of Christ’s Atonement. Of that I bear my grateful and certain witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
- Tad R. Callister, The Atonement of Jesus Christ

...I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.
- Alma 36:3

[SilentOne]

Nothing done before or since has so affected mankind as the atonement wrought by Jesus of Nazareth, who died on Calvary’s cross, was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and on the third day arose from the grave as the Living Son of the Living God—the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
- Gordon B. Hinckley, The Greatest Miracle in Human History

And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
- Alma 36:17-21

[Ironhold]

On 4/9/2025 at 4:50 PM, Ironhold said:

This Friday, there is going to be a new movie in theaters called "King of Kings". 

It's an animated faith-based movie in which a fictionalized version of Charles Dickens tells his son the story of Jesus. 

Check your local theaters to see if it's going to show up, as faith-based movies of this nature often don't last very long outside of major cities and/or massive multiplex facilities. 

OK. 

I saw it yesterday. 

From a Bible standpoint, it's basically the Cliffs Notes (C) version of the Gospels, which isn't surprising as it's meant to be a one-off family-accessible movie. 

From a movie standpoint, it's a masterpiece of voice acting and cinematography, which Hollywood should feel really bad about as it's putting a lot of their recent live-action releases to shame in that regards. 

[SilentOne]

Because Jesus owed no debt to justice, He could pay our debt and meet the demands of justice for every soul. And that includes you and me.

Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins.

All of them.

On that most important day in history, Jesus the Christ opened the gates of death and cast aside the barriers that prevented us from passing into the holy and hallowed halls of everlasting life. Because of our Lord and Savior, you and I are granted a most precious and priceless gift—regardless of our past, we can repent and follow the path that leads to celestial light and glory, surrounded by the faithful children of Heavenly Father.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Behold the Man!

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
- Isaiah 1:18

[SilentOne]

And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
- Mark 11:8-10

May we today, on this Palm Sunday, spread out our robes of love and palm leaves of charity, walking in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace as we prepare to celebrate, this coming Sunday, the miracle of the empty tomb. As brothers and sisters in Christ, let us joyfully proclaim, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”
- Ulisses Soares, Followers of the Prince of Peace

[SilentOne]

Jesus did suffer and die for us. Through him, and only through him, can we have life and the joy thereof, both in time and in eternity.

I love the Savior. I feel that as he hung upon the cross and looked out over the dark scene, he saw more than mocking soldiers and cruel taunters. He saw more than crying women and fearful friends. He remembered and saw even more than women at wells or crowds on hills or throngs by seashores. He saw more, much more. He, who knows all and has all power, saw through the stream of time. His huge, magnanimous, loving soul encompassed all eternity and took in all people and all times and all sins and all forgiveness and all everything. Yes, he saw down to you and to me and provided us an all-encompassing opportunity to escape the terrible consequences of death and sin.

And even as he suffered for all of us, he voiced that most beautiful of all requests, “Father, forgive them.”
- John H. Groberg, The Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament

Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
- 2 Nephi 2:7-8

[SilentOne]

Jesus was often misunderstood and rejected. But He felt most forsaken and alone on Calvary—just as the final act of the Atonement was enveloping mankind in His eternal love. Ironically, during the moments when in agony He was benefiting billions upon billions of mortals, He was attended by only a faithful few.

His infinite atonement affected every age, every dispensation, and every person. Hence the appropriate symbolism of His bleeding at each and every pore—not just some—in order that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
- Neal A. Maxwell, "Answer Me"

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who is willing to have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth which is in Christ Jesus, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, and ordained to be a Mediator between God and man; who is one God, and hath power over all men. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
- 1 Timothy 2:3-6 (with JST in verse 4)

[Carborendum]

All four gospels depict the cleansing of the temple.   John is peculiar in this respect because he places this cleansing at the beginning of His ministry.  The other three place it at the end (at about the Triumphal Entry).

What we might conclude is that He cleansed the temple twice.  He book-ended His ministry with a cleansing of the temple.  I believe this tactic was to emphasize the need for temples and to keep them sacred.  And we need to keep in mind that virtually all our doctrines are pointing to the temple, which points to Christ.  And the temple ceremony (including the narrative) tells us of so many of the fundamental points of doctrine that we teach every day.  But we simply don't get the connection until we start purposefully cleansing the inner vessel and looking for the wisdom of the Lord in all He has given us.

One of the most important things they did in the ancient temples that we do not do anymore is the offering of animal sacrifices.

After the cleansing and the sermons He gave on the Mount of Olives, the suffering in Gethsemane, the arrest, the judgment/trial, etc.  an interesting point of history was portrayed.

The scriptures say there was a custom "at that feast" to release one prisoner.  That is peculiar because that didn't happen.  There was no such custom to release a prisoner at the Feast of the Passover.  But there was such a custom among the Romans to do so at the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).  During Yom Kippur, a sacrifice is made of a goat and a sheep.  Some say it was two goats.  That wouldn't really provide the same symbolism if that is true.

The modern Jews say that they kill one goat as a sacrifice (a sin offering).  Then they release the goat that escapes (the Scapegoat) to "carry away their sins" as the goat is released into the desert.

Some say that this was Pilate trying to find some way to save Jesus without causing too big a rebellion.  Hey, you do this at this other feast every year.  I'm going to do this at this feast at this time of year.  So, he put Jesus up against a murderer/thief/political terrorist (Barabbas).  He was hoping if there was a choice between these two, SURELY they'd want Jesus to be released.  But no.  They did not.

I make no statement about whether or not this happened as the narrative indicates.  But all four gospel authors wanted to make a point about the Atonement of Christ.  That's why all four of them say that this "releasing of the goat" happened at the crucifixion of Christ -- at Passover.

• Some scholars believe that the sacrificed animal was a sheep, not a goat (prior to the diaspora).  And the goat was set free. 
• Or it was a combining of Passover (where a paschal lamb was killed) with the Day of Atonement (where the goat was set free). 
• Both sacrifices were done in the temple which Jesus just cleansed.
• Christ was the Lamb without blemish.  Barabbas was the corrupted goat that can go free because Christ was sacrificed as an atonement for him. 

Symbolically, we are all Barabbas -- the sinner -- the goat -- set free because the Lamb of God died for us.

How better to combine the meaning of the Passover and the meaning of the Atonement at the same time?

As we look back on the meaning of the entire process from the cleansing of the temple, to Gethsemane, the trial, scourging, and crucifixion, we focus on the suffering of the Lord.  Somehow, knowing that we are the goat makes it more real to me. 

Knowing that He gave up the ghost (no man taketh it from me. I have power to lay it down.  And I have power to take it up again.) means that some barrier was removed as He came forth from the tomb.  The barrier was somehow changed.  It was not a solid stone that was sealed up.  Christ came forth from what should have been an impenetrable wall.  Because that gate is now open, we can all come forth in the resurrection.

And after we come forth and be judged, we will receive our eternal reward.  Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption. 

The mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil.

Edited April 15 by Carborendum

[Ironhold]

Check your local movie theaters. 

I just tried checking the site for my local multiplex. It was sluggish to load, as if they were still in the process of updating everything, but it seems that "King of Kings" is getting a second weekend. 

[SilentOne]

51 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

Check your local movie theaters.

The closest theater to me has showings listed through next Thursday

[SilentOne]

And now, I hope it is clearer why part of that hope in Christ is hope in the future, a future that includes resurrection and salvation and exaltation.

Paul explained to the Romans that Christ submitted Himself to death but, “being raised from the dead[,] dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him” (Rom. 6:9). Jesus Christ, our Savior, has always been the master of life, but through His atoning sacrifice, He also became the master over death. Physical death has no dominion over Him; and ultimately, it has no dominion over us because of Christ.
- Chiko N. Okazaki, Raised in Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- 1 Peter 1:3-5

[Ironhold]

20 hours ago, SilentOne said:

The closest theater to me has showings listed through next Thursday

Yeah, the only new mass release this weekend is "Sinners", about twin brothers from opposite sides of the law going back home and discovering that the place has been taken over by a cult. 

Fortunately, "The Amateur" is also being held over locally so I have that as an alternative to do for review.

[Carborendum]

King of Kings is showing in multiple local theaters over here.  And I checked for this weekend.  It is continuing in several theaters around here.

I thought it was rather interesting that there were enough people asking if it was a "Mormon movie" that it came up as a default return when I looked up the movie.  I wonder why they don't like the idea of us sharing stories from the Bible.

Edited April 16 by Carborendum

[zil2]

3 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

I wonder why they don't like the idea of us sharing stories from the Bible.

Wrong Jesus, you cultist!

[Ironhold]

1 hour ago, Carborendum said:

King of Kings is showing in multiple local theaters over here.  And I checked for this weekend.  It is continuing in several theaters around here.

I thought it was rather interesting that there were enough people asking if it was a "Mormon movie" that it came up as a default return when I looked up the movie.  I wonder why they don't like the idea of us sharing stories from the Bible.

There's a level of extreme paranoia in place. 

Some people are afraid that we've changed things up. 

Others are afraid that if people see we *didn't* change things up their flocks will realize we're not what they've been telling everyone we are.

[SilentOne]

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, went willingly and deliberately to His death, having told His followers that this would happen. Why? one might ask. The answer: to give immortality to all mankind and the promise of eternal life to those who believed in Him, to give His own life for a ransom for others, to overcome Satan’s power, and to make it possible for sins to be forgiven. Without Jesus’ Atonement, there would be an impassable barrier between God and mortal men and women. When we comprehend the Atonement, we remember Him with awe and gratitude.
- Robert D. Hales, In Remembrance of Jesus

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
- John 10:17-18

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
- John 15:13

[SilentOne]

Easter allows us to honor both the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the literal and joyous Resurrection of Him. Our hearts are heavy as we imagine the Savior’s suffering in the garden and upon Calvary, but our hearts rejoice as we envision the empty tomb and the heavenly decree “He is risen!”
- Gary E. Stevenson, And We Talk of Christ

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.
- John 16:20

[SilentOne]

The testimony of our Lord! The testimony of Jesus! What a glorious and wondrous concept! It opens the door to glory and honor with the Father and the Son forever! The testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ, to receive his gospel, and to live his law.

Jesus is the Lord. He is God’s own Son who came into the world to ransom us men from the temporal and spiritual death brought upon us by the fall of Adam. Jesus has bought us with his blood. He is the resurrection and the life. He “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Advocate with the Father. “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

Salvation is in Christ. His is the only name given under heaven whereby this priceless gift may be won. Without him there would be no resurrection and all men would be forever lost. Without him there would be no eternal life, no return to the presence of a gracious Father, no celestial thrones for the saints.

No tongue can tell, no mind can envision, no heart can conceive of all that comes to us because of him. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”
- Bruce R. McConkie, Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith

And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us— That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness
- Doctrine and Covenants 76:40-41

[SilentOne]

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we worship the living Christ. We know that he came forth from the tomb, that he is a resurrected being, that he is our advocate with the Father, that only through him and by obedience to the gospel he has given us can we return into his presence and that of the Father.

Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and Savior. He was begotten of the Father in the spirit, the Firstborn of the Father, and is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our elder brother. He is the second member of the Godhead. He was the Creator of heaven and earth under the direction of the Father. He is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. He is Jesus of Nazareth.

He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Light of the world. He is the Author of our salvation. He was chosen before the foundation of the world to be the Lamb slain as an offering for our sins. Ultimately every knee must bow and every tongue confess that he is the Christ. He died on the cross to atone for the sin of Adam, that we might receive forgiveness for our sins if we would accept him and keep the commandments that he has given us, the plan of life and salvation. He arose from the tomb, the first fruits of the resurrection, thereby making possible that all mankind may live again in a resurrected state after mortal death. Yes, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- Joseph Anderson, A Testimony of Christ

And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption. And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.
- Mosiah 16:6-9

[Traveler]

On 4/2/2025 at 3:22 PM, HaggisShuu said:

One concept I've always struggled to grasp, is how does Christs resurrection mean we can all be resurrected? 
How does the victory over death work? 

I understand other aspects of the atonement, how his experience in Gethsemane and death on the cross enables us to be forgiven. But I really struggle to understand how his resurrection enables our resurrection. 
 

Is this a bit nit picky? Maybe. I just like to understand. 

I would make a record of my understanding through the spirit concerning the Atonement (Kippur) of Jesus Christ.  The atonement was not an event beginning in Gethsemane and ending on the cross.  It began before our sun gave forth light, before any planets of our solar system were formed.  It began even before what Genesis calls the beginning and the atonement will not be completed until we are resurrected and stand face to face to G-d the Father to make known our agency.

Before the begging spoken of in Genesis there was in that heaven where G-d the Father reigned as King, a great council of all the intelligent spirits of that kingdom.  In this great council the divine “Plan of Salvation” of the Father was explained.  Among the spirits there were many that were like the Father that were called and designated as His children.  Among his children there was one that was greater than them all (Jesus).

Jesus offered to take upon himself the role of the only begotten Son of the Father and was accepted of the Father (though there was some disagreements among the Sons of G-d).  Jesus had already secured for himself sufficient position that this offering was a sacrifice in which Jesus suffered in order to do the will of the Father (See 3 Nephi 11:11).

It was the will of the Father that the children of the Father receive their agency by covenant.  This covenant required that Jesus become the proctor and G-d of the agency covenant.  Jesus knew that through this covenant of agency that many would use their agency to commit various sins.  He knew that not one would receive their agency without committing sin.  And that all would deny Jesus and his love for us.  The only possibility for us was for Jesus to suffer for the sins he allowed us to commit.   Because he allowed our agency knowing that we would sin he was also somewhat accountable.  But Jesus would not sin but never-the-less suffer for all the sins he allowed.  This would complete the fullness of justice.

I have wondered how it was that a sinless person could justly suffer for the sins of others.  It was made known to me that this is possible for someone that gave power for the sin to be committed knowing in advance that by so allowing agency that such sins would result.  The Father and the Son both knew my sins as well as your sins before we were given our agency.

Because Jesus fulfilled the demands of justice it made mercy possible.  That through the mercy of Jesus Christ we could be forgiven and redeemed of our sins.   There is more.  Jesus created for us our earth and solar system (heavens) that we may know by our own experience the good from the evil.  Every human person born to mortality on this earth chose to do so by themselves partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

To suffer for our sins, Jesus was required to both suffer and die, because suffering and death are the wages of sin that must be paid to fulfill justice.  But because Jesus was innocent himself of any sin and being the Son of G-d the Father, he had power over sin and able to raise himself and us from sin, suffering and death (both the physical or first death and spiritual or the second death).

I present this witness of Jesus Christ, the Messiah that frees us and gives liberty to all – but there is a caveat.  That we can remain liberated and free from sin we, of necessity, must repent, become a new creature to see differently beyond the clutches of sin to be a creature to remain free by the exercise of our divinely given agency.  This is the reason that Jesus Christ and only Jesus can redeem us and save us to everlasting life if we will repent.

I have not spoken of all that Jesus did create and accomplish for us through his love for us despite all the pain, suffering and death we did cause to come upon him.  I declare that every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ – the very Messiah.  I also declare that we will only be raised in eternity above those sins from which we turn away from and no longer look upon with lustful eyes to possess (which is the meaning and essence of repentance).

 

The Traveler