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Easter
The women at the cross.
Today is Good Friday, a holy day recognized by Christians around the world as the day Christ was crucified in Calvary. Matthew tells us many women watched as Christ suffered and then died on the cross (see Matt. 27:55). Among those women were Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene. Messages of Christ has published a new video offering insights as to the significance of these women who...
Image of The Church's new symbol. Photo of poppy field by corina ardeleanu via Unsplash.
Cross-posted from Book of Mormon Resources . We are all indebted to mesoamericanist and BYU faculty member Mark Alan Wright for this remarkable insight. He published it in his 2014 Axes Mundi article in Interpreter and shared it with those of us on his 2015 tour of Guatemala. Mark Wright with Tikal Temple I in Background. Photo by Kirk Magleby. Why Did the Savior Emphasize His...
Screenshot of The Events of Holy Week Reading Plan by ScripturePlus.
Reading Plans in ScripturePlus were released today on iOS (Android to follow soon), in time for Holy Week and Good Friday. Reading Plans have been a long anticipated feature in ScripturePlus, that will allow students of the scriptures to engage with the Holy Word of God in new ways. Reading Plans are structured, step-by-step guides to scripture study. These plans are split up into easy-to-digest...
Image by Thomas B. via Pixabay.
Enjoy images of the Holy Land as you visualize Jesus Christ's last hours with the following slideshow of photos by John W. Welch The Power of Apostolic Eyewitness Testimony We now turn to the often-asked question: Who killed Jesus? The answer is not simple, and we can now better appreciate that lots of people were involved in all of this, each in their various way. To answer this question, we...
Behold the Man! by Mihály Munkácsy, 1896.
For reflection especially on the day remembered among Christians as “Maundy Thursday,” the day of the Last Supper and when Jesus was arrested, I invite you to consider some of the perspectives that Latter-day Saint insights add to our understanding of the complex question: Why was Jesus killed? The Need for Humility Latter-day Saints in particular, but all people as well, know the importance of...
The raising of a sick man with a wand in a stained-glass window in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Photo by John W. Welch.
People have long wondered, What happened to Jesus after he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane? What kinds of procedures followed, before Caiaphas, members of the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and even Herod Antipas? Were these procedures property conducted under either Jewish or Roman law? And of what could Jesus, an innocent man, be accused and convicted? Was he put to death by Romans under Roman law...
The Father’s Two Sons, by Jorge Cocco Santangelo. Used by permission of John W. and Jeannie Welch.
None of the actions taken against Jesus by the Chief Priests during his final week would have come as any surprise to Jesus. He knew the hearts, the desires, and the intentions of all the actors in this eternal drama. He had heard their questions and arguments many times before. Reentering Jerusalem on Monday morning, the day after his Triumphal entry, Jesus made a beeline directly to the temple...
The Raising of Lazarus, Nativity of Christ Church, Arbanassi, Bulgaria (photograph by John W. Welch, © 2019; used with permission of the Regional Museum of History of Veliko Tarnovo)*
The last week of Jesus’s mortal life was a time filled with completions. As His time drew near, He knew that many parts of His mission needed to be drawn fully to conclusion. And by the time that week ended, He had in fact finished all that He had been sent to do and all that was necessary to allow the eternal plan of His Father to succeed. Prophecies needed to be fulfilled. The week began with...
Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb
The events of the last week of the life of the Savior, Jesus Christ are the most significant in all of history. These eight days, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday change everything. They give us hope. They show us that sin and death will never prevail. These eight days begin with Jesus coming to the beautiful city of Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festivals. As we better understand...
Book of Mormon Central video on Easter and the Resurrection
With Easter fast approaching, Latter-day Saints and Christians all over the world are turning their hearts and minds to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Learn about how the Book of Mormon infinitely adds to our understanding of the Atonement and Resurrection. This video beautifully illustrates the Savior's infinite and eternal sacrifice through 16 scriptures in the Book of Mormon that enhance our...