I feel the need to talk about the true meaning of Easter. Easter does not receive the same attention as Christmas. You do not hear people talking about grasping the true meaning of Easter. But Easter is a celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. It is a remembrance of the Atonement that He suffered for each of us in the Garden of Gethsemane and as He hung on the cross.
In a talk entitled “The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope,” James E Faust says of these events:
“I come humbly to this pulpit this morning because I wish to speak about the greatest event in all history. That singular event was the incomparable Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This was the most transcendent act that has ever taken place, yet it is the most difficult to understand. My reason for wanting to learn all I can about the Atonement is partly selfish: Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement. Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully. The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect. All of us have sinned and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt. When we sincerely repent, the Savior’s magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt.”
As we remember the greatest event in history, do we each take enough time to personally reflect on what the atonement and resurrection of Christ truly means to each of us? It is so easy to get caught up in family dinners, new Easter clothes and the Easter bunny, and forget the sacredness of the events which bring us together to celebrate.
This Easter I am going to wake early and read the account of Christ from the Last Supper to his glorious resurrection. I will sit and give thanks that I have the chance to repent and return to live with my Savior again. I will reflect on the way that I am living my life and make sure that I am living the way that He would have me live. I will then take the time to remind my children of the importance of this very special day.