The season of lent has started, and Easter Sunday is approaching. The different religious groups surrounded by the Christians who do not follow the holiday are making efforts to participate or engage with their community.
Some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints express dissatisfaction about the fact that Easter is not widely observed or is not open to all members of their faith.
'Mormon Land' Shares Insight to Participate in Easter
Many Christian denominations have established traditions leading up to Easter, such as Lent and the holy week; there is no universal way of celebrating Easter within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, as a result, some members of the faith have developed their methods of commemorating the holiday through prayers, readings, and discussions.
Eric Huntsman, an expert in ancient biblical texts and a professor at Brigham Young University, has written a book with Trevan Hatch called "Greater Love Hath No Man: A Latter-day Saint Guide to Celebrating the Easter Season." The book explores the scriptural accounts of each day of Holy Week and how these events are celebrated in various Christian traditions. It also offers suggestions for how Latter-day Saints can enhance their Easter season.
Listen to their Podcast here on SoundCloud.
What is Easter?
Easter is the primary festival of the Christian church that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion. According to Britannica, the commemoration of the resurrection probably happened earlier, but the earliest recorded Easter celebration is from the 2nd century.
According to Venerable Bede, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility Eostre may have been the source of the English word Easter, however its exact origins are unknown. Although this theory is now widely contested, it is believed that the word may have originated from the Christian designation of Easter week as in albis, a Latin expression understood as the plural of alba, meaning "dawn," which became eostarum in Old High German and served as the basis for the modern German and English terms. The Latin and Greek words for "Passover," Pascha, are the source of the Greek and French words for Easter, Pâques.
Also Read: Worshippers Hold Easter Service In Church Building Destroyed By Tornado
What does The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Say About Easter?
Easter is a celebration of Christ's Resurrection and the universal resurrection, where all people will be resurrected because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. According to their website, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints commemorates Easter with Sunday services that review the New Testament and Book of Mormon accounts of Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and surrounding events.
They do not follow the religious observances of Ash Wednesday, Lent, or Holy Week. The sacrament is passed to the congregation, and the chapels are often decorated with white lilies and other symbols of life. Although some families include Easter bunnies and eggs in their festivities, Latter-day Saints focus on the religious aspect of Easter, which is the celebration of the promise of eternal life through Christ. They believe that, as Job said, even though their bodies may perish, they will see God in their flesh because they know that their Redeemer lives.
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