The Greatest Miracle

By Brother Powell

Photograph of Garden Tomb (Movie Set Re-Creation) By Matt Reier

As I sit down to write this message, I have just finished watching the last of the April 2023 sessions of General Conference with my family. There were many wonderful messages shared, but two themes stood out to me:
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1. I need to be more diligent to do my part to eliminate the spirit of contention.
2. I need to spend more time making the Easter season a holy time and just as much a sacred holiday and season as Christmas.

For the first time this year, the First Presidency sent out a letter to church leadership informing them that we would not have 2nd-hour church classes on Easter. In addition, the Sacrament Meeting should provide "an opportunity to feature Christ-centered messages and sacred music." This follows a pattern set several years ago when Christmas fell on a Sunday. Then and ever since, the Sunday closest to Christmas has been streamlined down to a single Sacrament Meeting to allow church members to spend more time with family and friends in the celebration of the holy holiday.

During his message in conference, Elder Stevenson shared his experience as he sought the Luke 2 equivalent for Easter that he could read with his family. He shared the following:  

• “How do we model the teaching and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Easter story, with the same balance, fullness, and rich religious tradition of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story? ...Just as we can read Luke 2 at Christmas, we can read the Savior’s Easter ministry to the people of the Americas in the Book of Mormon as found in 3 Nephi. In reality, the Book of Mormon shares the greatest Easter story ever told. Let it not be the greatest Easter story never told."

​There are other options to enhance our scripture study during the Easter season. President Nelson shared with us that as we participate in "Come, Follow Me" the week preceding Easter, we would be offered an opportunity to read about the events of the last week of the Savior's mortal ministry, including cleansing the temple, the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.

I strongly suggest reviewing the Liahona magazine for the month of April 2023. In it, you will find the First Presidency Easter Message, an article from the prophet on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the restoration of His gospel, as well as an eight-day suggested study plan starting on Palm Sunday and going through Easter.

​After returning from my mission, at one point I made an attempt to read The Work and the Glory series by Gerald Lund. Although I never really appreciated the story and abandoned the series after the third book, there is one scene that is forever imprinted upon my memory. The mother, Mary Ann Steed, had made herself a New Year's resolution to read the gospels prior to Easter. She got up early on Easter morning to read the last 3 chapters of John and finish her goal. Her son Nathan (what a good name) got up, and the following exchange occurred:
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• "What are you reading?"
• She answered without looking up. "The twentieth chapter of John. It is dawn of that first Easter morning. Mary has just come to the tomb to see if there is anything more she can do for the crucified Master."
• Nathan murmured softly, "That's appropriate reading for this morning."
• "Yes. I could have finished it three or four days ago, but I wanted to save it for today."

The characters go on to read the account of the resurrection, which then leads naturally into a discussion of the restoration.

I am grateful for the focus our leaders are placing on Easter this year, and I expect that same emphasis will continue in the future. Even if you read this message well after Easter, I challenge you to think of ways to make the Easter season more sacred for you and your families in the future.