Mormon Bloggers

I found a fun way to do Easter eggs this year to create fun patterns with no mess: tie-dyed eggs. Sounds messy, right?

WRONG! No mess included!

All I needed was an old silk tie (everyone has one of those, right?!? If not, you can usually get them at the thrift store for a buck!), scissors to cut the tie, some old socks (three, to be exact), rubber bands (I used 12 – one for each egg), hard-boiled eggs (I used a dozen), and a large pan filled with water and a bit of vinegar (about four Tablespoons or so):

Egg-stra simple!

You cut a piece of the tie big enough to wrap around the egg, wrap it:

Ready to tie-dye?

Stick it in the sock, and keep it in place with a rubber band:

Socked up!

Repeat, using the same sock until there’s no more room. Place in pan filled with water and a bit of vinegar and heat on high until boiling:

Eggs boiling in vinegar-water to set dye

Turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool completely (I used cold water for 5 minutes), and undo. Rub with a little vegetable oil and make them really shine!

Pretty, easy, and no dye on my hands or counters! (Or the carton!)

When trying to explain to people that it’s tie-dyed, bring a tutorial. They’ll totally not get it.

Side note: I pulled out 4 old ties of my husband’s, but only needed 1/2 of one. You may like using several to have more patterns and colors though! I also read somewhere that you can reuse them, but I didn’t try, so I’m not sure if this is true or not – but I saved these from this year just in case!

We’re going on an egg hunt…

Egg-stremely cute hunter!

We’re going to catch some pretty ones…We’re egg-cited! It’s an Easter egg hunt:

Egg-strememly egg-cited to find an Easter egg!

Look! A tree! A happy, trappy tree! Can’t climb under it, can’t climb around it, we’ll have to climb…Up it:

Climb, climb, climb, climb…

We made it! Look – some grass! Some egg-stra green grass! Can’t climb over it, can’t climb under it, we’ll have to go through it:

Tromp…Pick…tromp…pick…

We made it! We found…A BOOK! A funny, punny book! Can’t climb over it, can’t climb under it, we’ll have to read through it:

Read, read, read, read…

We went on an egg hunt, we found some brightly colored ones. I was so egg-cited!…weren’t you?

Egg-stra full!!!

Hope you had a happy Easter! Tell us about your egg hunts and other fun Easter traditions!

The message of Easter is one of hope. No matter what our pain, no matter what our burdens, no matter what we have faced or will yet face, because of Jesus Christ, we can have hope!

Because Jesus Christ died and was resurrected, we, too, will all live again. Resurrection is a free gift given to all who have lived or who will yet live on the earth. The sting of death can be swallowed up in Christ. “Jesus Christ…is the Son of God, … and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up.” (Mormon 7:5)”[T]here is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.” (Mosiah 16:8)

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins when we repent.

Because of His infinite Atonement, not only can we repent when we make mistakes, but through His miraculous power, our hearts and characters can be changed. With His help, we can overcome weakness and sin. With His help, we  can become more like Him.

Because of Jesus Christ, we can also receive heavenly help and comfort through God’s Holy Spirit — in times of trial, doubt, sorrow, betrayal, loneliness, fear, when facing death or illness (of self or loved ones). Because of what Jesus suffered for our sake, we know we are never alone.

All that is good comes because of Jesus Christ — all that is good now, or all the good that can come as we hold on and keep moving forward — we can have hope because of Jesus Christ. “[I]n Christ there should come every good thing.” (Moroni 7:22) He can give us “beauty for ashes,” as Isaiah declared.

As Jeffrey R. Holland stated, Jesus is our High Priest of Good Things to Come:

Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke of it in the Book of Mormon as “hope for a better world.” ²For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead. It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of “good things to come.”

My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christoffers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the “light that is endless, that can never be darkened.” ³ It is the very Son of God Himself. In loving praise far beyond Romeo’s reach, we say, “What light through yonder window breaks?” It is the return of hope, and Jesus is the Sun. ⁴ To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His “more excellent ministry” with a future of “better promises.” He is your “high priest of good things to come.”

Apostles and prophets testify of God the Father, and of His Son, Jesus Christ, of His resurrection, and of Their reality and love. (Other quotes can be found here.)

- – –

Sunday Will Come by Joseph B. Wirthlin

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

- – -

One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].” -Jeffrey R. Holland

- – – -

We want to extend to you a happy Easter Sunday, with several posts throughout the day sharing thoughts about our faith in Jesus Christ.

President Thomas S. Monson, in the recent General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reflected on that Easter morn nearly 2,000 years ago.

After the Savior was crucified and His body had lain in the tomb for three days, the spirit again entered. The stone was rolled away, and the resurrected Redeemer walked forth, clothed with an immortal body of flesh and bones.

The answer to Job’s question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” came when Mary and others approached the tomb and saw two men in shining garments who spoke to them: “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.”

From Luke 24:

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

He is not here, but is risen….

And [they] returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

The account in Matthew adds that the angel told the women to: “go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.”

I love the piece above by Rose Datoc Dall (shared with her permission — you can read more about the creation of this piece on her blog). I love the urgency with which she portrays the women going to share the glorious news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ with His disciples.

Rose shares these thoughts:

I am intrigued that the first witnesses of the Resurrected Savior were women, who arose early to go to the garden tomb that Easter morning to anoint the body of Jesus. They then beheld the angels telling them to go quickly to tell the disciples that He is risen. I wanted to depict that moment of anxious awe and wonder while they were on that errand, at the very first issuance of the glad news which would roll forth thenceforth and change the world.

Glad news indeed!

Within each person or group of people mentioned in the Easter story, there is much to ponder. What can we learn from the story of the women? Of the apostles? Of the men on the road to Emmaus? Of others?

I’m looking at the story differently than I ever have, seeing truths folded within it that I’d never woven together. Within the chapters in Matthew and Luke, some of the things I see include a testimony of the reality of angels, and the importance of prophets and scriptures. (It’s interesting to me to see how Jesus — the giver of and focus of scripture — used scripture Himself when teaching others about His mission.) Echoing what Rose said, I see a testimony of the importance of women in God’s plan, and the reality of a spiritual witness of Jesus’s divinity that can be received in one’s heart. This chapter testifies that Jesus has a body of flesh and bone. I also see a pattern of how it’s common in our human nature to fear and sometimes to doubt, but how knowledge of the living Jesus is the answer to fear and doubt.

I also see how Jesus works through imperfect people, both men and women, to accomplish His work.

I love the Savior, Jesus Christ, and am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on the Easter story today.

Three Mormon women share their talents and their music for this Easter season.

Sally DeFord has written several songs that could be used for Easter.
Jelaire Richardson wrote a song called, “He’s Been There” (sheet music and MP3 available here).

Shawna Edwards wrote “The Miracle” (shared earlier, but we’re sharing it again).

On this Easter Sunday, thousands of people are sharing what Jesus Christ means to them at a special Easter website. Join the conversation. Share why Jesus Christ is important to you. How has He helped you in your life? How does knowing about His life and example and sacrifice make a difference in your life?

Following are some videos where people share how their faith in Jesus Christ has made a difference in their lives. (Several of these people’s thoughts are featured on the Easter website.)

Finding Forgiveness – A Mormon woman talks about how the Savior helped her forgive her dad.

Belief in life after death helps this Mormon woman face hard situations in her work

This Australian Mormon mom and musician talks of how her faith helps her find peace in her life. She lost a brother to an accident.

Running on Faith: This Mormon man had an accident when he was a young adult and, through Jesus Christ, he was able to overcome the bitterness and “Why me?” that he felt after his accident.

There have been many times in life where I have been off the Lord’s path and have needed to repent.  I’ve been in callings at church on many occasions where I’ve been an instrument in the Lord’s hand to help counsel people towards repenting and getting back in the Lord’s light.

Without Jesus’ atonement, none of this would be possible.  I am grateful for His gift of the atonement and pray that all of us can remember Him not only this Easter, but daily as well.

I have a few Easter videos for you to watch and reflect on what the Savior has done for each one of us.  The first one is a brand new Mormon Easter video made recently by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The second Mormon Easter video is one from last year that I just recently saw.  The final video is one that’s a little older from the mid-90′s called The Lamb of God, but one that I really liked as a teenager.  I think I like this one the best because it is more detailed than the others.

Happy Easter!

(The Lamb of God is a little long, so I divided it into 3 parts…if you want to skip right to the Resurrection and crucifixion, it begins on part three)

Watch the video He is Risen, a new Easter video from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This video is a compilation of several Bible Videos focused on the Savior’s last week on earth. This video has been edited with new music and graphics for this extended format. It is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and Italian.

You may also enjoy the other videos about the Savior’s final weeks—from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His Crucifixion and Resurrection:

BibleVideos.lds.org will continue releasing new videos about Jesus Christ’s life throughout the year, creating a powerful library of over 100 videos.

Please share these videos with your friends. You can pin them to your Pinterest boards using the Pin It button above the videos, along with the Tweet, Google+, e-card, and e-mail buttons. Within the video, you can also click Share to see the Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ buttons or to see the URL link or get the embed code for your blog or website.

This weekend marks a holy time in the Christian world, a time to reflect on the life, mission, sacrifice, and resurrection of the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

I’ve appreciated reading blog posts from Christians over the past few days. I am strengthened by the faith that so many have in our Lord, Jesus.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are joining the conversation, gathering online to share their thoughts about Jesus Christ. So far, nearly 2,000 people have shared their feelings and testimony about Jesus Christ.

We invite anyone on Facebook who believes in Jesus Christ to join with us in celebrating the life and mission of Jesus Christ.

There’s also a new special Bible video created just for Easter.