Hey everyone, welcome back.

This is week 13 of Our Mothers Knew It and sort of a special edition for this year.

This will be a slightly different lesson than we see any other week of

the year, because this is Easter week.

And rather than giving you a traditional video all with the insights and a video

of creative object lessons, I've decided to create a mashup that will hopefully

bring you a little bit of light and lift and rich opportunities to study.

As you do fun things.

We're combining everything together this week.

And the motivation behind that came from watching a play with

my family just a week or two ago.

We went to see Fiddler on the Roof and we started talking about tradition.

So if you haven't seen that play lately, it's one of our favorites.

I love the way they speak about tradition.

It's this steadying force, this thing that creates belonging between

generations and throughout neighborhoods.

And all of that is beautiful.

But what I also love about that play is it talks about setting traditions down

or adapting them based on the needs of your family and your circumstances.

And I feel like Easter is ripe for that kind of transformation.

In fact, I feel like we've heard it a little bit lately from President Nelson

and from Elder Stevenson, that we should take a good look at our Easters

and see what we can do to add more.

Not add more busyness or add more time, but add more depth.

And that's what I hope to do here on this week's study.

So it'll look a little different, but I promise it'll be worth it.

I read this article on how studying tradition and what makes traditions

last and feel like What we hope to get out of them, you know, something

that ties our hearts together.

And this one is from artist Whitman.

He wrote, we must cherish our yesterdays, but never carry them

as a burden into the future.

Each generation must take nourishment from the other and give knowledge

to the one that comes after.

And so it's not the tradition of saying Stop or halt or think no more.

It's not saying do not question, do not grow, and do not change.

Rather tradition is saying remember.

Think, but remember.

Question, but remember.

Grow and change, but remember.

Remember who we are as humans, where we came from, and how we can

make the knowledge and wisdom and experiences transmitted to us from

generations afar to live a more beautiful life and more meaningful.

I feel like that's the idea here.

My hope Stevenson's talk.

So last April he gave a talk about how we should look again at Easter

and see if there's ways we can.

Make it feel more like Christmas.

Remember this talk?

He spoke about things like how we read Luke 2 at Christmas, and we need an

equivalent for Easter, and then he gave us some suggestions about it.

So that kind of kicked off some ideas in my head that maybe we

could use Christmas as a template for a lot of Easter traditions.

And that's basically what we're going to do this week in this study.

Let me read you a section of his talk.

He said, 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?

It seems we're all trying.

I observe a growing effort among Latter day Saints toward

a more Christ centered Easter.

This includes a greater and more thoughtful recognition of Palm

Sunday and Good Friday, as practiced by some of our Christian cousins.

We might also adopt appropriate Christ centered Easter traditions

found in the cultures and practices of cultures, of countries worldwide.

So that's what we're going to do this week, you guys.

I decided to focus my efforts, rather than creating just three

things, and instead expand to seven.

So in this week's study, we're going to study seven areas

of the Saviors last week.

And then we're going to look at how those might apply to our Easter traditions.

And the framework I'm going to use are the Christmas traditions

that my kids already love.

Because there's something about pulling something that is so familiar to them that

I already know they love and delight in, and bringing it in to this Easter holiday.

I'm just committed to doing it without adding a lot to my plate.

That's my goal, and my goal for you as well.

So this week, rather than the study plan that you normally see from me

in the Insights Notes, I'm directing you toward the Church's study plan.

I think they did a marvelous job.

It's this day by day study.

You can find it at comeuntochrist.

org or easterdaybyday.

If you search it there, you can find a study plan that has really simple

instruction for what you could study each day of Holy Week, those eight days.

Sunday to Sunday.

Follow their guidelines.

I think they did a marvelous job.

And then consider some of these new traditions that I'm going to toss your

way to see what might fit or what might give you an opportunity to teach a new

part of this Easter story to your family.

At least to teach it in a new way.

That's my goal.

So if you go in the notes this week, you're going to see

links out to those study plans.

You'll also see links to all my old, from the last four years of

Easter study, all those notes.

videos, things you can watch, and then notes to seven new Easter traditions.

Each one of those traditions will offer some printable tools.

A lot of them are pulled from the years that we've been studying Easter

together, and then also some scriptures you can base these on, and ideas on

how you can apply it in your family.

Just remember this is not a checklist.

I'm not expecting you to do all of these.

I don't know that we'll do all of these all every year, but I have

found so much depth and richness in the ones we have chosen, and I want

to teach you a little bit about them.

Help you get creative ideas on how you can do something different this Easter

that will delight your family and help you see the Savior's gift with a

little more brightness and joy, I hope.

So grab your notes.

Get your creative brains going because it's time to get started.

If you asked my kids about the most important part of Christmas,

they would probably tell you it starts with decorations.

That you wouldn't really get the Christmas spirit if you don't put up the tree.

In fact, in our house we have this constant debate because Jack is

what I call a defender of November.

He has a November birthday and he will not allow us to put up Christmas

decorations until after Thanksgiving.

So we're constantly just waiting for that day to roll around.

But I feel like we don't have that same Pull at Easter, at

least we haven't in the past.

So this year I'm trying to take the template that we have at Christmas, this

idea of decorating the house and making it feel unique for this time of year and

bringing that into our Easter traditions.

I just don't want to make it busy and complicated.

So I thought I would take a look at what is already here.

So if you go in the notes, you can see links to this art combo kit that my

dear friend Amy Ferry helped create.

She's the artist behind it.

I got to help arrange the files, but she makes this beautiful kit

of supplies that you can use to decorate your house at Easter.

I don't think you have to use all of them or any of them, but my hope is that you

can, in whatever way feels good to your family, create a day where you decorate.

I realize that we are so close to Easter that this might seem Not worth the effort.

You guys, I think it sets the tone for everything else that we're going to do.

Just simple, small decorations.

Something on your mantel.

Something that, you know, sits on your kitchen table.

Something that reminds your kids that Easter is coming.

My hope is that you can pull from her artwork, or if you'd rather,

you can look at some of the other printables I have linked.

So for example, back in the New Testament, we made these gorgeous

Easter lilies out of paper.

Do you guys remember those?

They have crosses hidden inside the petals so that you can teach different

parts of the Savior's last week of life.

And I just think it's remarkable to have things like that that are so meaningful

and so beautiful around your house.

So I'll leave those to you.

The, the scripture that came to mind for me as I was thinking about making this

day of decorating, this preparation day.

Um, this comes in Matthew 21, 9.

It says, And the multitudes that went before, that followed, cried, saying,

Hosann to the Son of God, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

This is the triumphal entry.

This is when the Savior comes into Jerusalem on that holy

week, on Palm Sunday, and they greet him with shouts of praise.

And the reason I like that for talking about as we prepare our house for Easter.

I think it helps you see all the preparation that went

into place for his holy week.

For example, the very fact that these people are shouting Hosanna is

based on the fact that days before he raised Lazarus from the dead.

And people have talked about it.

Many people saw it and witnessed of it.

And so now people, as they see him coming in on this donkey, they see the

fulfillment of that prophecy in the Old Testament about an heir of King

David who will come into the city.

That's why they shout Hosanna.

I feel like for me, that's what I hope to talk about as we decorate.

I'm going to set up the house, not in a fancy way, but as I decorate,

I'm going to put Easter music on instead of Christmas carols.

I'm going to take a little time as we set up that palm garland to talk to my kids

about the triumphal entry, help them see what preparations went into place in order

for That holy week to begin, not just the miracle of Lazarus, but so many other

miracles and so many other kindnesses that the Lord put in place so that as

he entered the city, people praised him.

It won't last, sadly, through the Holy Week, but that's what sets the stage.

And I think creating even small, simple decorations in our house sets the stage

for all the goodness that will come after.

There's a beautiful talk in the notes, this is from Elder Gong in April of 2020.

It's called Hosanna and Hallelujah.

He says this, In celebrating the ongoing restoration of the Gospel of Jesus

Christ, we also prepare for Easter.

In both, we rejoice in the return of Jesus Christ.

He lives, not only then, but now.

Amen.

Not just for some, but for all.

He came and comes to heal the broken hearted, deliver the captives,

recover sight to the blind, and set at liberty those who are bruised.

That's each of us.

His redeeming promises apply, no matter our past, our present,

or our concerns for our future.

I think when we set up a tradition to simply decorate, create an

environment in our home that is safe, different than every other day.

We set the stage for our kids to feel those promises a little deeper.

And I think, I think it will make a remarkable difference.

So I think it's worth a shot.

Another time honored Christmas tradition is that you give neighbor gifts.

And trust me, I do not want to bring that stress onto you at Easter.

I don't think any of us needs that kind of intensity at Easter.

But I do think the idea of Helping our neighbors feel loved is

particularly indicative of the Savior's treatment of others.

One of the ways I love seeing this within the Easter story is what

you see right before Holy Week.

This is when he interacts with the woman with the alabaster box.

Do you remember this story?

We studied it intensely in the New Testament, so if you want you can go back

to the site and watch those videos and see some of the creative about this story.

But it's, the one I love, the version I like is in Luke 7.

So this is verses 37 through 39.

Again, right before at the Savior.

Begins this holy week we have this little vignette and behold a woman in the city

Which was a sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at meet in a Pharisee's house

Brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet behind him weeping

and began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her

head and kissed his feet and Anointed them with the ointment now when the

Pharisee which had bitten him saw it He spake within himself, saying, This

man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman it is

that toucheth him, for she is a sinner.

This is when Jesus intervenes and he speaks to him.

We can go on the verses and learn more, but he gives him

the parable of the debtors.

Remember this?

I mean, it's just this rich study.

And then it ends with 47 through 50.

Wherefore, I say unto thee, this is the Savior speaking, Her sins, which are many,

are forgiven, for she hath loved much.

But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who

is this that forgiveth sins also?

And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee.

Go in peace.

At Christmas, I think we give gifts like this, right?

That alabaster box of hers.

Jesus wasn't her family.

She just gave what she could.

This incredibly expensive offering that she gives to him in preparation

for his death and his burial.

This is a sweet offering and Jesus sees it.

And I think We should incorporate that into our Easter traditions.

It could look at there's a hundred different ways that you could serve your

neighbors around you But I'm trying to do it in a way that my kids get excited

about the same way they would get excited about different Christmas traditions.

So Violet and I put our heads together and we came up with something new.

So based on what Amy Fairey created when we were on that team, we, we had

this template of egging somebody's house and we decided to build on that.

But it's not Egging in the traditional way, it's egging that looks like this.

So basically the idea behind this tradition is that you will make

your neighbors feel loved and then put that love out to others.

It's what I see in the Savior in this story.

He doesn't just make this woman with the alabaster box feel loved.

What he does is gives her dignity, and then she can take

that love and bring it to others.

As she feels solid, especially given her history, as she feels loved by

the Savior, then she will undoubtedly pass that love on to others.

So, to egg someone else's house, You basically need to buy 12

of the little plastic eggs.

So just the standard, we went and got them at Walmart for 1.

50 I think.

You get the standard eggs.

You're going to fill them with candy.

And then you're going to create a carton.

So for us, if you happen to be at Walmart, this is where I

found these little cute cartons.

I actually found them in the pet area.

I guess it's for when people actually have chickens and they need empty cartons.

You could also use, you know, a leftover egg carton that you have

in your fridge already, but you want to have one that has 12 slots.

You're actually going to take this, the eggs out of the carton and you're going

to put in these little paper eggs instead.

Because basically what you're going to do is you're going

to go to a neighbor's house.

Or somebody that you just think will delight to have this little happy

surprise show up and you're going to hide eggs So you're creating

almost a reverse Easter egg hunt.

You're making a hunt for someone else to find So you take your 12 eggs that are

filled with candy or prizes or whatever and you hide them in someone else's yard.

For us, Violet and I did this very stealthily.

At least we thought we were stealthy.

And we hid them, you know, in the lampposts and in trees.

And we tried to duck their ring doorbell to not get caught on their camera.

But you're gonna hide the eggs all around and then you're going

to give them this empty carton.

And on the top of the carton you set this, you're gonna set this on

their doorstep, ring the doorbell, and then run as fast as you can.

You should run a lot further than Violet and I ran because we, we

got caught in the act on this one.

But you're gonna Let them open up the door and then see this carton.

When they open it up, they'll see instructions that has

little paper eggs inside.

Those are the paper eggs that they're going to put in their door.

They'll take one and put it in their window so that people can

see that they've been egged.

They collect the 12 eggs that are hidden in their yard.

They refill them and then they go to another neighbor's

house and egg someone else.

That same carton gets passed from house to house throughout the neighborhood.

My hope with this is simply that as you're doing this, as you're prepping

the eggs, as you're thinking about which families you're going to get.

I mean, there's something so delightful about making little kids happy.

You know, to do this, Violet and I, she picked the house that we were going to

go to, and there's this little girl that lives there, and to hear her delight

when she opened the door and found her first egg, because we weren't very

far away at the time, we didn't run fast enough, and you could hear it.

And there's something about that that just Lifts your heart.

That's Easter, you guys.

Easter doesn't have to be heavy and full of study.

I think it's great if study's in there, but service is a

beautiful way to study the Savior.

And this kind of fun, happy service is lifting.

We felt lighter, even though we got caught and laughed the whole way home.

Like, there is something, there's something rich about

having some way to delight with your kids in these traditions.

So that's the idea.

So you go on the printable, you can find all the pieces that you'll need,

the eggs that you'll hide within the carton, you'll find the top thing that

goes on the outside of the carton, but I'm hoping it creates a new, fun

tradition that doesn't just exist in your house, but eventually gets passed

neighbor to neighbor throughout the, you know, throughout the week before Easter.

Hopefully it creates that same feeling of love and connection.

Belonging in a neighborhood that we get in family traditions as well.

Most families have some sort of Christmas meal tradition, right?

On ours is on Christmas Eve.

We always have fondue.

It's this big, long drawn out affair that takes up tons of time and it's just.

Delightful because we never have it any other time of year and I wanted to

create an equivalent of some kind for Easter But I didn't want the stress of

a big dinner and also honestly most of the time we go to You know either my

parents house or jason's parents house for easter dinner So I wanted something

that was just ours for our little family.

So we created maybe six seven years ago easter breakfast This is our

version of that meal tradition.

There's something powerful about Finding a way to feast together.

I think this opens up a beautiful gateway to talking about what the

Savior did, especially during Holy Week.

Lots of times in scripture you hear about the Savior gathering with people,

especially around a table, like he would teach as people ate and brought,

you know, people together that wouldn't normally sit at a table together.

He especially does this beautifully during Holy Week because that's

when you see the Last Supper.

So my hope with this tradition is that as you create,

whatever meal fits your family.

You know, it could be takeout, it could be whatever.

For us, we love breakfast just because we make challah bread french toast.

And one of the perfect things about that meal, first off,

challah bread is delicious.

amazing.

So if you remember, if you were with us back in 2020, I shared this recipe.

This is probably of all the recipes I have.

The one that I get asked for the very most because it's phenomenal.

So it's this beautiful Jewish braided bread that's not very hard to make.

And I shared it with you back in December.

So you're going to see a link to that in the notes this week.

But at Easter, we take that bread and we turn it into French toast.

So I'll be sharing that recipe with you.

What I like about it is you can make it the night before, or even

a day or two before, and keep it in the fridge and then just warm it up

on Easter morning, or whatever day you decide to do your breakfast.

But my hope is that as you eat and feast, that you can talk about

what we see in this Last Supper.

This, Jesus Christ, uh, that holy week happens during Passover.

Those last few days of his mortal life happen during Passover when there are

huge feasting traditions taking place.

So if you go on the notes, you can see some of the parallels between what the

Savior's atoning sacrifice was and how it mirrors what what the Jews had been

doing for centuries with Passover.

The very fact that there's a lamb that is unblemished and no bones

are broken and how that relates to the Savior and his crucifixion.

I lay all those out for you in the notes, but my hope is that you can kind of talk

through that as you feast, as you enjoy breakfast together or dinner together,

talk through that Last Supper and what it involved, that it involved the service

of the Savior as he washed the feet.

It involved a sacrament where the very ending Passover meal happened

that night, because from this point forward, there is a sacrament ordinance

in place, and you'll partake of bread and water to remember his sacrifice.

sacrifice.

That's what I'm hoping to help my kids understand.

It's not just a feast for our bellies, it's a feast for our spirits as we

talk about what the Savior offered us.

The scriptures I love, and there's a few that you could apply here, but I

really love what you find in John 1 29.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sins of the world.

Or something similar in Luke 20.

He took bread, and gave thanks, and break it, and gave it unto them, saying,

This is my body, which is given for you.

This do in remembrance of me.

Likewise, also the cup after saying this cup is the New Testament in

my blood which is shed for you.

The Savior was instituting something new at this gathering around a table.

And I think that's what we want our kids to grasp and to understand.

And I think doing that around a table that's full of good food

and happy memories with each other makes that even richer.

Ready for this next connecting tradition?

So at Christmas time, most of us find some way to serve, right?

It almost comes automatically, because Christmas lights go up, trees go up,

and you have this opening of your heart that makes you want to lift

up the hands that hang down and find ways to strengthen the feeble knees.

It's just part of the Christmas spirit.

I really feel like it should be part of the Easter spirit as well, so I'm trying

to find some way to simply serve, but since we don't have much time, I thought,

what's a good way that we can serve?

And have that same feel that we do at Christmas, but in a simpler way.

And the solution that came to mind as Jason and I were talking

is serving in the temple.

So since the Savior spent so much time of his last week teaching at

the temple and performing miracles at the temple, this seems like a

perfect place to honor his ministry.

that resurrection weekend.

So, I thought it would be great if we take some time to serve.

The verse that I based this off of is in John 11.

This is 25 and 26.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life.

He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

Believest thou this?

That, to me, sets the stage for all of our temple work.

The whole reason we go to the temple to perform any kind of proxy work is

because we believe in the resurrection.

We believe that these sealing powers were given for a reason.

In fact, I love that the sealing powers were restored on a Passover

Easter Sunday in the Kirtland Temple.

Like this is a, there's a powerful connecting line between all of

these things and I just think we want our kids to understand it.

So my tradition for you this time to consider is simply to create it.

a temple experience for your family.

Set an appointment if you have teenagers, go and do baptisms together.

Or if you don't have kids who are able to get to the temple or there's

not a temple close enough to you, then find a way to study the temple.

Or better yet, do some family history work.

There's, I give you links in the notes if you want to go into the

family histories activities page so that you can at least get connected.

The same way I feel like at Christmas time when we choose to serve, we go to a soup

kitchen, we offer our time and our talents somehow, it connects us to people that we.

don't know but want to love.

And I feel like that's what the temple does it as well.

It connects us to people that we will know and want to love.

And those ordinances help that happen.

The printables that are included with this tradition come from

many of our lessons in the past.

The first one that I give you is this one that we created for temple name cards.

Do you guys remember this?

I created a way that you could hold all One of the things that's hard is in the

temple, you carry these name cards with you, but they tend to get kind of rumpled

in a pocket, and so I'm giving you the one that I made that's really simple and

fast, and it's for teenagers who want to take baptism names to the temple.

It's a way to kind of slip it into your pocket and have it

just stay a little bit protected.

I'm also giving you links to this one that we created.

So this is if you want to store a lot of family name cards.

This has some dividers in it so that you can keep track of, you

know, male and female, ceilings to spouses, all the different areas.

In fact, this is what I take to the temple with me every time I go.

I had to pull it out of my temple bag to hold it up today because inside

it, you'll find these little sleeves.

They're these sleeves that say things like ceilings, parents, ordinance cards.

female.

So inside this, when I go to do sealings, I've already got a stockpile of female

names that I need to take to the temple.

And again, when I go and I change in the locker room, I just slide this whole

sleeve into my pocket, whether I'm doing initiatories or endowment or sealings,

this little sleeve is in my pocket and it helps me keep things top of mind.

Not only does it protect the card, but it has covenants on it.

Oftentimes there are scriptures on the back that I can review as I sit

and think on these names and it just makes the experience richer for me.

But I'm hoping this experience, this tradition will help your family find

some connecting lines between where, who they can see now around that kitchen

table or around in their home and who, who is beyond, you know, I think.

It's one of the beautiful things that the Savior offered.

I think it's part of the reason why he endured what he endured.

Because he could see the joy that was set before him, that families that had

been separated will now be reunited.

I can't think of a more joyous occasion to celebrate than when a

family is brought together again.

In fact, I love, this is President Nelson's favorite quote.

Message from 2016.

He says joy is powerful and focusing on joy brings God's power into our lives.

As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar who for the joy that

was set before him endured the cross.

Think of that.

In order for him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured

on earth, our Savior focused on joy.

And what was the joy that was set before him?

Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us.

The joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent.

The joy of making it possible for you and me to return home,

clean and worthy, to live with our heavenly parents and families.

The very fact that the Savior endured what He endured is this gift so that we can

reunite, not just with our own families, but reunite with our heavenly parents.

That's the joy that was set before Him.

I imagine picturing those reunions brought Him comfort in hard times.

And I think it can do that for us as well.

That's why this is going to be a new tradition in our house.

I hate to say it, but I think one of the reasons my kids enjoy Christmas maybe more

than Easter is because gifts are involved.

We exchange gifts at least.

You probably have something similar in your family, but in our family

we trade names at Christmas time.

And then you have to come up with some small, inexpensive gift that then,

you know, you pass on on Christmas Eve and everybody opens them.

I wanted to create that feel in Easter without creating

any stress on top of things.

So I thought instead of a gift exchange, we would do an egg exchange.

And let me explain.

So basically, a few years ago Maybe five years ago when the Halloween campaign

first came out, I got a chance to work on that campaign and it totally

changed my mindset about Easter.

We stopped doing Easter baskets altogether at our house.

And instead I changed to a more Christ centered Easter.

My kids have never forgiven me for this by the way, but I have loved

Easter ever since because I don't have the same stress and strain.

I'm not spending a whole bunch of money on stuff that I think will end

up in the garbage in a couple of days.

Instead, we have something small.

So my friend Melissa Esplin created these, they're egg shaped little tiny boxes.

And basically what I've done in the years past is when they come down for

that Easter breakfast, they have one of these set in front of their plate

and they know that there's going to be.

A little gift inside.

Not to be an expensive, fancy gift.

It has to be something that will fit inside here.

And that's kind of what we do as our Easter basket.

So like it's a fidget spinner or maybe a cheap necklace or something.

I thought it would be cool to do that but in an exchange kind of way.

So instead of me being the one who gives out all these gifts, I decided

I'm going to make it so they swap.

So this year, we're switching things up and we're going to do an egg exchange.

Now there's two basic ways you could do this.

First, you could just make it simply an egg decorating basket.

Not contest, but exchange.

Meaning, you give each person a plain, blank egg.

For us, I really like those ones that look like a real egg, but they're plastic.

You know, they don't separate, they're just this really pretty white mat.

I get them at Target or Walmart.

Um, if you don't have those handy, you could use wooden eggs, or

you could just get the, you know, you know, cheap plastic eggs.

And you can do it two different ways.

First, you could draw names and then give each person a blank egg and say, by Easter

Sunday, I want you to come with your egg decorated in the style of that person.

What would make you think of that person?

What things would they like?

You know, just give them a chance to kind of tap into another person in the

family and make an egg to represent them.

And then I can kind of picture.

Setting them on a mantel and letting everybody on Easter morning try and

figure out which egg was made for them.

The other way you could do this and what we'll probably do in our family

is give them an egg that separates and then say your job is to give a gift

by Easter morning that can fit inside this egg for your particular person.

We probably will set a budget on this because I'm not looking to recreate

Christmas by any stretch but I do think it's fun to take the time to Think about

who you have and what tiny gift you could give them to make them feel loved.

Something that gives them comfort, even though it comes in a really small package.

The reason I like this when it comes to Easter is I feel like this

is what the Savior essentially is.

He is something, a gift of love that comes in a very meek and lowly package.

He lived humbly.

He stood meekly when those who spit on him or judged him or condemned him, he,

he stood with patience and meekness and I don't, I wouldn't say small, but he is

mighty love in a humble package and that's what I'm hoping to help my kids see.

When we do finally exchange eggs and we give our gifts to each other, I hope

to be able to testify of who he is and why he chose to come the way he did

and be the kind of man he was and live the kind of life he lived so that he

could exude love in his particular way.

The verses that comfort me in these areas, one of them is included in Melissa's

printable with her beautiful egg box.

You can find this print as well.

It's John 3, 16 and 17.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that

whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that

the world through him might be saved.

I also love Matthew 11, 29.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and

you shall find rest unto your souls.

As your kids open this gift of love in a very tiny, humble package, my

hope is that they can feel that.

What it means for the Savior to be of the utmost power and

choose to be meek and lowly.

When you think of the Savior, especially in those hours between Gethsemane

and the crucifixion, he is choosing to be meek, have all this power kept

under perfect control so that he can be perfectly obedient to the Father.

I just think there's a lot of potential for teaching beautiful,

rich doctrines with a fun family tradition right alongside it.

As Elder Stevenson noted, most of us act out the nativity and read Luke 2

on Christmas Eve, but we don't really have an equivalent tradition for Easter.

And in our house, we sort of do.

So I wanted to share what we do and why we do it.

So if you ask Violet what her favorite Easter tradition is, it's

not one we do perfectly every year.

It's a little dependent on the weather.

but we love doing a sunrise hike.

This year I wanted to make that sunrise hike even more meaningful

by talking about the story of the women who come to the tomb.

So I love, deeply love, the part about the women.

I just think there is so much to gain from studying what their

experience is as disciples of Christ.

In fact, if you haven't had a chance to listen to last

year's BYU Easter conference.

It's one of my favorite things to listen to.

There's a talk from Gay Strathern that's in the notes if you want

to go listen to it, but she talks about the witnesses of the women.

And I thought since we already do this morning side hike, basically what we

do is on Easter morning before the sun comes up, like deliberately before the

sun comes up, we head out on a hike.

We live in a place where there's a lot of trails nearby, so this is a little easier

for us, but it's something where you head out in the dark and then you find a

spot where you can watch the sun come up.

And what's sort of magical about it, first, everybody's groggy and

tired and sometimes even grumpy.

But there is something about once you get to that location, and you

sit, you wrap up in blankets, you know, you got your headlamps on,

you're waiting for that sun to rise.

There's this sweet, Waiting period like that, you know, you're you

can tell on your phone the exact minute the Sun's gonna actually

break that skyline But what I love is that little holding place for us.

Usually what we do is we record a memory So we'll open up the memories app from

family search and we'll record our testimonies of the Savior this year What

I decided to do in addition to that or maybe instead of Is we're gonna talk

through Mary's experience and the other woman who came to anoint the body of Jesus

how they came Early in the morning, they would have come while it was still dark

In fact, a lot of the paintings you see they have lanterns in their hands They're

coming while it's still dark and what they experienced when they saw this empty

tomb and then hopefully as the Sun rises to talk to them about What happened next?

If you go in the verses, you can see links to John.

This is my favorite account, at least.

They're a little different based on the different Gospels.

John's is the one that speaks specifically about Mary at the tomb.

It doesn't mention spices.

It doesn't mention any of those extras.

It just talks about her experience.

The grief that she feels when she sees he is no longer there, and the

utter shock and relief that comes when she realizes he indeed is there.

So this is John 20, 11 through 16.

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept she stooped

down and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the

one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they said unto her, Woman, Why weep is thou and she sent unto them because

they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing

and knew not that it was Jesus.

And Jesus said unto her, woman, why wees thou whom seekest thou, she

supposing him to be the gardener, said unto him, sir, if thou has born him.

Tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary.

She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master.

I think this, acting out this piece of the story, Going somewhere in

the dark, uh, not knowing, needing artificial light to illuminate your path.

And then the contrast of our walk home.

When we come home from that Easter hike, there's no headlamps anymore.

You don't even need the blanket anymore because the sun that is up is so full.

Even though it's just barely up.

It illuminates our entire path.

It warms the sky enough that we don't need a blanket.

You can walk back to the car.

Peace and joy.

That's Easter morning.

To me, that is kind of a microcosm of what Easter is all about.

Because he lives, we don't need artificial light anymore.

There is, there will be a time when there will be no more grief and

no more death and no more loss.

Like, there is, there is light in the world and warmth in the

world and it cannot be Pushed out.

I just, to me, that's what the Easter hike is all about.

To give you a printable to go with this, I thought if, if you don't want

to act out this story or talk through the story of Mary, another thing

you might consider is recording your family speaking the living Christ.

So if you remember, a couple years ago, I think it was in the Doctrine and

Covenants, I created a printable that actually helps you memorize the Living

Christ and breaks it down into parts so that as a family, you can read a

little cue card and record your family.

It doesn't even have to be a video recording, maybe just an audio

recording of your family reciting the Living Christ on Easter morning

as you wait for that sun to come up.

And then hopefully year after year, as you can listen to those

recorded memories, you can feel that.

Witness.

You can, like Mary, be a witness that then carries that beautiful

message to everybody else.

The message that he is risen.

That you can feel a change in the in your surroundings because he lives.

I hope this tradition creates that for your family as well as it has for mine.

Time for our seventh of our potential connecting traditions.

So Christmas has a very definite culmination, right?

You finally get to Christmas day, you open gifts, you rejoice together,

there's a very clear connection.

And Easter is a little bit different.

We don't really have that same experience.

And I wanted to create that feel, something that we do all as a family

to celebrate and rejoice on Easter day.

So for me, I've decided we're going to do tights just because it's easy and fast.

I could order some on Amazon and have them shipped in time.

Like we're not doing anything super fancy here, but I do think

there's beauty in the imagery.

It's actually not that uncommon, right?

Especially in a lot of other Christian faiths, you see people flying kites

to represent the ascension of the Savior, which is a beautiful visual.

But I actually like it for another reason.

So for me, one of the most powerful parts of the Easter story is that after

he is indeed resurrected and has this beautiful glorified body, he allows people

to see him, not just Mary at the tomb, but the apostles when he comes to them.

Like in John 20, you see this in 19 and 20.

Then the same day, at evening, being the first day of the week, when the

doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews,

came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side.

And then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

And then, much later, when Thomas wants his own experience with the Lord

and gets it, this is in 27 through 29 of the same chapter, Then saith he

to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither

thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus sayeth unto him, Thomas.

'cause Thou has seen me, thou has believed, blessed are they that

have not seen and have yet believed.

I love those verses, not just because they testify of the savior and

invite me to have that kind of faith.

Faith that I don't need tangible evidence that he is real and that he lives, but

it can be built on something richer.

I also love them because.

This is part of the Easter story.

He allows witnesses to see him.

He chooses to stay tethered to this earth, at least for a period of 40 days,

and then at these beautiful flashes of light moments throughout time.

That's part of the Easter story.

He isn't just resurrected.

He's a resurrected God who loves his children.

And He finds ways to stay.

So when I picture a kite, that's what I picture.

Not just that he ascends into heaven, but that he chooses to stay tethered.

That's the line to me.

That he provides all these witnesses that show that he is close.

He is high and divine, but he is tethered to me and to my family and to my children.

My worries and my fears, He is tethered.

And that's why I love that tradition of kites.

I'm hoping to take that opportunity when we fly them.

If the weather's terrible that day, we'll do it a different day.

But I'm hoping to take a chance to testify of the many witnesses of the Savior.

There's a bunch in the New Testament.

I lay them out for you in the notes.

There's also some in the Restoration.

But some of the most powerful for me come in in the Book of Mormon.

So this is the block of scriptures that Elder Stevenson referenced

as a companion to Luke 2.

He recommended we study the first 17 verses of 3rd Nephi 11.

Let me just give you a little snippet of those.

This is 14 through 17.

Arise and come forth unto me.

This is the savior Approaching the Nephites as he's come

down to be with them.

Remember, he's tethered to them.

He makes a point to stay close.

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and

also that ye might feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that

ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have

been slain for the sins of the world.

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into

his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet.

And this they did do, going forth one by one, until they had all gone

forth, and did see with their eyes, and did feel with their hands, and did

know of a surety, and did bear record that it was he of whom it was written

by the prophets that should come.

And when they had all gone forth, and had witnessed for themselves, they did

cry with one accord, saying, Hosanna!

Blessed be the name of the Most High God.

And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus and did worship him.

I love that you see this powerful symmetry in the Holy Week story when you

have the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

That Hosanna shout that people offered as he came riding into Jerusalem is

echoed by those in Third Nephi who see him come in his resurrected glory and

minister to them and witness to them.

There is something so powerful about understanding how many

people can witness of the Savior.

And for me, I'm hoping that as we fly these kites and as we think about the

ways He is tethered to us personally, how we can witness for ourselves,

I think it's just an invitation to Give your own witness, if it's just a

testimony meeting that you have within your own little family that day or

maybe as you get back in the car after flying kites, you just share your own.

But my hope is that we can add our witness, that that is something

that we each create on Easter.

That is our culminating event, this opportunity to testify and to

witness of how we know that he lives.

I hope I can do that better.

I hope my kids can feel it, not just in the tradition, but in hearing

my words and Jason's words and feel their own closeness to him.

I hope that's what this tradition creates.

Thank you for being here you guys.

That's it for Easter week.

Okay.

I told you simplified study My my hope is that you will find ways to help connect

these beautiful doctrines With things your kids already will love and that it

will create these joyful experiences in this Easter week But just remember this

is just a smattering of ideas So pick and choose, or iterate on something,

but do something that will help bring the love that you have about Christmas

and that joy that you feel in your heart when Christmas comes, and bring

it into this last week before Easter.

I think you'll find a lot of happiness in it as you try.

I would tell you that I think, above all things, the goal of every

tradition that we do should probably align with what Nephi taught us.

This is 2 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice of Christ, we preach of Christ,

we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our

children may know to what source they may look for a remission of sins.

That's my intent with every one of these traditions, that they will come to trust

the character of God, that they'll trust that they can come boldly to the throne

of grace because they know him, and they know his compassion, and they know his

grace, and they know his justice, and they can, they can look to that source for.

That's what Easter is for me.

It is a season of hope.

It is a season of promise.

It is a season of knowing that there are witnesses out there that know that

he lives and I get to be one of them.

So I bear that witness to you that he does indeed live and can lift our

hearts in small and big ways right now as we stay tethered to him.

And I hope that happens for you this week.

Remember in the notes, you can find all the links to the

printables that I mentioned here.

If you're not part of the course and you don't have access to the notes,

a lot of those will be available for you on Um, my Etsy shop, but

some of them are free already.

So you can find them if you go to gather.

mcmom.

com.

That's also where you can go.

If you want to RSVP for the live that we do on Monday to kind of talk through these

traditions and troubleshoot, it's also a great place to share some of your ideas.

So whether you're in the course and you can post it on the lesson, or if you just

come join the site and share your ideas on the community chat, I hope you share

some of the Easter traditions that you have in your family that might be add lift

and light to the lives of your family.

I just think there's a lot of good out there and I hope we can find a

place to come together and share it.

So come to gather.

macmom.

com and add your light there.

Okay, I think that's it for this week you guys.

Enjoy your week of study and I will see you on Monday.