Good Friday and Happy Easter

I read a post from someone I "blurk" and she wrote a REALLY nice piece on Good Friday. She gave an excerpt from a talk from one of our Apostles, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. It was an AMAZING talk, and if you have the time, I'd encourage you to read it. It's a very eloquent talk about the resurrection--and Good Friday.

I have to admit that I don't give Good Friday much thought. It just has no real place in my worship. That's not to discount what happened--THAT'S significant. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I celebrate Easter with the rest of the Christian world--but we don't celebrate Good Friday. Our focus is more on the glory of the Resurrection of our Savior. I'm so glad that, unlike Christmas, Easter ALWAYS takes place on a Sunday. It just seems appropriate to go worship our Savior on such an important day. We concentrate on our resurrected Savior, which is one of the reasons most of us do not wear the symbol of the cross.

My daughter gets to give a talk in Primary tomorrow. The theme this month is: "Jesus Christ made it possible for me to live with my Heavenly Father again." It is so nice to be able to teach our children about the miracle of the Atonement. It's very disturbing for our kiddos to think about Jesus suffering, bleeding, and being killed. But that is tempered with WHY He allowed that to happen. Sure, as the Son of God, he could have stopped that at any point. But He loves us enough that he didn't. THAT is the first Easter gift, and the reason why our family gives a small Easter gift. We remember the gift that our Savior has given us in the ability to repent when we sin. What a marvelous gift!

"In all the history of the world there have been many great and wise souls, many of whom claimed special knowledge of God. But when the Savior rose from the tomb, He did something no one had ever done. He did something no one else could do. He broke the bonds of death, not only for Himself but for all who have ever lived—the just and the unjust. When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Sunday Will Come,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 28-30)

This time of year helps me reflect upon the people I love who have passed beyond this life. While I miss them, I like to think about the fact that they are enjoying being reunited. I imagine that they are probably waiting to be reunited with us, and that they're building "Heavenly Mansions" for us to enjoy when we're all together again.

So, no Good Friday here. The Crucifixion was a necessary part of God's plan, but the glory of the Resurrection is where I'm going to focus my thoughts. It fills me with hope and helps reassure me of my Savior's love for us all. It helps me look forward to enjoying the gift of resurrection one day and being able to live with my Heavenly Father and the rest of my family again.

Happy Easter!