Easter has passed, but I feel the need to share this Easter-themed video with you right now. It can’t wait all the way until next year.
I believe there are some of you who wonder why we seem to focus so much on the resurrection, rather than the crucifixion. You may have been told that we have a “different” view of Jesus Christ and what He has done for all mankind because we don’t use crosses anywhere in our Church (we don’t wear them, we don’t have them on our churches, they are nowhere to be found in our temples).
I know there is one Savior, one Jesus Christ, and it is Him who we honor and praise. We love Him, we serve Him.
There was a talk given by Elder Holland in General Conference a few weeks ago, which was one of the most moving talks about the Atonement I have ever heard. Please take a few minutes and watch the excerpt below.
“Brothers and sisters, 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… As we approach this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,”21 for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone.”
Emphasis added by me. The full text from this General Conference talk can be found here.
I would like to know, what have you heard about the LDS/Mormon belief in Jesus Christ? Did this video change your views?
Next weeks post will be on the Godhead, explaining our beliefs about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which should answer some of your questions as well.
April 19th, 2009 on 9:37 am
Oh! Looking forward to next weeks post.
What is “Easter season” for Mormons? For Catholics it is the time from Easter Sunday (starting with Easter Vigil on Saturday night) until Pentecost. So it is longer than Lent. But since you mention that Easter has passed, I assume that your Easter season starts before Easter…?
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April 19th, 2009 on 10:09 am
I have to admit, all I really knew about Mormon beliefs until I started reading your blog were the more cultural things, and a little bit about the Celestial Kingdom, and I just assumed they believed the same things about Christ as other Christian faiths.
I’m glad you posted this this morning, I wasn’t able to go to church, and it was nice to hear this message – even if our beliefs are not exactly the same, this is definitely something I can relate to and learn from.
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April 19th, 2009 on 10:40 am
That was one of my favorite talks from conference this year!
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April 19th, 2009 on 10:18 pm
One of the few talks I got to see this Conference (being at the hospital) and it touched my soul. What a beautiful reminder of the price Christ paid for our salvation.
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April 20th, 2009 on 8:57 am
Jenna, I don’t think that your focus on the Resurrection (as perceived by some) is bad, as you (and the LDS faith in general) understand that it is so miraculous and redeeming b/c He suffered on the cross.
I think that the Crucifixion of Christ is pointless without the Resurrection. And the Resurrection is pointless without the fact that Jesus was indeed crucified, dead and buried. We must recognize the two as they relate to one another and to God’s wonderful plan to reconcile this fallen world to Himself.
I wonder though, and perhaps I’m opening a theological can of worms, if it’s right to say that Jesus walked alone. I personally do not think that God ever was removed from His Son: even on the cross. As Jesus was wholly human and wholly Divine, I don’t believe that He could have been forsaken. I think the human aspect of Jesus felt alone. But the divine aspect of Jesus, the aspect that makes Him an equal part of the Trinity, was forever and always united to God the Father.
I love to hear what others think about this as well.
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April 20th, 2009 on 6:03 pm
Jenna, thanks for your posts while you were gone. I hope you had a great time being away and I can’t wait to see your pictures.
I do not know enough of your faith to really take part in the discussion right now. Though you have made me curious and I will watch the video some time soon and take part. For now I want to share my honest heart in saying that I believe in Jesus and that I have just heard that you believe differently from my faith in that you have a prophet you believe in, after Jesus’ live and you follow him too right? I know it’s looked down upon by many Christians. I don’t look down upon it, the way you write about your believe makes me curious. And I love the way you talk about Temple. My church isn’t even a church building so it’s never open during the week. So wonderful that you could enter Temple whenever you want or need.
As far as Kristen’s comment: I believe that Jesus was left alone for a moment. He had to be like us and understand us to be able to take the world (‘s sin) on His shoulders. He was without sin and and took sin on, God is without sin and there fore could not be with Him completely. I think he had to be left, even for just a little while. Though I do get what you are saying…. God, in a way, was always there.
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April 21st, 2009 on 9:41 pm
Jenna I love this post. I never tell you how amazing I think your posts are! I reallly love reading your blog. I was able to go to Conference Sunday morning session and I was right in the front half on the floor. It was amazing to be in the presence of such amazing apostles and phophets of God. I got to hear this talk while I was there and it was so powerful. I have never heard it said so plain and simple. I think his talk makes it much easier to understand what our Savior went through and to see how and why he did it. I never fully understood how Christ was alone because I thought in some ways, somehow, God was always with him. This helped me clear it up so so much. It was completely necessary to him to be left spiritually and physically alone to know what we are going through.
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