Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
By Jim Greer
LW contributor
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “We honor and respect sincere souls from all religions, no matter where or when they lived, who have loved God.” We “embrace them as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father.”
With the Passover and Easter approaching, there are practices observed around the world that inspire us. Although we don’t practice all these traditions, watching others celebrating the holy week can make our celebrations more meaningful.
Christians around the world celebrate Lent with spiritual humility six weeks before Easter. Believers observe the Lenten season through sacrifice, including days of fasting and almsgiving. During Lent, believers abstain from something physical, like a favorite food, game, TV show, or hobby and instead focus their time on spiritual study and prayer.
Easter is a transformative experience. Though Latter-day Saints don’t observe Lent, learning about it makes us want to give more time to remembering and preparing spiritually for Easter. Fasting, studying the Scriptures and doing family history remind us what the Lord’s sacrifice meant to our ancestors and can mean to us.
For many, dyeing boiled eggs is a beloved tradition. In European countries like Ukraine and Lithuania, the process is intricate. Instead of merely boiling eggs, they are hollowed, detailed with beautiful wax patterns, and then painted. The final product symbolizes the empty tomb and the hope the Resurrection brings.
Many Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper, or what we call the sacrament. The more we learn about how important the sacrament symbols are to other religions, the less we will take them for granted.
Latter-day Saints and our fellow Christians prepare spiritually and mentally for the sacrament before partaking. As a result of this meaningful preparation, believers further discover the power of the sacrament again and again. Ponder the many ways you can better prepare yourself spiritually for the sacrament, and focus on what this sacred ordinance truly symbolizes.
Around the world, religiously observant children of God celebrate the holy week in different, profound ways. In Spain, church bells stop ringing a few days before Easter to honor Christ’s suffering and death. Then, on Easter morning, the bells return. In Russia, family, friends, and strangers greet one another with “He is risen” and hear “Indeed, He is risen” in reply.
Easter celebrates the most joyous event for believers. It’s an experience that brings eternal hope. Believers and cultures worldwide are encouraged to make their celebrations meaningful to draw them closer to God through thoughtful preparation and devotion. As we observe Easter’s traditions, we come closer to Christ and are once again reminded why we celebrate.
