My Easter Hallelujah

Composed by: Kristina Thompson

Presented: April 16, 2017

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). Members of the
congregation are invited to give a brief sermon to the local congregation most Sundays. I was asked to
speak on Easter this year. I have tried to correctly represent the doctrines of the church and provide
sufficient citation; however, whatever flaws there are, please forgive my inadequacies. I hope to
appropriately represent the church, but I do not speak in behalf of the church.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah is my favorite expression. Translated, hallelujah means Praise the Lord. And so,
Easter is my favorite holiday because today above all other days is when I reflect on the reason to sing
and shout Hallelujah.

The late president and prophet of the Church1, Howard W. Hunter declared:

The doctrine of the Resurrection is the single most fundamental and crucial doctrine in the
Christian religion. Without the resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise
sayings and seemingly unexplainable miracles.

Against the medals and monuments of centuries of mens fleeting victories stands the only
monument necessary to mark the eternal triumphan empty garden tomb Christs
resurrection ushers in the blessing of immortality and the possibility of eternal life. His empty
tomb proclaims to all the world, He is not here, but is risen.2 These words contain all the hope,
assurance and belief necessary to sustain us in our challenging and sometimes grief-filled lives.

Easter is the celebration of the free gift of immortality given to all men, restoring life and healing
all wounds. 3

Although Easter focuses on this pinnacle event in the eternities, for my purpose today I want to take us
back to a time far previous to this spring morning. For without this understanding, our celebration
would be merely idolatry. To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the
celebration of Easter represents significantly more than rising from the dead. Christs triumph is not just
a triumph over death and sin.

The Easter story is the tale as old as time. It is a story that I do not fully comprehend because by
necessity, for now, it is a story of faith. Its a story that I believe and of which I have a deep conviction of
its truthfulness.

1
Referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2
Luke 24:6
3
An Apostles Witness of the Resurrection Howard W. Hunter April 1986 (quoted out of order)
 2

The Easter story really began in the Pre-Mortal Existence4. We lived with our heavenly parents5 and
many brothers and sisters; every human who has or will have graced this earth was there, the people
you love and the people you have yet learned to love. Im confident it was beautiful life, a life filled with
mirth, love, and simplicity. We were all happy to be there Im sure, but our heavenly parents knew
better. They knew the joy we were experiencing was nothing in comparison to their joy, and so Father
presented us with a plan. God stated himself This is my work and my gloryto bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man.6 This plan would gift us not only the mortal bodies (like his7) in
which we now dwell but also the ability to train this tabernacle of flesh and try our obedience, our faith
and trust by coming to know God and obtain not just salvationa redemption from sin but eternal
life, a life that would provide for an eternal increase8.

Within this plan the law would be given and we would need to obey. There [was] a law, irrevocably
decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicatedAnd
when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which is predicated.9 The
difficulty of this plan is that we would fall short of the justice law could offer. In order to appropriately
discipline our spirits and our bodies it was essential that we make our own decisions, being enticed with
many options. The Lord taught that [he] gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself.10 And
with this opportunity to decide, we would certainly make mistakes. Thats the wonderful gift of
agencythe double edge sword that so often perplexes people and causes a doubt of faith. You and I
have the opportunity to become great mortals and eventually immortals, but you and I have failed and
will continue to fail; therefore causing evil to abound11. Agency allows evil to run ramped on earth. It
allows for suffering. It allows for injustice. But without it, we would not grow and would thus make this
life mute and without purpose.

Because justice could not be served and mercy would want to extend forgiveness, there was need for a
Savior. A Savior was indispensable in the plan; a savior was vital in satisfying the needs of justice and

4
Acts 17:29; Moses 3:5
5
Ive learned to call thee Father, Thru thy Spirit from on high, But until the key of knowledge Was restored, I
knew not why. In the heavns are parents single? The thought makes reason stare! Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me Ive a mother there. O My Father by Eliza R. Snow
6
Moses 1:39
7
Doctrine and Covenants 130:22
8
Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20; Romans 8:16-17
9
Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21
10
Doctrine and Covenants 29:35
11
This is not scripture, but C.S. Lewis touched on this idea so beautifully that I wanted to share it. It is a serious
thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person
you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or
else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some
degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming
possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings
with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked
to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.
But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting
splendors. (The Weight of Glory)
 3

mercy, for God must be both or he would cease to be God12. And the Lord [God] said: Whom shall I
send? And one answered: Here am I send me.13 This was our eldest brother Jehovah. Another came
forward, also our elder brother, Lucifer who became Satan.

he [Satan] came before [God], sayingBehold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will
redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me
thine honor.14

Did you catch all the I statements? He wanted glory and power for himself. He wanted it so much that
he was not only ready to rob us of that opportunity but also was so defiant that he demanded God to
give him His honor, which is His power, so that he could make it happen. 15

But behold [the] Beloved Son, which was [the] Beloved and chosen from the beginning, said
unto [God]Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

Jehovah who became Christ volunteered to follow the plan as Father explained it, a dangerous plan
because it could not guarantee that we would all make it home. The other son and many others thought
this method of execution foolish. Why send us to earth without a guarantee return ticket? He would
instead strip us of our agency and we would all return back and then the glory would be His- our hero!
The supposed Savior of us all, and yet not a Savior at all because we would not have needed to have
been saved. Yes, the path is harder, but we would have returned as ignorant and unprepared for the
eternities as we left: innocent and unwise.

Jehovah had volunteered selflessly and out of love; he did not do it for personal glorification, but to do
the will of the Father. Isnt ironic that the one who sought not the honor has received the highest level
of glory and the greatest kingdom in all the world?

We already know Father chose the first- Jehovah, and Lucifer was angry. There were great disputations,
a war of opinions and ideas. People chose sides and some were cast out of heaven for rebellion, never
to inherit a body or all the glories that would come with it. This was one of the greatest and yet most
essential tragedies of eternity. As revealed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in 1832,

an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only
Begotten Son, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, And he was called
Perdition, for the heavens wept over himhe was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld,
and lo, he is fallen! Is fallen, even a son of the morning! We beheld Satan, that old serpent,
even the devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of God and his
ChristWherefore he maketh a war with the saints of God, and encompasseth them round
about.16

12
Alma 42:22
13
Abraham 3:27
14
Moses 4:1-2
15
Doctrine and Covenants 29:36
16
Doctrine and Covenants 76:25-28
 4

Satan has thus made that his purpose. Through this Fall, mortal opposition was created for it must
needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not become agents unto
themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet.17

And then the earth was formed. Under the direction of God Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and others
shaped this beautiful world by faith. Temporal existence was formed so that all creations might find joy
and reach their fullness of greatness and glory. Upon its completion, Heavenly Father came down and
created man. Adam first, and from him, Eve. He married them, commanded that they multiply and
replenish the earth, gave them the Garden of Eden in which to dwell and to tend, and commanded them
to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If they did they would be cast out of the Garden of
Eden and would surely dietemporally and spiritually.18

For a time they did live in the garden. I dont know how long or the details of their life, nor does it really
matter. I do know however that it was incomplete. It was a life devoid of real growth, development of
knowledge, wisdom of choice, and of family.

It was here that Satan joined them and began to tempt them. He provided the opportunity for them to
choose to use their God given agency. He tempted Adam and He tempted Eve. Eve partook. For even
among the web of half truths and lies Satan wove, he spoke one truththere was no other way to
become like God. One becomes as the Gods when one understands the Law, and that is done by
understanding opposites: good and evil, virtue and vice, light and dark19. That truth resounded in her,
and through an act of faith, she partook of the fruit and fell from Gods presence, stepping into the life
of experience to know the good from the evil. She then went to Adam and invited him to partake so that
they together could fulfill the measure of their creationto become mothers and fathers and return to
God again as part of his family, newly reborn.20

The question that they did not have the answer to was how? They, like us, had forgotten everything
from the pre-mortal existence. All they knew was that they were fallen. Fallen spiritually and thus
deserving eternal damnation for sinning ,and fallen temporally for their bodies became corrupt, capable
of disease, sickness, and death. They were lost and unable to do provide anything sufficient enough to
redeem them from hell. They were caught in the grasp of death because they had become the natural
man.

It was then that God visited them again, He provided a Savior for them and promised that they and all
their descendantsuswould have hope to live againphysically and spiritually on the condition that
we would have faith in our Savior Jesus Christ and obey all that he commanded us to do.

Thousands of years later, in what is considered the Meridian of Time, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He,
the Son of God and foreordained Savior, took on his own tabernacle of flesh so that he could merit not

17
Doctrine ad Covenants 29: 39; 2 Nephi 2:16
18
Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:15-18; 21-25; spiritual and temporal death
19
2 Nephi 2:11-13
20
Genesis 3:1-7
 5

only for himself, but all of his brothers and sisters, redemption from physical death and spiritual
damnation.

He [went] forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the
word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the sicknesses of his people. And will
take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will
take upon him their infirmities, that his bowls may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh,
that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people in their infirmities The Son
of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that
he might blot out our transgressions according to the power of his deliverance.21

While we do not know much of Christs first thirty years, scripture teaches that The child grew, and
waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.22 [Christ] received not
of the fullness at the first, but received grace for grace; And he received not of the fullness at first but
continued from grace to grace, until he received a fullness.23

The prophet Isaiah gives us a hint of the development and recognition he had

He that departeth from evil (us) maketh of himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased
him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there
was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness
sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his
head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.24

Christ saw a need for those around him. As he served them and lived with them, his love grew. He
experienced temptations and afflictions. He understood hunger, rejection, fatigue, homelessness,
sickness. He understood his purpose on earth and Gods plan as he made covenants, studied scriptures,
and prayed to His Father. Through this all, he remained perfect, always doing the will of the Father and
from such an early age was the perfect example to us of all that we should do.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man25 And after many years,
the hour of his ministry drew nigh.26

During the last three years of his life he took on the full responsibility of ministering to the people. He
cared for the naked and downtrodden, fed the hungry (in more way than one), he reversed the effects
of disease, birth defects, mental infirmities, and even raised the dead. He knew that a persons temporal
existence was just as important as his spiritual exaltation. He spoke truth, called for a high level of
character and virtue, condemned hypocrisy, and invited everyone to come onto him so that they could
return to the Father.

21
Alma 7:11-12
22
Luke 2:40
23
Doctrine and Covenants 93:12-13 (14)
24
Isaiah 59:16-17
25
Luke 2:52
26
Joseph Smith TranslationMatthew 3:26
 6

Foreshadowing his imminent death, he taught the disciples of the sacrament that all men might
remember his sacrifice of body and life so that we might have hope for a better world. We continue this
tradition weekly as we did today. We do this to remember that in Gethsemane he asked for the cup to
be removed. He begged, pled that he would not have to be tortured by our sins if there were another
way. There was no other way, and so he drank the bitter cup. He willingly and with deep love bled from
every pour as he prayed for our souls. We take the sacrament to remember the long arduous walk to
Calvary having already been rejected by his own and beaten, whipped.27 He wore a crown of piercing
thorns, he was given gall to drink, he was betrayed by friends. Then what seemed to be the end, on the
cross he bled and frankly forgave all28. But it was not the end, and so today especially we remember that
from the tomb he rose from the dead, proclaiming with this triumph O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory?29

No man will feel the sting of death forever. You and I, like Adam and Eve, have been redeemed from
physical death. Having already chosen to obey Father in the premortal, we are promised the blessing of
being liberated from the physical death. 30 No matter what our lives become we will be resurrected from
death; the grave has no hold on our spirits.

However, equally if not more importantly by choice we and all mankind can be freed from sin. Between
his death on Calvary and his resurrection from the tomb, Christ organized the Spirit World into the
greatest missionary force.

From among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers clothed with
power and authority and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to
them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; to declare the acceptable day of the
Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of
their sins and receive the gospel. Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their
sins without a knowledge of the truth or in transgression And so it was made known among
the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had
been wrought through sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross. 31

And so there it is, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the completion of Gods promise that his work and his
glory is to bring about our immortality and our eternal life. Yet, with that mind frame it may appear that
all those blessings come late. That is not the case, for when Christ left the tomb he began ministering
again to his people. He spend time in Jerusalem and then in the Americas and afterwards in other
lands32. Still though, there is more. He still lives. He is not dead nor doth he sleep!

At times we may feel as the great poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once did when he penned these
words

27
John 1:11
28
Matthew 26-28
29
1 Corinthians 15:55
30
Abraham 3:26
31
Doctrine and Covenants 138:30-36
32
Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21
 7

I thought how as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along thunbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

There is no peace on earth, I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.33

In days of trial, sin, and discouragement, let us remember the confidence Lehi had when he said The
Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the
arms of his love.34 I say those words as if they were mine own. The Lord hath redeemed my soul from
hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.

In days of health, disease, loneliness, despair, joy, and turbulence, let us remember his promise
extended to us from the eternities. We may struggle with low self-esteem, habitual lying, pornography,
eating disorders, arrogance, depression, same-sex attraction, dwindling faith, anxiety, addiction,
disease, poverty, death, suicidal thoughts, selfishness, physical illness, unfaithful family members,
divorce, loneliness, self-doubt, pride, and oh the list can go on. But, as Jeffery R. Holland reminded us,

One of the greatest 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 the paththe 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, apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of
these 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.35

By becoming disciples of Jesus Christ in His restored gospel we choose to accept the gift of salvation and
exaltation as provided by Jesus Christ- our Redeemer, Savior, Mediator, and Advocate.

Should not our greatest victory also be the resurrection and the complete domination of our spirits?

33
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
34
2 Nephi 1: 15
35
None Were with Him Holland April 2009
 8

Brothers and sisters when we talk of Easter, it is not about just living again. Its about receiving by the
grace of God into eternal life. Latter-day revelation has made it undeniably clear what we are to expect
if we remain true to our covenants. This is eternal livesto know the only wise and true God, and Jesus
Christ, whom he hath sent. Its about receiving temple blessings and [passing] by the angelswhich
are set there, to [our] exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon (or will be sealed
upon) [our] heads, which glory shall be a fullness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then
they shall be gods.36 Families, its about great and wonderful eternal families. That was what Adam and
Eve knew by faith when they took what was likely the deepest, darkest plunge. I cant wait to see that
family reunion and to see each other as we truly are, the realization of the hope in what we could
become.

Brothers and sisters, when we think about Easter, lets remember all of Easter. When Christ conquered
the grave, he conquered eternity. That is where this all comes together. Let us remember that there is
one thing which is more important than they all more than grudges, irritations, social media, games,
sports, money, frustrations, for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh
among his people [and] the Lord God hath power to do all things which are according to his word. [and
so] Repent.. . and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the
kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.37

I know all this, Gods plan of happiness and the gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ, to be the only true
message of peace and joy. I stand all amazed at all that he has offered me, and for that I say
Hallelujah. And I say these things in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

36
Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20
37
Alma 7:7-9
 9

Additional Notes

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as Mormon) has accepted additional
books as scripture other than the Holy Bible. When holy men of God write or speak by the power of the
Holy Ghost, their words shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord,
shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation
(Doctrine and Covenants 68:4). The official, canonized scriptures of the Church, often called the
standard works, are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great
Price. This is an explanation of some of those books. (All taken from LDS.org)

The Book of Mormon came forth in this dispensation by the will of the Lord. It is a record of
Gods dealings with the people who lived in the ancient Americas. Prophets of the Lord
engraved the original records on gold plates. The Lord declared that the Book of Mormon
contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 20:9; see also
Doctrine and Covenants 42:12). On September 22, 1827, an angel named Moronithe last Book
of Mormon prophetdelivered these records to the Prophet Joseph Smith. By the gift and
power of God, the Prophet Joseph translated the record into English. The primary purpose of
the Book of Mormon is to convince all people that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God,
manifesting himself unto all nations (title page of the Book of Mormon). It teaches that all
people must come unto him, or they cannot be saved (1 Nephi 13:40). The Book of Mormon
is another witness for the truths taught in the Bible.

The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It also
includes a few revelations given to other latter-day prophets. This book of scripture is unique
because it is not a translation of ancient documents. It is a collection of revelations given by the
Lord to His chosen prophets in the latter days. The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the Doctrine
and Covenants is the foundation of the Church in these last days, and a benefit to the world,
showing that the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man
(section heading for Doctrine and Covenants 70).

The Pearl of Great Price contains the book of Moses, the book of Abraham, the Prophet Joseph
Smiths inspired translation of Matthew chapter 24, and some writings of the Prophet Joseph.
o The book of Moses is a small excerpt from Joseph Smiths inspired translation of the
Bible. It is a more complete record of Mosess writings at the beginning of the book of
Genesis in the Old Testament. It contains many doctrines and teachings that were lost
from the Bible and gives additional information about the plan of salvation, the creation
of the earth, and the Lords dealings with Adam and Enoch.
o The book of Abraham is a translation of ancient records written on papyrus that came
into the possession of the Church in 1835. The Prophet Joseph Smith translated the
records by revelation. This book contains truths about the premortal Council in Heaven,
the creation of the earth, the nature of God, and the priesthood.