Death Hath No Victory: He Is Risen!

Tonight I was reading in my bed and went out to the kitchen to get a drink. I noticed that Dylan had snuck out of his bed and was laying on our front couch with a pillow and a blanket. I crawled up to him and asked him what he was doing. He looked up at me with his big blue eyes and said,

"I'm waiting for the Sun to come up."

I told him that the sun wasn't going to come up for a long, long time. He looked at me and said,

"Ya mom, but the sun ALWAYS comes up."

I've been thinking about this cute little dialogue we shared and how profound it truly is. The Sun does always come up. And as Annie sang her heart out..."the sun will come out tomorrow". The Sun is such a beautiful synonym for The Son. This time of year I can't help but think about Easter and The Son. I love Easter. I love Spring. I love waking up to a new day. I love the newness and beauty that coats the earth at this time of year. All things truly do testify of Christ.

A few years ago I had the privilege of spending time in the home of Truman G. Madsen and his wife Ann. Ann was my New Testament teacher and we were studying about the life of the Savior. We began talking about Easter and their personal traditions. They shared a tradition that I have taken and used in my family.

We all are familiar with Easter Eggs and the many traditions and symbolism's associated with the egg. I really liked their use of the egg.

Every year they gather their eggs, and rather than color them or boil them, they empty them. This can be done by making a small hole on each end of the egg, and then mixing the inside of the egg with a toothpick. Once you have scrambled the egg on the inside you can then blow the yolk and whites out of the end. (Or suck it out if you can stomach it.)

After the eggs are emptied and cleaned let them dry.

When Easter comes you can then plan a family devotional, or gathering and pass out an egg to everyone. One at a time you let everyone share a scripture, a testimony, or a thought and tap their egg three times. While tapping their egg they say "He Is Risen!". On the third tap they break open the egg to reveal that it is empty. The egg being symbolic of the Tomb.

I would just like to tell you how grateful I am for the Resurrection and the hope that it brings to my life. I am grateful for a Savior that made it possible for a simple wretch like myself to have a chance at eternal life.

Truly with God all things are possible.

With so much suffering, pain, death and decay in the world, I am grateful for this time of year we have to REMEMBER and offer our gratitude for a gift that has already been given. The gift of Eternal Life.

Mosiah 16:


6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

10 Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil—

11 If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation—

12 Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.

13 And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?

14 Therefore, if ye teach the law of Moses, also teach that it is a shadow of those things which are to come—

15 Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen.