#StartingToday, Find More Through Christ

Year-round, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints try to keep the Sabbath day holy by worshipping at church and focusing the day on activities that help us draw closer to Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday brings a special focus on Christ’s Resurrection. That might look like families reading passages about the Resurrection from the Bible together or congregations including Easter musical numbers in their worship services. 

Many Latter-day Saints celebrate events leading up to Easter, like Palm Sunday and Good Friday, by studying the events of Holy Week, listening to songs about Jesus Christ, and enjoying a special meal with family and friends. Some members also choose to celebrate the holiday season with traditions from their countries such as decorating Easter eggs, having an Easter egg hunt, giving gifts of chocolate or other presents, buying Easter lilies, or serving others.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrates Easter on the same day as most other Christian denominations around the world—a schedule that depends on the moon. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the ecclesiastical spring equinox.

Early Christian churches attempted to match their celebration of Easter with the New Testament account of the Resurrection, which states that Jesus’s Last Supper with His disciples before He was crucified was part of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Passover is celebrated according to the Hebrew lunar calendar. Over time, adjustments were made to create a more standardized calculation of the date (such as having it always fall on a Sunday), and the result is that today’s Easter date is still influenced by lunar cycles but no longer matches the dates for Passover.

If you have never worshipped with us before but you would like to come to church on Easter Sunday, here’s a little about what to expect. You can also learn more here.

• Our main worship service is called sacrament meeting. It includes an opening and closing prayer, hymns sung by the congregation, and sermons (or “talks”) given by members of the congregation.
• We also take the sacrament, where we have the opportunity to take a small piece of bread and cup of water to remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us, as He taught His disciples during the Last Supper.
• You can participate as much as you’d like—sing along with the hymns or just listen, and you can take the sacrament or just pass the tray along.
• Most women in the congregation will likely be wearing a skirt or dress, and most men will likely be wearing a white dress shirt and tie. But please wear what you feel most comfortable in.
• We don’t ask for donations or pass around a collection plate during services.

Our worship services throughout the year are centered on Jesus Christ, including the time we spend each Sunday remembering Him during the sacrament.

On Easter Sunday, sermons are focused specifically on Jesus’s sacrifice for us and His Resurrection. Local leaders often choose to have the congregation sing Easter-specific hymns such as “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” or ask someone to perform a special musical number about the Savior.

Additional meetings outside of the main worship service, such as Sunday School classes or choir practice, are canceled so that people can spend more time with family.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is a book of holy scripture that, along with the Bible, testifies of Jesus Christ’s role as our Savior and teaches us how to follow Him.

The pinnacle event of the Book of Mormon is Jesus’s visit to His “other sheep” in the ancient Americas after His Resurrection. There, the people felt the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and the wound in His side and worshipped Him as the prophesied Savior. Just as He did during His ministry in the Middle East, Jesus healed, blessed, and taught the multitudes and organized His Church.

You can read the full account in the Book of Mormon of Jesus Christ’s visit to the Americas here: 3 Nephi 11–28.