Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the last week of His life and His death and Resurrection have been common themes among leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during general conferences.
With the annual general conference of the Church typically held on the first Saturday and Sunday of April, many talks have been given during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday itself.
In order to prepare for the upcoming Easter holiday — which falls on April 20 this year — and to follow the recent invitation of President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, to learn and teach the “profound meaning of the universal Resurrection,” the following is a sampling of talks given in recent years on this topic.
‘Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains’
Notable quotes
- “My dear brothers and sisters, my call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.”
- “The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing and redeeming power. The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.”
- “Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe.”
Read the full message here.
‘Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet’
- President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- April 2015 general conference
Notable quotes
- “My beloved brothers and sisters, today is Easter Sunday. Although we should always remember (we promise in our weekly sacramental prayers that we will), nevertheless this is the most sacred day of the year for special remembrance of brotherly hands and determined arms that reached into the abyss of death to save us from our fallings and our failings, from our sorrows and our sins.”
- “So today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, every sorrow we have ever known, every discouragement we have ever had, every fear we have ever faced — to say nothing of our resurrection from death and forgiveness for our sins. That victory is available to us because of events that transpired on a weekend precisely like this nearly two millennia ago in Jerusalem.”
- “That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.”
Read the full message here.
‘The Way of the Disciple’
- Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then second counselor in the First Presidency
- April 2009 general conference
Notable quotes
- “It is fitting that during the week from Palm Sunday to Easter morning we turn our thoughts to Jesus Christ, the source of light, life and love. The multitudes in Jerusalem may have seen Him as a great king who would give them freedom from political oppression. But in reality He gave much more than that. He gave us His gospel, a pearl beyond price, the grand key of knowledge that, once understood and applied, unlocks a life of happiness, peace and fulfillment.”
- “When we hear the transcendent truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, hope and faith begin to blossom inside of us. The more we fill our hearts and minds with the message of the risen Christ, the greater our desire is to follow Him and live His teachings. This, in turn, causes our faith to grow and allows the Light of Christ to illuminate our hearts. As it does, we recognize the imperfections in our lives, and we desire to be cleansed of the depressing burdens of sin. We yearn for freedom from guilt and this inspires us to repent.”
- “I bear my solemn witness that Jesus the Christ lives. He is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He is the promised Messiah. He lived a perfect life and atoned for our sins. He will ever be at our side. He will fight our battles. He is our hope; He is our salvation; He is the way.”
Read the full message here.
‘The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told’ and ‘And We Talk of Christ’
- Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- April 2023 general conference and April 2025 general conference
Notable quotes
- “I observe a growing effort among Latter-day Saints toward a more Christ-centered Easter. This includes a greater and more thoughtful recognition of Palm Sunday and Good Friday as practiced by some of our Christian cousins. We might also adopt appropriate Christ-centered Easter traditions found in the cultures and practices of countries worldwide.”
- “We rejoice that because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins as we repent. This brings us peace and hope while making it possible for us to return to God’s presence and receive a fulness of joy.”
- “In recent First Presidency messages concerning Easter, we have been challenged to ‘celebrate the Resurrection of our living Savior by studying His teachings and helping to establish Easter traditions in our society as a whole, especially within our own families.’ In short, we have been encouraged to move to a higher and holier celebration of Easter.”
Read “The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told” here.
Read “And We Talk of Christ” here.
‘Hosanna and Hallelujah — The Living Jesus Christ: The Heart of Restoration and Easter’ and ‘Eternity’s Great Gifts: Jesus Christ’s Atonement, Resurrection, Restoration’
- Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- April 2020 general conference and April 2025 general conference
Notable quotes
- “In celebrating the ongoing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we also prepare for Easter. In both, we rejoice in the return of Jesus Christ. He lives — not only then, but now; not just for some, but for all. He came and comes to heal the brokenhearted, deliver the captives, recover sight to the blind, and set at liberty those who are bruised. That’s each of us. His redeeming promises apply, no matter our past, our present or concerns for our future."
- “The sacred events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are the story of hosanna and hallelujah. Hosanna is our plea for God to save. Hallelujah expresses our praise to the Lord for the hope of salvation and exaltation. In hosanna and hallelujah we recognize the living Jesus Christ as the heart of Easter and latter-day restoration.”
- “Easter in Jesus Christ helps us mend, reconcile, make right our relationships, on both sides of the veil. Jesus can heal grief; He can enable forgiveness. He can free us and others from things we or they have said or done that otherwise bind us captive.”
Read “Hosanna and Hallelujah — The Living Jesus Christ: The Heart of Restoration and Easter” here.
Read “Eternity’s Great Gifts: Jesus Christ’s Atonement, Resurrection, Restoration” here.
‘Followers of the Prince of Peace’
- Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- April 2023 general conference
Notable quotes
- “In fulfillment of the prophecy given to Zechariah, Jesus triumphantly entered the Holy City riding upon a donkey, which was considered in literature an ‘ancient symbol of Jewish royalty,’ as indeed befitted the King of kings and Prince of Peace. He was surrounded by a multitude of jubilant disciples who spread out their garments, palm leaves, and other foliage along the path where Jesus passed. They praised God, saying with a loud voice, ‘Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.’ And again, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.’”
- “May we today, on this Palm Sunday, spread out our robes of love and palm leaves of charity, walking in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace as we prepare to celebrate, this coming Sunday, the miracle of the empty tomb. As brothers and sisters in Christ, let us joyfully proclaim, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.’”
- “I testify that Jesus Christ lives and that His perfect love, expressed through His atoning sacrifice, is extended to all who desire to walk with Him and enjoy His peace in this world and in the world to come.”
Read the full message here.
‘The Grave Has No Victory’
- Sister Reyna I. Aburto, then second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency
- April 2021 general conference
Notable Quotes
- “We are grateful for our knowledge of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And yet at some point in our lives, we will have felt heartbroken after losing someone whom we love dearly. Through the current global pandemic, many of us have lost loved ones — either family members or friends. We pray for those who are grieving such loss."
- “Like you, in some way I can relate to the anguish felt by Mary Magdalene and her friends as they grieved the death of their Lord. When I was nine years old, I lost my older brother during a devastating earthquake. Because it happened unexpectedly, it took me a while to grasp the reality of what had occurred. I was heartbroken by sorrow, and I would ask myself, ‘What happened to my brother? Where is he? Where did he go? Will I ever see him again?’”
- “I testify that through the redeeming Atonement and glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, broken hearts can be healed, anguish can become peace and distress can become hope. He can embrace us in His arms of mercy, comforting, empowering and healing each of us.”
