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Living Faith

Revisiting Holy Week: An immersive Easter experience in Phoenix

Members in Phoenix, Arizona, transform their meetinghouse to replicate Christ’s final week on Earth

Available in:Spanish | Portuguese
Three crosses on one wall stand facing the crowd of youth and leaders. The youth and leaders are lined up against the other three walls and stand there silently pondering about the meaning of the crucifixion.
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake's Easter event 'Risen' ponder about the three crosses in the room commemorating the Crucifixion. They are all silent after receiving some instruction and given time to think before the next room. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. Jeremy DeBry
Sophie Jaglowski Runyan
By Sophie Jaglowski Runyan

Named after a Native American birdlike weather spirit, the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake members transformed their meetinghouse into a deeply spiritual experience this Easter season.

Read this article in Spanish and in Portuguese:

Member volunteers guided visitors through an immersive Easter presentation called “Risen.” For four days, this Holy Week walk brought the Spirit and understanding to attendees as they learned about the Savior, Jesus Christ, in this relatively new annual tradition.

The Thunderbird Park Stake members made it their goal to transform their standardized meetinghouse’s classrooms into the path of the Savior during His final week on Earth. With improvements from the previous year, plants, furniture, wallpapers, lighting, soundscapes and props decorated the rooms to match the life event assigned to that portion of the meetinghouse.

Watch the walkthrough below

In keeping with the underlying theme of walking in the Savior’s shoes, the presentation ended with a view of the adjacent Phoenix Arizona Temple. President Christopher Keith Dennis, newly called Thunderbird Park Stake president, remarked on that part of the “Risen” Easter event. “There were many with tear-filled eyes as the attendees were touched by the experience which helped them feel Christ’s love and sacrifice for them.”

This Easter presentation touched the participants and volunteers. Sister Jalynn Baird, a service missionary at the Phoenix temple, said she felt “a sacred privilege to be a part of such consecrated efforts.”

Being in a position to see some attendees, Sister Baird summarized these reoccurring reactions: “Tears of appreciation. Visual displays of hope. Incredible and uncompromising respect.”

Youth and families alike stand around and look at displays of the resurrected Savior in the resurrection room at the 'Risen' Easter event. They look intently at the paintings and signs.
Families at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' stand in a room with displays of the resurrected Savior all around them. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Jeremy DeBry

“The spirit felt throughout the experience brought us closer to the Savior and helped our members and community understand the great blessings that come through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Brock Grayson, a stake high councilor said. “Because of Him the best is yet to come. He is Risen.”

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A human-sized cross stands with a sign above saying 'King of the Jews'. There is a sunset background and dramatic lighting from the 'Risen' Easter event on April 12, 2025.
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' see this giant cross with three others in the room commemorating the Crucifixion. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Jeremy DeBry
An intricate display at the end of the Phoenix, Arizona 'Risen' Easter event held on April 12, 2025. This display explains about temples dotting the earth and its connection to Christ's second coming.
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' see this display of temples and Christ's work in the latter days. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Screenshot from Jeremy DeBry's 'Risen' walkthrough video
On a corner table at the 'Risen' Easter event from April 12, 2025, this little display with an easel and board shows a scripture verse about what Jesus said during His crucifixion. There's some props on the table about what the verse says.
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' see this table display in one of the rooms. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Jeremy DeBry
In a hallway, a bed sits in a makeshift bedroom. There's a sign talking about the importance of prayer in connecting with Christ. This display sits at the end of the 'Risen' event held on April 12, 2025.
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' see this representation of a bedroom at the end of the event. This bed represents the connection people can have with Christ today through prayer. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Jeremy DeBry
Looking at the exit of the 'Risen' easter event, the attendee has come out of an empty tomb. There is a giant, round stone to the side with the words across the realistic tomb exit 'He Is Not Here'.
At the end of the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen', held on April 12, 2025, the attendee comes out of the empty tomb. This April 2025 event has the attendee walk the path of the Savior by traveling from room to room in the meetinghouse to learn about each moment in the Savior's final week on Earth. | Jeremy DeBry
A singular table in front of a backdrop holds many symbols from the Passover holiday; shewbread, lavers, incense and a candlestick. There are signs that talk about what each symbol means during the April 12, 2025 Easter event
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' see this Passover display in one of the early rooms of the event. This display instructs the reader about the different symbols involved in the Passover holiday that Jesus attended before His death. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Jeremy DeBry
A giant display at the 'Risen' event from April 12, 2025 with white curtains and pearly blue lights under the hanging words 'He Is Risen'.
At the end of the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen', there is a room displaying many pictures of the resurrected Savior. At the side of the room is this display 'He Is Risen'. The attendees followed the path of the Savior throughout the rest of the four-day event, shown here on April 12, 2025, and this part of the exhibit testifies that He lives | Screenshot from Jeremy DeBry's Easter 'Risen' walkthrough video
A meetinghouse hallway decorated with new wallpapers, props and lights to make it look like a scenic walkway from Christ's time. This is part of the 'Risen' event held on April 12, 2025.
Attendees at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event 'Risen' travel through this hallway and others like it to get from room to room. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior's life. | Jeremy DeBry
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