Resources to Help You Teach about Easter "He Shall Rise... with Healing in His Wings" (March 30- April 12)
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This time we’ll be studying the same lesson for 2 weeks in Come, Follow Me Easter "He Shall Rise... with Healing in His Wings" (March 30- April 12). The great news is it’s the Easter lesson and General Conference will only give you more to discuss! What it is that you really want your family to know about Easter and our Savior, Jesus Christ? Be sure to check out the General Conference helps too!
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Jesus Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection is for all.
Resurrection is a permanent reuniting of the body and spirit.
Christ suffered for all our sins, pains, and infirmities. Because of this, He knows how to comfort me.
Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I can be cleansed and perfected.
Jesus Christ lives.
Book of Mormon prophets taught about Jesus Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection. They knew He would come.
Videos
Hear Him! (about 1 1/2 minutes)
Jesus Is Crucified (about 2 minutes)- Illustrated scripture story
Jesus Is Risen (about 2 1/2 minutes)- Illustrated scripture story
I Believe in Christ (about 5 minutes)- Sung by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
Special Witnesses of Christ- President Russell M. Nelson (about 6 minutes) Discover more witnesses from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidencies.
I Know That My Redeemer Lives (about 4 1/2 minutes)- Sung by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
Follow Him- An Easter Message about Jesus Christ (about 2 minutes)
He is Risen (about 7 1/2 minutes)
Because of Him- Easter 2018 (about 2 1/2 minutes)
Finding Hope Through the Resurrection of Christ (about 4 1/2 minutes)
Jesus Is Resurrected (about 4 minutes)- Bible video
The Risen Lord Appears to the Apostles (about 2 1/2 minutes)- Bible video
Handel’s Messiah: Debtor’s Prison (about 3 1/2 minutes)
His Sacred Name- An Easter Declaration (about 3 minutes)
Christlike Attributes (about 3 minutes)
Here’s a great page for a whole lot more videos about Easter.
Articles and General Conference Talks
“What Does Easter Mean for Me?” from the April 2020 Ensign
“A Different Perspective on Easter: Five Lessons for Us from Easter in the Book of Mormon” by Adam C. Olson (April 2020 Ensign)
“They Had a Hope of Christ’s Coming- and We Can Too” by Mindy Selu (April 2020 Ensign)
“And There Shall Be No More Death” by Elder Paul V. Johnson
“What Church Leaders Are Saying about the Atonement of Jesus Christ” from the April 2020 Ensign
“The Book of Mormon: A Witness of the Resurrection” from the New Era April 2020
"Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in Our Hearts" by Sister Linda K. Burton
"The Resurrection of Jesus Christ" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson
"He Is Risen!" by President Thomas S. Monson
"Resurrection" by President Dallin H. Oaks
“The Gift of Grace” by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“Behold the Man” by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Remember to take advantage of all my FREE General Conference printables and activities as you prepare for Conference or need to take notes or have activities during Conference. Below are some ideas for things you can do with some of my printables.
Prepare for General Conference using my First Vision Countdown to General Conference. Each day will have you studying from Joseph Smith-History and pondering the events of the Restoration. To do one a day, you would have had to start March 20 so just go through them at your own pace.
Head to your Gospel Library app and click on the Church History section. Take a look around and read or watch something from there as we prep to celebrate the bicentennial of the First Vision this General Conference.
Use the cup lesson to help demonstrate how the Church is founded on apostles and prophets and Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. Instead of putting the Jesus cup at the top of the tower, make Him the cornerstone. If you were to remove Jesus from the tower, the rest would topple over. The same will happen if you remove the prophets and apostles cups. How does knowing this help us as we prepare for General Conference? Why do you want to listen to Conference?
Have some family fun with my First Vision Family Date Night Kit- Guess What?! It combines some fun and laughter while learning how the First Vision can apply to us! Loads of fun and you can do it at home!
Get to know the prophets and apostles today. Use my Apostle Tube Dolls or General Conference Countdown Chain to learn a few facts about them. You can even print a paper podium for the dolls to stand behind.
Discuss some of the words from the prophets from the last General Conference. The New Era has great short recaps to make reviewing easy. Or go back through your notes from this recent session and share your thoughts with each other.
Use my General Conference note pages or sticky notes to go back through and review some of the things that were said in the last October General Conference or take notes for this Conference. The pages focused on what we learn about Jesus and themes you see would be a good way to review the main topics from the weekend as well as review messages about our Savior, Jesus Christ for Easter.
Have some fun with my Restoration Egg Hunt. Find 9 different eggs and talk about some of the things we have today because of the First Vision and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Play a guess who game with my General Conference Sticky Notes. Stick them on each person’s back without them seeing who it is. Then they must ask Yes or No questions to discover who their person is.
Play Apostle Bingo to review some of the main messages from General Conference. In order to successfully get a Bingo, you have to say one thing about each person’s talk in your Bingo.
Focus on how we are changed because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Watch plants grow in hyper speed as an example of how we can change and grow. Discuss some comparisons of the plants coming out of the dirt or blossoming to how we can change. What are some other parallels you can draw? Why do we want to change? How has Christ helped you change in the past? How does He give you strength? Why do we need the Atonement of Jesus Christ every day of our lives? What does partaking of the sacrament have to do with us changing? What does the Atonement of Jesus Christ mean to you? How has it helped you become better than you were? What experiences have helped you to understand the necessity of the Savior’s sacrifice?
Continue this theme of change through the Atonement of Jesus Christ by making a homemade bouncy ball! In one glass, pour in glue and some food coloring so your family can easily see it. Compare our lives now to the glue- it’s sticky and messy! Then have your glass of water and borax already prepared and pour it into the glue mixture, the water representing the Living Water or Jesus Christ. As you continue to stir, watch as it changes. Once it forms a not so sticky mass, remove it from the glass and roll it to form a ball. For complete directions on making bouncy balls, see Life’s Carousel. For more details on the object lesson, you can watch this sermon (you can skip a lot of it and just watch the key pieces).
Another fun thing for how the Atonement of Christ works in our lives is this salt and pepper object lesson as demonstrated by two missionaries (Psstt… object lessons are great to record over a video and send to your classes while church services are canceled).
Some questions to discuss as you use these object lessons: What did Jesus Christ take upon Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane? Why is it important to you to know that Christ didn’t just feel the pain of your sins but also the physical pains and sickness you feel? How does that help sustain you in times of difficulty? How have you felt that? How can you draw upon the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to help you?
Make your own Easter temple! Using pictures from the manuals (this year’s and last), your gospel art kit, or the ones online plus my free printables, build a temple throughout Easter week (or all in one day- whichever is better for you). My Easter temple focuses on the resurrection and the blessings we receive as a result (hence the temple). You can also print a blank temple to draw in your own answers instead of using pictures. There are 8 pieces of the temple to cover:
The Triumphal Entry
Cleansing the Temple
The Last Supper
The Garden of Gethsemane
The Trial, Crucifixion, and Burial
The Spirit World
The Resurrection (as found in the Book of Mormon)
The First Vision
As you build your temple, frame it with printable palm fronds (or get some fake palm fronds). Each day as you read and discuss the assigned scriptures, write down ways you “Hear Him.” For example, when you discuss cleansing of the temple you could write about how temple attendance helps you hear the Lord.
Finish your temple with a Hear Him banner. Print it on colored paper to make it pop. You can even take a photo of your family in front of your temple and banner and share your testimony with your friends and family this Easter.
If you’ve been with me for a few years, you know how much I love talking about the First Vision at Easter. They are both during the spring and they go so well together. This year, it seems even more perfect to talk about both. As you get to the First Vision on the temple, discuss ways we can hear and receive answers from the Lord. Then tie in the message of the temple as you share how the restoration of the Priesthood allowed for us to have the ordinances in the temple and be a family forever- not just as individuals. Discuss how President Russell M. Nelson, our prophet, asked us to prepare for this April’s General Conference by studying the First Vision. Why do you think he asked us to do so? What are somethings you have learned as you have followed this invitation from the prophet? How are you blessed because of the First Vision? How does Easter and the First Vision tie together for you?
You can also use these 13 Images from Easter Week (New Era April 2018) to discuss some stories from Easter week.
Make Easter Rolls! They are always a fun treat and activity to do as a family. Then discuss how we will all be resurrected because of Jesus Christ.
Using the Children’s Songbook song, “On a Golden Springtime,” go through each verse and explain how we have The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the earth today because Jesus Christ was resurrected. Use the different scenes included in my Golden Easter Kit to discuss each verse.
Write your simple testimony on a strip of paper and include it with some candy in the treat bags included in my Golden Easter kit. Give it to your kids three days before Easter and tell them they have to wait until Easter to open it just like we had to wait three days to see the resurrected Christ.
Scramble gospel art pictures on the floor. Gently tape a letter from my He Is Risen banner included in the Golden Easter kit on the back of each image. Ask a child to pick a picture. Have them remove the letter and guess where it goes on the board (or your table) then briefly review the picture explaining how it ties into Easter. Once the words are complete, share your testimony.
Use the He Is Risen candy wrappers (included in my Golden Easter kit) with your Easter candy in your family’s Easter baskets or the eggs you hide. See if your family picks up on the hidden phrase!
Some questions to ponder this week: What does it mean to you that you will one day be healed and made perfect because of the ministry and feats accomplished by Jesus Christ? How has your faith in Jesus Christ helped you to endure through the trials and temptations of this mortal life? How has your faith grown due to a trial or challenge of your faith? What can you learn from the Savior about how we should respond to our trials and those who fight against us? What miracles have you experienced in your life? How is the Resurrection the greatest of all miracles? What does that mean to you? Why do you think Mary Magdalene was not able to recognize Jesus at first? What things prevent you from seeing Christ clearly? What can you learn from Christ’s encounter with Mary Magdalene?
Getting Ready for Easter- Week countdown to Easter- An egg and activity to do a day from The Friend April 2020.
The First Easter in The Friend April 2020 has great cutouts you can use as you talk about the Easter story.
Discuss the resurrection through the accounts of those who witnessed the Resurrected Christ including Joseph Smith. Pass my witness cards out to your family and have them look up the scripture, figure out who the witness was (could be more than one person), what their experience was, and their reaction. They can draw or write on the cards. You can then put all your witness cards on a key ring and keep it with your Easter items for next year too! How is your testimony strengthened because of these witnesses? What impresses you most about their testimonies? How do you know the Savior loves you individually? What experiences have shown you His love in your life? How can you be a better witness of Jesus Christ? What steps can you take to improve how you bear witness of Him?
Looking for something a little easier? Print out my Appearances of the Resurrected Christ card (shown above). It’s broken down into location and time, who witnessed the event, and scriptures to read surrounding that event. There are so many witnesses! You can read a couple a day or have every person in your family pick one event to study then present.
There are also blank witness cards for you to write down your own testimony of the resurrected Christ. Or you can use them as you watch testimonies of the living prophet and apostles today.
Discuss the blessings we receive now because Jesus was resurrected as well as some of the things we are able to do because Christ was resurrected. You can play a fun Pictionary game as you do so. Hang the Because He Lives banner then ask someone to draw a blessing as a result of that statement. The person who guesses correctly gets to go next. If they have already drawn they can pick who goes next instead.
Let everyone draw! Give everyone a marker and spread out some butcher paper on the floor. Let everyone draw why they are thankful for Easter Sunday. Have everyone explain their artwork when they are done. Hang it in your home as a reminder throughout the week.
Cut the Because He Lives sign into pieces and hide the pieces in eggs. Ask your family to find and assemble the puzzle. When it’s complete, ask them what they think it means. Then watch the Because He Lives video together and share your own testimony. You can do the same thing the Hear Him banner and video for Easter this year as well.
New Testament Easter Lessons
As we studied the New Testament last year, I made a lot of free printables that you can easily use again this week as you celebrate Easter.
Triumphal Entry- Coloring page and palm tree hearts
Atonement of Jesus Christ- Quotes, Sacrament activity pages, living bread wrapper, study sheets, etc.
Christ’s final words- study sheets, crack the code, forgiveness activities.
Resurrection- coloring and activity pages, timeline, board game.
Also, check out all the other Easter helps and handouts I’ve made over the years on my Holiday Helps page.
- If you are looking for more helps, I highly recommend MeckMom's Creative Teaching for Come, Follow Me. She has brillant object lessons that will help your family not only enjoy the lessons but also remember the principles taught. I find most of her ideas are best for Senior Primary through teens although I'm sure the younger ones can still have fun with them.
- The Red Headed Hostess has a great General Conference kit for this year's Bicentennial of the First Vision. Check out the cards, activities, and more. She has a seperate packet for the Easter lesson.
- Definitely go check out the Storyboard Kits for April from My Computer Is My Canvas. They are super cute and there is one for the First Vision as well. Remember, she also has activity pages, the Fine Art Kit, and candy tags.
- Love Pray Teach's Easter lesson kit is full of fun and right now she has all her kits marked 25% off!
