I love discovering so many ideas recently about how to elevate the celebration of Easter to be more intentionally Christ-centered. This is all done in reply to Elder Gary Stevenson’s invitation from the April 2023 General Conference:

“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.

“New Testament scholar N. T. Wright suggested: ‘We should be taking steps to celebrate Easter in creative new ways: in art, literature, children’s games, poetry, music, dance, festivals, bells, special concerts. … This is our greatest festival. Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity.’ (Liahona, April 2023)

I have to say though, that two people were ahead of the game and responded to this apostolic call before it even happened. Over twenty years ago, my husband’s cousin, Janet Hilton Hales, with her husband Joe Hales, felt a call from God to elevate Easter to be more Christ-centered. They came up with this book below as a groundbreaking report of what they had done in their family to focus on Jesus at Easter time.

It has some wonderful suggestions, so I highly suggest you get it. My favorite part of it is the Plan of Salvation Treasure Hunt, which teaches what Jesus did in the time between His death and Resurrection. Prime day for doing this activity would be the Saturday before Easter, but I like to do it the Monday after Easter for Family Home Evening. This book also has Easter-themed stories, the Holy Week timeline with the scriptures to read for what happened that day, suggested crafts and other activities.

This book inspired Lani Hilton to come up with even more Christ-centered Easter ideas. The Scripture Central YouTube Channel recently published a series of videos featuring the amazing Lani. Lani is the wife of John Hilton III, an amazing teacher as well. (John is a second cousin to my children. His grandfather and my mother-in-law are siblings, so I am a bit biased, I admit. The whole Hilton clan is just wonderful!) I have loved watching these videos the past few days. Lani has so much enthusiasm and knowledge of the scriptural accounts of the Easter story, she is infectious! I love how excited she gets. I love the way she notices details and make connections. Her discussion questions are so thought-provoking. Lani/Sister Hilton was introduced to the Hales’ book about Easter because she married their nephew, John. Each video below for each day in Holy Week and beyond involves the scriptural narrative and creative ideas idea to bring the events and teachings of Jesus to life, as well as discussion questions.

The first video is a summary. Then the other videos go through each day of the Holy Week, then on to the Ascension, then Pentecost. Then the crowning video at the end is about the Easter Story in the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which is the “greatest Easter story ever told,” according to a modern-day apostle of Jesus Christ, Elder Gary E. Stevenson.

My descriptions below each video just give a glimpse into what she talks about. Please watch them all because she shares a lot more than what I write. I definitely feel the Holy Spirit as I listen to her.

Palm Sunday is the day to act out the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, with real or fake greenery. This day is all about praising Jesus. Sister Hilton mentions the importance of praise and talks of different ways to show praise.

For this day, Sister Hilton focuses on Jesus cleansing the temple. Her family activity is braiding a whip and acting out this story with stuffed animal toys. She also talks about how some people do extra cleaning of their house on this day.

This is the day of focusing on the widow’s mite and Jesus’ parables/teachings. Sister Hilton and her family make clay oil lamps and light them in honor of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In honor of the widow’s mite, you could as a family or group discuss how we can give all we can like the widow did.

Wednesday of Holy Week deserves a different name than Spy Wednesday, according to Sister Hilton. She likes to call it “Anointing Wednesday.” Watch the video to find out why. To celebrate this day, you could get some real spikenard, smell it and touch it. Discuss the Anointing Woman, the Anointed One, and how we can come to the Lord in a spirit of adoration, asking in prayer what I can give to the Savior instead of what I can get.

This is the day to reenact the Last Supper. Sister Hilton says her family sits on the floor, eats Mediterranean food, and talks about the significance of the meal. Then her family sings a hymn.

For Good Friday, Sister Hilton focuses on the fact that Jesus died for us because He loves us so much. She talks about the sadness of the day, but also the love of Jesus, and His victory over death. So love, sadness, and victory are all celebrated this day. She suggests making sugar cookies in the shape of crosses, or just out of paper if you don’t want to bake, eating hot cross buns, and talking about what happened on Good Friday. She also has a Good Friday bag with objects to represent aspects of the story to review and discuss. I have her video she did with her husband John with ideas for celebrating Good Friday, here.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about what happened on this day. We are blessed to know more about what Jesus did on the Saturday of Holy Week because of Restoration scripture. This day is all about patience and waiting. She suggests talking about planting a seed and how we have to wait for it to grow.

Sister Hilton says on Easter Sunday she loves to act out the role of the women going to the tomb of Jesus. Early in the morning she runs to her children’s bedrooms, and wakes them up, calling out “He is Risen!” Then they gather on their deck outside to watch the sunrise and have an Easter Sunday sunrise devotional. They eat Resurrection Rolls and share testimonies of Jesus.

This is the day that Christ returned to heaven after telling his disciples to “Feed my sheep.” Suggestions for celebrating this day involve doing a craft to represent sheep or clouds, eating something that looks like clouds, like cauliflower or a dessert with whipped cream. Take out a map and talk about mission stories from your family or friends and where they have served.

A celebratory idea for Pentecost is to have a potluck feast and invite your neighbors, bringing dishes from different nations and cultures from all over the world. This is the day to celebrate that Jesus sent the Holy Ghost. She also talks about having some kind of harvest decor with flowers. Or candles on fire to symbolize the tongues of fire and the Holy Ghost.

Finally, here’s her take on the Book of Mormon Easter story, below.

Some activities to celebrate the Book of Mormon Easter Story are to act out 3 Nephi 11 and make a model of the temple where Jesus appeared out of Lego or playdoh.

Sister Hilton has created a list of resources over here.

It’s just so marvelous that we have sooooo many more resources for celebrating a Christ-centered Easter than we did when I was young, and more than we even did 2-3 years ago. Remember, these ideas are not meant to be checklists. Don’t be overwhelmed and remember, these ideas are to fill up a whole season of Easter, which can last months if we start from Lent and go to Pentecost.

If you haven’t seen what I’ve already shared about celebrating a Christ-centered Easter please go look at the following:

-my PDF of Easter-themed stories, songs, scriptures and poetry over here.

-new Christ-centered family Easter traditions from Maria Eckersley, author of Teaching Easter, here

-a review of the book, Sacred Days, Sacred Songs from Michael Young, here. This is like an Easter advent with Easter songs and the backstory of the songs.

-Holy Week daily traditions from Emily Belle Freeman and David Butler, here

-a review of the Celebrating Christ-centered Easter picture book by the same just mentioned authors, here

-a review of The Holy Week for Latter-day Saint Families by Wendee Rosborough here

-not junky Easter baskets, including thrifting for items here, including Christ-centered items

Happy Easter, He is Risen Indeed!