Because He Lives

Brothers and Sisters,
It is my favorite time of year! It's GENERAL CONFERENCE and EASTER this next weekend!!!! I am so excited to share with you a message of both of these today. I cannot imagine living in a world where these things did not exist. I'm going to start by sharing some things to help us prepare for Easter, and then I'll close with a video to help us prepare for Conference.

Easter: it truly is my favorite time of year. Why? Because of HIM. This is my favorite time because I know that HE lives. I know that although once dead, He truly rose on the third day, and that He still lives even today. I know, because of Him, that to every "dark Friday" comes a bright and glorious Sunday Morning. I want to share with you the message of Easter with a few videos.

First, I want to "introduce" Easter with this beautiful video: "His Sacred Name

The second I may have shared before, but it is one of my favorites so I will share it again. This video is by Elder Holland. I love this video so much because it explains, for me, the reason I love and cherish the Easter season so much! None Were With Him

And finally, I want to share this year's newest video for Easter: Because He Lives (click "watch" in the middle of the page)
This is a new site for the LDS church for Easter. If you scroll down, you will see a time line for the week of Easter, and I highly suggest reading over each day's events, and thinking about what took place each day this week.
Sunday (today)- He enters the city of Jerusalem.
Monday- Through an act of bravery, He cleans the temple.
Tuesday- He taught beautiful principles despite his enemies efforts to discredit Him.
Wednesday- He taught and prepared for tomorrow.
Thursday- He took upon Himself the pains, sorrow, and afflictions of every man woman and child in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Friday- He was crucified and buried in the tomb.
Saturday- He taught in the Spirit World.
Sunday- He was Resurrected.

As we prepare for Easter in one week, I want to challenge you to sincerely think about the events that took place during this week of Christ's life. Prepare yourself for Sunday morning so that you may feel His Atoning sacrifice for you more deeply in your life. Pray for His spirit to be with you, and really cherish His spirit and all He has done for you. Allow yourself time to study His life, and His sacrifice and love for You as you go about this week.

Now for Conference:
I love April Conference because it is always around Easter time, and this year we got lucky to have Conference on Easter Sunday! As this weekend approaches with Conference I want to remind you that Conference is a time for us to hear the Prophet's voice. It is a time for us to gather and learn together. A time for us to receive revelation from our Prophet and leaders in this dispensation. It is a time for us to feel (more deeply) our Father's love for us and for us to find answers to our prayers. To prepare for this great event, I would like to invite you to write down some questions you have in your life right now. If you don't know what to ask- ask yourself "what is stressing me out right now?" Ask Father in Heaven for help concerning this thing. General Conference is a time for you to hear from the Prophet who receives revelation on behalf of the whole church- including you. Write down your questions and pray to receive answers as you listen to the Prophet and leaders of the Church.
I want to close with a video called: Blessings of Conference

In closing I just want to testify that I know that conference is for our gain and benefit. It is a complicated thing to put forth and much effort and worry and preparation goes into this event every six months. If it wasn't important for us, Heavenly Father wouldn't have us do it. I know you can and will receive answers to your prayers and that we will be blessed and come closer to the Lord if we do our part in preparing. I know that Christ lives and that He loves each and every one of us and that because of His eternal and great sacrifice: we will NEVER be alone. I know the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints is the one and only true church on the earth today and that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father- because of Him. Because He Lives.
Of this I testify,
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen

Love,
Samantha