Sister Sheri Peterson
Ward Music Director
Hymn 200
CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY
One of the best-loved of all Easter hymns, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" proclaims the great, central miracle of Christianity: that Jesus Christ, though dead, arose from the tomb, and that through this resurrection he conquered death on behalf of all mankind. The original hymn text, written by Charles Wesley and published in 1739, had no "alleluias"; they were added later with the use of this tune "EASTER HYMN". "Alleluia is a transcription of a Hebrew word meaning "praise ye the Lord" or "praise ye Jehovah". Among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this is probably the most popular of all Easter hymns and it's interesting to note that although Emma Smith included this text in her 1841 hymnal, for some reason it was dropped from Latter Day Saint hymnody until the 1948 hymnbook. Matthew 28:5-6 1 Corinthians 15:20, 53-57
Hymn 199
HE IS RISEN
This joyful hymn, with text written by Cecil Frances Alexander in 1846, is an Easter proclamation, announcing to the world that Jesus Christ has risen and that this miracle embraces all mankind! As the hymn states, "Death is conquered, man is free. / Christ has won the victory."
We find in the Book of Mormon; Mosiah 16:7-9:
"And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. He is the light and the life of the world; yea,a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea,and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death"
See also in the New Testament, Mark 16:6-7
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