Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are enjoying this wonderful conference weekend. What a wonderful opportunity to hear from our beloved leaders, and at the same time, to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. On this special weekend, we celebrate Easter. But what does the word Easter mean in relation to the miracle of Christ? Why do we call this marvelous time Easter? According to the Bible dictionary, the word Easter appears only once in the Bible (Acts 12:4). “The word Easter is from Eastre, a Norse goddess whose pagan festival was observed at the spring equinox” (Bible Dictionary). Now the word Easter is strongly connected with the holiday when we, Christians, celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. The correct translation for the word Easter, as it appears in the Bible, would actually be the ward Passover. “The Passover was instituted to commemorate the passing over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when God smote the firstborn of the Egyptians, and more generally the redemption from Egypt” (Bible Dictionary). I love the connection and symbolism between what happened in the original Passover, and what we are celebrating today. In reality, Jesus Christ is responsible for the ultimate Passover. Because of Jesus Christ’s atonement, all mankind are redeemed from death and from sin. This is enough reason for us to celebrate this wonderful deliverance. Because of Jesus Christ, we can rest assured that all unfairness, all wrongs, all pains, and all hurts will be made right with the Lord in the eternities. This may sound like an incredible promise, and one that it is hard for you and I to even comprehend. How can one find comfort and this promise when the reality is very different? How can we find peace through the atonement of Jesus Christ in the middle of great trials? In one occasion the original apostles of Jesus Christ were traveling via sea to meet with the Master. During their voyage they encountered a storm. As they were desperately working to stay afloat during the storm, they noticed a figure coming to them in the middle of the ocean. A person walking on the water! Confusion and terror fell upon the apostles. But then, they heard a call from a familiar voice: “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” What a wonderful miracle and demonstration of the Savior’s power. Peter then asked to come to meet the Lord, and he was granted permission to walk on water but then “when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:27, 30-31). At times in our lives, we may find ourselves in the middle of a storm. In those times let us muster all of our energy, all of our focus, and all of our strength to show faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. As we learn to show faith in him, we will begin to see his hands more abundantly in our lives. We will see that he has been with us the entire time even admit those storms. The Savior will always rescue us as he did with Peter. Let us not doubt Him. Please take some time today to ponder what Easter (Passover) really means to you. Share those feelings with your family and friends in person or on social media. Your testimony might be an answer to someone’s prayer today. We love you dear Washington Stake Family! Washington Stake Presidency President Emerson Carnavale
Stake President
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