Garden Tomb

April 3–9

Easter

“O Grave, Where Is Thy Victory?”

As you prepare to teach this week, consider how your class’s discussion on Easter Sunday can build faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

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Invite Sharing

Ask class members how they would respond to questions like “What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ?” and “How can I receive the blessings of Christ’s Atonement?” Invite them to share any scriptures they read this week that help answer these questions.

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Teach the Doctrine

Jesus Christ delivers us from sin and death, strengthens us in our weaknesses, and comforts us in our trials.

• Do your class members understand that Jesus comforts us in our trials and strengthens us in our weaknesses, as well as delivering us from sin and death? One way to help them discover these principles could be to write these words on the board: Sin, Death, Trials, Weaknesses. Each class member could read one of the scriptures listed in “Additional Resources” and ponder how the Savior helps us overcome or endure these things. Class members could then write what they learn from these scriptures under each heading and share their testimony of the Savior and His Atonement.

  Jesus on cross

  Crucifixion, by Louise Parker

• Perhaps a simple object lesson could help illustrate the difference between being cleansed from sin and being perfected: You could write on the board the first few lines from Moroni 10:32, but include spelling or grammatical errors. Then invite a class member to erase (but not correct) the errors. Did this solve the problem? What lessons do we learn from this scripture and this object lesson about the effect the Savior’s Atonement can have on us? This statement from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf might also help: “If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him” (“The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 108).

• Stories and analogies can help us better understand Christ’s Atonement. You may want to share a story or analogy from one of the general conference messages in “Additional Resources.” Or you could watch together “Handel’s Messiah: Debtor’s Prison” (video), ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and discuss how Jesus Christ’s Atonement frees us from our prisons. Class members could then share any thoughts or feelings they have about the Savior and His Atonement for us.

Matthew 28:1–10; Luke 24:13–35; John 20:1–29; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, 55–58

Witnesses in the New Testament bore testimony that Jesus Christ conquered death.

• Consider reviewing the scriptural account of the first Easter—the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. You could invite a class member to retell the story in his or her own words (see John 20:1–17). You could also show a Bible video, such as “He Is Risen” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

• Perhaps your class would gain deeper understanding of the importance of the witnesses of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection if they imagine they are lawyers or news reporters investigating the claim that Christ was resurrected. Invite them to find people in the scriptures who could serve as witnesses (see Matthew 28:1–10; Luke 24:13–35; John 20:19–29; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, 55–58). They could even write a brief summary of what these people might say when testifying in court or when being interviewed for a news report.

• One way to deepen our appreciation for the Savior’s Resurrection is to think about how we would explain our beliefs to others. How would class members share their testimonies of Jesus Christ in the following situations: a family member has been diagnosed with a serious illness; a friend has lost a loved one; a neighbor asks why you celebrate Easter. Encourage them to refer to the scriptures (such as those in “Additional Resources”) as they plan their responses. Invite a few class members to share their thoughts.

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Additional Resources

Scriptures about the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection.

• Isaiah 25:8; 53:3–6

• John 20:11–17

• Romans 8:31–39

• 2 Nephi 9:5–12

• Mosiah 3:5–10

• Alma 7:10–14; 11:42–44

• 3 Nephi 11:8–17; 27:13–20

• Moroni 7:41

• Doctrine and Covenants 19:15–19

Messages about the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection.

• Dale G. Renlund, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 41–44

• Gerrit W. Gong, “Good Shepherd, Lamb of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 97–100

• Sharon Eubank, “Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 73–76

• Cristina B. Franco, “The Healing Power of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 60–62

Improving Our Teaching

Be an instrument of the Spirit. “Your purpose as a teacher is not to make an impressive presentation but rather to help others receive the influence of the Holy Ghost, who is the true teacher” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 10).