Stop Celebrating Easter

I've got nothing against plastic eggs or chocolate bunnies, and I definitely don't have a problem with families gathering to celebrate a holiday centered on something so sacred.

But we're doing it all wrong.

If you type "Easter" into Google, this is what you see:

It's cute, it's colorful,

And it's completely missing the point.

I love the Easter Bunny as much as the next guy, but we all know that Easter is about plastic eggs in the same way Christmas is about stockings by a fireplace:

It's not.

These holidays were created for one reason and one reason only.

Christ.

You may be saying "Duh, I know that."

Awesome. It's great that Easter is a time for you to think about Christ's Atonement and Crucifixion and Resurrection.

But we're still not quite there.

Think about skipping a rock on a pond.

Simple enough.

Ok, now what kind of rock was it?

How big was it? What color? What shape?

How many times did it skip?

Now you have so much more than an idea.

You have something a lot more real.

Now tell me how the rock felt in your hand.

Was it chalky? Slick?

Did it have divets that you grazed with your fingerprints?

Was there wind by that pond?

Did it pull at your hair, causing some of it to dance in your peripheral vision while you lined up the perfect shot?

Did you hear your sneakers crunch on the gravel as you pulled your arm through, ending with a flick of the wrist?

What sound did the rock make when it hit the water?

Was it a slap? A scuff? A delicate plop?

What did the ripples look like as they faded from the pond's surface?

Did they cause a nearby water lily to jostle on the small wave?

Did they intersect and blend together before disappearing?

Did you miss them when they were gone?

How real is that experience of skipping a rock on a pond to you now?

It's the same thing with Christ.

It's not enough to throw the terms Atonement and Crucifixion and Resurrection around on Easter.

As President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles said in this month's General Conference:

It's not enough to eat a big meal with family.

It's not enough to have lilies on the table or colored eggs in our fridge.

It's not even enough to smile on Easter and say "Jesus died for me," or "Jesus was resurrected."

We need to stop celebrating Easter

and start worshiping our Savior.

Make His life, His words, His actions, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, His promise of eternal life real for you.

Think of the roughness of the wood against His skin as he was forced onto the cross.

Think of the tenderness in His voice as He said Mary's name.

Think of how, amidst suffering more than we can ever comprehend, He thought of you and decided it was worth it.

Take the time today to remind yourself of why we have this holiday in the first place.

Read Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21, Mosiah 13-16, 2 Nephi 9-10, and 3 Nephi 9-11.

Pray to your Heavenly Father and express your gratitude for your Elder Brother who was willing to do so much for you so that you could see Him and your Father again.

Stop celebrating Easter.

Start coming to Christ.