Why Mormons Should Celebrate Holy Week
By Sunstone Magazine on Mar 16, 2008
The week between Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his triumphant resurrection from the dead is the most significant week in human history. Beginning with the early church, Christians celebrated the events of this week and for two millenia they have been the focus of annual celebrations of what has been called the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Beginning with Palm Sunday and moving through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, Christians throughout the world mark the last great events in Christ’s life. All of these holy days lead us to the great drama of Easter Sunday when the angel rolled back the stone from the tomb and said to his disciples, ‘He is not here, for he is risen.”
Latter-day Saints celebrate the last of these holy days, but not the others, and yet there is no doctrinal reason why we cannot join with other Christians in offering our devotions throughout this week. This presentation offers an historical overview of Holy Week and presents the case that Latter-day Saints, especially with the Church’s new emphasis on being the Church of Jesus Christ, should join with other Christians in making this an annual holy festival.
From the 2001 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium, August 10, 2001
Paper: Robert A. Rees
Respondent: Kathleen Flake
Additional Notes:
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought published a version of Robert’s paper in Volume 37, Number 3, Fall 2004.
The painting, “Entry into Jerusalem” is by Duccio di Buoninsegna. It is a tempera on wood, created in the first decade of the fourteenth century.
The MP3 has a 10 second blank section at time mark 43:57. Stick with it, it comes back. There is also a short section with some feedback at 25 minutes in, and another during Kathleen’s remarks. They are short.
Finally, for a sample of Bach’s Mass in B Minor referenced in the session, see Magnatune.com. Thanks to Kristine Haglund for pointing me in the direction of this link.
Rory | Mar 16, 2008 | Reply
Bob Rees’s timely reminder reminded me of an experience two years ago. I attended Good Friday services at the local Christian Church and was deeply moved by their annual solemnity as participants silently brought their lists of sins or burdens, nailed them on the wooden cross lying near the chapel podium and silently left.
From that solemn atmosphere I drove to the local LDS ward to deliver something to a friend attending a local ward function the same evening and vastly different from what I had just left. I was not prepared for the shock I felt to the contemplative state I’d brought with me when I encountered a wedding reception with dancing and merry making. I completed my errand as quickly as possible and left. Even now I cannot express my surprise and dismay and my disappointment at being unable to regain the earlier contemplative state.
I felt sorrow not only for myself, but for those of my culture who seemed generally oblivious to missing the transformational experience shared that day by believing Christians.
Eugene Kovalenko | Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
I believe that we, as Mormons, should most definately use this week to reflect on the Saviours week leading up to His death on the cross. There is much to be learned there.. Much about forgiveness, humility, sacrifice, and reconciliation. We need to observe this week as sacred and should probably participate in the Lent Fast as well. Sure we fast one Sunday each month, but fasting for fourty days. You know giving up something and focusing on what we need to improve upon in our spirituality would do all of us some good. All these things bring to remembrence the fact that Christ died (Good Friday), and was raised from the dead..We do an alright job with Easter Sunday I guess..More during Holy Week would be great..1Love
Monte | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
Sure, why not adopt the cross or pray the rosary? I grew up with all that stuff. All the so called Christian piety that most of Christendom engagesc in the week before Easter is a farce! Better than trying to be like the so called “Christians”, why not celebrate Passover as commanded in the Bible. The first Christians celebrated as was their cusdtom since most were Jewish-Christians. It was the Pagan Constantine who in an effort to get away from Jewish customs encouraged Christians to celebrate the events recalling the crucifixion and resurrection on a Sunday (named after a Pagan goddess). Instead of rushing ot embrace the pagan practices of Christendom (read the Great Apostasy0 let us go back to scripture and live as the first Christians did following the directives of scripture not popular customs.
Andrew Hardwick | Apr 17, 2008 | Reply