As springy weather returns we are reminded that Easter is on its way.  And as with most holidays there is a very commercial side to Easter.  I wondered if perhaps the commercial elements of the holiday had any religious symbolism.   After doing a little research I have found that they do.  The Bunny or hare is a symbol of fertility – new life.  The same holds true for the yellow chick that we see usually made of marshmallow fluff.  Easter is celebrated in the Spring, the season of renewal.  After the long winter, signs of new life are emerging at this time of year.  But the most symbolic is the Easter egg.  The hard shell is symbolic of death and the tomb and then when it is cracked open we have new life in the birth of a baby chicken.

Jesus Christ atoned for all of our sins and was crucified in the spring.  But more importantly he was resurrected three days later.  He made new life and eternal life possible for everyone and that is the real crux of the Easter Holiday.  It is that sacrifice that we should keep in mind as we are munching on chocolates and jelly beans.  And perhaps we should renew our commitment to living a Christ-like life as well.

I once read the story of a teacher and the assignment that reminded her of Easter’s real meaning. She gave each of her students an empty plastic Easter egg and told them to bring it back filled with something that symbolized new life.  The next day the students piled their eggs on her desk and one by one she opened them to reveal all kinds of things.  Then she open one egg and there was nothing in it.  It was from a little boy who had several disabilities, both mental and physical.  The teacher thought he hadn’t understood the assignment and tried to gloss it over.  But he stopped her and said that his egg was empty like Jesus’ tomb and that meant new life for everyone.

As I think of this Easter season I am reminded of the great plan of salvation.  How grateful I am that God thought of everything and that His son, Jesus Christ, was willing to atone for our sins and make it possible for all of us to be together again with each other and with our Father in Heaven.  Happy Easter!

It’s Conference time again and I’m looking forward to it. General Conference was held long before it was broadcast all over the world. The Book of Mormon tells us of one such conference in the book of Mosiah. King Benjamin wanted to address all his people. He called them all together at the temple. But the crowds were so big that they built a tower where he could stand and speak so that all could hear. But even that wasn’t enough, so he had people write down his words as he spoke and run it to those farther away so that they too could hear his words. I guess you could say it was the first Conference edition of the Ensign.

The prophet’s words back then were so important that King Benjamin went to all the trouble he did for the people to hear him. In our day and age, the Prophet’s words are no less important. With all the things happening today, we need to hear the word of the Lord more than ever. In conferences not too long passed we have heard the Brethren admonish us to get out of debt. This was long before our present economic conditions existed. These men are prophets, seers and revelators. They counsel us on how to prepare. And we have every opportunity to hear their words in far more comfortable surroundings than did Benjamin’s people. In some cases, the Saints can go to air conditioned or heated chapels and sit on soft seats (if you get there early enough). And those of us in Utah can even sit at home and watch from the comfort of our couches in our pajamas. Still others can log on to the Church website and watch there.

When King Benjamin’s people came to hear him speak, many had to journey from far away. They prepared for the journey and for the conference they were to hear. We should prepare as well and in doing so, I think we can have an even more meaningful experience. One of the things I do is to pray for all those who will speak a couple weeks ahead of time. I pray that they might be inspired to say the things the Lord would have them say and that we the listeners might have open hearts and ears to hear it. As you sit down to watch Conference, be sure your environment, be it a church pew, comfy sofa or in front of your computer, is free from distractions. Some like to have a notebook or a laptop or other digital device handy to take notes. I once heard a man say that he took note of how he was feeling and impressions he received rather than taking notes on what the speakers were saying. And pay attention to all the parts of conference, not just the talks. You never know when someone you know will be called as a General Authority. It’s happened to me twice. Once was while on my mission and it was my mission president who received the calling!

Get the whole family involved. When I was younger, my dad would ask each of us kids to pick a talk or two to report on in family home evening. We all wanted Pres. Monson because he told all those great stories. I even saw a General Conference Bingo game to help kids pay attention – i.e when a speaker says ‘temple,’ mark that square. Others make the whole weekend into a real event, a special affair by having a special meal between sessions, gathering all the male relatives to attend Priesthood Session, and going out for the obligatory ice cream afterward. I’ve heard of families who use conference weekend as a time to rotate the food in their 72 hour kits. And lastly, after conference is over, take the time to reflect on what you’ve heard and then apply it to your life.

It was March 17, 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois and the time had come to organize the women of the church. Twenty women met that first day. The Prophet Joseph Smith called the organization “a select Society separate from all the evils of the world, choice, virtuous, and holy.” The women met together often and looked for opportunities to help and serve others. They fed, clothed, and housed the needy. They collected donations, took care of the temple workers, etc. In short, they truly lived the Relief Society motto. “Charity Never Faileth.”

I try to imagine what that day must have been like. Sitting in the room waiting for the meeting to begin, wearing long skirts in the humidity of that swampy area. I can hear flies and sisters buzzing with excitement. Then Brother Joseph steps to the front of the room and begins to speak. There are many times in my lifetime so far that I remember modern prophets stepping up to the pulpit with some exciting announcement and many times it is given to the women of the church first. I was watching the General Women’s Broadcast in the Marriott Center at BYU when President Hinckley first read The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It was no less exciting and important then when Joseph Smith founded an organization of sisterhood.

Like that beginning, sisters go about today, quietly serving and helping those around us–giving relief to those who need it, saying hi to one another and promoting a system of support and friendship.

So, Happy Birthday, Relief Society!

As I watched the Olympics these past couple of weeks, I found myself cheering for different athletes and not all of them from my country.  I was watching long track speed skating and there was an athlete from a country where speed skating is as huge there as baseball and football are here.  He was under tremendous pressure to win.  In fact the power company was offering a certain amount of discount for every gold medal he won to the people back home.  I cheered harder for him than the US athletes and was thrilled when he won.  Many times during the games, tears came to my eyes as athletes’ dreams were realized.  It didn’t matter what athletes and where they were from.  I was reminded of the Book of Mormon scripture found in 4^th Nephi 1:17.

“There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.”

In the past they have always asked that the nations of the world observe an Olympic truce – having no wars or the like during the time of the games. It is a time where we can get a peek at what a Zion people could be.  In Gospel Doctrine this year we are studying the Old Testament.  Recently we had a lesson on the City of Enoch.  It’s the same idea.  They were so righteous and had no class system between them.  Everyone shared and no one was put down or elevated.

Yes, in the games there are winners of the various medals.  But to me, it was just as impressive to see an athlete finish a race or even just to get to the Olympics in the first place as it was to celebrate those who made it to the medal podium.  Sometimes I found the stories the media put together about the athletes’ lives far more interesting and enjoyable than the actual competition. It helped me to relate to the person competing and made the victory mean more.

Are there things we can do in our daily lives to maintain that unified, no-ites feeling in between Olympic Games?  I think so. It’s all about keeping an eternal perspective and remembering that everyone is our brother or sister, and then treating each other accordingly.  If we could do that, there would be less road rage. Crime rates would go down.  Maybe even the number of people who take their own lives would lessen.  People would feel loved and appreciated and of worth.  In the eyes of Heavenly Father, we are all Gold Medalists and the great thing is we don’t have to compete with anyone else to win.  So, let’s treat everyone we meet as though they’ve won Gold, not necessarily with the parade many returning athletes will get, but with simple kindness and courtesy.