SONG: ONE EARLY EASTER MORNING-Ralph Marryott (Choir Loft Choral Series) Choir and flute

Narr: Spring has once again returned. The trees are budding out in new shades of green, flowers are blooming, and the air is alive with freshness. On this beautiful Spring day, we celebrate the single most important event in the history of the world...the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Born in a stable, taught from on high, He provided the life, the light and the way. Multitudes followed Him, children flocked to Him, the haughty rejected Him. He healed the sick, He fed the spiritually hungry, He often spoke in parables. He lived a perfect life; He was a perfect example. He willingly went to Gethsemane and there, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell stated, "The cumulative weight of all mortal sins, past, present and future-pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul! All our infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of the Atonement." After a mockery of a trial, He was brutally nailed to a cross. He climbed to Calvary¹s hill, where, hung between two thieves, He died. His body was lovingly placed in a sepulcher.

SONG: GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD-John Stainer (The Choirbook)

Narr: On the third day, early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, went to the sepulcher and to their astonishment, found the stone had been rolled away and the body of Jesus was gone. They were told, by two men in shining garments, "He is not here, for he is risen."

SONG: HE IS NOT HERE-Crawford Gates (The Choirbook)

Narr: The greatest expression of God¹s love for us is his providing a Savior for those who sin; and who among us is without sin? The atonement of Christ and its offer of mercy is there for every one of us. The Lord says in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  We are all invited to come and partake, and become pure and worthy. Stephen E. Robinson says, "Atonement means taking two things that have become separated, estranged or incompatible, like a perfect God and an imperfect me or you, and bringing them together again, thus making the two be at one." Thus, through the atonement, the reconciliation, the "good news" of the gospel, though separated from God, there is a way we can become one with him again.

SONG: THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS-Shelley (Sing Unto God)

Narr: According to the plan of a loving Heavenly Father, who has blessed us with the gift of free agency and the right to determine our own destiny, we are also not left alone on uncharted waters. Our Elder Brother himself declared, "I am the way, the truth and the light." As we seek to follow that light, our lives gain purpose and direction, we find peace in a chaotic world, and we develop loving spirits, capable of interpreting the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The voices of little children say it best.

SONG: I'M TRYING TO BE LIKE JESUS (PRIMARY CHILDREN)- Perry, LDS Children's Songbook
I FEEL MY SAVIOR'S LOVE- Dayley, LDS Children's Songbook

Narr: The youth of this chosen generation face challenges unheard of in previous generations. No one will be left untried as we approach the Second Coming of our Savior. But, His love can heal, His love will lead us, and His love will endure through all things.

SONG: HIS LOVE-vocal duet-Tyler Castleton (Sharing the Light-Especially for Youth 1993)

Narr: The first Article of Faith states, "We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." This is a statement of faith. Is it possible that we may know that Jesus is the son of God, and yet, because of our own imperfections, feel that somehow the atonement does not apply to us? This same Jesus, who lived and died for us, clothes the lilies of the field, and will heal every single one of us who come unto him.

SONG: CONSIDER THE LILIES

Narr: In our search for Christ, we might follow the formula outlined by Pres. Thomas S. Monson:

Labor to learn
Strive to serve
Think to thank
Pause to pray

The prophet Jeremiah instructed, "...ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) And when we find Christ, what then? D & C 64:34 states, "Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind..."

SONG: COME UNTO CHRIST-Sally DeFord

Narr: On this beautiful Spring day, may we recommit ourselves to our Savior. May we rejoice in the "good news" of the Gospel and turn to Him with all our heart, might mind and strength.

SONG: HE IS RISEN (CHOIR AND CONGREGATION) Arr. by Dan Carter (Dan Carter Music)

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"The Seven Last Words of Christ" is my favorite for Easter.  It is a cantata that brings tears to your eyes and a warm feeling to your heart.  I think the publisher is Schirmer, and the composer is Theodore Dubois.

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There are several individual selections available for Easter on this site--see the Topical List.  All four of the cantatas available here are also suitable for Easter, though "I Stand All Amazed" is the only one in which the subject is exclusively Easter.  "Jesus, Once of Humble Birth" is the simplest.

A few individual numbers our choir has enjoyed: He Sent His Son (Gabbot/Moody)--One of my favorite children's songs.  Available as an SATB with children's choir along with a couple other versions.

This is the Christ (Faust/Moody)(To order sheet music for this song, go here and enter this is the Christ in the Title/Name search box.

For something different and interesting, you might take a look at an arrangement of the 14th century "Personet hodie" titled "Christ is Now Arisen," arranged by K. Lee Scott, published by Hinshaw Music. Though the melody is traditionally used at Christmas, this arrangement has English lyrics for Easter.  It includes organ accompaniment.

All of these can be ordered from www.daymurraymusic.com

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Easter Fireside
Theme: Because He Lives
Opening Hymn: 194 There is a green hill far away. (Traditional Tune)
Prayer by Invitation

Narrator:
The great plan of Salvation includes a mortal existence which all of our Heavenly Father’s children receives and is allowed to experience life on earth. During this life we are tested to see if we have faith in Him and His Son, Jesus Christ and prove ourselves obedient to all things He commands. We experience joy and sorrow, fulfilment and disappointment, success and failure. We will leave this life to enter an existence that we know nothing about except those things made known to us through the revelations from our Father in Heaven.

Jesus of Nazareth was born in a stable and cradled in a manger, but His humble birth fulfilled the promises of the prophets through the ages. He was our Heavenly Father’s Only Begotten in the flesh, born with a specific mission, to atone for the sins of mankind and give them the opportunity to return to Heavenly Father. Although He was reviled, persecuted and finally crucified on the cross, He accomplished those things He was sent to earth to do.

Choir- How Great the Wisdom and the Love

We all know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was lifted upon the cross, that He was pierced in the side, and that his life blood flowed from His body; He groaned upon the cross and gave up the Spirit; that His body was taken down, wrapped in clean linen and laid in a new sepulchre wherein the body of no man had ever been laid.

Sisters choir- All in the April evening

In the garden of Gethsemane the Saviour asked Peter, James and John to watch while He prayed but they could not and slept. He was alone, except for the angels who kept a silent watch, weeping silent tears.

Music - From the Corner of my eye

During His short ministry He provided direction to all mankind and a way for them to live again in the presence of God the Father. The culmination of His earthly ministry came three days after His death when He arose from His sepulchre with a resurrected, immortal body.

Congregation- 67 Glory to God on High

He came into the world clothed with double power: power to die, which He derived from His mother and power to resist death if He had so willed it, which He inherited from His Father. Thus He had power to live forever and also power to pass through the ordeal of death, that He might suffer it for all men, and come forth out of the grave to a newness of life - a resurrected being to be clothed with immortality and eternal life that all men might come forth out of the grave into life eternal, if they will obey Him.

Music - Nobody’s Perfect

Christ was the first fruits of the resurrection and because of it all men shall come forth from the grave by the power of God. One of the greatest statements of all time came from the angels who were in the sepulchre and spoke to Mary saying, “Why seek ye the living among the dead. He is not He is risen.”

Choir- He is risen

We will come forth out of the grave, when the trump shall sound, and these our bodies shall rise and our spirits shall enter into them again; and they shall become living souls, no more to be dissolved or separated, but to become inseparable, immortal, eternal. (JFS)

Congregation - 66 Rejoice the Lord is King

The bands of death were broken for all mankind at the time of Christ’s resurrection. Matthew 27: 52-53, “And the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many.”

Choir - The Resurrection and the Life.

The elements which compose this temporal body will not perish, will not cease to exist, but in the day of the resurrection these elements will come together again, bone to bone and flesh to flesh. As it is laid down so it will arise, and changes to perfection will come by the law of restitution. But the spirit will continue to expand and develop, and the body after the resurrection will develop to the full stature of man (JFS)

Duet -- How great thou art

The Book of Mormon tells us more about the state of resurrected body. Amulek taught in the Book of Alma 11 vs 43-44 “the spirit and the body shall be re-united again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its perfect frame…. Now this restoration shall came to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but everything shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now…

Choir - Jesus the very thought of Thee

What a glorious thought it is and it must be to all who have conceived of the truth or received it in their hearts that those from whom we have to part here, we will meet again and see as they are. We will meet the same identical beings that we associated with here in the flesh - not some other soul, some other being, or the same being in some other form, but the same identity and the same form and likeness.

Choir: All Hail the power of Jesu’s name

It is the purpose that men and women, His children, born to become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, shall be made perfect, physically as well as spiritually, through obedience to the law by which He has provided the means that perfection shall come to all His children. (JFS)

Choir - My Redeemer Lives (135)

President Joseph F. Smith said I cannot conceive of any more desirable thing than is vouchsafed for us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ - that though we die we shall live again, and though we die and dissolve into the native elements of which our tabernacles are composed, yet these elements will again be restored to each other and be recognised and will become again living souls just as the Saviour did before us; and His having done so made it possible for the rest of us.

Choir - Because He Lives

We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His divine, saving mission into the world, and in the redemption, the marvellous, glorious redemption that he wrought for the salvation of man. No other name under heaven is given but that of Jesus Christ, by which we can be saved in the kingdom of God

Congregation- 200 Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Closing Prayer by Invitation

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St. John 13:31-35, (Piano plays softly in background as announcer reads): Jesus said, Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said to the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Choir sings, “How Great The Wisdom And The Love”

St. Luke 22:39-44 And he came out and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Choir sings 1st, 2nd, 4th verses of “Mid The Stillness of The Night”

St. Matthew 27:29-31 Announcer reads And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Choir sings 1st verse of “No Greater Love Than This”

Matthew 27:57-60 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own tomb, which he had hewn out of the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the seuplchre, and departed.

Choir sings 2nd verse no 3rd verse

St. Matthew 28:1-8 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; And, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Choir sings “He Is Not Here” (Choirbook)

St. Matthew 28: 9,10,16-20 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All Hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee and there shall they see me.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen

Choir sings “In Him We Live”

THE END

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To view this program in MSWord format, click here.

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To view this program in MSWord format, click here.

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My favorite Easter program is called "Resurrecton Morning" which is available through Day Murray Music. The reason I love it is because of the various moods the music creates from thunder and lightning to glorious resurrection.

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