Easter Week: Palm Sunday

Triumphal Entry by Harry Anderson

1   And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2   Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3   And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4   All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5   Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6   And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7   And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8   And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9   And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Matthew 21:1-11

Happy Palm Sunday! Today marks the beginning of the week leading up to Easter. Growing up in a family where my dad was a chaplain and my mom was a convert, I learned a lot about the various holidays observed by other Christian faiths leading up to Easter. And while we do not specifically celebrate it as Mormons, Palm Sunday has always been a wonderful one to me because this marks the day that Jesus entered into Jerusalem. His arrival sadly marked the beginning of events leading up to the Atonement and His Crucifixion, but it also meant that only days hence would He be resurrected and a great work brought to pass.

This week, I will be making daily posts of scriptures and thoughts leading up to Easter. This is indeed a most holy day and time, and I don't want us to miss it! Each day I will share with you three things: a reference for additional reading, a multimedia resource to enjoy, and an extension idea to use with children. I hope you enjoy!

TODAY'S FEATURES:

Watch


Read
I encourage you to print this article in the Friend. Even if you do not have children at home, it's one of the best, most concise summaries of the week leading up to Easter I've seen (and its visual design is appealing to both child and adult). Check it out!

Apply with Children

• Cut out palm leaves with green paper. Kids will love cutting the fringed edges.
• Read Mark 11:1-10 and act it out as you go. Kids will love being the donkey or spreading their coats to make a path on the floor.