The Real Meaning of Easter

I went to an amazing Relief Society meeting last night. The theme was "Come Unto Christ". Did you know that's an LDS term? It isn't used at all in the Bible, but is one of the last verses of the Book of Mormon.
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." - Moroni 10:32

One of the things that was brought up that I have really pondered on since hearing it is why we spend 6+ weeks every year celebrating the birth of the Savior (not even on his birthday, mind you), yet we are lucky if half of our Easter Sunday is spent celebrating the Risen Lord. Without Easter, we wouldn't have Christmas. It would be the equivalent of celebrating my birthday for 6 weeks (not that I'd complain, ha ha). However, if the events that we celebrate at Easter time hadn't occurred, Christmas would mean absolutely nothing. If Christ hadn't suffered in Gethsemane, been crucified on Golgotha and risen from death then we would have no hope beyond this life.

Because of this renewed passion for Easter, we are making some changes in our house. This year the Easter Bunny came a few weeks early. Next year he won't come at all. Instead we will do an egg hunt in darkness to remember the 3 days of darkness in the Americas after Christ was crucified. I have several activities to do with the kids in the 2 weeks before Easter and I will be doing the 14 Day Walk With Christ (found it on sugardoodle in the Easter Ideas section). I also have a goal to read Jesus The Christ by James E Talmage by next Easter.

Since my next few days are going to be busy, I wanted to share my testimony right now while I'm thinking about it.

I KNOW THAT MY SAVIOR LIVES AND THAT HE LOVES ME!!! I can't say this enough. I know that He was born in the most humble of circumstances, that He lived a perfect life being the perfect example. I know that as He took upon Himself the sins of the world in Gethsemane and bled from every pore that He felt every single pain that I've ever gone through or will go through. He understands me like no one else can. He suffered a death that was perfected to be disgustingly painful in order to satisfy a mob. However, the most miraculous part of it all is that on the third day He broke the bonds of death and was resurrected. I know that because He lives that I will be resurrected as well and that because He took my sins upon Himself that I have a chance to return to my Heavenly Father again someday. I know these things with every single part of me and I wish I could scream it to the world because it's the most amazing thing. I know that Jesus lives, I know that He loves me and I love Him.