Palm Sunday

To my daughter, 

                Today is Palm Sunday which marks the beginning of Easter week as we remember the final week of the Savior’s life and celebrate His resurrection. On Palm Sunday we remember the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem when the people welcomed Him with palm leaves. John recorded, “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (John 12:12-13). Matthew described the event this way: “And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 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” (Matthew 21:8-9). It must have been an incredible experience to be there that day. He rode into the city on a donkey, just as the Old Testament prophet Zechariah had prophesied, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). This was not just another time Jesus was coming into the city, but it was a fulfilment of prophecy and marked the beginning of the end of His mortal ministry. Elder Rasband spoke of Palm Sunday and encouraged us to likewise worship Him: “My heart and soul, like yours, longs to shout, ‘Hosanna to the Most High God.’ Though we do not stand at the gates of Jerusalem today with palms in our hands, the time will come when, as prophesied in Revelation, ‘a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, [will stand] before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.’” We can prepare for that future day by worshipping Him and celebrating Him today.

                President Nelson invited us as well to remember the Savior on Palm Sunday. He said, “Because of Jesus Christ, we celebrate Easter. And Easter is all about peace and hope. On this Palm Sunday, I invite you to make this coming week truly holy by remembering—not just the palms that were waved to honor the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem—but by remembering the palms of His hands. According to Isaiah, the Savior promised that He will never forget you saying, ‘Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.’” That gives us a double meaning of Palm Sunday—we can remember the palm leaves the people waved as well as His palms that the Roman soldiers pierced when they crucified Him. When the Savior was resurrected, He chose to keep those marks in His palms to show people that He had been raised up on the cross for them. When the Savior visited the Nephites after His resurrection, He said this to them: “Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world” (3 Nephi 11:14). Those prints of the nails were in His palms where He had been pierced. We can remember today what He did for us and look forward to the day when we too will be able to feel those prints of the nails in His hands and feet. President Nelson continued, “After all that Jesus Christ did for you, I invite you to do something this week to follow His teachings. You might make your prayers more earnest. You could forgive someone or help a friend in need. You can start today on a new spiritual quest.” I hope that you and I can do something more this week to remember the Savior as we prepare for Easter and celebrate His victory of death. 

Love,

Dad