Banners for Easter! - #greaterlove

*from* *churchofjesuschrist.org* *website*

Every three months President Quinn and I attend a Coordinating Council Meeting (CCM) led by our area seventy, Elder Wilson. I enjoy these four-hour meetings and always learn a lot. It also gives President Quinn and me the opportunity to visit with the local Church leaders about missionary efforts in our area.

This last Sunday the CCM met in the Peterson Lane Building in Santa Rosa. Among the agenda items was the topic of Easter. We were told the apostles and prophet would like to have Easter be a celebrated season, not just a weekend observance. On Feb.16, 2025 President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency stated, “Let us prepare for an Easter celebration of the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, culminating in His Resurrection, the most glorious event in history.” He went on to say, “We are encouraging individuals of any Christian faith around the world to solidify their Easter observance… teaching the profound meaning of the universal resurrection.”

*President Dallin H. Oaks - 1st Councilor in the First Presidency-Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.*

At the meeting I was super excited to learn about all the things the Church is doing to promote a season of Easter Celebration leading up to Easter Sunday on April 20th. The Church has chosen an Easter theme for 2025 which is “Greater Love.” I invite you to go to this Church website to get ideas on how to celebrate the Easter season. Click on this button.

Easter Resources

This site is full of Easer resources and ideas such as: videos, music, children’s activities and podcasts. It also offers notices of community events, concerts, and devotionals. The Church is also coordinating a social media campaign to share peoples’ testimonies of the Savior, using #greaterlove. This hash tag comes from the understanding we gain from the scripture in John 15:13 - “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

*Example of a meeting house with an Easter banner.*

As mission leaders, President Quinn and I were thrilled to learn at this meeting that our meeting houses around the world can put out a 4X8 foot banner inviting friends and neighbors to join us in worship on Easter Sunday. How wonderful it will be to gather people in our communities to worship together! Our missionaries will love the banner idea too! President Quinn and I are also discussing the best ways to celebrate the Easter Season with our missionaries to uplift them with Christ centered ideas and scripture reading.

As a mom and grammy, I am personally super excited to make Easter a sacred celebrated season for my family and not just a day of going to church, decorating easter eggs, hiding children’s baskets, and enjoying a meal with family and friends. These traditions are wonderful and are keepers, yet now I am thinking bigger and deeper coming up with new traditions. I am not talking about stressful obligations but soothing options, to help us reflect on the love the Savior has for each one of us. Easter is a time of renewal and rejoicing!

I look forward to worshipping and celebrating the Savior this Easter Season. I look forward to deepening my discipleship as I rely more on my Savior, Jesus Christ and His great atoning sacrifice for me! - Happy Easter Season!!

PS Who remembers the days of new Easter dresses, bonnets, gloves, purses, and shoes? This is me and three of my siblings in 1967

*Diane, Elaine, Rebecca, and Jean Hoole - Easter Sunday 1967*

Fun photos below. This week was our first of two interview weeks. We love visiting with our missionaries! They truly are awesome people! Here are a few photos from this week. Their smiles make me happy!! We’re looking forward to this coming week and visiting with our other four zones. Have a great week!

Banners for Easter! - #greaterlove

That was Then, This is Now - Missionary Standards

Honorably Returning - Home