He's not there, for He is risen

I don't know if I share my feelings about my religion enough on this blog. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also called Mormons. The Church is the central focus of my whole entire life. The principles that I am taught govern every choice I make and everything I do. It's because of my belief in the commandments of God that I don't drink alcohol or coffee, why I don't smoke or do drugs, why I don't participate in sexual activities outside of marriage.

The most important thing about my Church is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that He loves us so much that He suffered and died for us and that after three days He was risen again as a resurrected being. Because of His Atoning sacrifice, we all have the opportunity to be brought back into the presence of God and also become perfected, resurrected beings. We were sent to this Earth in order to gain stewardship of a body, and because of these carnal bodies, we are constantly exposed to intense trials, temptation and death. There is an adversary working as hard as he can to make us in bondage to our bodies through addiction and sin. But because God loves us, He sent His son to become our advocate with Him, and to help us become perfect. Perfection is a gradual process, but it is made possible because of Jesus Christ.

I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for my older brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. I, like everyone else, struggle with temptation and trials every day and the only thing that keeps me going is the understanding that even though I make mistakes daily, I can repent and try again the next day. Because of the Atonement, I can overcome the world and if I make all of the sacred covenants necessary for salvation and endure to the end, then someday I will be able to return to the presence of the God that I love.

These are my thoughts on this Easter Sunday. The most important thing about this holiday is not a focus on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, although that is always poignant and humbling. No, the most important thing to remember is that Jesus Christ overcame death and was resurrected, and because of that, we all can also overcome death and pain. What an amazing blessing! I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and I love Him so much. I believe in His Church and all that is associated with it. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter Sabbath.