Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday--the day that commemorates the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey's back, with the crowds laying palm fronds on the path before Him. And next week is Easter Sunday, the glorious day on which our Lord and Savior rose from the grave.

All my hopes for the future have roots in the events celebrated this week. All my desires for my family, all my dreams for happiness--they all come back to the Atonement. If it were not for Christ's sacrifice, I could never repent of the stupid things I do--and therefore I could never return to Father in Heaven, or be with my precious family again.

I don't have any specific memories of learning of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were taught to us bit by bit, line upon line even, from before I can remember. These lessons were woven into our ordinary lives so subtly--Family Home Evening lessons, discussions around the dinner table, car trips, visits to grandparents--that I don't remember even learning them. I just know.

Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day--these are important days. But they should not be the only time we think about the Atonement and Resurrection, nor the only time we teach our families about them. We deserve to spend more time than a few days a year dwelling on the miracle that makes all our happiness--present and future--possible.