FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Question: Why don't Mormons observe Palm Sunday like many other Christian religions?
Question: Why don't Latter-day Saints observe Palm Sunday like many other Christian religions?
Palm Sunday is observed on the Sunday before Easter, when the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is celebrated in many Christian churches
Palm Sunday is observed on the Sunday before Easter, when many Christian churches celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Many Christians celebrate this as a particularly special day, even to the point of waving palm fronds or other tree branches, whereas Latter-day Saints do not typically observe the event beyond holding their normal Sunday meetings. According to the Gospel of John:
12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 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)
At some point some or many Christians got into the habit of teaching the story of Jesus with what is called a "liturgical calendar"
At some point some or many Christians got into the habit of teaching the story of Jesus with what is called a "liturgical calendar," in which an extra observance of an event related to Christ's ministry is made by the way the Eucharist or Mass is conducted by many Christians. The reason for this liturgical celebration done by the Roman Catholic Church in Latin until recently, was to teach the message found especially the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) to their followers. But the traditional liturgical worship pattern is not set out in the New Testament. It is not biblical but a tradition growing out of piety and necessity.
The liturgical calendar was created by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Holidays, feast days, and other celebrations were created by these churches to teach the Middle Ages Christians about events described in the Bible which most followers did not have access to or read themselves. The Cathedrals of this time period were also filled with paintings, bas reliefs, and statues for this same purpose. If you look up "Liturgical Year" in Wikipedia, you’ll see many feasts and holidays which celebrated the following events:
- Nativity of Christ
- Epiphany of Christ
- Resurrection of Christ
- Pentecost
- Transfiguration of Christ
- Crucifixion of Christ
Latter-day Saints observe Christ's atonement by partaking of the Sacrament every Sunday, rather than observing events on the liturgical calendar
The central portion of Latter-day Saint public worship is "administering the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church," which is done "according to the commandments of Christ." In the past this was done by the "elders and priests" who "kneel down" and sanctify (the Greek word means to make "holy") first the bread (an emblem standing for the body of Jesus Christ), and then the wine (changed to water or some liquid that can be safely consumed, since the emblems are not the actual flesh and blood of the Lord), which is done so that the Saints so that they will eat it in remembrance of the body of the Lord, and also will signify that they are willing to take upon themselves his name, and remember him, and keep his commandments, so that "they may always have his Spirit with them." Then the Saints drink a bit of water in remembrance of his spilled blood on our behalf. This is done as a covenant renewal on most Sabbath days.
Latter-day Saints stress the constant renewal of their covenants
The difference with many others who are Christians is that Latter-day Saints stress covenants and hence also frequent covenant renewal of their covenants, which Christians generally do not think in terms of having made a covenant and of keeping the terms of this covenant with God in which Latter-day Saints agree to take upon themselves his name and keep his commandments and thereby having his Spirit with them always as the means whereby they are purged, cleansed, perfected, sanctified and hence made holy and hence ready to be judged by their works, have Jesus Christ as their Advocate, who in the final judgment will testify that he has extended his mercy to them and therefore they have become sanctified Saints and hence can and should be declared justified by their deeds (and not merely by their often vain words) and allowed into the presence of the Father having been by the mercy of the Lord forgiven of their sins and made fully holy.
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