Holy Week- Do Mormons celebrate/observe it or not?

[Notatbm]

I'm asking because it seems as if there is a shift towards adopting the traditions of the "whore of the World" Catholic church.

In the past few years we have started hearing about Palm Sunday and Holy Week at church where previously in my entire 50+ years in the church never heard either really mentioned or discussed other than to mock the false traditions of other apostate religions esp the Catholics. We definitely did not celebrate holy week as evidenced by the Mormon school teacher in Utah making a Catholic kid wash the ash wed cross off his forehead a few years ago. If we had, she would have known what it was. I grew up Mormon and until I got into the Army I had never seen anyone wearing the ash. I politely let someone know they had dirt on their forehead and got a real education at that moment.

"Joseph Smith claimed that he had seen both God the Father and Jesus Christ and asked these personages which church he should join. He claimed he was told to join none of them, “for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight” (Joseph Smith History 1:19)."

I checked church website and found conflicting info:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/easter?lang=eng

"Latter-day Saints conduct Easter Sunday services but do not follow the religious observances of Ash Wednesday, Lent, or Holy Week."

 

 

And then we are talking about this:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/easter/holy-week

 

So which is it? We do celebrate and recognize holy week or not? Seems as if the Church cannot figure out what the plan is.

Each new day is an opportunity to experience the joy and peace that are possible because of Him.

 

Grow Your Relationship with Jesus Christ during Holy Week

Each new day is an opportunity to experience the joy and peace that are possible because of Him.

Grow Your Relationship with Jesus Christ during Holy Week

Each new day is an opportunity to experience the joy and peace that are possible because of Him.

Edited March 6 by Notatbm
Added JS quote

[webbles]

I know of a few Latter-day saints who have done the more traditional Christian observations for Holy Week (Ash Wednesday, Lent, etc) buy they are rare.

Buy I don't see the conflict you see.  We don't observe Holy Week in the traditional sense of Lent, Good Friday, Ash Wednsday and the rest.  Calling it Holy Week is not the same as traditionally observing it.  There is quite a bit to the traditional observances which we don't do.

[Notatbm]

14 minutes ago, webbles said:

There is quite a bit to the traditional observances which we don't do.

The church website says they do not observe Holy Week. Not that we observe parts of it. It says it is not observed so that obviously means we don’t observe any of it. If that is the case, why is there discussion of it on the website? Why are we celebrating Easter? It is part of Holy Week. 

Edited March 7 by Notatbm

[rpn]

There are members who participate in Jewish Seders, carry crosses like some do to mimic what Jesus experienced.  We are free to celebrate however we  choose.  I can tell you that I've seen/heard of more sunrise services in the last five years.   We break the bread and water in the Sacrament every Sunday, not just on Easter.  And many of us do Easter Egg Hunts (usually not on Easter Sunday itself).   We are more prone to celebrate the Ressurection than the dying on the cross part (which was necessary but which doesn't/shouldn't eclipse the resurrection.

[rpn]

18 minutes ago, webbles said:

more traditional Christian observations for Holy Week (Ash Wednesday, Lent

none of which is scriptural but became part of the Catholic and thereafter other divergent faith participation over the years.

[webbles]

13 minutes ago, Notatbm said:

The church website says they do not observe Holy Week. Not that we observe parts of it. It says it is not observed so that obviously means we don’t observe any of it. If that is the case, why is there discussion of it on the website? Why are we celebrating Easter? It is part of Holy Week. 

I went to that link about Holy Week and I don't see it discussing Holy Week in the traditional sense.  It feels like you are trying to make mockery of what Holy Week is to traditional Christians.  It is a big week with things every day.  we don't do that.  We only do things on Sunday and barely that.  Our Easter Sunday meeting is nothing compared to services in other denominations.  We don't observe Holy Week.

[Calm]

50 minutes ago, Notatbm said:

The church website says they do not observe Holy Week. Not that we observe parts of it. It says it is not observed so that obviously means we don’t observe any of it. If that is the case, why is there discussion of it on the website? Why are we celebrating Easter? It is part of Holy Week. 

Are you bored?  Nothing to do?

It’s only obvious if you ignore the following sentences and the history of Easter observance in the Church.

We have always discussed the last week of Christ’s life heavily in church, had Easter lessons in our manuals (primary at least as I was always in there so wouldn’t know what was going on in adult classes), did Easter activities in Sharing time.  When I was a child I remember an Easter egg hunt at church on a Sunday.  I remember primary activities semireenacting the events of the last week, talks discussing visits to the Holy Land including retracing the Saviour’s last steps.  Church magazines focused on Easter for April as long as I can remember.

 To say we don’t celebrate Easter is ignoring all the evidence we do, imo.  

There is a relatively recent shift in language and emphasizing a Christ-centered Easter celebration in the last fifteen years or so and use of “Holy Week” is now showing up in conference though I found a Ensign article from 2009 using that term and a 1970s article talking about teaching about Christ for Easter rather than the Easter Bunny or thinking about new clothes (though we got Easter dresses as little girls in my family).

To say we shouldn’t celebrate Easter because we acknowledge we don’t follow the “religious observances” of other faiths for Holy Week, Lent, Ash Wednesday is bizarre to me.  Why can’t we have our own version of Holy Week?  Why are we banned in your mind from even using the term “Holy Week” or “Easter” to mark our observances, whatever they entail, because other faiths use those same labels and we state we don’t follow their religious observances?  By your interpretation, I wonder why you aren’t protesting our having the Sacrament each Sunday as that connects back into Holy Week/Last Supper and mirrors in some ways other faiths’ religious observances.

Do you really approach your life in such an all or nothing way, no overlaps allowed, even of labeling?  Do you insist on precise interpretations of everything you and others say, no unmentioned but generally understood details allowed?

Even in the talk you quote to justify this strange ban on all Easter observances or terms, immediately following the part you quoted it describes the typical LDS version of Easter celebrations, so the page you are using to support your premise does not support it:

Quote

Latter-day Saints conduct Easter Sunday services but do not follow the religious observances of Ash Wednesday, Lent, or Holy Week. Latter-day Saint Easter services traditionally review New Testament and Book of Mormon accounts of Christ’s crucifixion, His Resurrection, and surrounding events. For these services, chapels are often decorated with white lilies and other symbols of life. Ward choirs frequently present Easter cantatas, and congregations sing Easter hymns. As at services on other Sundays, the emblems of the sacrament are passed to the congregation.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/easter?lang=eng

Edited March 7 by Calm

[Pyreaux]

It is interesting that you’ve spent 50 years in the faith without realizing that celebrating the life of Christ isn't adopting the traditions of the world. You are conflating the creeds with the holidays we actually love to acknowledge but usually very reserved in how we observe it, if at all; Easter, Christmas, Trunk or Treat. Sometimes even a shout out to Hanukkah and Passover. The Church doesn't mandate Lenten fasting or the distribution of ashes, but it certainly encourages members to remember the Resurrection, in their own way; bunny, no bunny, whatever. There’s a massive difference between not following the religious observance and forbidding the recognition of the week.

Typical for a not-a-TBM to take the actions of a single uninformed teacher to define the attitude of the whole church. Ignorance of a ritual like Ash Wednesday doesn't negate the Church may still acknowledge the day. If you find it 'annoying' that a church is focusing on the final week of Jesus’s life, I think that says more about your desire for conflict than it does about any real concern about the purity of our theology.

Edited March 7 by Pyreaux

[Notatbm]

6 hours ago, webbles said:

I went to that link about Holy Week and I don't see it discussing Holy Week in the traditional sense.

exactly… website says to grow relationship with Christ during Holy Week. Ok well we don’t observe Holy Week (according to the church website) and it isn’t a Mormon tradition, why are we appropriating it  and then changing what it means or what it is? Why not call it something else? I’m thinking the church is just trying to get other Christians to look at us and go oh they celebrate Holy Week too. The problem is we really don’t celebrate Holy Week.

Why not call it Easter week or something. Anyone who compares the Mormon version with the rest of the world will see it isn’t even close. 

 

6 hours ago, webbles said:

It feels like you are trying to make mockery of what Holy Week is to traditional Christians.  It is a big week with things every day.  we don't do that.  We only do things on Sunday and barely that.  Our Easter Sunday meeting is nothing compared to services in other denominations.  We don't observe Holy Week

Im mocking the Mormon position of making a big deal of Holy Week. We don’t observe it, but now we are mentioning palm Sunday all over the place which really never happened and now all of a sudden we are hearing Holy Week mentioned ad infinitum. It is Mormons who are mocking Holy Week. They take the name of a tradition they never really celebrated, change it up to suit their own beliefs and then call it the same name. 
 

your last statement is correct- we don’t celebrate Holy Week. If that’s the case, why post Holy Week stuff on the web page? Makes no sense. Call it something else. All it is is rebranding and it’s not really all that honest. It is meant to convey the message to others we are just like them. We are not. 

[Notatbm]

6 hours ago, Calm said:

Are you bored?  Nothing to do?

wake up angry today? Believe it or not we can have a civil discussion without you being a jerk. Well at least I can. Try it you blood pressure will thank you. 

6 hours ago, Calm said:

We have always discussed the last week of Christ’s life heavily in church, had Easter lessons in our manuals (primary at least as I was always in there so wouldn’t know what was going on in adult classes), did Easter activities in Sharing time.  When I was a child I remember an Easter egg hunt at church on a Sunday.  I remember primary activities semireenacting the events of the last week, talks discussing visits to the Holy Land including retracing the Saviour’s last steps.  Church magazines focused on Easter for April as long as I can remember.

I never said we didn’t discuss that stuff. I said we don’t observe Holy Week. The church said that too if you read the quote. 

6 hours ago, Calm said:

 To say we don’t celebrate Easter is ignoring all the evidence we do, Imo

There is a relatively recent shift in language and emphasizing a Christ-centered Easter celebration in the last fifteen years or so and use of “Holy Week” is now showing up in conference though I found a Ensign article from 2009 using that term and a 1970s article talking about teaching about Christ for Easter rather than the Easter Bunny or thinking about new clothes (though we got Easter dresses as little girls in my family).

1- cfr where I said we don’t celebrate Easter. That is a straight up lie. I never said that 

2- yea recent shift in language. So you agree with me. 

6 hours ago, Calm said:

To say we shouldn’t celebrate Easter because we acknowledge we don’t follow the “religious observances” of other faiths for Holy Week, Lent, Ash Wednesday is bizarre to me.  

Why can’t we have our own version of Holy Week?  Why are we banned in your mind from even using the term “Holy Week” or “Easter” to mark our observances, whatever they entail, because other faiths use those same labels and we state we don’t follow their religious observances?  By your interpretation, I wonder why you aren’t protesting our having the Sacrament each Sunday as that connects back into Holy Week/Last Supper and mirrors in some ways other faiths’ religious observances.

Do you really approach your life in such an all or nothing way, no overlaps allowed, even of labeling?  Do you insist on precise interpretations of everything you and others say, no unmentioned but generally understood details allowed?

Even in the talk you quote to justify this strange ban on all Easter observances or terms, immediately following the part you quoted it describes the typical LDS version of Easter celebrations, so the page you are using to support your premise does not support it:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/easter?lang=eng

I didn’t say we shouldn’t celebrate Easter. I clearly asked why we celebrate it. It is the last day of Holy Week, which is not observed by the Mormon church. 
 

why not just celebrate Easter Sunday and leave out all the Holy Week talk? We don’t observe it right? 
 

so you want a Mormon Holy Week.. ok why not use a name that isn’t taken and then make up some new religious holiday? The church doesn’t like others using its name and will even sue over it, but they will co-opt some other denominations religious practice, change it all up but call it the same thing. Most likely to try and convince others Mormons are Christians too. Problem is no one is really convinced. 

 

[Notatbm]

https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/03/22/latter-day-saints-and-holy-week/

“Last year, “Holy Week” was used in a general conference for the first time, according to the corpus, by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder W. Mark Bassett, a General Authority Seventy. Both noted that Palm Sunday marked the start of Holy Week, using the term in a specific way. …

Just 21 years earlier, in 1992, the unofficial “Encyclopedia of Mormonism,” written by Latter-day Saint scholars, many of them BYU professors, stated that “Latter-day Saints conduct Easter Sunday services but do not follow the religious observances of Ash Wednesday, Lent or Holy Week.”

 

 

[Tony uk]

As a Catholic myself, with a high respect for LDS. I just wanted to contribute to this discussion. I am no expert in Theology or Doctrine of the Catholic Church, let alone any other Church.

 My understanding of the matter is as follows. The resurrection of Jesus took place on (Easter) Sunday. The early Christian leaders, took to breaking of the bread on this particular day, Sunday. So, as I understand, all Churches, have all continued with this particular practice. So when I hear it said, we do not follow as the Roman Catholics do, it would seem to me at least, that they do.

[Notatbm]

7 hours ago, Tony uk said:

 My understanding of the matter is as follows. The resurrection of Jesus took place on (Easter) Sunday. The early Christian leaders, took to breaking of the bread on this particular day, Sunday. So, as I understand, all Churches, have all continued with this particular practice. So when I hear it said, we do not follow as the Roman Catholics do, it would seem to me at least, that they do.

Hi Tony yes in some respects Mormons observe similar practices. Here is the difference: the Mormon church believes they are the only religion on the face of the earth with any authority actually from God… to include the Catholics. Everyone else is “playing church” according to a recent statement by an lds general authority.

 

as for Holy Week / Palm Sunday etc. this has never been a Mormon thing till just a few years ago. In fact in my lifetime I have seen various practices of different churches mocked in church meetings. Ash Wed used to get interesting commentary usually something along the lines of it being silly. 
 

anyway, this recent shift in the usage of Holy Week /Palm Sunday is just an effort to make the church look like the rest of Christianity. They want to be respected worldwide like the Catholic Church and others as if this will do it, but it won’t change things. 

[Tony uk]

Hi Notatbm

 I can, from my own perspective appreciate what you are saying. I think the similarities between RC Church and the LDS, is a phrase that is familiar to older RC Church attendees. The phrase being 'Meat on the Bones', this meaning doctrine and beliefs which are sustained by information. I think our two traditions meet that criteria.

I have found, at least in my own Church, a calling for adaption and change to fit the needs of others. And in a sense to modernise for the sake of modernisation. So I can appreciate where you are coming from.

Edited March 7 by Tony uk
Spelling error

[MustardSeed]

I see Tony already said my sentiments but I’ll speak anyway- 

While I find your approach and delivery distasteful, I agree that today’s church is vastly different than pre 2015 ish in many aspects- with no discussion, no acknowledgement , no segue.

It is jarring to me and feels at times gaslighty.  It turns me off. 

[bluebell]

1 hour ago, Notatbm said:

Everyone else is “playing church” according to a recent statement by an lds general authority.

 

 

That statement was made in 2022 during a church fireside and he got a lot of flak for the comment (and others he made during that talk) because it is not something the church teaches or most members believe.  He also was not a general authority.  He was a counselor in the YM's general presidency.  A leader for sure, but not a GA.

[Notatbm]

19 minutes ago, bluebell said:

That statement was made in 2022 during a church fireside and he got a lot of flak for the comment (and others he made during that talk) because it is not something the church teaches or most members believe.  He also was not a general authority.  He was a counselor in the YM's general presidency.  A leader for sure, but not a GA.

Oh my bad… he was a “general officer” in a position of very high influence with the youth… esp juvenile male priesthood holders. 

that said he did apologize, but only for the racist commentary. The church was cool with the rest of his diatribe. The whole playing church thing is not really all that controversial in Mormon circles. Mormons have forever maintained that no other churches ordinances are valid in the least and I think that was the point  Brad was making. In fact all other churches are an abomination and are in apostasy.

[Notatbm]

43 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

I see Tony already said my sentiments but I’ll speak anyway- 

While I find your approach and delivery distasteful, I agree that today’s church is vastly different than pre 2015 ish in many aspects- with no discussion, no acknowledgement , no segue.

It is jarring to me and feels at times gaslighty.  It turns me off. 

Yea kinda like the recent garment change to the wife beater style. Last year women who had exposed shoulders became pornography in the eyes of men  and now all of a sudden not.. using hot weather as an excuse. Not that I mind the change but just goes to show the standards are bs and in many respects  so are many of the leaders. 

[MustardSeed]

1 hour ago, Notatbm said:

Yea kinda like the recent garment change to the wife beater style. Last year women who had exposed shoulders became pornography in the eyes of men  and now all of a sudden not.. using hot weather as an excuse. Not that I mind the change but just goes to show the standards are bs and in many respects  so are many of the leaders. 

Like I said, I agree with the sentiment but your delivery is alienating. 

[bluebell]

2 hours ago, Notatbm said:

Oh my bad… he was a “general officer” in a position of very high influence with the youth… esp juvenile male priesthood holders. 

that said he did apologize, but only for the racist commentary. The church was cool with the rest of his diatribe. The whole playing church thing is not really all that controversial in Mormon circles. Mormons have forever maintained that no other churches ordinances are valid in the least and I think that was the point  Brad was making. In fact all other churches are an abomination and are in apostasy.

Exactly.  The embellishments and half truths that are are fond of throwing out there to try to make your points are your bad.  

[Notatbm]

46 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Exactly.  The embellishments and half truths that are are fond of throwing out there to try to make your points are your bad.  

So what am I lying about? Re the half truth comment. 

[bluebell]

On 3/7/2026 at 1:28 PM, Notatbm said:

So what am I lying about? Re the half truth comment. 

It's kind of your MO in your posts but as far as this thread is concerned, you implied that the church teaches or believes that the Catholic church is the "whore of all the earth" spoken of in the scriptures when we don't.  We have had leaders who associated the two in the distant past, but the church has refuted that.  You implied that the church believes that Everyone else is “playing church” according to a recent statement by an lds general authority when the church doesn't believe that, it wasn't said by a GA, was said in a fireside and not authoritatively, and many members of the church thought it was horrible that he said it.  You also stated that the counselors in the general YM's presidency are in a position of very high influence with the youth… esp juvenile male priesthood holders when they serve for about 3 years before they are replaced, are quickly forgotten, and most of us (active members and not) could not name more than 2-3 who served in that position over the last 20 years without having to look them up (and Wilcox would be one of the 2-3).  Same goes for those who served as the president.  They are leaders but I don't know that anyone would classify them as in a position of high influence.  They hardly ever even speak in General Conference.  You also implied that the church believes/teaches that all other churches are an abomination and we don't do that either.

I think those are enough examples in the four posts of yours that I've read in the thread.

[Calm]

36 minutes ago, bluebell said:

2-3 who served in that position over the last 20 years without having to look them up

I never knew who they were even when my son was in his teens. I may register now who they are if talked about on the board (but will forget who they are pretty quickly), but I never heard them referred to in church…I was in Primary or the library so that might have had something to do with it.  I will have to ask my son, who was very active in youth activity when young if he remembers any from that time or if they had influence on him in his view. Will also ask my grandson, who is 19 iirc.

I will have to ask my granddaughters about the female leaders as my daughter withdrew socially when she hit teens.  

None of my grandkids have ever mentioned such leaders around me, but that doesn’t mean much, lol.

There are people like Bytheway who wrote books and did the talk circuit and youth conferences, who had an impact on youth in the past in my experience…at least they talked about them and bought their CDs when I worked in the bookstore (privately owned, but similar to Deseretbook), I don’t know who the current ones are.  Many in the past didn’t hold church positions at that time. 

I assume with the internet options there are more opportunities to influence, whether they actually influence is another thing though. 

Edited March 8 by Calm

[JustAnAustralian]

 

1 hour ago, Calm said:

 but I never heard them referred to in church…

As a lifelong male church member (now well out of YM), I don't think I've ever been able to say who the general YM presidency were. Heck, it was only in the last decade or so that I really only paid attention to the fact that they actually existed.
When Brad was in there, that was about the only time I knew who one of them were, and that was purely because Brad was well known before being in that position.

[webbles]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

I never knew who they were even when my son was in his teens. I may register now who they are if talked about on the board (but will forget who they are pretty quickly), but I never heard them referred to in church…I was in Primary or the library so that might have had something to do with it.  I will have to ask my son, who was very active in youth activity when young if he remembers any from that time or if they had influence on him in his view. Will also ask my grandson, who is 19 iirc.

I will have to ask my granddaughters about the female leaders as my daughter withdrew socially when she hit teens.  

None of my grandkids have ever mentioned such leaders around me, but that doesn’t mean much, lol.

There are people like Bytheway who wrote books and did the talk circuit and youth conferences, who had an impact on youth in the past in my experience…at least they talked about them and bought their CDs when I worked in the bookstore (privately owned, but similar to Deseretbook), I don’t know who the current ones are.  Many in the past didn’t hold church positions at that time. 

I assume with the internet options there are more opportunities to influence, whether they actually influence is another thing though. 

I think those that talk at youth conferences probably have more impact than the General Young Men's Presidencies.  At least for me as a kid, I knew about those speakers more than I knew about the presidencies.  Wilcox is a mix of both.  He spoke at Especially for Youth conferences and similar and then was called to be a counselor in the Young Men's Presidency.  It would be like if Bytheway was called to the Young Men's presidency.

I also asked my sons if they knew who the Young Men's General Presidency and they weren't even aware they existed.  They knew of the ward presidency and the stake presidency but did not know anything about the general presidency.  I bet they might have heard some things from those men but nothing that stood out to them.