Friday, April 15, 2011

LDS Easter Program

I wrote the script to this LDS Easter program because I love Christ and I love the prophets and scriptures that testify of Him.  Although I included song suggestions, I did not include music.






The main speaker   speaks or reads the words of Christ.  This speaker, dressed in Sunday best, stands at the front, of the room at a podium during the speaking parts and sits during the music.
The Prophet speaks or reads the words of the prophets and sits at a table on one side of the main speaker, “writing” on a scroll while he speaks, or immediately thereafter.  The Narrator represents someone studying the scriptures and sits on the other side of the main speaker.  The Narrator  slowly and thoughtfully searches through and “reads” modern scriptures silently and ponders silently during other parts, and then reads out loud when it’s her turn to speak.

Opening Song:  “Jesus, Once of Humble Birth”

Main speaker:  Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world. . ..” (1 Ne. 1:13)
Narrator:  “And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.” (Luke 2:7)
Prophet”  (Looking up as if seeing the scene, and then looking down to write after speaking) “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  (John 1:29)

Choir:  “He Sent His Son”

Narrator:  “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. . .who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed. . .”
Prophet:  “And I. . .beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men.  And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted. . .And they were healed by the power of the lamb of God. . . ” (1 Ne. 11:31)
Main Speaker:  “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

Choir:  “As I Have Loved You”

Narrator:  “Then came the day of unleavened bread. . And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.   And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it unto them  (Luke 22: 7, 14, 19)
Main Speaker:  This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  This cup is the new testament in my blood, which was shed for you.   (Luke 22: 19, 20)
Prophet:  And the church did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. (Moroni 6:5,6)

“O God the Eternal Father”

Narrator: Then cometh Jesus unto a place called Gethsemane. . .” (Matt 26:36)  “. . .and kneeled down, and prayed. . .And being in agony he prayed more earnestly”:  and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”  (Luke 22:44)
Prophet:  “He took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” (see Matt 8:17)  “. . .he (took) upon him (our) infirmities that his bowels may be filled with mercy.  And he suffered that he may take upon him the sins of his people.  (see Alma 7:12-13)
Main speaker:  Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink--nevertheless, glory be to the father, and I partook”  (D&C 19:18-19)  “For behold I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.”   (D&C 19:16)

Choir:  “Reverently and Meekly Now”  vv. 1, 3-4

Narrator:  “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.”  (John 19:1)
Prophet:  “They scourge him, and he suffereth it.“  (1 Ne. 19:9)
Main Speaker:  “I gave my back to the smiters (Is. 50:6)
Narrator:  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand. . .and they . . .mocked him. . .and they spit on him.”  (Matt 27:29,30)
Main Speaker:  I hid not my face from shame and spitting.  (Is. 50:6)
Narrator:  “And they . . .took the reed and smote him on the head (Matt 27:30)  “ and others smote him with the palms of their hands.”
Prophet:  “And they smite him, and he suffereth it. . .because of his loving kindness and his longsuffering towards the children of men. “  (1Ne. 19:9)
Main Speaker:  “Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  (Matt.  5:39)
 “I gave my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.  (Is. 50:6)
Narrator:  “And when they were come to the place which was called Calvary, there they crucified him. . .”  (Luke 23:33)
Prophet:  “And the God of our fathers. . .yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself. . .as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up. . .and to be crucified.”  (1 Ne. 19:10)
Main Speaker:   “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, ye are my friends. . .”  “ . . I will not forget thee.  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”  (Is. 49:15)

Musical Number:  “Behold the Great Redeemer Die”

Narrator:  “And they took his body down, and wrapped it in linen and laid it in a sepulcher. . .”  (Luke 23:53)  “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher and they entered  in and found not the body of Jesus.  And . . .behold two men stood by them in shining garments. . .and they said. . .Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen.”
Prophet:  . . .there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.  (Mosiah 6:18)
Main Speaker:   “Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth.. .”  (3ne. 11:14)

Choir:  “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”

Prophet:  “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Narrator:  “”  (Heb 7:25) “Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Main Speaker:  “Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy son which was shed. . .wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren, that believe on my name that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.”

Closing Song:  “I Stand all Amazed”

7 comments:

  1. This format is really hard to read, but I know I read this before and absolutely loved it. I used your idea with the three different kinds of narrators for a scripture-based Christmas Sacrament Meeting program like this (but we didn't use the props). I would really like to see this done in our ward for Easter.

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  2. I fixed the format. Thanks, E!

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  3. This is perfect. Simple, beautiful! Thank you so much! I know it's been a while since you posted, just want you to know I will be using this program for a Saturday Easter Fireside. Thanks so much!

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  4. Wow, Heidi, I'm so excited that someone likes my program. Feel free to change anything you want. Have a happy Easter!

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  5. I'll be using parts of this for my program this year. Thanks for doing the "legwork" finding and compiling the scriptures!

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  6. As I Have Loved You, is one of my favorite hymns.

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  7. I love this... I have been struggling with preparing our Easter program... I'm thankful for your help.

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