Revisiting Holy Week: An Immersive Easter Experience in Phoenix

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This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.

By Sophie Runyan, Church News

Named after a Native American birdlike weather spirit, the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake members transformed their meetinghouse into a deeply spiritual experience this Easter season.

Member volunteers guided visitors through an immersive Easter presentation called “Risen.” For four days, this Holy Week walk brought the Spirit and understanding to attendees as they learned about the Savior, Jesus Christ, in this relatively new annual tradition.

The Thunderbird Park Stake members made it their goal to transform their standardized meetinghouse’s classrooms into the path of the Savior during His final week on Earth. With improvements from the previous year, plants, furniture, wallpapers, lighting, soundscapes and props decorated the rooms to match the life event assigned to that portion of the meetinghouse.

Watch the walkthrough below.

In keeping with the underlying theme of walking in the Savior’s shoes, the presentation ended with a view of the adjacent Phoenix Arizona Temple. President Christopher Keith Dennis, newly called Thunderbird Park Stake president, remarked on that part of the “Risen” Easter event. “There were many with tear-filled eyes as the attendees were touched by the experience, which helped them feel Christ’s love and sacrifice for them.”

This Easter presentation touched the participants and volunteers. Sister Jalynn Baird, a service missionary at the Phoenix temple, said she felt “a sacred privilege to be a part of such consecrated efforts.”

Being in a position to see some attendees, Sister Baird summarized these recurring reactions: “Tears of appreciation. Visual displays of hope. Incredible and uncompromising respect.”

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Families at the Phoenix Arizona Thunderbird Park Stake Easter event ‘Risen’ stand in a room with displays of the resurrected Savior all around them. This event — shown here from April 12, 2025 — guided visitors from room to room to learn and contemplate about the Savior’s life. Photo by Jeremy DeBry, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.

“The spirit felt throughout the experience brought us closer to the Savior and helped our members and community understand the great blessings that come through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Brock Grayson, a stake high councilor said. “Because of Him the best is yet to come. He is Risen.”

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Revisiting Holy Week: An Immersive Easter Experience in Phoenix

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