Holy Week — Day by Day
The Triumphal Entry
Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
The streets of Jerusalem swelled with pilgrims arriving for Passover. Word spread quickly: the prophet from Galilee was coming. Jesus descended the Mount of Olives on a humble donkey, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Zechariah. The crowd erupted. They tore branches from the palm trees and spread their cloaks across His path, crying "Hosanna!"—a plea that means "Save us, we pray." In that moment, the promised Messiah presented Himself to His people, not as a conquering king on a war horse, but as the Prince of Peace. He wept over Jerusalem, knowing what lay ahead—both for the city and for Himself. Yet He rode forward, willing to give everything.
Lay a blanket or cloth on the floor and talk about what it would feel like to welcome the Savior. Have each family member share what they would say to Jesus if they saw Him today.
If Jesus rode into my life today, what would I lay at His feet? How can I welcome Him more fully into my heart this week?
Cleansing of the Temple
My house shall be called the house of prayer.
The morning after His triumphal entry, Jesus returned to the temple—the holiest place on earth, the house of His Father. But what He found grieved Him deeply. Merchants had turned the courts into a marketplace, exploiting the poor who came to worship. With righteous indignation, Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and drove out those who had corrupted sacred ground. "My house shall be called the house of prayer," He declared, "but ye have made it a den of thieves." This was not a moment of anger but of love—love for His Father's house, love for those who came seeking God but found only greed. After the merchants fled, the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Choose one area of your home or personal life to "cleanse" today—organize a space, let go of a grudge, or replace screen time with something uplifting.
What in my own life needs to be cleared away so that my heart can become a true house of prayer?
Jesus cleanses the temple and confronts those who have corrupted it. Watch free →
Teachings & Parables
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Tuesday was the longest day of teaching in the Savior's mortal ministry. He entered the temple courts and the people gathered around Him. The religious leaders challenged Him, trying to trap Him with questions about authority, taxes, and the law. Jesus answered each question with divine wisdom, then taught some of His most enduring parables. He told of ten virgins—five wise, five foolish—teaching us to be spiritually prepared. He spoke of talents entrusted to servants, showing that God expects us to develop and share the gifts He gives us. And in one of the most powerful passages in all of scripture, He taught that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned, we are serving Him. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
As a family, choose someone to serve this week—a neighbor, a friend, or someone in your ward. Make a plan together and carry it out.
Who is "the least of these" in my life? How can I see the Savior in the people around me and serve them with greater love?
Jesus teaches His most powerful parables and eternal truths in the temple. Watch free →
The Greatest Commandments
That ye love one another; as I have loved you.
As the week drew on, the tension in Jerusalem mounted. The chief priests plotted in secret, and Judas Iscariot went to them to negotiate the price of betrayal—thirty pieces of silver. But Jesus, knowing all that would come, continued to teach. A lawyer asked Him, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus answered with clarity that has echoed through the centuries: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." All of God's law, all the words of the prophets, hang on these two commandments. Love is not merely a suggestion in the gospel of Jesus Christ—it is the foundation of everything.
Write notes of love and appreciation to each family member. Place them on pillows or at the dinner table. Talk about how Christlike love changes our homes.
How does my love of God shape the way I treat the people I encounter every day?
Jesus teaches about the greatest commandments and prepares His disciples for what is coming. Watch free →
The Last Supper & Gethsemane
Not my will, but thine, be done.
As evening fell, Jesus gathered His twelve Apostles in an upper room for the Passover meal—a supper that would be their last together in mortality. He took bread, blessed it, and broke it, saying, "This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." He took the cup and said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Then the Creator of the universe knelt and washed the feet of His disciples, teaching them—and us—that true greatness is found in serving others. After the supper, He walked to the Garden of Gethsemane. There, beneath ancient olive trees, He fell to the ground and took upon Himself the weight of every sin, every sorrow, every pain ever experienced by any of God's children. He bled from every pore. An angel came to strengthen Him. "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." He suffered all so that we would never have to suffer alone.
Hold a special family dinner. Break bread together and talk about what the sacrament means to each of you. Discuss how to "watch and pray" as Jesus asked the Apostles to do.
Jesus instituted the sacrament so we would always remember Him. How can I partake more meaningfully and carry His spirit throughout my week?
The Last Supper, the washing of feet, and the agony of Gethsemane brought to life in stunning detail. Watch free →
The Crucifixion
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
In the dark hours before dawn, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss, arrested, and dragged before the Sanhedrin. He was struck, spat upon, and mocked. Pilate found no fault in Him but yielded to the crowd's fury. Roman soldiers scourged Him, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head, and led Him through the streets to Golgotha—the Place of the Skull. There they nailed Him to the cross. Even as the nails pierced His flesh, His first words were of mercy: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." From the cross He ensured His mother's care, comforted a repentant thief with the promise of paradise, and bore the incomprehensible weight of divine justice and infinite mercy meeting in one person. Darkness covered the land. At last He cried, "It is finished," and gave up His life. The veil of the temple was rent in two. The earth shook. The Son of God was dead—but His sacrifice had opened the way for all of us to return to our Father.
Spend time in quiet reflection as a family. Consider fasting together or holding a period of silence. Read the crucifixion account aloud and bear testimony of the Savior's sacrifice.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of forgiveness and selfless love. Who in my life needs my forgiveness? What burden can I lay at the foot of His cross?
Season 6 will cover the Crucifixion, arriving on Prime Video in fall 2026 with a theatrical finale in spring 2027. Watch free →
The Tomb & the Waiting
Be still, and know that I am God.
The Sabbath dawned in silence. Jesus's body lay in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, sealed behind a great stone and guarded by Roman soldiers. His followers huddled together in grief, their hope seemingly buried with Him. The world had never known a darker hour. Yet even in that stillness, something extraordinary was happening. While His body rested, the Savior's spirit entered the world of spirits and organized the preaching of the gospel to those who had died without hearing it—extending His infinite reach beyond the veil of death itself. For His disciples on that quiet Saturday, there was only waiting—the hardest kind of faith. There are seasons in every life like this Saturday: when prayers seem unanswered, when the future is uncertain, when we cannot see the dawn. But Sunday was coming. It always does.
Prepare for Easter Sunday. Set the table for a special meal, prepare Easter baskets with a Christ-centered focus, and share what you've learned this week. Write in your journal.
When has the Savior helped me find hope during difficult, uncertain times? How can I trust Him in my own seasons of waiting?
He Is Risen!
He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.
Very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene and other faithful women came to the tomb carrying spices to anoint their Lord's body. But the stone had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. An angel in brilliant white sat where the body had been and spoke the most glorious words ever uttered: "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Mary, weeping in the garden, heard a familiar voice speak her name: "Mary." She turned and saw the risen Christ. "Rabboni!"—Master! He was alive. In the days that followed, Jesus appeared to His Apostles, walked with disciples on the road to Emmaus, and invited Thomas to touch the prints in His hands and side. Across the ocean, the people of the Book of Mormon heard His voice descend from heaven and He appeared to them, inviting each one to come forward and feel the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. Because He lives, every grave will one day be opened. Because He lives, every sorrow will be swallowed up in joy. Because He lives, we too shall live.
Begin Easter morning by reading the Resurrection account together. Bear testimonies as a family. Attend church services. Celebrate with joy—He is risen indeed!
What does the Resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to me personally? How does knowing He lives change the way I face each day?
Celebrate Easter by starting (or rewatching) The Chosen from Season 1. All seasons are free on the app and at TheChosen.tv. Watch free →
Official Church Study Resources
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers beautiful resources to deepen your Holy Week experience.