The First Presidency and other Apostles have recently counseled Church members to celebrate Easter with more intention.
Last year, a stake in California accepted this invitation with fervor. And this year, they’re doing it again.
Amber Pollei, a member of her stake’s communications council, volunteered to organize the stake Easter event in 2025. Keeping the First Presidency’s challenge in mind, she envisioned a project that would bridge faith communities and unite the members of her newly organized stake, all with an emphasis on Jesus Christ.
“I felt very impressed that it had to be something like a guided tour of Christ’s last week,” she says.
So, at the beginning of 2025, Amber and her co-chair, John Moody, set out to work on an immersive walk-through experience they titled “A Walk with Christ.”
They expected a few hundred visitors. But Amber and her committee were shocked when 1,200 people arrived on opening night last April. And the second night, 1,500.
“It’s not something I can talk about without getting emotional,” Amber says. “It was such a powerful experience for me to witness firsthand so many people be touched by not only Jesus Christ’s story but His immense sacrifice and love for His people.”
Read on to learn how the event was organized and what scenes were featured in the walk-through. You might find inspiration on how your own ward or stake can celebrate the Easter season. Keep in mind that this is just one of many ways to intentionally honor the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
How the Event Was Organized
In the months preceding “A Walk with Christ,” two team captains were assigned to each room of the local church building. Following Amber’s artistic direction, they were tasked with creating scenes from the last week of Jesus’s life.
“We wanted to turn our church into Old Jerusalem,” Amber says.
The finished product rendered the inside of the building unrecognizable. Only battery-operated lamplight and candlelight were used, and each room was decorated from top to bottom to make visitors feel like they’d traveled back in time.
“You couldn’t tell that you’d just walked into a classroom. It truly felt like you were there,” Amber recalls.
To spread the word about the event, the stake communications director, Corrine Stokoe, posted information on ward and stake Instagram accounts. Banners were also put up in front of church buildings and, as the event drew nearer, stake members did their best to share the news with friends.
The youth of the stake dressed in biblical costumes and guided the visitors through the rooms in groups of 12–20 people. Each scene lasted about three minutes and featured Christ-centered music, as well as acting and narration from volunteers in the stake. Some clips from the Church’s Bible Videos were used to portray Christ.
The Rooms of “A Walk with Christ”
The experience was comprised of eight rooms, with a series of small connecting scenes between rooms. Youth tour guides led groups through the experience.
ROOM #1: TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
Youth wave palm leaves and welcome visitors into a marketplace. A clip from the triumphant entry Bible video plays with Christ-centered music in the background.
ROOM #2: THE LAST SUPPER
Narration describes what took place during the last supper. Meanwhile, the Apostles silently re-enact the partaking of the sacrament at a long table, and Judas is discovered to betray Jesus.
ROOM #3: GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
There are no actors in this room, just a tree and a large rock. Two rows of chairs are available for people to sit and ponder and listen to the narration of what took place in the Garden of Gethsemane.
ROOM #4: PONTIUS PILATE’S JUDGMENT ROOM
Youth are dressed as spectators and stand among the incoming groups. Pontius Pilate acts out the scene alongside narration. Spectators surround the group and tell Pilate to save Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate washes his hands.
ROOM #5: THE CRUCIFIXION
A Roman soldier stands beside a life-size cross, a crown of thorns, a jail, and a real whip. Visitors listen to narration inspired by the Crucifixion scene in the Bible.
ROOM #6: JESUS’S BODY IS PREPARED
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus explain that they are preparing Jesus’s body. Folded linens are in the room, and an oil diffuser is running to create an immersive scent.
ROOM #7: TOMB ROOM
There is a life-size tomb with a rolled-away boulder made from foam, plaster, and paint. Inside the tomb is a stone bed made of flagstone. On top of the bed are folded linens. Mary Magdalene is there and tells the visitors that she saw Jesus Christ and that He lives.
ROOM #8: RESURRECTION ROOM
Images of Jesus are displayed around the room, and a life-size statue of Jesus stands at the front. The tour guides conclude their tours and may share their testimony of the Savior with their groups.
Reactions to the Walk-Through
Amber remembers the church building being filled with the Spirit during the two nights the event ran. In the weeks following, she received texts and comments from people who said that the experience had changed their lives.
“People were coming out of the woodwork,” she says. “Non-members, inactive members, and members alike.”
Amber heard stories of people being moved to start attending church again and of people from different faiths enjoying what they learned about Jesus Christ.
One woman wrote Amber, saying: “[It] was one of the more powerful experiences I’ve had in my life connecting to the last days of Christ’s life and His Atonement. My 10-year-old, and even my four-year-old, were transfixed as we moved from room to room.”
An eight-year-old boy even told his mom, “I felt like having happy tears so many times. [This is the] third time in my life I’ve had happy tears.”
The event will be running again this year from March 27–31. Watch a video of “A Walk with Christ” in the player below.
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