This volume contains the papers delivered at the 2008 and 2009 Brigham Young University Easter Conferences. The annual Easter Conference, sponsored by the Religious Studies Center, is a celebration of the life and atoning mission of Jesus Christ. Drawing not only from the Bible but also from the unique perspectives of the Restoration, papers delivered at the Easter Conference seek both to elucidate the Savior’s ministry through scholarship and to bear witness of that ministry through praise and testimony. We are indebted to those who have shared their scholarship and their testimonies in this volume. We are honored to have among them Elder Merrill J. Bateman, emeritus member of the Seventy, and Bonnie D. Parkin, former general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We give special thanks to Frank and Mary Ann McCord of Everett, Washington, and San Diego, California. The McCords, whose generous donation made this book possible, are true friends of BYU’s Religious Education and the Religious Studies Center.

Frank serves as the chairman of the Religious Education National Advancement Council. In addition to supporting us with generous contributions, he and Mary Ann dedicate hours to establishing Friends of Religious Education chapters around the country.

Mary Ann and Frank support Religious Education at BYU “because it provides a unique opportunity to spread the message of the Restored Gospel by extending the talent, knowledge, and spirit of some of the best qualified authorities in the Church who teach religion classes daily.” They believe that “additional funding enables us to provide clear, accurate information regarding the history, doctrines, beliefs, and practices of the Church more effectively, creatively, and thoroughly so as to strengthen the faith and testimony of the faithful while enlightening and uplifting members and nonmembers alike.”

We appreciate the McCords and others like them whose contributions bless our teaching, outreach, scholarship, and publication efforts.

It is our hope that Religious Studies Center publications will bless the Latter-day Saints through gospel-centered scholarship that incorporates the best of study and faith. Our hope for this volume is that it will help bring the spirit of Easter into the hearts of those who read it and that it will bear testimony to the mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ.