President Dallin H. Oaks recently encouraged members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to start using the Easter greeting: “Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!” At first glance, that might seem like a harmless way to elevate the Easter season. But it’s more complicated than it appears.
This greeting isn’t just a beautiful phrase — it’s a sacred exchange rooted in the liturgical and theological traditions of Eastern Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, and other historic Christian churches. It belongs to a larger rhythm of Holy Week and Pascha, shaped by apostolic succession, the Nicene Creed, and sacramental worship — things the LDS tradition has historically rejected.
For Latter-day Saints to adopt this greeting without recognizing its origins or meaning comes across as spiritual and cultural overreach. It signals a willingness to borrow sacred language while continuing to distance itself from the theology and practices that give it meaning.
To put it in perspective: imagine if President Oaks had said, “Let’s begin saying, ‘Hail Mary, full of grace,’ during Advent to focus on Christ’s birth.” Most Latter-day Saints would feel how out of place that would be. The Paschal greeting is no less meaningful or theologically loaded in its own tradition.
At a time when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asks others to honor its name and identity, it should show the same care toward other faiths. Real interfaith engagement takes humility, not selective borrowing.
I hope The Tribune will explore this story — and even better, invite voices from Orthodox and Eastern Catholic communities to share what this greeting really means, and how it feels to see it lifted out of context.
Judd Case, Fort Wayne, Indiana
