“The Walk with Christ was a moving and memorable experience, one I hope to include in my future Easter celebrations."
Walk With Christ
March 28, 2026 - Lori Mortensen
Photo credit: Kari Hennefer
Ever wish you could walk where Jesus walked? On March 26-28, 2026, friends and families were invited to a free Community Easter Celebration where they could step into the final week of the Savior’s life through a guided, room-to-room walking tour inside a local church building hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 3431 Hacienda Rd., Cameron Park, CA.
As guests moved through the tour, they walked through beautifully transformed rooms that portrayed major events, including The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, The Last Supper, The Garden of Gethsemane, The Crucifixion, and the Resurrection at the Tomb that include period-inspired settings, artistic backdrops, props, furnishings, and short videos that share the story.
The final stop was a quiet chapel where guests viewed over 100 pieces of art—paintings and figurines that portrayed Jesus Christ, His life, His love, and His teachings and where visitors could reflect on the joy and peace made possible through Him. The tour lasted about 40 minutes, with guests grouped by arrival time. Refreshments, activities, take-home crafts, and opportunities to join a service project following Christ’s example of service, was provided.
Creating an event that would transport visitors back in time to Christ’s last week was a huge undertaking. “This has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life,” said Director Amber Mann from the Bass Lake congregation. “To be the Lord’s instrument in creating an event that truly invites people of all ages and walks of life to come to know and feel of Jesus Christ’s love for them individually has been the greatest gift and honor. I loved receiving so many impressions to design certain things that reminded me that the Lord is doing all He can to express His love to each of His children that will specifically mean something to them.”
Mann was especially impressed with the volunteers. “Set up was quite the task and yet there were no complaints. Just smiles, continuous work, and continuous people coming and offering what they can. One of my favorite parts of this event,” she added, “was seeing how many people were willing to volunteer their time, effort and full heart to help make this happen! Our volunteers knew that this event was not just for our church members but as a gift to our community, a way to reach out and connect us with what we share in common, our love for Jesus Christ and a desire to know Him better.”
The whole Mann family got involved. “It was so neat to see all the tender mercies and miracles that happened while putting this event together,” said their daughter, Tolisi. “It seemed like things would just fall into our hands. My mom would have an idea and boom, the next day someone randomly called or posted saying could you use this? I saw the Lord’s hand day after day while putting it together.”
By the end of the three-day event, nearly 1,500 visitors walked with Christ during His final week. “Amazing,” “wonderful, and “magical” were just a few of the responses. Sometimes there were tears.
“I’m speechless” said one heavily tattooed visitor. “There are no words to describe it. I haven’t ever seen or felt anything like it.”
“The Walk with Christ was a moving and memorable experience,” said Lydia Brown from Cameron Park. “One I hope to include in my future Easter celebrations.”
“It was good to see the young people bearing testimony of the Savior,” said Martin Mortensen from the Green Valley congregation.
Easter is more than just a day—it’s about a living Savior. Guests experienced the story of Christ that was immersive, reverent, and personal.