Question

Gramps,

I’ve always been told that Jesus was born on April 6th. Is this true and is there any historical evidence to support that? And when was he actually resurrected? I understand that Easter is based on the moon changes and not on the actual date. Thank you again for all the hard work you put into this wonderful column.

RI

Answer

Dear RI,

The only definite information that we have on the birth date of the Savior is his own statement in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, as follows:

Which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April (D&C 21:3).

President Joseph F. Smith made the following comment about the above scripture.

“Strictly speaking, if this Church was organized ‘one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior in the flesh,’ then the sixth of April must have been the anniversary of the Savior’s birthday. If the organization of the Church had been before or subsequent to that date, if only by one or any number of days, the great event would have been more or less than one thousand eight hundred and thirty years by just so many days. (This argument also holds good as to the year of Christ’s birth.) Opinions formed by the study of chronological events may or may not be accurate. But we would scarcely think the Lord would make any mistake about dates. Least of all he who was born on that day, and on that day thirty-three years later was crucified” (B. H. Roberts, Outlines of Ecclesiastical History, p.17).

If the Savior was crucified on the 6th day of April, which was a Friday, he would then have been resurrectied on Sunday, April the 8th.

Gramps