People often wonder why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not use the cross as its symbol. Some assume that Mormons do not display the cross because they do not believe that Christ was crucified for our sins. I've heard from another who thought that we eschewed all religious symbolism. Hopefully the other posts on this blog adequately answer those misconceptions.
Nevertheless, it is easy to see why some would be confused. The cross is used as the symbol of nearly every Christian denomination, Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox alike.
There are several reasons why Mormons do not use the symbol of the cross. First, we see Christ’s Atonement as broader than the crucifixion. Mormon doctrine places greater emphasis on Christ’s passion in Gethsemane than most Christian denominations (Mark 14:32-36; Luke 22:39-44; Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-24). In Gethsemane, Christ suffered for the sins of all mankind. On the cross on Golgotha, he suffered crucifixion and death. From the sepulcher he was resurrected on the third day.
Thus, the cross represents only part of Christ’s Atonement. It represents that he died for us, without which death there could be no resurrection. Yet Christ suffered something far greater for us than mere death. The Roman torture known as crucifixion was horrifically painful, but it was not sufficient to pay the price of all the sins of the world. That suffering, unfathomable to mortal minds, occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane and was concluded with Christ's death on the cross.
In his book What Happened to the Cross?, Robert Millet writes, “We should note that historically, in the first few Christian centuries, the cross was not considered a virtuous or admirable symbol, but rather a terrifying reminder of what Jesus and thousands of others had ignominiously suffered. In fact, some scholars report that the cross did not appear in churches as a symbol of veneration until A.D. 431. Crosses on steeples did not appear until 586, and it was not until the sixth century that crucifixes were sanctioned by the Roman church.”
Not surprisingly, it was probably the late Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth president of our church, who explained it best. When a Protestant minister asked him about the absence of the cross in Mormon buildings, Pr. Hinckley recalled, “I responded, ‘I do not wish to give offense to any of my Christian colleagues who use the cross on the steeples of their cathedrals and at the altars of their chapels, who wear it on their vestments, and imprint it on their books and other literature. But for us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the Living Christ.’
“He then asked: ‘If you do not use the cross, what is the symbol of your religion?’
“I replied that the lives of our people must become the most meaningful expression of our faith and, in fact, therefore, the symbol of our worship.
“I hope he did not feel that I was smug or self-righteous in my response. Our position at first glance may seem a contradiction of our profession that Jesus Christ is the key figure of our faith. The official name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We worship Him as Lord and Savior. The Bible is our scripture. We believe that the prophets of the Old Testament who foretold the coming of the Messiah spoke under divine inspiration. We glory in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John setting forth the events of the birth, ministry, death, and Resurrection of the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.”
In summary
Question: If Mormons are Christians, why don’t they use the cross as their symbol as other Christian denominations do?
Response: Because the Gospel is a message of hope, Mormons choose to focus on the living, resurrected Christ, rather than the instrument of his death. They know that Christ’s death was a crucial part of the Atonement, but do not want to focus on the cross at the expense of what occurred in Gethsemane and at the tomb.
References
Robert L. Millet, What Happened to the Cross? (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007), 102.
Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Symbol of Our Faith,” Ensign, April 2005, 2.
Intellectual Reserve, “Cross,” True to the Faith (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2004): 45.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Why Mormons Don't Use the Symbol of the Cross
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7 comments:
Also worth noting that, at the time Joseph Smith founded Mormonism, not a lot of his neighboring Protestant religions used the symbol of the cross either.
Back in the mid-1800s, the cross was often considered to be papist (Catholic) and was therefore not used by religions like the Baptists and such. Joseph Smith was simply following suit by not adopting the cross.
The adoption of the cross as a symbol by Protestants is actually quite recent. That Mormons have not, for whatever reason, chosen to use the symbol as well should not be an issue for anyone.
It's just a historical quirk.
Thanks; I didn't know that. If you know of any sources that say as much, maybe I could include that bit of information in the post.
I also appreciate that the Prophet's comments weren't openly hostile to the cross. We're not trying to be judgmental by not having the cross -- we're choosing to focus on other stuff instead. My grandmother was Catholic (and my grandfather, her husband, was Jewish), and so I have crosses (and menorahs and so forth) in my apartment. Too often I think individuals in the Church speak about the cross as though it's shameful or evil in some way, which I think is unfortunate.
What Happened To The Cross by Robert Millet is a great book.
According to Susan E. Black, professor at Brigham Young University, foremost authority on the life of Joseph Smith in the world, the cross was used in the LDS church, similar to other churches. She responded to that very question at the end of a lecture, but before class ended by saying that the LDS church historically did use the cross as a symbol of their Christianity, though she did not state to what degree that use was. However, she further stated that around the turn of the century, the Church asked members to stop using the cross, citing an improper focus on the symbol instead of the meaning (being Christ).
Since this information came from a lecture of which I have no recording, it is a matter that should be researched more deeply; my memory may not have recorded the exact things that Dr. Black said regarding the issue. Certainly, there must be a written record of some such policy change, though I have not researched it further.
Where does the theory that Christ paid for humanity's sins in the garden come from? Do any of the gospels say that it happened there? I don't think the cross has ever been shunned by Protestants for being Catholic. The Anglican church has used the cross continuously since their break with Rome. The only real change with regards to Protestant use the the cross is the tendency to, more often than not, prefer the use of a plain one instead of a crucifix. The cross altogether was shunned or not used by many of the nonclerical Christian sects and still is to this day. Just because the Roman's crucified many people does not make the Christ's death on the cross insufficient. The difference was that man crucified their GOD! He could have STOPPED it or even destroyed us all. But He didn't. That is what makes His death on the cross sufficient.
In the four Gospels, the most vivid and moving descriptions of Christ's passion refer to his prayer in Gethsemane.
From Luke 22:41-44: "And he ... kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
From Mark 14:32-36: "And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt."
The account in Matthew is very similar to that in Mark. The book of John does not mention Gethsemane but records the intercessory prayer that Jesus offered in the garden for his disciples (and by extension, for all who believe in him)(John 17:20).
Jesus' suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane was so great that he asked to be spared the ordeal if it were possible, an angel was sent to strengthen him, and his sweat was "as it were great drops of blood." At that time, more than at any other, he wanted his apostles to stay with him, especially Peter, James, and John, the three who had been with him on the Mount of Transfiguration. But they could not stay awake. No doubt they did not comprehend what he was going through as they slept.
Thereafter, Jesus Christ suffered brutal forms of torture at the hands of the Romans. But nowhere does it indicate that he suffered the kind of agony described in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Roman torture methods paled in comparison with the pain and the sins of the entire world.
Biblical indications aside, the reason we believe that it was in the Garden of Gethsemane that Christ suffered for our sins because that is what our prophets have taught us. But I should note that they have also said that when the Father withdrew his presence as Christ hung on the cross ("My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?")(Mark 15:34), the suffering from the night in Gethsemane returned, and this time Jesus suffered with no angel to strengthen him nor even the companionship of the Father, who had always been with him. Jesus, and Jesus alone, then suffered the full weight of the sins of every human being to ever walk the earth. As soon as it was finished, he died, and on the third day (the second, as we would count it) was resurrected, thus conquering both sin and death.
(For a compilation of teachings of LDS apostles and prophets on the Atonement, see "From the Garden to the Empty Tomb," Ensign, April 2006: . )
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