A Cross on a Mormon Temple
By Melissa Grimes
While visiting my usual sites and message boards last night I came upon the link below, it leads you to a Mormon web site with a video presentation about their new temple in Rome Italy. When you get to around 1:58 you’ll see something astonishing, at least it’s astonishing to me as a former member of the Mormon Church.
Displaying or even wearing the cross was always something of a taboo in the Mormonism I was a part of, now things seem to be changing. In the video presentation for the new temple in Rome Italy a cross can be seen on the front door. I’ve been wondering what their angle is for doing this, what are they trying to say to the world, what aren’t they saying and if anything what are they trying to hide? Here are two things which came to mind.
Are the Mormons rethinking their position on the cross and realizing it’s by the power of the cross they are saved?
No, they would never do this; to go down this path would mean they would have to give up their grand temples, and the awe and admiration they receive from non-Mormons who are uninformed of what takes place in these temples. Most of all they would have to give up the very thing this temple stands for, which is their exaltation to godhood.
Are they trying to “look” Christian to the world and to a very Catholic nation?
I believe so, you see in Mormonism appearance is everything. Mormons are told what to wear, what to do, what they can or can’t drink, even what type of underwear they should purchase. It’s all about “looking” the part of a worthy, righteous member of the church. So it should be no surprise that in an attempt to win over their critics, along with the unsuspecting public and media they would try to be something they’re not.
Make no mistake the Mormon leaders aren’t fools, they know exactly what they are doing by this demonstration. They are disparately trying to appear Christian to lead the devote Catholic away from their religion and into Mormonism.
Let’s take a look at what past Mormon leaders and prophets have said about the cross and its place in Mormonism.
“President Gordon B. Hinckley was once asked by a minister why Latter-day Saints do not wear crosses or display them in their buildings.
President Hinckley said to him: “‘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.’” (“The Symbol of Christ,” New Era, Apr. 1990, 4.)
Joseph Fielding Smith – “To many, like the writer, such a custom is repugnant and contrary to the true worship of our Redeemer. Why should we bow down before a cross or use it as a symbol? Because our Savior died on the cross, the wearing of crosses is to most Latter-day Saints in very poor taste and inconsistent to our worship.” (Answers to Gospel Questions 4:17)
On lds.org under the “topics” section the Mormon Church says of the cross:
“The cross is used in many Christian churches as a symbol of the Savior’s death and Resurrection and as a sincere expression of faith. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we also remember with reverence the suffering of the Savior. But because the Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith.”
This is just one example of how Mormonism has grossly misunderstood what the cross means to Christians. For me 1 Corinthians 18 has always expressed what the cross means to me.
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
As a Mormon I viewed the cross as the instrument used to kill Jesus, I was never taught about the power it held. On more than one occasion when the topic of wearing a cross necklace came up I would hear my fellow Mormons say “Well if Jesus was killed with a gun, would you wear a gun around your neck?”
Their abhorrence to the cross is most prominently shown by their doctrine of the atonement occurring in the Garden of Gethsemane and not on the cross. When confronted with this Mormons will say the atonement was carried over to the cross. Yet Mormon leaders can’t seem to separate the two places insisting that while the cross is part of the atonement the main apart happened in the garden. 
In his book Doctrinal New Testament Commentary Bruce R. McConkie said:
“Where and under what circumstances was the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God made? Was it on the Cross of Calvary or in the Garden of Gethsemane? It is to the Cross of Christ that most Christians look when centering their attention upon the infinite and eternal atonement. And certainly the sacrifice of our Lord was completed when he was lifted up by men; also, that part of his life and suffering is more dramatic and, perhaps, more soul stirring. But in reality the pain and suffering, the triumph and grandeur, of the atonement took place primarily in Gethsemane,” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol. 1, p. 774,)
In the December 1999 issue New Era Mormon publication Russell M. Nelson stated:
“Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind, even as many as will, shall be redeemed. The Savior began shedding His blood for all mankind, not on the cross but in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all who would ever live. ““Under that heavy load, He bled at every pore, (page 6) “(Russell M. Nelson, “His Mission and Ministry,” New Era, Dec. 1999, p. 4, 6)
In closing I have to consider the reasoning behind the cross on door is more for deceptive purposes than anything else. The Mormon Church has continued to show their ignorance of the cross by their leader’s comments, which are then past on to the church members as doctrine. I can only hope those who will see this temple will not be fooled and will take into consideration how the Mormon Church really feels about the cross of Jesus Christ.
Melissa, I wish you had included all of Russell M. Nelson’s talk, which makes it clear that Latter-day Saints believe the magnificent, infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ BEGAN in Gethsemane but CULMINATED on the Cross. Here are more excepts from Nelson’s talk:
“The Atonement … was His [Jesus’s] magnificent mission in mortality. To the people of ancient America, the resurrected Lord gave His mission statement: “I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me” (3 Ne. 27:13–14). …
“His mission was the Atonement. That mission was uniquely His. Born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father, He was the only one who could voluntarily lay down His life and take it up again. The glorious consequences of His Atonement were infinite and eternal. He took the sting out of death and made temporary the grief of the grave.
“His responsibility for the Atonement was known even before the Creation and the Fall. Not only was it to provide for the resurrection and immortality of all humankind; it was to enable us to be forgiven of our sins—upon conditions established by Him. And His Atonement opened the way by which we could be united with Him and with our families eternally. This prospect we esteem as eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man.
“No one else could effect the Atonement. No other person, even of the greatest wealth and power, could ever save one soul—not even his own.
“And no other individual will be required or permitted to shed blood for the eternal salvation of another human being. Jesus did it “once for all” (see Heb. 10:10).
“Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind, even as many as will, shall be redeemed. The Savior began shedding His blood for all mankind, not on the cross but in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He took upon Himself the weight of the sins of all who would ever live. Under that heavy load, He bled at every pore.
“The agony of the Atonement was completed on the cross at Calvary. The importance of the Atonement was summarized by the Prophet Joseph Smith. He said, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings, 121).”
Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1999/12/his-mission-and-ministry?lang=eng
Hi Janice, thank you for stopping by and posting.
This post was written in 2010, so I don’t know how new your President Nelson references are. What did you think about Himkley’s or J.F Smith’s, or Mc Conkie’s statements in Melissa’s post about the cross?
Another thing I’d like to point out to you is, the references you gave.to support your concern is they mainly focused elsewhere rather than the Cross. As Christians we are taught the adversary, counter-christian churches and false teachers will take the attention away from the Cross.
I’d also like to know why the LDS church doesn’t have Crosses anywhere? Did Moroni die for your sins? And what are Christians supposed to make of the pentagrams and Masonic symbols on some of your temples? How does any of that glorify Jesus?
Janice I really hope you feel differently about the significance of the Cross, than what your church leaders have taught. Jesus didn’t sweat for your salvation in Gethsemane. He was the ultimate sacrifice and shed His prescious for you, on the Cross.
Michelle usually ends her posts here with 1 Corinthians 1:18
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. It’s the power of God Janice.
In Lyn Wilder’s book “Unveiling Grace” Lyn (former Mormon), wrote she went to a jewelry store in a mall in Provo to buy a cross necklace. The sales person had to go to the back to get the crosses. She asked why and the sales person said they received too many complaints from LDS members for displaying the crosses.
Thanks again Janice for your comment.
Melissa Brown (not the Melissa who wrote this post)
Thank you for your prayers. What a wonderful blessing that we can pray for and love one another! I am grateful that each of us rejoice in Christ and are amazed by His infinite grace. I rejoice with you in our love and acceptance of the Savior.
Thank you for your thoughtful questions. I write in hopes of building bridges of understanding and kindness.
The quotations from Russell M. Nelson in my earlier reply are from December 1999. His statements are not new, but are taken from the exact same talk you quoted in your blog: Russell M. Nelson, “His Mission and Ministry,” New Era, Dec. 1999, p. 4, 6, which can be accessed at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1999/12/his-mission-and-ministry?lang=eng.
You can find other similar statements in many other talks by Church leaders, both now and in the past two centuries. Feel free to go to ComeUntoChrist.org or ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
For me, understanding that the Atonement of Jesus began in Gethsemane and culminated on the cross does not diminish how I value our Lord’s suffering and atoning grace on the cross. Instead, it expands my understanding of the depth and breadth of His sacrifice and suffering in our behalf.
Thank you for pointing me to those chapters in John and 1 Corinthians. They are also some of my favorite passages of scripture. I love the Lord with all my heart, and His sacrifice for me is my rock and my joy.
For me, the most important way I show gratitude for and acceptance of Christ’s atoning sacrifice and redeeming grace is how I have accepted and internalized it. I show this commitment to Jesus each week through eating and drinking the sacrament (the communion) that uses the symbols He instituted to help us remember His death on the cross. In this sacramental ordinance, I renew my covenant with God to always remember Jesus–His body that was slain for us and His blood that was shed for us–and to follow Him. This is how I remember the cross and all it stands for. And I do all in my power to show my acceptance of Christ through my words and actions so others may know of the joy that comes through Him.
I am glad that the cross symbolizes His love and Atonement for you. It is a blessing to have a symbol that turns our thoughts to Jesus. For me, the sacrament (communion) is that symbol.
When having dialogue, it is important to understand how the believer interprets a symbol. Symbols can have different meanings based upon different backgrounds and cultures. For instance, the color white in Western culture usually represents purity, peace, and new life. Thus, it is used for weddings, baby blessings, baptisms, and so forth. In some Eastern cultures, however, white is a symbol of mourning, death, sterility, or misfortune. Thus, white is worn at funerals in those cultures. For others, white is a symbol of age or humility. (You can google how colors are used in different cultures to learn more about this fascinating subject.)
With this in mind, I thank you for your questions about temple symbolism. I can see how easily it would be for you and others to misunderstand how we see the symbols you see on some of our temples. Here is an article that may be helpful to you in understanding our perspective:
https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Mormonism_and_temples/Symbolism. Another excellent website is Temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Latter-day Saints (Mormons) absolutely do NOT worship the angel Moroni. We believe Moroni, who was an ancient Christian prophet, came as a resurrected angel as part of the fulfillment of Revelation 14:6, which says, “Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation” (GNT). “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (KJV). Thus, Moroni holding a trumpet is a symbol of the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (the Good News!) to all people in the last days (the latter days) before Jesus comes to earth again. We do not worship Moroni or Peter or Paul or Moses or Joseph Smith–just as you do not worship Peter or Paul or Moses–but, instead, revere (honor) them as some of God’s prophets, His instruments in bringing the saving gospel of Jesus Christ to His children.
We worship and reverence Jesus Christ. We rejoice in Him! He is the Savior and Redeemer! To me, whether we use the cross as our symbol of our acceptance of Him is not nearly as important as whether we demonstrate that acceptance through our words and deeds. For me, the symbol of His infinite sacrifice and atoning grace is in the emblems of the sacrament (the communion).
I send my love and respect to you as we rejoice in Christ, our Redeemer! We can have joy in the many things we share in common–most especially our reliance on our Savior’s grace and atoning sacrifice. I pray the Lord will continue to bless you in your service to Him.
SO thankful you responded to Janice – thank you!
Janice, we pray you’ll open your Bible and read the passage in 1 Cor chapters 1-2 as well as John chapters 18-20 where it emphasizes the importance of the cross.
Know that we’re praying for you and hope to hear back from you soon!
Michelle
Hi Janice, thank you so much for your kind reply. I can’t tell you how happy I am you responded, because most don’t.
I have a question for you, and I’d really like you to really think about it a little before you reply. Have you ever been out and about passing Christian churches and wonder what they actually believe? Or I wonder why they don’t have temples? Or what’s up with the cross?
The reason I ask is because most Christians ask the same kind of questions as we pass a temple.or ward or see a pair of missionaries on their bikes. I know I sure wondered the same. And so I actually researched it, not just assumed. In my research I found an ongoing and interesting statement (anti-Mormon). And so in my research I wanted to be respectful, and so I stuck to only reading LDS approved material. And yet I still find it’s dismissed as anti-Mormon propaganda when talking to LDS members. Anti-Mormon kind of sounds like an “us verses them” situation. In that respect I guess it could be fair for Christians to use “anti-Christian” when comparing the LDS church to Biblical Christianity..
So the question is why don’t Christian churches have temples. Has that ever crossed your mind and did you do any kind of study or research on that?
That you so, so much Janice for your response.
Looking forward to your thoughts. But please let the question marinate in your head for a bit ok.
Melissa