When you enter an LDS church, you won’t see any crosses. They do not adorn our temples, we do not wear them around our necks or decorate our homes with them.
Why not? Isn’t the cross the universal symbol of a Christian faith? Doesn’t this mean that Mormons aren’t Christians?
Mormons are most definitely Christians, but we have a specific reason for not using the cross.
We are so deeply, eternally grateful to Jesus Christ for His atoning sacrifice and subsequent crucifixion. We profoundly feel the impact of His saving grace in our lives and we contemplate the pain He endured in our behalf, knowing that we could never do what He did. He was the only One who could accomplish such a mission, because of the depth of His love for us, His overwhelming charity, and His deep desire to see us become exalted in the last day.
However, we also recognize that while He died for us, He also rose again, and that is even more amazing. He set the example for the rest of us, opening the gates so that death need no longer be terrifying. Because He rose again, we can too. We will be reunited with our loved ones on the other side. We will be restored to our former health, or, for those who have never been blessed with good health, we will be healed of all our imperfections.
Additionally, we focus on the Atonement and the fact that we can be forgiven of our sins, that our emotional hurts can be washed away, and that our physical ailments can be eased, all because of what He did for us.
When we see a cross, we immediately think of pain and suffering. Latter-day Saints choose to concentrate on the joy that came after. Thus, we choose to decorate with pictures of Christ, rather than symbols of the implement of His death.
Related Blogs:
The Resurrected Body of Christ
I Know That My Redeemer Lives!