WHY MORMONS DON'T HAVE CROSSES ON THEIR BUILDINGS

A few days ago, someone posted a link to ldswhy.com, explaining why Mormons do not have crosses on their buildings. In the paragraph explanation Gordon B. Hinckley, former president and prophet of the LDS church, states, "But for us [members of the LDS Church], the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the living Christ."

I don't agree with Hinckley's assessment that the cross is a symbol of the 'dying Christ.' I write this not in any way as an attack or to advocate that Mormons begin the practice of displaying crosses on their buildings. It really doesn't matter to me. What is more important to me is that Mormons, while completely capable of deciding what adorns their meeting halls and sanctuaries for themselves, learn what the cross means for other Christians. At least, what it means for this one and the many with whom he associates. I admit that I also write because I grew up in the LDS Church with a taught aversion to the cross, unaware of its importance in the early church and in Christian theology. My hope is to explain why the cross symbolizes the very same hope of life and resurrection that characterizes the salvific hope of Mormonism.

The Cross and Paul

Paul writes the Galatians partly to rebuke the Judaizers who dare to undermine the good news that Paul preached and to remind his audience of the means of salvation already provided through Jesus Christ. The Judaizers impose the requirement of circumcision (and other Jewish laws) on the Gentile converts. Paul writes forcefully to remind the Galatians that it is not the Mosaic law by which they are justified, but by the salvation in and only through Jesus Christ. Paul writes, "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification [being made righteous before God] comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing (Gal. 2:21; see also 3:15-18; 5:1).

I'll cut to the chase by jumping to the end of Galatians, which is kind of comical to me: "See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand" (6:11)! Paul takes over as scribe and must write in all caps, so to speak, to really emphasize this last point. We can imagine then that Paul continues in his BIG letters to write the following:

It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised - only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Gal. 6:12-14, emphasis mine).

It is Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ who reminds his Galatian audience that the cross is something of which to boast. The relationship that Paul once had with the world no longer lives. This old relationship with the world died, and inherit to Paul's boasting of the cross is gratitude for the new relationship he (Paul) now has with the world. Something has changed dramatically because of Christ crucified on the cross in the mind and world paradigm of the apostle Paul.

As Christians (and I include Mormons in that category), this should give us a moment of contemplation on the importance of the cross in Christian theology.

The Cross: A Reversal of Power

But doesn't Paul know that the cross is a Roman tool of death? Yes, he knows better than we do that the cross is a form of Roman torture, death and power. Doesn't he know it is the tool used by the Romans to kill Jesus? Yes, he is aware of not only the purpose of the cross, but is also aware of how the Romans use the cross to maintain the Roman Empire's power. But for Paul, it is because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross that this symbol of Roman power no longer holds its fear-inducing control. There is a dramatic reversal of power in the cross of which Paul boasts, brought about because of the crucifixion of Christ. The cross no longer holds the power of fear which the Roman Empire used to manipulate and control the masses. For Paul to boast in the cross is to strip away the threat of death from the greatest Empire of the world and declare that it, the Roman Empire, was powerless. The Empire is usurped by God. God performed a reversal of power, bestowing on the weak the ability to overcome its oppressor; That which was deemed powerful (the Roman Empire) is humbled, and that which is humble (Jesus Christ) is exalted. In the case of the cross, that which is used by your enemies to inflict pain and to make you weak, to make you scared, to make you submissive to the power of the Empire, God uses to overcome and exalt. The cross becomes, at a very early stage in Christian history, a symbol of God's overpowerment of the powers of social and political control, not to mention God's overpowerment of sin and death.

Reversal of Power in the Old Testament

Here is one example in the Old Testament that illustrates this concept of reversal of power. Joseph was left in a pit by his own brothers to only be found and sold into slavery. From slavery he is wrongly accused and thrown in prison, only to later become a key advisor to none other than the Pharaoh. When his brothers discover that the one who they discarded so long ago is now alive and incredibly blessed, they fall at his feet and worship him as their master. Joseph replies, "'Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today'" (Gen. 50:20, emphasis mine). Joseph, the once discarded brother, is exalted by the mercy of God. What is considered weak is made to overcome the most despairing of odds. While Joseph's brothers intended the pit to cause harm, God intended it for good. Can you see a parallel in the cross?

Reversal of Power in the Teachings of Jesus

I make a giant leap now to Jesus who taught emphatically of this reversal of power. The Beatitudes, for example, are not spoken to middle class Americans. They are spoken to Jewish peasants - people riddled with plagues, malnutrition, short lifespans, a career of hard labor, and alienation from the rich and honorable. Yet, it is the peasant who are the blessed (Matt. 5:1-12). The blessed of God are not the upper class full of honor and prestige, financially successful and political power. In an act of reversal of power, Jesus declares the weak as blessed, the cursed as beloved.

One well known parable also illustrates this concept of the reversal of power. Known as 'The Good Samaritan' (Luke 10:29-37), Jesus responds to the inquiry of a lawyer asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus responds with the beloved parable: A man is beaten, robbed and left to die on the side of the road; a priest passes by and does not help the man; a Levite passes by and does not help the man; a Samaritan passes by and helps generously. "Which one of these three," asks Jesus, "do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" The audience is forced to say the unspeakable; it was the Samaritan who treated the half-dead man as a neighbor. Samaritans were half breeds and outcasts among the Jewish people. But now it is a Samaritan that sets the example in this parable of Jesus while the priests and Levites fail. In order for modern readers to understand the truly uncomfortable position the crowd is placed in when they must respond 'the Samaritan' we must imagine that we are a priest or a Levite listening to the words of Christ. We fail and those we despise act out the love of God. Can you see a parallel in the cross?

The Cross as Symbol of Life 

Hinckley is quoted as presenting the cross as a symbol of the dying Christ. It is not a symbol of death unless one believes that Jesus was not resurrected. The cross symbolizes not the mere death of one more Messiah-want-a-be, but instead symbolizes the raising up of one that no other but God could raise. It is the triumph of God over what others thought to be the unconquerable. It is in his death that God overcomes the greatest ruler over the lives of all humanity - death and sin. Thus, the cross, known as the symbol of Roman strength and tool of death is used by God to exalt and bring life. The cross, in the hands of God, is a tool of restoration and resurrection.

It is a symbol of the living Christ.

While the LDS people may not feel like the cross should adorn their buildings, it is my hope that they can develop a personal testimony of its immense importance as a Christian symbol of the early church and its meaning for today. Yes, all denominations of Christianity proclaim Christ is risen, so please do not think that the cross represents the death of Christ alone. Symbols have multiple meanings, as garment-wearing Latter-Day Saints can attest. If you don't want a cross on your chapels, no big deal. I truly hope that the cross will nonetheless play an important part in understanding the wisdom of God as you seek to follow Christ. After all, you are Christians.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength (1 Cor. 1:15,22-25).

Note: I was introduced to this concept of 'reversal of power' by reading Dominic Crossan's In Parables. It has proven to be a formidable text in shaping my understanding of Jesus' parables and I believe it extends to the Christian symbol of the cross.

Other Online resource: http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/57551-byu-easter-conference-2012-reclaiming-the-cross/page__hl__cross__fromsearch__1.



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WILL ALL THE NON-MORMONS PLEASE STAND UP

Why won't the rest of the world accept Mormons as Christians? For those that may be interested, Stephen E. Robinson wrote a book addressing six common arguments often used to claim that Mormons aren't Christians. The book is called.... wait for it .... Are Mormons Christians? It is a very thoughtful book and presents some wonderful arguments in favor of the inclusion of Mormons as Christians. I would also like to include a link to a blog that was recently posted by Amy Hall which presents a more contemporary argument  against the inclusion of Mormons in the category of Christian.
In this post I do not offer a defense of Mormons as Christians. Instead, I offer a reason why many Christians may not accept Mormons as part of the in-crowd. Yes, I see the peculiarity of offering such an argument, being myself, a Mormon. But this proposal is one that I have deduced during my time going to school with some amazing Christians involved in worth while ministry. So, don't be mad at me; instead, see if you can put yourself in their shoes. My hope is that non-Mormons will also weigh in on this proposal and maybe offer further insight.

So why are Mormons not accepted as Christians? I propose it is because most Christians don't trust us. Most Christians are accustomed to a very bold message that comes in a variety of forms from the LDS people: 1) we are right and you are wrong; 2) you are an abomination in the eyes of God and we aren't; 3) You have some of the truth but we have it all; 4) We are going to be gods one day and you will be angels (suckers). The LDS people are coming up on nearly two hundred years of telling the rest of the Christian world a very consistent message that we alone have the legitimate access to God's full revelation, and the rest of the Christian world is floundering with only a portion of the Holy Spirit. If you can put yourself in the Christian's shoes for just one moment. That message, no matter how hard you try to soften it, is a very bold statement that is almost asking for confrontation. So it should be no surprise that confrontation and a lack of acceptance is what we get. 

Where does our message come from? In the early 19th century the United States was experiencing a restoration movement. Many people were seeking to reestablish the ancient order of things - how it was back in the good old days when the apostles were alive. Notable people like Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone created a seed bed of membership for the early LDS Church in their efforts to reunite the many denominations of Christianity into one whole Church (thanks). In comparison, while Stone and Campbell attempted to reunite the many sects, Joseph Smith was starting the whole thing over complete with divine visitations, new scripture, etc. From an extremely early point in the LDS movement we have been declaring a bold message - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on earth. In other words, you may think you are Christian, but we are the Christians.

Our actions today continue to ring out this message of old. We continue to preach the message of being the only true church through an army of some 60,000 missionaries. We still have the glaring declaration in our scriptures that other churches are an abomination (not to mention the anti-Catholic rhetoric of McConkie that seems to have created a pretty deep wound we struggle to mend). We do not accept the baptisms of Christians even if done by immersion. We proselytize whom ever is not LDS, no matter how devout they may be to the Savior or how healthy their relationship with God and humanity. And now, while still acting out a very old message, we want the Christian world to accept us as one of their own? While we demand acceptance from the Christian world for who we are and what we believe, should we not look at ourselves and ask if we are ready to accept the rest of the Christian world for who they are and what they believe? If not, I am afraid that the Christian world will never accept us because our actions show that we do not accept them in their expression of faith in Jesus Christ. It seems that they are willing to give us just as much as we are willing to give them. Please note, I am not saying that Mormons believe Christians are not actually Christians. I am simply saying that our actions convey that message and for our relationship to change, we will have to change too. 

I believe a relationship will have to form that is a bit more accepting of one another before the greater Christian world will look upon the Mormon faith as a partner and fellow Christian group. Many mainline Christian denominations have buried the hatchet long ago and approach their differences ecumenically. While some still squabble (with whom we have most of our confrontational conversations) most are accepting of each other, differences and all. I propose that if the Christian world is ever going to accept Mormons, Mormons are going to have to accept the Christians both in word and deed.   

As always,

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