In a recent commentary, Donald A. Hagner of Fuller Theological Seminary writes: The thought of what he will have to undergo in the near future fills Jesus with dread and anguish. First of all, the comparison he draws makes it seem as if Christians who see a great deal of significance in the cross fail, in some degree, to grasp the significance of Christ’s resurrection. Galatians 3:13 – Christ’s death on the cross redeemed us from the curse of the Law, a system by which no sinful human could ever be justified. It emerged around the turn of the 20th century (1880-1920) at the grass roots level, and was institutionalized in 1957 under the direction of President David O. McKay (who believed it was a "Catholic" symbol). [10]. In John 18:1 it is reported that Christ and His disciples "often resorted thither." By policy, no pictures or icons are depicted in the chapel within LDS Church meetinghouses, in order to avoid an image becoming the focus of worship. Visit our website to learn more about Mormon beliefs A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. As Paul noted in 1 Corinthians 15:14, if Christ is not raised, our faith is worthless. Of this question, Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Twelve said: Why don't you have crosses on your buildings of worship? David B. Haight, of the Quorum of the Twelve, quotes the following from the Reverend Frederic Farrar: They then rose from the table, united their voices in a hymn, and left the room together to walk to the Garden of Gethsemane and all that awaited them there "The awful hour of His deepest [suffering] had arrived…. Ah, I might sometimes imagine I was too bad to be forgiven; my own heart sometimes whispers that I am too wicked to be saved. But, outside of Paul, there are not." Only two crucifixion scenes survive from the fifth century… The situation remains unchanged until the twelfth century." Had He been a mere man, His knowledge of the sufferings before Him could not have been sufficient to cause such sorrow. Gordon B. Hinckley, a previous prophet, was once asked by a Protestant minister why Mormons don't use crosses. H.E.W. No one professed allegiance to Christ by wearing a cross." 33b (Dallas, Texas: Word Books, 1995), 785. Listen, this is very important! There is certainly room to remember the importance of both. Roberts, The Seventy's Course in Theology, 2:127–128, quoting International Commentary, Matthew, page 359. Colossians 1:22 – Through the death of Christ’s physical body, those of us who were at one time alienated and enemies of God are now reconciled and made holy in His sight without blemish and free from accusation. However, it is probable that it could be Johannes Heinrich August Ebrard (1818–1888), who, about 1860, wrote a work translated in English as Apologetics; or the Scientific Vindication of Christianity. I will look at the crucifixion at Calvary. Historically, the Church's earliest members were not from denominations or traditions who used the cross in their worship. My book, Banishing the Cross: The Emergence of a Mormon Taboo (John Whitmer Books, 2012) traces the development of LDS attitudes toward the symbol, and shows that the aversion to the cross in Mormon culture actually began as a means to disassociate the Church from Catholicism. The symbol was always made between the staff of Moses and Christ being lifted on the cross that all those that looked might live. Marvin J. Ashton, "Carry Your Cross," BYU fireside address (3 May 1992), 1. “The curse of that law which I have broken, has come down on One who there suffered in my stead; the demands of that law are all satisfied: payment has been made for me even to the uttermost farthing. [12]. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" [Isaiah 53.4-5]" [13]. To create the heavens and the earth costs Him no labor, no anguish; to take away the sin of the world costs Him His own life-blood. Where shall I see it most distinctly? We don’t believe that we should focus on just one chunk of the Atonement; His sacrifice on the cross. In his tract titled Calvary, John Charles Ryle, a well-respected bishop in the Church of England during the 19th century, summed it up well when he wrote: “Would I know the fullness and completeness of the salvation God has provided for sinners? As a result, cross-shaped floral arrangements, or arrangements with cross decorations, which are common in other Christian funerals, are not appropriate at Mormon services. Father Murphy-O'Connor also writes "during the first Christian centuries, the cross was a thing accursed. He responded: “For us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the living Christ." Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 14–28: Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. Your generous support makes the work of MRM possible. He cries out in an agony: "not my will, but thine be done." If so, I must once again strongly object. Copyright © 1997-2021 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved. B.H. That request came from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [15], Alfred Edersheim referred to the Garden as "the other Eden, in which the Second Adam, the Lord from heaven, bore the penalty of the first, and in obeying gained life.'" The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not use the cross in its architecture. The cross, like many symbols throughout Christianity, has a variety of interpretations. In his article, Hinckley states that “the lives of our people must become the most meaningful expression of our faith and the symbol of our worship.” Does Hinckley imply that having the cross as our symbol somehow takes away from a Christian’s desire to live a life that strives to reflect the holiness of Christ? when christ died he bore our sins on that cross. The human fear of death will not explain it. Probably, much of it has to do with the teachings and attitudes that have been passed down from parents, teachers and leaders. When you come and visit our church buildings, you won’t see a cross at the front of the chapel or at the top of the steeple. Symbol of the Cross. Some Mormon leaders have denounced the wearing or display of the Cross by Mormons. And He must face that hour alone…. B.H. As modern Latter-Day Saints, the symbol of the cross is absent from all aspects of our worship. The cross, like many symbols throughout Christianity, has a variety of interpretations. After his exhaustive study of 'grace' in the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers, Thomas Torrance had to conclude that Paul had had almost no influence on them: "The most astonishing feature was the failure to grasp the significance of the death of Christ." The cross was to honor the Mormon pioneers. Here the Mormon argument crumbles if, as claimed, the inverted, 5-pointed star in their architecture represents the same message as the cross. Dr. Ford is a professor at the University of Notre Dame. Hebrews 2:14 – By His death Jesus frees those were once held in slavery by the fear of death. Mercy forced its way through justice to the sinner. But there was opposition from within the ranks of Church leadership who saw the cross as more of a Catholic symbol. It is almost like we are afraid of the cross and it'e very symbol. Because of Him all men will be raised from the grave. Leon Morris, New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1985), 134. "Magisterial" is a word way overused with reference to others' studies, but it is used with reference to Davies and Allison's commentary by John Jefferson Davis, "'Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.' Reed suggests that this was possibly due to the association of the cross as a mystical symbol used both in the folk magic at the time and also common in Masonic practices, the details of which Reed devotes his most lengthy chapter. It is therefore arbitrary and misleading to draw some type of "line" during Jesus' mortal life or death when He was not working for our salvation. Joseph Fielding Smith’s rationale, which reduces the symbol to a mere instrument of torture and death, has become a popular rebuttal for Latter-day Saints responding to the claim that they are “enemies of the cross.” The Mormon disdain for the symbol has at times been acted out in extreme ways. Why Mormons such as Hinckley hold that the memory of the cross must be given a back seat in order to draw attention to the resurrection is puzzling since the evidence clearly shows how the cross was a major theme in the New Testament. Some Latter-day Saints go even farther, condemning the cross as some kind of pagan or satanic symbol. Despite the fact that Gethsemane is mentioned only twice in the scriptures, it has nevertheless engendered an enormous amount of secondary literature. In 1916, the Presiding Bishop of the LDS Church proposed to the Salt Lake City Counsel to place a giant cross on top of Ensign Peak as a, way to honor the Mormon pioneers. In this series of posts on The Cross (not sure how many yet), I will try to examine this Christian symbol from a few different angles. Romans 8:34 – His death resulted in us having One who intercedes on our behalf before the Father. The fact is, these two events go hand in hand since there can’t be a resurrection without a death. Question: Why don't Mormons use the symbol of the cross? Mormons and Christians share important terms that relate to forgiveness and eternal life, but define and understand these terms in radically different ways. Notice that Professor Hagner mentions the 'dread and anguish' which Jesus felt as He looked ahead to His death on the Cross; this is precisely what several of the LDS Church leaders have said. [14], Evangelical scholar Klaas Runia has recently drawn our attention to a prayer which was formerly read at the beginning of the Lord's Supper service in the Reformed Churches in Holland. In 1858 was published the American version of his Biblical Commentary on the New Testament. Three times our Lord appeals to that will, as purposing His anguish; that purpose of God in regard to the loveliest, best of men, can be reconciled with justice and goodness in God in but one way; that it was necessary for our redemption. "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." A study on the study of the passion narratives published in 1989 identified seven books dealing specifically with Gethsemane during the previous 100 years and more than 100 articles. J.M. I have noted your building elsewhere and likewise find an absence of the cross. But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). In Part 1, I will look at the scriptures that deal with "Taking up your cross." They view the symbolism of the cross as having a pagan origin and that it symbolizes Christ's torture and death, not his resurrection." He further concludes that "failure to apprehend the meaning of the Cross and to make it a saving article of faith is surely the clearest indication that a genuine doctrine of grace is absent" in the Apostolic Fathers. It wasn’t until Catholic animus eased that the cross became a more universal Christian symbol in America. Probably most Latter-day Saints feel the same way. Ford writes, "the theological importance, however, is that for Luke the blood that redeems humankind begins to flow in the garden." The symbol of the cross is a Catholic symbol. The fascist Norsefire party from V for Vendetta uses the double cross as its symbol. I find no evidence like that: I find no balm for a sore conscience and a troubled heart like the sight of Jesus dying for me on the accursed tree. The fact is, crosses are never used on any Mormon buildings. Why aren't your chapels built in the shape of a cross? The mystery of the agony of God's unique Son cannot be fully penetrated. He wrestles in prayer. It was not the anguish and fear of pain and death but 'the burden…of the world's sin which lay heavy on His heart. [19] And in this context it is important to remember that Paul's writings comprise less than one-fourth of the New Testament writings. He is our Lord, our God, and our King." The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2200 BC to AD 421. Learn how →. Turner wrote 50 years ago that "it still remains true that the monumental genius of St. Paul had little permanent influence on the theology of the early Church." In the April 2005 issue of the official LDS Ensign magazine, Mormon President Gordon Hinckley told the story of a question he received from a Protestant minister who was invited to attend the open house of the newly renovated Mesa (AZ) temple. Death’s sting has been removed. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. This is one of those hymns: I Stand All Amazed lyrics by Charles H. Gabriel "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, … Well, it is generally accepted by all Christians that the cross was used before Christianity came into being; there is no evidence that the cross was invented specifically for the Crucifixion of Jesus. The bondage brought about by the thought of death no longer has a hold on us. 1, Matthew, translated by Philip Schaff (New York: Scribner, 1899), 481. She cites A. Feuillet, L'Agonie de Gethsemani (Paris 1977): 147–50. A Study of the Development of Doctrine during the Fist Five Centuries (London: A.R. Yet two are shaped like a cross. Isolation in Utah meant that the Saints were not much affected by the increased use of the cross by American protestants later in the century. The Greek Text with Introduction and Notes (Grand Rapids 1980): 389. It was probably a slap in the face to the true Messiah that he was crucified on the “Tau”, or cross of Tammuz. The prayer said in part: "We remember that all the time he lived on earth he was burdened by our sin and God's judgment upon it; that in his agony in the garden he sweated drops of blood under the weight of our sins." Mormon churches do not have any crosses, either outside or inside. Nothing remained…but the torture of physical pain and the poignancy of mental anguish…. We in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in response to these questions, try to teach our people to carry their crosses rather than display or wear them. Several hymns found in the Mormon hymnal demonstrate this. I would suggest to my LDS friends that they should tread very gently in dealing with the fact that Christians most highly identify with the symbol of the Cross in connections with our Savior. Cross was a great Atonement for mormon cross symbol sins of all mankind is mentioned only twice the. Cross. penalty of sin for the ungodly four gospel writers felt it important enough to it. 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