The “Cross”, or what?

[MiserereNobis]

40 minutes ago, Bernard Gui said:

The cross has profound expression in our worship services and in our most sacred ordinances. In this we play second fiddle to no one.

How does the cross have more profound expression in the LDS faith than in Catholicism when there is nary a cross to be seen in the LDS faith? Crucifixes are essential to Catholicism and are everywhere, the altar (required for mass), the stations of the cross, the rosary, inside and outside chapels, in confessionals, on walls in homes, crossing ourselves with holy water, etc., etc. I'm not talking about crosses as jewelry or fashion, but the religious use of crosses/crucifixes.

[Bernard Gui]

8 hours ago, MiserereNobis said:

How does the cross have more profound expression in the LDS faith than in Catholicism when there is nary a cross to be seen in the LDS faith? Crucifixes are essential to Catholicism and are everywhere, the altar (required for mass), the stations of the cross, the rosary, inside and outside chapels, in confessionals, on walls in homes, crossing ourselves with holy water, etc., etc. I'm not talking about crosses as jewelry or fashion, but the religious use of crosses/crucifixes.

Because it is the very foundation of our most sacred ordinances from the sacrament to endowments and sealing in the temple. It is the binding link between husband, wife, children, and God. I greatly respect Catholic cross traditions, but Latter-day-Saints employ it and it’s symbolism equally passionately but not in sight of the world. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Bernard Gui

[Tacenda]

I don't know if this would fly a few years ago. (the cross)

[Pyreaux]

Not a Veteran.

It depends on what you want statement you want to make, if you want that statement to be your belief in Christ to your relatives you probably can't go wrong with a cross. I'd go with the protestant "Empty Cross" rather than the "Crucifix" because its a cross that is supposed to be a symbol of the resurrection because the cross is empty.

I like the symbol of the Melchizedek Priesthood, an Octagonal Star, but since there are Wiccans in the military going to be there with Pentagram Stars, that might send the wrong idea.

I think the Church is trying to get away from the Moroni statue, have the Christus statue as the icon of our faith. I don't know if the Military would have a Christus. As unique as Moroni as a symbol of Christ's Second Coming, as a Trumpeting Angel in Revelations heralding the Second Coming of Christ, people don't understand that without you there to explain this.

Maybe a Medieval Masonic Hand-grasp, desensus/ascension pulled threw the veil to the other side of life. Do they have one of those?

[Hamba Tuhan]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

I don't know if this would fly a few years ago. (the cross)

We buried my youngest sister 12 years ago with her pearl cross nestled amongst her temple robes. She had worn it around her neck ever since receiving it at age 16 from a dear Catholic friend whose father was a jeweller in Tokyo. It was a single pearl that the oyster (with some assistance) had formed in the shape of a cross. To her, it blended her love of the Lord with the love of her good friend. This was a problem for literally no one.

[Tacenda]

16 minutes ago, Hamba Tuhan said:

We buried my youngest sister 12 years ago with her pearl cross nestled amongst her temple robes. She had worn it around her neck ever since receiving it at age 16 from a dear Catholic friend whose father was a jeweller in Tokyo. It was a single pearl that the oyster (with some assistance) had formed in the shape of a cross. To her, it blended her love of the Lord with the love of her good friend. This was a problem for literally no one.

I'm thinking back awhile, in the late 70's etc, where it wouldn't be acceptable for LDS to wear the cross, and I remember my mother asking me if it were a gun that killed Christ, would I wear a gun necklace? She then said that the church looks to the risen Christ more, a necklace given to me by my Catholic friend, similar to your sister. But in my area, it's very rare still...

I'm sorry about your sister's passing. 😢

Edited May 16, 2022 by Tacenda

[Hamba Tuhan]

8 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I'm thinking back awhile, in the late 70's etc, where it wouldn't be acceptable for LDS to wear the cross, and I remember my mother telling me it would be inappropriate to wear the cross necklace that was given to me by my Catholic friend.

That's about when my sister was given hers. Of course, as I heard Pres Hinckley teach once in person, sometimes members prefer to obsess over things that don't matter because it helps them forget how much they may be omitting 'the weightier matters of the law'. Based on personal experience, I think this is more likely to occur in the handful of places where Saints predominate.

Quote

I'm sorry about your sister's passing.

Thanks. It's all good. We all kept praying that she would be OK, but there was no peace. After one of my prayers, I got up off my knees and shouted, 'Why are you not listening to me?' The answer was clear: 'Because you are not asking for the right things'.

So I got back down on my knees and prayed for the Father's will to be done, and if that meant her passing, then let it be swift. As I said amen, I got a phone call to let me know that she had gone.

Edited May 16, 2022 by Hamba Tuhan

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

On 5/4/2022 at 10:04 AM, Bernard Gui said:

The cross has profound expression in our worship services and in our most sacred ordinances. In this we play second fiddle to no one. And there is this…

 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him…if you love me, keep my commandments.” 

I was given my Father’s Bible, when he passed away by my mother. In the index, or more like a Bible Dictionary, it is filled with many illustrations of what the cross may have looked like. This instead of the perfect geometrical version seen on Churches, and everywhere else. I wish I could take a picture of these illustrations, and post them in this, or a new thread. I have had this debate many times on websites (anti-Mormon websites) asking which version should we display as Latter-day Saints? This question sent many into fits of rage, just because I asked. I then realized, it does not matter to our critics, nor do they care what we do. As they are so invested in their hatred, no amount of holy water would quince that fire! 

[mfbukowski]

On 5/1/2022 at 10:01 PM, The Nehor said:

I knew some of that. I admittedly take most numerology with a shaker of salt.

But they did not! It was big in the culture