This is in follow up to last weeks "We believe...". Sometimes members of other faiths don't understand why we won't put crosses on our churches and wear them around our necks. This has to do with the emphasis we put on the atonement and resurrection. The crucifixion was the means to the end by which the latter was accomplished.
I do not wish to demean the sacredness of the cross as it is very important to Christians of other faiths. I merely wish to point out reasons for our beliefs. I asked a dear friend once, why we don't put more emphasis on the cross. She said it is just a symbol with negative meaning to her. She then went on to say, "If your brother was killed with a gun, would you hang a gun in your church or around your neck?" While her answer was a little extreme, it made sense to me...A better answer came from our recently deceased Prophet, Gordon B. Hinkley. He said, “But for us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the Living Christ.”
Great explanation!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is of another faith. Growing up, when I would visit her house, they had a crucifix hanging in every room. For some reason, I didn't find these comforting in the least. They usually had Christ hanging, bloody, from them. I would stare at them fascinated, but not for the right reasons. I know many people find comfort in the cross and my intent is not to offend.
ReplyDeleteI am glad we focus on his life. We have a picture of Christ in almost every room.
I think I'm going to just refer all of my non-member friends over to your blog!--You explain things very well!
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