a couple questions for LDS?

Question

I havea few questions for mormons, or non-mormons who know the answers.

1) I don't know if temples all have it, I've only seen one, but who is the statue of on the very top of the temple? The temple where I live has a gold statue of someone blowing a horn. Who is this and why are they important?

2) Why are cross symbols not used by Mormons?

Answer 1

1,) That's the angel Moroni. I don't know if you've heard of the Book of Mormon, but it's a book of scripture that goes along with the Bible (the Bible was written by prophets in Israel, and the BOM was written by prophets in the Americas. Both testify of Christ). One of the last prophets compiled all of the records of the people in the Americas into one volume, and this was given to that prophet's son. Since the people at that time were trying to destroy this record, that prophet, Moroni, had to wander for years, all alone, until finally burying the record entirely. A few hundred years later, another prophet was called, and Moroni returned as an angel to show him where he'd put it. The statue on top of the temples is of Moroni. The trumpet is meant to signal the return of Christ (though obviously not literally...it is just a statue).



2.) We have nothing against the cross, but the purpose of the cross is to remind people of all that Christ went through on our behalf. This is a good thing, but we prefer to remember the resurrected Lord, the one who overcame death for our sakes, and not the one dying on the cross.

Answer 2

1. The temple statue at top is the Angel moroni, who led Joseph Smith to the golden plates. Somewhere in Rev 14:6 talks of an angel blowing a horn, with the gospel of Jesus Christ.



2. The cross was used the first decades in LDS church history.

Later in the 19th century it was taken off because it looks too much like a protestant or catholic church icon. Tradition has kept it off since and we more care about the resurrection instead of the atonement.

Answer 3

excellent questions.



The guy at the top of Temple, and he isn't on all of them is Moroni, he is symbolically blowing the trumpet for all to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. He isn't on all of them due to zoning restrictions in some areas. Moroni was a prophet that lived in the are we call the americas. His contribution was to protect the gold plate where the record of his people was kept in their worship and dealings with each other and God. He is symbolic.



For crosses, we really don't have anything against them, they have seemed to come to represent the death of Jesus Christ since that was how He was crucified. We deeply honor the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior but what we find joy in is His Resurrection and making it possible for us to be forgiven and have eternal life with Him and Heavenly Father. We focus more on the glory of it all instead of the instrument of His suffering, which was for us. We do recognize the significance of the cross. Instead what we are taught is that the life, death and Resurrection of the Lord should be evident in our lives, how we treat others and how we follow the Savior. Anyone can wear a cross and they do, but not everyone has a change of heart and actually follows the teachings of the Master. In the scriptures it says "by their fruits ye shall know them" so by the things they do you can tell if someone is Christian, not by what they wear.



Thank you for the opportunity to think more about Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

The statue on top of the Temple is the angel Moroni. Not all Temples have this, most do, and all of the newer ones do. He is blowing his trumpet towards the East, symbolic of heralding the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.



Eight temples do not have an angel Moroni. They are the St. George Utah, Logan Utah, Manti Utah, Laie Hawaii, Cardston Alberta, Mesa Arizona, Hamilton New Zealand, and Oakland California Temples. http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/articles/facts/



They don't use the cross symbol as jewelry or decoration, choosing not to glorify the death of the savior, but rather His Resurrection.



You can find artwork of the Savior on the cross within the LDS church,

http://www.lds.org/hf/art/display/0,16842,4218-1-2-73,00.html



but it's not used as a symbol of the faith.

Answer 5

1) The statue represents the angel Moroni - he is the person who came to Joseph Smith and lead him to the plates. The statue holds a trumpet - this symbolizes the trump sounding the gospel to all the world. It is symbolic of the restoration of the gospel.



2) We believe in the Living Christ. We do not focus on His death, but rather focus on the fact that He is a resurrected, perfect being, and that we too can become as He - resurrected and perfect.

Answer 6

The guy on the temple is Moroni, a character in the Book of Mormon.



I was taught (growing up mormon) that we didn't use the cross because we didn't want to focus on the death of Christ, but focus on his life and resurrection instead.

Answer 7

1) As stated, the statue is of the Angel Moroni. He was a prophet in the Book of Mormon who testified of Jesus Christ in the Ancient Americas around 600 a.d.



2) While we are humbled and have gratitude for his suffering and death for us on the Cross, we prefer to focus on his triumph over death and sin through the resurrection.



Hope this answers your question and good luck! If you have other questions feel free to send an anonymous email through Yahoo Answers by clicking on my profile.

Answer 8

It is thought that the Angel Moroni will herald in the 2nd coming of the Savior as He is symbolically representing atop many temples, facing East I believe.



We worship a Living Christ and not the symbol of His death.

Answer 9

1.) It's the Angel Moroni. All temples have them - although it does sometimes take a while. (The one in Boston took about a year I think - there was a city ordinance) It was Moroni who was the last person to add to the Book of Mormon, and he is the one who "hid it up unto the Lord" until the Lord commanded him to show Joseph Smith where it was, and instruct him (Joseph).



2.) Because we prefer to remember our risen Lord, instead of the symbols of His death. While His death was necessary, the true miracle of it all was what happened next - breaking the chains of death, His rising from the dead.

Answer 10

the person on the top of the temple is the angle moroni, he was the angle that showed Joseph Smith where the gold plates were. They were then translated into the book of mormon.



2. we don't use the cross cause to us the cross represents his death and we focus on his resurrection. The good news is that Christ overcame death not that he died.

Answer 11

Moroni is on top of our temples. He buried the brass plates when he was alive and took Joseph Smith to them after his death."in spirit"

The cross is something that represents Christ's death. We focus on his life and teachings over all. Not focusing on that one aspect.

Answer 12

1) An angel dude named Moroni (caretaker of their Book of Mormon)



2) Crosses were outlawed in the 1950s. Most Mormons don't know this factoid.







Mike Reed has written this about Mormons and the cross:



Although some members believe that their aversion of the cross is due to their emphasis of the life (rather than the death) of Christ, and that the atonement in the garden of Gethsemane was also (in addition to his crucifixion) a place where Jesus atoned for sin... These are post-hoc rationalizations that don't really explain the actual basis of the no-cross protocol. The first argument is undermined by the fact that the communion (sacrament) commemorates the death of Christ every Sunday in LDS church services. And both the first and second arguments are challenged by the temple endowment (can't be specific here) which utilizes symbols of Christ's death on the cross, and also LDS scripture which repetitively employs the cross as an all-encompassing literary symbol of Christ's atonement. Today's mormons and their critics may be surprised to learn that the cross taboo was a late development in the LDS church's history, first starting as an aversion at the grass roots level around the turn of the twentieth century, and then as official protocol from the church presidency in the 1950s under the direction of David O. Mckay. Prior to this time several saints had used and promoted the symbol of the cross. Not only was literary symbolism fairly popular among LDS, but the material depiction was common place in LDS funeral floral arrangements. I have also gathered dozens of additional examples of the cross being used by prominent saints. Cross necklaces (and even a few rosaries) were worn by several LDS women in the church (including Brigham Young's wife Amelia Folsom Young), the official church brand was a cross, crosses were sewn into quilts, divine manifestations of crosses were envisioned, crosses were drawn as notation symbols, and many church buildings were constructed in cruciform designs. In 1916 the church had even petitioned the SLC council to erect a cross monument on ensign peak, to honor of the pioneers and to make the statement to the world, "You see... We are Christian too!" Granted, the petition eventually failed due to several factors, including public protest that the monument's design was in violation of the separation of church and state (since the location was public property)... But the church's proposal shows clearly that the no-cross protocol hadn't yet come to fruition. Again... The official protocol wasn't born until the 1950s under the direction of president David O. Mckay, and the reason that he gave was that wearing and displaying the cross was purely a "Catholic form of worship." So essentially, the protocol came about primarily because the church's desire to disassociate themselves from the Catholic Church. This unfortunately was a time of great tension between the saints and Catholics in the state of Utah. About me: I am a graduate student who is nearly finished with writing my ma thesis on “the development of the LDS church's no-cross protocol.” I believe I will be the first to ever write and publish an in-depth analysis, explaining how and why the cross aversion came about. My thesis will also (if all remains as planned) argue that the current protocol may not be in the best interest of the church, as it breads interfaith tension, and interferes with the church's assimilative efforts to be perceived as Christian by the mainstream.

Answer 13

1. You could read already iwho was Moroni.

Here more about Moroni

http://www.mormonwiki.com/Moroni



2. And why no crosses you also have got good answers. Here more about

http://www.lightplanet.com/response/answers/crosses.htm

Answer 14

The Angel Moroni.



The crucifix is a "graven image", not to be used as an object of prayer.

Answer 15

It's the angel Moroni.



and about the crosses...(forgive me) it's more of a Catholic thing and it's not right to wear your saviors death cross on your neck. I'm Catholic and I think that's absolutely tacky and tastelss.

Would you wear your dead sons knife he was killed with? No.

Answer 16

Cross symbols are not worn by Mormons because they believe that it concentrates too much on the death of Christ and therefore does not give enough importance on the life and mission of Jesus. It's really based on tradition and it is a silly tradition. Many Mormons wear crosses, just not at church.

Answer 17

1) I don't know if temples all have it, I've only seen one, but who is the statue of on the very top of the temple? The temple where I live has a gold statue of someone blowing a horn. Who is this and why are they important?



Moroni is the statue on top of Mormon Temples.



Mormons believe that Moroni is an Angel.



Galatians 1:6-9



6I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:



7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.



8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.



9As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.



2 Corinthians 11:14

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.



The Bible suggest Mormoni is really a fallen angel or a demon.



2) Why are cross symbols not used by Mormons?



1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.



http://www.allaboutcults.org/



http://www.waltermartin.com/eyewit.html



http://www.waltermartin.com/cults.html



http://bornagainmormon.com/



http://www.utlm.org/



http://www.lamblion.com

Answer 18

@COSMO "The Angel Moroni"



Ya know, every time I hear that, I want to bust out laughing. It sounds like some kind of pasta.

Answer 19

Seriously, Moroni?



Like moron?



o_O



Ooooooook!