...NO CROSSES on Mormon chapel buildings when they asked you, "Why don't you have crosses on your churches"???

I heard so many variations as a missionary...what was yours???

Or so it seems to me...

I gave the one I was told to give...

That we (mormons) celebrate the risen christ, not the suffering christ on the cross.

Being an atheist now, I really don't care one way or the other...but I have to admit that before/after leaving mormonism, the adoration in other christian sects of depictions of a guy being tortured to death never really sat well with me...seemed pretty hideous. I don't *think* that's my mormon upbringing talking, though it might have been influenced by it :)

I stated we believe in the risen Christ and concentrate on His life not death. Also, I said a cross would be considered a "graven image". It never occurred to me that other "graven images" were all the tie tacks, bracelets, necklaces, etc of Moroni and the temples.

If Jesus got killed with a knife would we see knives on top of every church spire?

That's basically the one we used in Mexico, but we substituted out 'knife' and put in 'broken beer bottle' to make it relevant.

Yep...I had a companion that liked to use the 357-magnum argument & would we hang bullets around our neck to remind us of Jesus's death like people wear crosses.

Go figure...

Or so it seems to me...

Broken beer bottle, nice.

Hey, it was hilarious! "Que tal se murio Cristo de una botella de cerveza, quebrada, que se metio en su garganta?" and we pantomime holding a broken bottle and shoving it into their throats. They'd laugh and laugh and then we'd dunk'em. Baptisms were easy in 2nd/3rd world countries back in the 60s.

Just in case you missed it, the current orchestra directory at the Y played golf with my son and I in Orem in late August and when he found out that I'd done my mission in Mexico, he said that there was a popular saying among the German missionaries when he was there, "Every time a missionary knocks on a door in Germany, a family gets baptized in Mexico."

I tried the "We believe in the risen Christ.." explanation a few times. I was slammed down by an Anglican who said that the cross represented the victory over death.

So, depends upon your point of view, I guess.

Their logic fails when you find jewelry being sold like this.

https://ldsbookstore.com/store/Search.aspx?SearchTerms=Carthage%20Jail%20Ornament%20-%2024K%20Gold%20Plated

Wow! Does it come with a beaded string attached?

But the argument can be made, as the Anglican said, that the cross is a symbol of death, and the resurrection conquered death.

I have heard of no reports of Joseph Smith resurrecting or returning in translated glory to chivvie the saints on, or boink one of his wives. But I suppose the latter would be too sacred to discuss. ...Like the third and fourth anointings.

Even before Christ was crucified, the idea of the cross was significant.

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." (Mark 10:21)