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>> Many of us see the cross as celebrating the pain that Jesus suffered instead of celebrating the Atonement He achieved. <<

Yes, actually, the reason Catholics (for example) put crosses above the altar is that the atonement of Christ was not achieved by his resurrection, but by his suffering and death.

I agree that the atonement was achieved by Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. That is why I wear a cross.

The LDS do not believe that. They dismiss the cross as only a necessary thing, something that is/was distasteful. That is why they do not use crosses/crucifixes.

As a Catholic, you certainly do not find the Cross of Christ to be distasteful.

The LDS do not believe that. They dismiss the cross as only a necessary thing, something that is/was distasteful. That is why they do not use crosses/crucifixes.

"They dismiss the cross as only a necessary thing, something that is/was distasteful.....AND a "Christian" symbol.

It is interesting that the split personality of mormon belief is illustrated this way: For over 100 years, mormons have been prideful that they were a "peculiar people", definitely "set apart" because THEY and they alone had the "restored gospel", and those "Christians" belonged to sects that all derived from the "abominable" Catholic church.

I heard the "exclusivity" theme "we aren't like THEM" over and over again in "talks" (even the reference to sermons had to be different from that used by Christian churches) in mormon chapels and conferences.

So, fast forward. NOW, that attitude of removing itself from the general Christian community has gone by the wayside...BUT...the mormon church still clings to vestiges of the original teachings that keep them far outside the Christian beliefs, disdain for the Cross, for one, claiming the only "authority" valid for performing baptisms and marriages, claiming "the Great Apostasy", etc.

The mormon church demands to be included in the general Christian community while holding itself above and superior to, all other Christian sects.

I posted an earlier article regarding an interesting development, CHRISTIANITY DEFINED - (LDS Site Defining Christianity) in which not only the mormon church does not adjust to Christian mores, but some of its adherents are trying to shape Christian belief to suit the mormon agenda.

The choice of the mormon church to see the Atonement in Gethsemane rather than on Calgary is just another wedge in the width of the chasm between mormonism and Christianity.

As for me, I choose the Cross.