Crosses have traditionally been absent from LDS temples and meetinghouses, and for many years, most Latter-day Saints did not wear them. They were often taught that other Christians focused on the instrument of Jesus’ death, while the LDS Church preferred to emphasize the living and resurrected Christ.
That is changing. More Latter-day Saints, including many missionaries, now wear cross necklaces. The LDS Church still does not use the cross as its official symbol or display it on its buildings, but individual members are free to wear one or display them in their homes
So the answer is no longer that Mormons simply do not use crosses. Some do. The more important question is what they believe Jesus accomplished through his suffering and death.
Why Does LDS Teaching Emphasize Gethsemane?
Latter-day Saints believe Jesus suffered for our sins in both Gethsemane and on the cross. However, LDS teaching, artwork, and personal testimony have traditionally placed particular emphasis on his suffering in the garden.
The Bible certainly shows Jesus in deep anguish in Gethsemane. Yet when the New Testament explains how sinners were forgiven and reconciled to God, it repeatedly directs us to Jesus’ death on the cross.
Peter writes:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24).
Paul says that God reconciled us through Christ’s physical body in death (Colossians 1:22). He also says that the record of our debt was taken away and nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14).
Christians do not treasure the cross merely as a religious symbol. We treasure what Jesus completed there.
When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he was not saying that he had done his part and now we must complete ours. He had borne the judgment our sins deserved. The sacrifice was complete.
How Can I Talk About the Cross with My LDS Friend?
Do not make the conversation mainly about whether Latter-day Saints should wear crosses. A necklace or church decoration is not the central issue. Instead, use the cross to talk about what Jesus has done.
You might begin by asking:
- “What does the cross mean to you?”
- “Where do you believe Jesus paid for our sins?”
- “Why do you think the New Testament speaks so often about Jesus’ death?”
- “What do you think Jesus meant when he said, ‘It is finished’?”
Listen carefully. Your LDS friend may speak sincerely about Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. You do not need to deny everything they say in order to show them something more.
Return together to the clear promises of the Bible. Show them that Jesus did not merely make forgiveness possible for those who complete their part. He carried our sins, endured their judgment, and reconciled us to God.
You could say:
“The reason the cross is so precious to me is that it shows me where my sins were fully paid for. Jesus did not leave the work unfinished. He said, ‘It is finished.’ That means my confidence rests in what he completed, not in what I still need to accomplish.”
A Latter-day Saint may now wear the same symbol you do. That can provide a natural point of connection. But do not stop with the shared symbol.
Point your friend to the Savior who died there.
The good news of the cross is not that Jesus made eternal life possible if we prove faithful enough. It is that he finished the work sinners could never finish for themselves.