Salt Lake Tribune story on my thesis

[_Mike Reed]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12256269

Pretty good story by Peggy Stack. I'd only point out one needed correction:

Reed came to his thesis naturally. As a Mormon child in Sacramento, Reed was fascinated by the cross. He once stole a cross necklace and wore it to church on the following Sunday. His mother viewed the theft and jewelry as signs of his apostasy, Reed says. "She asked me to put it under my shirt."

This quote makes it sound as though my mother was more concerned about me hiding the symbol, than returning the necklace that I stole. LOL! No... my mother never knew that I stole the necklace in the first place, not until recently that is. Oh well.

Aside from this quote, I am thrilled my research has gotten some media attention.

[_Pokatator]

I am sure you are forgiven. Man that is like stealing a Bible, what Christian wouldn't forgive someone for stealing Bible.

[_beastie]

Congratulations!

Interesting article. When I investigated the church as a nineteen year old in 1976, the missionaries told me that wearing a cross would be like wearing a gun or an electric chair around your neck.

[_Yoda]

Interesting article.

Congrats, Mike!

Sac State is a good school. I grew up near there, and almost attended there myself. Went to BYU instead.

[Guest]

in the comments section:

"Walk around a Mormon temple and count the number of suns, moons and inverted stars.
Take a cross with you, it's scary. "

[_karl61]

Congratulations! great thoughts! The church loses out on the Cross like they miss out by not honoring the early church fathers.

[_Alter Idem]

Mike, that's a wonderful article, congratulations! I'm glad to hear your thesis is almost done. I know the man who was quoted, Bro. Rees, he's brilliant and a great person. Did he help you with your research?

I guess I'm in the minority among LDS because I've always had a reverence for the symbol of the cross and personally, it offends me when I hear other LDS denigrate or dismiss it as a symbol. I think if anyone spends any time really reading the scriptures-especially the Book of Mormon, they will recognize the importance of the cross as a symbol of Christ--and treat it with reverence. That doesn't mean they have to display it or even wear it, but they should never talk about it in the way that they sometimes do. Frankly, it's probably a good thing LDS DON'T wear crosses--if we did, the LDS retailers would just cheapen it as they do when there is money to be made off something, like the ctr and return with honor rings, youngwomen value rings, temple tie tacks, angel moroni pins etc.

I believe Pres. Smith and Elder McConkie and Pres. McKay were wrong in their attitudes towards the cross--they were influenced by their own biases, and unfortunately, they had a lot of influence on others--I think the church needs a "course correction" to return understanding and reverence to the members of the church for the symbol of the cross.

Your story about wearing the cross reminds me of my youngest daughter wanting to wear a cross necklace to church--I let her but suggested she keep it tucked in her shirt (I told her that looking at the cross makes some people feel sad because Jesus died on a cross). I assumed she wanted to wear it because she has a positive attitude towards the cross (because of me) and because it was very pretty. But halfway through sacrament meeting I realized the REAL reason she was wearing it--she took it out and held it up to the people sitting behind her. When there was no reaction from them she said (loud enough for them to hear) "No Vampires here.." and stuck it back in her shirt. I guess she thought if there were any vampires, they'd start cringing in agony or turn into dust. Instead we all tried to stifle our giggles.

[_CaliforniaKid]

Congratulations, brother!

[Guest]

The cross as a christian symbol was a late comer. Originally it was the fish. I like the fish symbol. The cross was chosen as a symbol for chirst. It was a more potent symbol than the fish. Who would rally around the fish? But the cross...would have more pull.

[edit] Early Christian use
During the first two centuries of Christianity, the cross may have been rare in Christian iconography, as it depicts a purposely painful and gruesome method of public execution. The Ichthys, or fish symbol, was used by early Christians. The Chi-Rho monogram, which was adopted by Constantine I in the fourth century as his banner (see labarum), was another Early Christian symbol of wide use.

From the wiki

Now of course I can see why you guys favor the cross. Mainly because the Mormons do not have it as a symbol. Thus, something to be embraced by the critics. But really, the first two hundred years of christianity, the fish was the symbol Why not take up the fish and become apart of the early christians.

And of course, it is now fashionable to claim that the LDS leadership was anticatholic. More fuel for the critics. It is my opinion that the LDS leadership separated itself from the cross because of what it represented. And maybe they were right since the early christians at the time of Paul did not have the cross. It came during what the LDS church would consider the apostacy.

[_Blixa]

Mike, that's a wonderful article, congratulations! I'm glad to hear your thesis is almost done. I know the man who was quoted, Bro. Rees, he's brilliant and a great person. Did he help you with your research?

I guess I'm in the minority among LDS because I've always had a reverence for the symbol of the cross and personally, it offends me when I hear other LDS denigrate or dismiss it as a symbol. I think if anyone spends any time really reading the scriptures-especially the Book of Mormon, they will recognize the importance of the cross as a symbol of Christ--and treat it with reverence. That doesn't mean they have to display it or even wear it, but they should never talk about it in the way that they sometimes do. Frankly, it's probably a good thing LDS DON'T wear crosses--if we did, the LDS retailers would just cheapen it as they do when there is money to be made off something, like the ctr and return with honor rings, youngwomen value rings, temple tie tacks, angel moroni pins etc.

I believe Pres. Smith and Elder McConkie and Pres. McKay were wrong in their attitudes towards the cross--they were influenced by their own biases, and unfortunately, they had a lot of influence on others--I think the church needs a "course correction" to return understanding and reverence to the members of the church for the symbol of the cross.

Your story about wearing the cross reminds me of my youngest daughter wanting to wear a cross necklace to church--I let her but suggested she keep it tucked in her shirt (I told her that looking at the cross makes some people feel sad because Jesus died on a cross). I assumed she wanted to wear it because she has a positive attitude towards the cross (because of me) and because it was very pretty. But halfway through sacrament meeting I realized the REAL reason she was wearing it--she took it out and held it up to the people sitting behind her. When there was no reaction from them she said (loud enough for them to hear) "No Vampires here.." and stuck it back in her shirt. I guess she thought if there were any vampires, they'd start cringing in agony or turn into dust. Instead we all tried to stifle our giggles.

Reminds me why I like you so much, Alter Idem...