Symbolism in the LDS Church - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses many scriptural and ceremonial symbols in its theology, its leaders teach that as the Apostle Paul taught, "the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (KJV, 1 Corinthians 2:10,14) The Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...

prophet Alma also taught: "It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only ... according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries;" (Alma 12:9,11)

Thus, one of the many important uses of symbolism is to enable spiritual discernment of the "deep things of God" in a way that becomes veiled from the "natural" or intellectual mind of man, but reaches the inner heart and soul in a memorable way that may provide new levels of understanding through meditation, prayer, heed and diligence.

As with much of Christianity, baptism is considered a vital symbolic ceremony or ordinance

Ordinance (Mormonism)

In Mormonism, an ordinance is a religious ritual of special significance, often involving the formation of a covenant with God. Ordinances are performed by the authority of the priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ...

. The sacrament

Sacrament (Mormonism)

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, most often simply referred to as the sacrament, is the sacrament in which participants partake of bread and drink water in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ...

of bread and water also is reflective of renewing each member's baptismal covenants, and is available in Sacrament meeting

Sacrament meeting

Sacrament meeting is the weekly worship service held on Sunday in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .Sacrament meetings are held in individual wards or branches in the chapel of the meetinghouse. The bishop or branch president of the ward or branch presides, unless a higher authority...

, as part of the typical Sunday worship service.

Scriptural symbols in Mormonism include the tree of life (also representing the love of God and eternal life, 1 Nephi 11:8-22), the iron rod (the word of God, 1 Nephi 11:25)), the tame and wild olive trees (the House of Israel, Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon

Jacob 5), a tree seed (the word of God planted in one's heart, Alma 32:28), the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16,17), the many symbols of Christ and His mission as the Savior of mankind (for example, Isaiah 53:7, 55:1, John 6:35), the symbol of an angel with a trumpet (the everlasting gospel, Revelation 14:6), and many others.
The mainstream LDS Church in general practice does not use the cross as a religious symbol, although its members revere the Savior's suffering and death and His infinite atonement. Partaking of the sacrament of bread and water administered each Sunday memorializes His broken body and His redemptive blood, and the covenants members make with Him. His life, the light of His love, and His resurrection are also emphasized and memorialized, and the tree of life symbolizes these aspects of His divine mission. A statue of the Christus in the Salt Lake City visitors' center, based on the original by Bertel Thorvaldsen

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...

, shows the scar marks on His hands and feet that are symbolic of the atonement, but such a replica is not worn individually by LDS adherents. Members may wear a ring with the Choose the Right

Choose the right

"Choose the right" is a saying or motto among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is taught to children and used by members of the church as a reminder to act righteously. The phrase is taken from an LDS hymn of the same name written by Joseph L...

shield on a daily basis, to remind them to be righteous.

All of the symbolic elements involved in the LDS temple

Temple (LDS Church)

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...

endowment

Endowment (Latter Day Saints)

In the theology of the Latter Day Saint movement, an endowment refers to a gift of "power from on high", typically associated with Latter Day Saint temples. The purpose and meaning of the endowment varied during the life of movement founder Joseph Smith, Jr...

ceremonies are considered to be very sacred and are thus not discussed publicly. Two symbolic ideas that are discussed in temple open houses before they are dedicated are as follows:

Members who enter the temple change in private lockers into white "temple clothing" to remind them of leaving outside the cares of the world, and of becoming one with each other by being dressed in similar clothing that symbolizes purity and "holiness to the Lord."

Each temple includes a baptismal font similar to the "molten sea" described in Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 7:23-26). The font is placed below ground level, signifying a place of symbolic burial of the carnal individual and a renewal of life as a "born again" individual who has covenanted and become clean through the atonement of Jesus Christ. The font is placed on twelve oxen, three facing each direction, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel whose descendants are scattered throughout the earth. The LDS belief is that as each baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism is the religious practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of one who is dead, with the living person acting as the deceased person's proxy...

occurs, the person being represented by proxy may accept the baptismal ordinance in the Spirit world and thus be joined with the House of Israel in an eternal covenant with Jesus Christ.

Some physical symbols often used within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Picture	Symbol Name	Description
	All-seeing eye Eye of Providence The Eye of Providence is a symbol showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle...	Appears on Salt Lake Temple exterior and on other early LDS buildings.
	Angel Moroni	Person who revealed location of the golden plates Golden Plates According to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith... to Joseph Smith.
	Beehive skep Beehive A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...	From the Book of Mormon; refers to "deseret," meaning "honeybee." Appears on the Utah state flag, Utah state seal, Brigham Young's Beehive House Beehive House The Beehive House is one of the two official residences of Brigham Young, an early leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The Beehive House gets its name from the Beehive sculpture atop the house. It was designed by Young's brother-in-law and architect of the Salt Lake... , Salt Lake Temple, Utah state highway markers, etc.
	Handclasp	Appears on Salt Lake Temple exterior. One modern adaptation is the "Helping Hands" logo on t-shirts worn by LDS members when performing community service (see also: right hand of fellowship Right hand of christian fellowship The Right Hand of Fellowship is a ritual intended to welcome a new member into the fellowship of a congregation or welcoming a new minister into the fellowship of ministers... ).
	Iron rod Tree of life vision The Tree of life vision is a vision described and discussed in the Book of Mormon, one of the scriptures of the Latter Day Saint movement denominations published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830. According to the Book of Mormon, the vision was received by a prophet named Lehi, and later by his son...	Originates with the Book of Mormon; symbolizes the "word of God," meaning the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, or the gospel of Jesus Christ generally that leads one to the Tree of Life.
	Pioneer wagon	Emblem often appearing in Pioneer Day celebrations; evokes connection of living members to deeds of the Mormon pioneers. Variations often include a handcart.
	Sego lily	Image appearing in several LDS Church temples, due to its importance to early Mormon pioneer settlers in Utah as a source of sustenance. As a result of its importance in early LDS Church (and, thus, Utah) history, it also appears on the Utah state flag and is also the official Utah state flower.
	Sunstone Sunstone Sunstone is a plagioclase feldspar, which when viewed from certain directions exhibits a brilliant spangled appearance; this has led to its use as a gemstone. It has been found in Southern Norway, and in some United States localities...	Appeared on original Nauvoo Temple Nauvoo Temple The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the... .
	Tree of life Tree of life vision The Tree of life vision is a vision described and discussed in the Book of Mormon, one of the scriptures of the Latter Day Saint movement denominations published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830. According to the Book of Mormon, the vision was received by a prophet named Lehi, and later by his son...	Symbolic element featured prominently in the beginning portion First Book of Nephi The First Book of Nephi is the first book of the Book of Mormon. Its full title is The First Book of Nephi: His Reign and Ministry. The book is usually referred to as First Nephi and abbreviated as "1 Ne.". It is a first-person narrative, beginning around 600 BC, of a prophet named Nephi... of the Book of Mormon; symbolizes the love of God.

Some physical symbols often used within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

See also