SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 5, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints revealed a new symbol to further “identify the faith” and its grounding in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Church prophet and president Russell M. Nelson announced the change during the Saturday evening session of the April 2020 general conference. Nelson said this new symbol is a continuation of his efforts to focus on the Church’s “divinely revealed name.”
“The symbol will now be used as a visual identifier for official literature, news, and events of the Church. It will remind all that this is the Savior’s Church and that all we do, as members of his church, centers on Jesus Christ and his gospel,” Nelson said.
“We have gone to these extraordinary efforts because when we remove the Lord’s name from the name of his church, we inadvertently remove him as the central focus of our worship and our lives.”
According to an article on Church’s website, “the new symbol will be used on church materials as directed by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Detailed usage guidelines are being developed, including possible uses of the new symbol around the world.”
The centerpiece of the new symbol is an image of Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen’s neoclassical marble statue, “The Christus,” sculpted in 1821.
“(The symbol) portrays the resurrected, living Lord reaching out to embrace all who will come unto Him,” Nelson said. “This symbol should feel familiar to many, as we have long identified the restored gospel with the living, resurrected Christ.”
In 2019 “the Church made adjustments to better reflect correct use of the faith’s full name,” the church article said. “Members of the Church worldwide should be patient and courteous as these symbol adjustments are made in their language.”
