In recent years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has leaned hard into its carefully staged imagery—photos designed to communicate power, legitimacy, and divine authority. But the more tightly the Church clutches at these symbols, the more glaringly artificial the whole display becomes. From white-suited prophets mimicking the image of Christ to manufactured keys of authority, these moments reveal far more than intended.
White Suits and Christ Cosplay
One particularly striking photo features President Russell M. Nelson standing outside the Washington, D.C. temple. Dressed in his white temple suit, hands folded gently in front of him, he gazes into the distance with a serene expression. The backdrop? Gleaming spires and a filtered sky that eerily mirrors well-known portrayals of Jesus Christ. It’s hard to miss the implied parallel. But where the real Christ walked among the poor and washed the feet of fishermen, Nelson stands aloof in a $2 billion temple complex, symbolically lifted above the masses.
This image, deliberately crafted, invites followers to see him as Christ-like. And many do. But for those in deconstruction, it rings hollow. Where is the humility? Where is the self-emptying love? Instead, we’re presented with yet another image of institutional power wrapped in white fabric, implying holiness by costume alone. It’s not the Christ of the New Testament we’re seeing—it’s the CEO of an empire dressed for a press release.
Stolen Keys and Plaster Apostles
Then came Rome. The Rome, Italy Temple, completed in 2019, was heralded as a landmark moment—the temple in the historic heart of Christendom. And yet, rather than honoring the message of Jesus, the entire dedication felt like a spectacle for the Church to elevate itself. The cherry on top? A photo of Russell M. Nelson reaching out to gently touch the symbolic keys in the hand of the statue of Peter.
President Nelson’s words followed a historic weekend March 9-12 in which the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the Rome Italy Temple, addressed youth in the temple district, and met with Pope Francis — becoming the first prophet to have a formal audience with the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
President Nelson was joined by every member of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Rome, one of the most influential cities in the history of Christianity. The Church leaders stood together on March 11 in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center for iconic photographs — symbols of their unified testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ.
In addition to the group photograph, President Nelson — who holds all the keys to the Church — stood near the statue of Peter. The keys held in Peter’s hand are symbolic of Matthew 16:19, where Christ promised Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
After the photographs, President Nelson looked forward with characteristic energy and optimism. The many historic firsts of the weekend are “only the beginning,” he said.
Members of the First Presidency expressed deep gratitude for the invitation President Nelson gave them to participate in the historic events surrounding the dedication of the Rome temple.
The Lord, he said, told him to take all the senior leaders to Rome for the dedication. “I was just following the instructions I received,” he said. “It was very clear to me.”
Only a few times in history has the entire senior leadership of the Church been together outside of Utah, the most recent being the Nauvoo Illinois Temple dedication in 2002.
President Nelson said the Church leaders’ time in Rome will be “a blessing for the people all over the world, because these Apostles now will go all over the world and recap the experiences that they felt here as this holy house was dedicated.”
Church News: President Nelson talks ‘unprecedented future’ of Church following Rome Italy Temple dedication
https://www.thechurchnews.com/2019/3/15/23215842/president-nelson-talks-unprecedented-future-of-church-following-rome-italy-temple-dedication/ (the article removed the photo of Nelson touching Peter’s key)
One snapshot taken at the LDS Rome temple caught my attention. Nelson stood next to the statue portraying the apostle Peter, first in line to the marble statues of Jesus’s other apostles. His hand slightly reached out to touch the keys held in Peter’s right hand. No doubt Matthew 16:19 is being referenced. It says, “I will give you (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The comparison was clear. Peter, whom the Roman Catholic Church claims to be its first pope, is the head of the “former” day saints; Nelson, meanwhile, is the leader of the “Latter-day Saints.” Seeing the photo for the first time, my jaw hit the ground.
Understanding a little bit about LDS doctrine and teaching is important to comprehend what was intentionally meant. Concerning a doctrine known the Great Apostasy, Mormon Apostle Boyd Packer told a 2003 General Conference audience,
The Church you belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the restored Church. When you know what restored means, you will understand why standards of conduct are as they are. Following the Crucifixion of Christ an apostasy occurred. Leaders began to ‘teach for doctrines the commandments of men.’ They lost the keys of authority and closed themselves off from the channels of revelation. That lost authority could not just be repossessed. It had to be restored by those who held the keys of authority anciently. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a remodeled version of another church. It is not an adjustment or a correction or a protest against any other church. They have their ‘form of godliness’ and their goodness and value” (“The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2003, p. 24).
A church manual says this,
One by one, the Apostles were killed or otherwise taken from the earth. Because of wickedness and apostasy, the apostolic authority and priesthood keys were also taken from the earth. The organization that Jesus Christ had established no longer existed, and confusion resulted. More and more error crept into Church doctrine, and soon the dissolution of the Church was complete. The period of time when the true Church no longer existed on earth is called the Great Apostasy. Soon pagan beliefs dominated the thinking of those called Christians (Gospel Principles, 2009, p. 92).
The Church News reported in 2009:
Occasionally, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is criticized for teaching doctrine not found in the Bible. In reality, the teachings of the Church reflect reiterations of truths once had in Christ’s Church that were lost through many centuries of apostasy and the consequential absence of divine authority and priesthood keys (“Latter-day Scripture,” Church News, January 10, 2009, p. 16).
What is important to note is that only one can hold these keys at a time. Referring to LDS Church founder Joseph Smith, D&C 132:7 states how “there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred.” (Also see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, p. 224; History of the Church 6:46; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 324; the Book of Mormon Student Manual Religion 121 and 122, 1989, p. 46.) Today that man is the president of the church.
Robert L. Millet explained:
Any of the General Authorities may speak the mind of the Lord and thus proclaim scripture, but only the living Prophet has the keys necessary to declare, clarify, or introduce doctrines and commandments for the entire church (Magnifying Priesthood Power, 1989, p. 109).
This idea of authority is crucial to Mormonism. The leaders don’t claim this is just another church but rather “the Church.” If Peter was the figurehead for the former day saints, certainly the church’s president is the figurehead in these “latter” days. Henry B. Eyring, the second counselor in the First Presidency, told an April 2008 General Conference crowd:
This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter (“The True and Living Church,” Ensign (Conference Edition), May 2008, p. 20).
… So why did the church delete this tasteless photo? Did the leaders respond to complaints? Or did they come to realize how offensive it was? We may never know the real answer. Regardless, it is obvious that this attempt to be “cute” should have been kept on President Nelson’s cell phone and never made its way onto an official church website.
The Photo of the Statue of the Apostle Peter and LDS President Russell M. Nelson
https://mrm.org/peter-statue-photo
Nelson approved the construction of the Rome temple. He approved the commissioning and installation of each of the twelve apostle statues standing outside. He staged this moment—himself, alone, connecting with Peter’s plaster hand—as though that symbolic gesture somehow conferred divine authority. As if by merely touching a sculpture that he paid to install, the authority of ancient apostles is mystically transferred through the Italian concrete and into his fingertips.
It was a staged moment that practically screamed, “Look at me! I have Peter’s keys too!” It’s a performance. A desperate grasp at borrowed symbolism. And it’s not just cringe-worthy—it’s transparently narcissistic.
Where were the symbolic gestures in smaller, less glamorous temples? Why don’t we see the same photo-ops in other temples? Why fly the full church leadership to Europe for a single temple dedication? This has never been done before, and the church news made much of the affair, since the leadership never assembles outside of Utah. Because the Rome temple has gravitas. It’s an attempt to appropriate the weight of Christian history. In a city where apostolic succession has been argued for centuries, Nelson inserts himself into the narrative—as if standing next to a statue puts him on equal footing with Peter. What a buffoonish display of ego and desperation.
Colonel Sanders and the Church’s Fried-White Fantasy
In the LDS (Mormon) temple, workers and patrons wear full white clothing to symbolize purity, equality, and unity. The attire is specific and uniform across all temple locations. This white clothing is distinct from regular Sunday church attire and is reserved only for temple use. Members bring their own white clothing or rent it at the temple, and must change into it in the locker rooms upon arrival. Ordinance workers—volunteers who help conduct temple ceremonies—wear similar white clothing throughout their shift, often including a full white suit.
Oddly enough, the famous Colonel Sanders was also known to wear white suits for attention, he’s even known to share the advice:
The Colonel nodded, and fort emphasis repeated: “Son, if you want people to listen to you…” He paused, and then, with firm finality, intoned, “Wear a white suit.”
Frank Deford, Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter, 2012
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Over_Time/YPC8-gH45NoC
If the theatrical Christ-cosplay and self-conferred authority weren’t enough, the internet did what it does best—turned the absurdity into satire. A viral meme emerged showing the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, all dressed in white temple suits, but with one key modification: each of them altered slightly to resemble Colonel Sanders from KFC.
White suits. White hair. Southern gentleman vibes. It was almost too easy.
The resemblance is more than just visual. Like a fast-food franchise, the Church is in the business of mass-producing a carefully controlled product: a faith experience designed for mass consumption, served with a smiling face and a strict dress code. And while the imagery may be finger-lickin’ clean, what’s beneath the surface is processed, packaged, and a far cry from the organic message of Jesus.
The meme struck a nerve not just because it was funny, but because it was true. The church’s leadership is indistinguishable, both in appearance and voice. There’s no diversity of thought, no space for questioning, no room for individuality. It’s uniformity over authenticity—whitewashed suits for a whitewashed gospel.
Why It Matters
These photo-ops may look like sacred symbols to someone still in the Church. But to those deconstructing, they look like costumes, props, and marketing campaigns. The image management is obvious. The symbolism is staged. And the spiritual manipulation—asking members to feel reverence for a man because he wears white or touches plaster—is not just disingenuous; it’s harmful.
Christ didn’t need to wear white. He didn’t need to pose beside statues. He was an authority because he lived love, lifted the broken, and dismantled systems of control. What we see today from church leadership is not prophetic—it’s performative.
And if that performance makes you laugh, cringe, or even cry—that’s okay. You’re not crazy. You’re just waking up.
Join the Conversation
What do you see when you look at those photos? Do you feel manipulated, amused, or just exhausted by the endless pageantry? Share your thoughts in the comments, or better yet, share your own story of waking up and walking away. At wasmormon.org, we honor your journey and your voice. Whether you’ve ditched the white suit or just started to see through it, your experience matters. Come tell your story.
More reading:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1ke0nsr/i_found_it_lost_picture/
- https://www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2022/8/14/23305644/photo-gallery-washington-dc-temple-rededication-images-first-presidency-senior-leaders/
- https://mrm.org/peter-statue-photo
- https://mylifebygogogoff.com/2021/06/come-follow-me-insights-by-gogo-goff-doctrine-and-covenants-64-66.html
- https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/rn8h59/this_is_in_desperate_need_of_a_caption/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/b004ob/auditions_for_the_next_colonel_sanders_have_begun/
- https://imgur.com/a/auditions-next-colonel-sanders-tfcCO08
- https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/public-tours-begin-rome-italy-temple
- https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/group-photo-first-presidency-quorum-twelve-apostles-rome
- https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/historic-photo-of-the-first-presidency-and-quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles-in-rome
- https://www.thechurchnews.com/2019/3/15/23215842/president-nelson-talks-unprecedented-future-of-church-following-rome-italy-temple-dedication/
- https://www.thechurchnews.com/2019/3/10/23215255/president-nelson-dedicates-rome-italy-temple-170-years-after-church-opened-a-door-which-no-man-can-s/