From Andrew Bolton (UK):

This year is the 150th anniversary of the church seal—a momentous anniversary! Our church logo with lion and lamb, led by a child, is inspired by Isaiah 11:1–10. When the Messiah comes, the lion will lie down with the lamb and a little child shall lead them to peace. At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in March 1836, they sang about this story in “The Spirit of God like a Fire Is Burning” CCS 384 (stanza 3).

How did the church seal come about? A committee of three people, including Joseph Smith III, met on the morning of April 8, 1874, and finalized the design and proposal. It was approved by a conference that afternoon. However, it was only used as a seal for church legal documents for fifty or more years.

President F. M. Smith, after the tragedy of World War I, popularized the church seal by using it on stationery, Herald House books, and our church buildings. The beloved symbol became visual theology for the church. I think it inspired the purpose of the temple—dedicated to the pursuit of peace, reconciliation, and healing of the spirit. This is Christ’s mission. And our purpose, too.