Pathos

Candlers Mountain in Lynchburg, VA, bears a significant historical and emotional value for my family. Named after my direct ancestor, Daniel Candler, the mountain has been a treasured part of our family heritage. I hold the legacy of my family dear to my heart as the eldest living direct male heir to his name. Growing up, I have cherished memories of riding up Candlers Mountain, visiting ancestral graves with my father, and honoring our heritage.

However, in 2007, Liberty University marred this sacred heritage by defacing the mountain with a gargantuan school monogram. This act has been nothing short of heartbreaking for my family, particularly for my father and grandfather who are now gone. They were disheartened by that gay/garish display that turned a revered family landmark into a massive advertisement for a private Christian college. The irony and distastefulness of this act cannot be overstated, especially considering our ancestors were Quakers who valued simplicity and humility.

In an attempt to address this matter, I reached out to Liberty University’s leadership with a proposal for a dialogue. My intention is not to erase the university's presence but to initiate a conversation on finding a more tasteful symbol. A cross, for instance, embodies a universal symbol that respects the mountain’s sanctity and history.

I ask for your support in urging Liberty University to reconsider and change the symbol on Candlers Mountain. This change will honor the memory of not just my predecessors but respect the sanctity of all families laid to rest there. I steadfastly aim to uphold the dignity of my family's history and preserve this landmark for future generations.

Help me protect Candlers Mountain and restore its historic and familial significance. Please sign this petition to advocate for a respectful and harmonious resolution that honors both the individuals resting on this mountain and the broader community it represents. Sign this petition and stand with me to preserve our shared heritage.

Ethos/ Logos

1. 
Historical & Symbolic Implications
Monogram to Cross Shift: The original “Candlers” monogram (a mark of family lineage, land identity, and human heritage) represents a particular family’s stewardship of a mountain. Replacing it with a giant cross signals a transformation from private/familial identity to universal Christian identity.

Institutional Authority: Liberty University placing a cross asserts that the land’s primary significance is now tied to Christ’s victory and mission, rather than to a surname or lineage. It suggests the university sees itself as stewarding the land for the broader Christian mission.

Cultural Reframing: This change effectively overwrites a historic human legacy with a sacred one, reframing the mountain as not just an inherited possession, but a place consecrated for the kingdom of God.

 

2. 
Spiritual/Theological Implications
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20) calls believers to “make disciples of all nations” and teach them to observe Christ’s commands. The cross is the symbol of that mission—it points not to one family’s ownership but to the universal offer of salvation.

Unlocking the Kingdom Within: Jesus taught (Luke 17:21) that the kingdom of God is “within you.” A cross on a mountain becomes a visible outward sign of this inward reality: an emblem meant to awaken people to the divine life already implanted in them.

From Exclusivity to Inclusivity: A monogram points inward—marking “this is ours.” A cross points outward—“this is for all.” It shifts the land’s meaning from inheritance of blood to inheritance of spirit.

Witness to the World: By elevating the cross above the mountain, Liberty ties the physical landscape into a spiritual proclamation, aligning the land itself with the mission of evangelization.

 

3. 
Potential Tensions
Erasure of Heritage: While the cross universalizes meaning, it can also obscure the lived history of the Candler family, raising questions about whether divine mission and human stewardship should coexist rather than one replace the other.

Authority of Symbolism: Who gets to decide what symbols represent a land? The shift embodies the theological claim that all land belongs to God, but may conflict with narratives of personal or ancestral ownership.

 

In essence:

Replacing the monogram with the cross transforms Candlers from a site of family heritage into a beacon of Christian mission. It aligns with the Great Commission by reorienting the land’s symbolism away from exclusive inheritance toward the universal invitation of Christ, embodying the belief that the Kingdom of Heaven is not locked in lineage, but accessible within every person who responds to the call of the cross.

Argument: The Candler Family’s Support for Liberty’s Replacement of the Monogram with the Cross

I. Introduction
The Candler Family, whose heritage is historically tied to Candlers Mountain, affirms Liberty University’s decision to replace the Liberty Monogram with a giant Cross. This act is not viewed as an erasure of family legacy but as its fulfillment in the light of the Gospel.

 

II. Legacy and Faith in Harmony
The Candler Name as a Vessel of Providence

The Candler family acknowledges that their stewardship of the mountain was always under God’s sovereignty.

Family heritage serves as the foundation from which greater works may emerge; the Cross represents the ultimate flowering of that heritage.

From Particular to Universal

The monogram symbolizes the particular story of the Candler family.

The Cross universalizes that story, proclaiming that what began with one family’s stewardship now belongs to all under Christ’s lordship.

 

III. Alignment with Christian Mission
Christ’s Great Commission

Matthew 28:19–20 commands believers to “make disciples of all nations.”

Replacing the monogram with the Cross shifts the symbol from family possession to global mission. The family views this as consistent with their faith and witness.

Unlocking the Kingdom Within

The Candler family believes that the Cross best expresses Jesus’s teaching in Luke 17:21 — that the Kingdom of God is “within you.”

By elevating the Cross above the mountain, the family affirms their desire that all people, not just their descendants, encounter that inner Kingdom.

 IV. Theological Perspective: Fulfillment, Not Loss
Biblical Continuity

Just as Christ fulfilled the Law without abolishing it (Matthew 5:17), the Cross fulfills the meaning of the monogram without erasing it.

The family legacy is not diminished but transfigured in the symbol of salvation.

Witness Through Sacrifice

By allowing their familial mark to be replaced, the Candler family imitates the sacrificial spirit of the Gospel.

Their surrender of visible recognition becomes a testimony of humility and service to Christ’s greater glory.

 

V. Cultural and Spiritual Implications
Heritage as Foundation for Mission

The family views their historical role as preparatory: they safeguarded the land until the time came for it to be consecrated to a higher purpose.

The Cross represents the maturation of their stewardship into eternal significance.

Collective Ownership in Christ

Whereas the monogram was exclusive, the Cross is radically inclusive.

The Candler family supports this shift, as it opens the mountain not just to one lineage, but to all who come to Christ. 

VI. Conclusion
The Candler Family affirms Liberty University’s replacement of the monogram with the Cross. Far from erasing their legacy, the act elevates it: transforming private inheritance into public witness, and particular history into universal mission.

By embracing the Cross as the ultimate emblem on Candlers Mountain, the family declares that their heritage finds its truest fulfillment not in perpetuating a name, but in proclaiming the Name above all names — Jesus Christ.

 

A Call to Transfigure Candlers Mountain

 

Brothers and sisters,

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples saw Jesus as He truly was — His face shining like the sun, His clothes radiant with divine light. In that holy vision, the ordinary became extraordinary. The earthly was lifted into heaven’s glow. They were reminded that faith is not about institutions, but about the radiant Son of God.

 

Today, on Candlers Mountain, Liberty University bears a monogram — a symbol of branding, of school pride, of human achievement. But now our nation, and even our faith communities, are torn by division. We do not need another reminder of man’s pride. We need a reminder of Christ’s glory.

To replace the Liberty monogram with a Cross would be more than an act of design. It would be a transfiguration in stone and steel.

It would proclaim that Christ, not commerce, is at the center of our mission.

It would turn our eyes from human logos to the love that hung on Calvary.
It would call every student, every passerby, every divided heart back to the one symbol that unites us all.

As the disciples heard on the mountain: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him.”

So let the mountain itself echo that voice — not through initials, but through the eternal sign of the Cross.

In an age where Christianity is fragmented, where politics too often eclipse the gospel, this visible act of faith would be a summoning of the Transfiguration into our hearts. Every eye that beholds it would be reminded: the glory belongs to Christ alone.

Let us not cling to our monogram when God is calling us to His Cross. Let Candlers Mountain shine, not with the pride of a university, but with the radiant light of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen.

 

A Call to Transfigure Candlers Mountain, A Vision for Love, Unity, and Renewal

 

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples saw Jesus’s hidden glory revealed. His face shone like the sun, His clothes blazed with light, and the voice of the Father proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son — listen to Him.”

 

Today, on Candlers Mountain, we face a choice of symbols. At present, the peak bears a monogram — a mark of human branding, pride, and institution. But the times we live in demand more. Our nation is fractured. Our churches are divided. Many hearts are hardened by zeal without love.

 

We believe that Candlers Mountain must be transfigured. The Liberty Monogram should give way to the Cross of Christ — the one symbol that transcends politics, institutions, and division.

 

Why the Cross

 

From Pride to Love: The Cross lifts our eyes from man’s logo to God’s eternal love.
From Institution to Kingdom: The mountain should bear witness not to a university’s brand, but to the kingdom of Christ.
From Division to Invitation: The Cross belongs to all who seek God — rich and poor, skeptic and believer, across every tribe and tongue.

 

The Embodied Witness

 

A Cross alone is powerful, but love must be enfleshed:

 

Service at the Mountain’s Foot
Gatherings to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and embrace the marginalized.
Prayers of Forgiveness
A public confession for when Christianity has been used as a weapon, paired with prayers of mercy and healing.
A Shared Table
Open-air meals where neighbor and stranger, black and white, believer and skeptic, sit side by side — the living echo of Jesus’ table of fellowship.

 

The Impact

 

A Symbolic Transfiguration: Just as Christ’s glory was revealed on the mountain, so this mountain would radiate a visible call to love.
A Summoning of Hearts: Every passerby would be reminded that Christianity is not about control, but compassion.
A Witness to the World: In a time of noise and division, this act would quietly proclaim: Christ’s love is greater than man’s pride.

Our Call

Let us not cling to a monogram when God is calling us to His Cross. Let Candlers Mountain shine as a beacon of love, unity, and renewal. Let it summon us, as the Transfiguration once did, to listen not to the voices of division, but to the Beloved Son.

This is our prayer. This is our petition. This is our vision:

Candlers Mountain transfigured into a living witness of Christ’s love.

In Christ's name we say to this mountain.

"Move from here to there".