Question: The Temple in Salt Lake has several inverted pentagrams as decorations. *(To see a few, just google "lds temple salt lake inverted pentagrams" and click on images. Or click [here](http://isearch.avg.com/images?s=sideNav&q=lds%20temple%20inverted%20pentagrams%20salt%20lake&sap=dsp&lang=en&mid=8e2de528dcdc47d0ba0fd1681c2200fd-f6cabc1589393c29baf97c23cc761ebfd42eb1c0&cid=%7B6020D23B-7EC3-422C-BE07-73F67E74C58D%7D&v=12.2.0.5&ds=gl011&d=8/20/2012%207:48:41%20AM&pr=sa&snd=hdr))*

According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagram), the inverted pentagram symbol is used in Neo-Paganism, Satanism, and magick, as well as Freemasonry. 

How exactly did it become a symbol of the LDS church? *(It seems like an odd symbol to use, given how it's used by others.)* What does it represent according to LDS teaching?

Answer: 
The inverted star represents the second coming of Jesus Christ. This symbol is also on the Nauvoo Temple and this is what I was told when I asked around about it.
Joseph Smith was a [freemason](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_Freemasonry) and many of the [symbols](http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/masonicsymbolsandtheldstemple.htm) on the temple are also used in freemasonry. As Mason noted, this doesn't give any meaning to the symbol (unless you have conspiracy theories regarding freemasonry,) but simply seems to be one possibility for the architectural influence. 

Some have also suggested that there are also some influences between some of the garments used in the LDS temple and the robes of the Freemasons and also having members-only ceremonies, though these may be more coincidental.