Freemasonry and the Latter Day Saint movement

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[edit] Introduction

The relationship between Freemasonry and the Latter Day Saint movement began early in the history of Mormonism. Joseph Smith, Jr. and many of the Church founders were Freemasons, and started a lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois in March of 1842[1]. There are some similarities between Mormon temple worship and symbolism and the stories and symbols of Freemasonry, though there are also many unique aspects to both that are also worth considering. In modern times, the LDS Church holds no position for or against the compatibility of Masonry with LDS doctrine[citation needed].

[edit] Similarities

The relationship between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry began early in the history of Mormonism. Some historians believe that the secret combinations, like those of the Gadianton Robbers referred to in the Book of Mormon, were symbolic for Freemasonry, although Joseph Smith Jr. never explicitly confirmed such beliefs[citation needed].

While a number of early Church members such as Heber C. Kimball were Masons prior to becoming Mormons, Joseph Smith Jr. and the Church had no formal relationship with Freemasonry until the early 1840s, when Smith was urged to form a Masonic Lodge by those members who were Masons. It appears that John C. Bennett, a newcomer to the church, had a particularly strong influence in the spread of Freemasonry. LDS historian Reed Durham writes:

"By 1840, John Cook Bennett, a former active leader in Masonry had arrived in Commerce and rapidly exerted his persuasive leadership in all facets of the Church, including Mormon Masonry. ... Joseph and Sidney [Rigdon] were inducted into formal Masonry ... on the same day..." ("Is There No Help for the Widow's Son?" by Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr., as printed in "Joseph Smith and Masonry: No Help for the Widow's Son", Martin Pub. Co., Nauvoo, Ill., 1980, p. 17.)

In 1842 Smith became a Master Mason, as indicated by his journal entries:

Tuesday, [March] 15. — I officiated as grand chaplain at the installation of the Nauvoo Lodge of Free Masons, at the Grove near the Temple. Grand Master Jonas, of Columbus, being present, a large number of people assembled on the occasion. The day was exceedingly fine; all things were done in order, and universal satisfaction was manifested. In the evening I received the first degree in Freemasonry in the Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office. (History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, Deseret Book, 1978, Vol.4, Ch.32, p.550-1)

Wednesday, March 16. — I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree. (History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.32, p.552)

In The Mormon Church and Freemasonry (2001), Terry Chateau writes:

[The Joseph Smith family] was a Masonic family which lived by and practiced the estimable and admirable tenets of Freemasonry. The father, Joseph Smith, Sr., was a documented member in upstate New York. He was raised to the degree of Master Mason on May 7, 1818 in Ontario Lodge No. 23 of Canandaigua, New York. An older son, Hyrum Smith, was a member of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 112, Palmyra New York.

Smith could have learned about Masonry from one of his wives, Lucinda Morgan, the widow of William Morgan, author of Illustrations of Freemasonry (not to be confused with the book of the same title by William Preston). Morgan disappeared in 1826, and a body washed up on the shores of Lake Ontario in October 1827 that was at first claimed as Morgan's, but later was claimed as someone else's[citation needed]. Morgan was later vicariously baptized by the LDS Church[citation needed].

On May 4, 1842, just a couple of months after his initiation to Freemasonry, Smith instructed other LDS Church leaders "in the principles of and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, anointings, endowments, and the communication of keys pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood, and so onto to the highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood...." (History of the Church, vol. 5, pg. 1, May 4, 1842).

Mormon temple worship does share some common symbols, signs, and clothing with Freemasonry, although a few of the similarities have been eliminated from temple ceremonies in recent years. It is not necessarily the case that these shared symbols represent similar ideas or are interchangeable with each other. Greg Kearney, LDS member and Mason, argues that Joseph Smith initially borrowed from the Masonic ritual in order to teach the temple endowment, presumably because so many people of the time and area were Masons. [2] Thus, aspects of the ritual can be considered distinct from the temple endowment, which has in later years shed some of the Masonic symbolism, as it is not as relevant to today's audience.

When Smith was killed in 1844, it was recorded that he raised his hands in the air and proclaimed, "Oh Lord my God" before he was shot (Times and Seasons, vol. 5 no. 13 [July 15, 1844], p. 585). This phrase could be the beginning of an appeal to God or it could be—as is often thought—the beginning words of a Masonic line that is to be used as an emergency call for help ("Oh, Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?"). Smith may have been making a last-ditch effort to identify himself to other Masons, should any have been in the mob that then assassinated him.

[edit] Differences

There are numerous physical differences worth mentioning between the Masonic temple practices and that of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unlike Freemasonry, ordinances such as baptisms for the deceased and marriage for time and all eternity are also performed in Mormon temples. In addition, unlike Freemasons where Christians and non-Christians alike may join, only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing (that is, those holding a temple recommend) may enter and participate in temple ordinances. [3].

The symbolic significance of traditional Masonic rituals are not characteristic of LDS ceremonies, in which a Christian symbolism is central to worship.

It should also be emphasized that the goals of Masonry and the LDS endowment are not the same. In the view of the LDS Church, both teach important truths, but the truths they teach are different. Masonry is not a religion. The temple endowment, on the other hand, teaches of man's relationship to God in LDS Church belief, and Latter-day Saints consider it to be essential for exaltation in the world to come [4].

[edit] Freemasonry and modern Mormonism

From 1925 to 1984, the Masonic Fraternity in Utah prohibited Latter-day Saints from joining, but freemasons opened membership to mormons worldwide. However, in 1984 the Grand Lodge of Utah officially dropped its anti-Mormon positions and allowed church members to join. Some say this was because of the information stored in the lodge about Joseph Smith and his family as his father and brothers were members. Today there is no formal obstacle preventing Mormons from becoming Freemasons.

The presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not made an official statement as to whether or not Freemasonry is compatible with Mormonism. However Don LeFevre, a past spokesman for the church has said the church "...strongly advises its members not to affiliate with organizations that are secret, oath-bound, or would cause them to lose interest in church activities."[5]. More recent statements from the LDS Church indicate it has no position on Freemasonry. There are a number of LDS Masons in Utah who serve in various leadership positions, including the current Grand Master of Masons of Utah[6], without action by Church leaders.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Freemasonry in Nauvoo
  2. ^ The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry Accessed May 5, 2007.
  3. ^ How does one explain similarities between Masonic and temple ritual?
  4. ^ How does one explain similarities between Masonic and temple ritual?
  5. ^ Salt Lake Tribune Section D1, Monday Feb. 17, 1992
  6. ^ Freemasons of Utah » 2008 Grand Lodge Committees

[edit] References

[edit] External links