FAITH AND FRATERNITY:

A Comparison of Freemasonry and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Timothy L. Thorman

Aztlan Lodge #1, Prescott, Arizona

October 26, 2003

 

Introduction

            Everyone loves a mystery.  People like it better if they’re told it’s a secret, because then they are duty bound to find out at all costs.  Two great modern institutions, the Masonic fraternity and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have persevered in keeping secret many of they ceremonies, and have thereby earned the inquisitive efforts to find out “what goes on in there.”

            These two organizations have several features in common as well: the use of Temples, secret handshakes, and unusual ceremonial vestments.  The history is also intertwined, as we shall discover.

            You should know from the start that I am a faithful member of the Church[1] and the lodge.  Any mistake that may be found is mine alone.  I do not write officially for the Church or for Freemasonry, only from my own perspective.

Beginnings of the Church and the Lodge

New York

            The basic beginnings of Masonry in the United States are well known to every student of the subject.  We know the Grand Lodge of England was started in 1717, and came to America shortly after that, with the craft being established in the colonies.  Many of the founding patriots were members, including Washington, Paul Revere, and many others.

            The lodge spread to all the early states, including New York.  In the town of Palmyra, New York, about 30 miles east of Rochester, the family of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, Sr. owned a farm.  This region was called the “burned-over district” because of the many religious revivals that swept the area.  Joseph Smith, Jr., the 14-year-old son of Joseph and Lucy, was confused over the many conflicting claims of the preachers, and heeding the advice given in James 1:5, decided to ask for wisdom from God.  On a spring morning in 1820, her retired into the woods near his home, and uttered his first vocal prayer.  He said that he was granted a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ[2] who told him that none of the churches then existing were true, but that he was to be an instrument by which the Church of Christ would be restored.

            In 1823, Joseph had another visitation, this time from an angel named Moroni.  Moroni told Joseph about a book written on gold plates, which were deposited in a hill near his home.  Joseph visited the spot and found the plates, but he was forbidden to remove them.  He was, however, told to visit the spot regularly once a year for four years, and if faithful, he would receive the plates and be able to translate them.

            This same year, Joseph’s oldest brother, Alvin, died at the age of 23.  Alvin was a member of the Masonic lodge in Palmyra, but the extent of his activity is not known.  Joseph’s father and brother Hyrum were also members of the lodge in Palmyra.  Joseph went to Harmony, Pennsylvania in 1825 where he met and married Emma Hale, each year returning to the hill where saw the golden plates.

            In September 1826, there erupted in New York the William Morgan affair.  Morgan had lived in Batavia, New York, about 60 miles west of Rochester.  He had been a Mason, but had become disaffected and threatened to reveal the fraternity’s secrets in a newspaper.  Morgan disappeared and was never heard from again.  It is likely that he was kidnapped and murdered by Freemasons from his lodge.[3] Thereupon the anti-Masonic party became prevalent in the politics of the day, and the furor it created cannot be underestimated.  Virtually everyone that lived then had some opinion of it.  However, Joseph Smith left no record or trace of what he thought of it.  There have been some attempts to show that certain texts in the Book of Mormon allude to it, but these are obscure at best.[4]  These texts never mention Masonry by name, and are not generally taken by modern members of the Church to allude to the fraternity.

            In September 1827, Joseph recorded that he received the golden plates from Moroni.  Despite his being pursued and persecuted, the Prophet translated and published the record as the Book of Mormon in 1830.  In April of that year he officially founded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fayette, New York, with six members.  The new Church began to grow immediately, as did the resistance to the work.  The Church moved to Kirtland, Ohio, Independence, Missouri, and finally to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1839.

Illinois

            It is doubtful that Joseph had given much thought to Masonry during these years.  He had made many travels between Kirtland and Independence, a distance of about 900 miles; had been imprisoned on several occasions, once for five months at a time; and had generally given his complete efforts to the building of the Church.  In Nauvoo, however, on the eastern banks of the Mississippi and the border of the frontier to the West, the Church finally achieved some stability and was able to grow and prosper.  Before Nauvoo was abandoned in 1846, it had grown to over 15,000 people, was the largest city in the state, and exceeded Chicago for size.  Several of the leading citizens of Nauvoo (and thus in the Church) were Masons from previous settlements.  Among these were John Bennett of Ohio, who was later in the presidency of the Church with Joseph Smith and finally excommunicated for apostasy; Heber C. Kimball of Vermont, a close friend to Joseph Smith and later a counselor to Brigham Young; and Hyrum Smith, Joseph’s next older brother, who had taken the degrees in Palmyra, New York.  Hyrum was Assistant President in the Church and also served as Patriarch to the Church after his father’s death.  He was murdered with his brother in Carthage jail.  William W. Phelps, a prolific hymn writer, was a “renouncing Mason” of the anti-Masonic party, and records do not show he had any part in the lodges in Nauvoo.[5]

            In 1841, a letter was sent to Bodley Lodge #1 in Quincy, some 50 miles down river, to ask a recommendation to sponsor a lodge at Nauvoo.  This request was denied, as none of the Quincy Masons knew the men in Nauvoo.  However, the matter was taken up at the Illinois Grand Lodge[6] Communication that October, and Grand Master[7] Abraham Jonas issued a dispensation for a lodge to form.  On March 15, 1842, the Grand Master visited Nauvoo and set the lodge to work.

            It should be noted here that the Grand Master was also very involved in politics and was running for the state legislature.  As there were less than 100 members of the fraternity in the state, he no doubt thought this a prudent political act in view of the growing numbers in Nauvoo.  While in the city, he was the personal guest of Joseph Smith, and wrote a glowing letter to commend the Prophet and his city, which letter was published in the city newspaper.  He wrote: “During my stay of three days, I became well acquainted with their prophet, the celebrated ‘Old Joe Smith.’  I found them hospitable, polite, well informed and liberal.  With Joseph Smith, the hospitality of house I kindly received, I was well pleased.”[8]  In his own newspaper, the Columbia Advocate, the Grand Master said, “Never in my life did I witness a better dressed or more orderly and well-behaved assemblage.”[9]

            Politics in those days was very different than they are now.  Virtually every man who owned land had a political view, and the idea of not voting was completely absent.  Numbers of politicians came to Nauvoo to curry favor with the Prophet and his followers, for they saw the chance of election if they were to carry the Mormon vote.  The Latter-day Saints had been greatly abused by the politicians of their previous states of residence.  In Missouri, Governor Lilburn Boggs had issued an order to have them exterminated (which order was not rescinded until the 1970s).  Joseph had even paid a visit to Washington, D.C. and visited the President to assert his peoples’ rights, but Martin van Buren said, “Your cause is just, but I can do nothing for you.  If I help you, I lose the Missouri votes.”[10]  Senator John Calhoun equally rebuffed him.  Joseph therefore declared his people would vote for candidates who were sympathetic to their situation.

            When the charter of the city went to the state legislature for incorporation, it passed virtually unanimously.  A young member of the house named Abraham Lincoln voted for it.  Secretary of State Stephen Douglas hurried it through the channels.  Douglas later visited Nauvoo, was entertained by the Prophet, and was supported by the Saints in his campaigns.

            Joseph smith, however, did not need to garner votes.  In his journal entry of March 15, 1842, the Prophet wrote: “I officiated as Grand Chaplain at the installation of the Nauvoo Lodge of Freemasons, 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.  In the evening I received the first degree in Freemasonry in Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office.”  The following day he notes, “I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree.”[11]  Apparently Joseph Smith and his counselor Sidney Rigdon were made Masons at sight, because a complaint was entered by Bodley Lodge #1 in Quincy the following July.  They asked the Grand Master “to make inquiry into the manner the officers of Nauvoo Lodge U.D.[12] were installed, and by what authority the Grand Master initiated, passed, and raised Messrs. Smith and Sidney Rigdon to the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason at one and the same time.”[13]

            This complaint brought the desired action on the part of the Grand Lodge, and in August the Grand Master suspended the dispensation until the Grand Communication could be convened in October.  During this short time (March—August 1842) the Nauvoo Lodge initiated 286 candidates and raised 256.  John C. Bennett, a later enemy to the Church, reported that on one occasion, 63 persons were elected on a single ballot.[14]

            The Nauvoo Lodge sent Lucius Scovill and Henry Sherwood to Jacksonville, Illinois to answer charges at the October 1843 Grand Lodge.  They took the books and minutes for examination.  The examining committee found nothing wrong, but thought there might be, and recommended suspension.  Grand Master Jonas gave an impassioned speech that the books were the best he had ever seen, and stated his conviction that but for the fact the Nauvoo Lodge was made of Mormons, it would stand as the highest lodge in the state.[15]

            The Grand Lodge committee on returns issued a recommendation that newly-elected Grand Master Helm be authorized to reinstate the dispensation and allow Nauvoo Lodge to resume its work, with an official visit by the committee members.  Nauvoo was admonished to “avoid the mistakes heretofore committed.”  The Grand Master counseled Nauvoo Lodge to separate into at least four lodges, as it was “entirely too large for convenience in working, and is otherwise objectionable.”[16]  The eventual result was over 1500 men joining the ranks of Freemasonry in Nauvoo; the rest of the state had less than 150 in total.

            However, the Grand Master was later asked to issue dispensations for nit four, but seven new lodges, all from the original Nauvoo Lodge.  These lodges were located in and around Nauvoo: three in the city itself, one in Keokuk, and one at Montrose, all of which had membership comprised of only Latter-day Saints.  The other two were mixed or non-Mormon members.  Several of these Mormon lodges were considered guilty of irregular work, such as receiving petitions and voting the next day, or rushing candidates through without even a day between degrees.  The Grand Lodge committee complained about these abuses, and recommended that the dispensations and charters of the three Nauvoo lodges be revoked. Before this action, work continued in Nauvoo Lodge.  A new Masonic Hall was dedicated April 5, 1844, with Joseph’s brother Hyrum acting as Worshipful Master and the Grand Master attending.  This took place during the Church’s General Conference, held every April to commemorate the founding of the Church.

            The situation in Nauvoo was quickly drawing to a head.  Joseph Smith declared himself a candidate for President of the United States.  Several members of the leading councils of the Church became disaffected with Joseph and were cut off from the Church.  They formed a dissenting newspaper, the Nauvoo Expositor.  These people accused Joseph of many things, including polygamy (which was true of itself; many of the other charges were baseless libel.)  Joseph responded by having the press destroyed and the type scattered, using his authority as mayor and commanding officer of the Nauvoo Legion.

            The apostates complained to the state authorities, and Joseph was jailed in Carthage, the county seat, with his brother Hyrum.  On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed Carthage Jail.  In a last, desperate attempt, Joseph leaned through the window on the second floor and shouted the words, “O Lord my God!” but was shot from below and behind, and did not finish the sentence.[17]  Hyrum was likewise murdered.  Those who recognized the sign did not respond.

            All of the Masons of Nauvoo were now declared clandestine or irregular at the Grand Lodge of October 1844.  The Grand Lodge recognized none of the work previously done. The Grand Master acted on the recommendations of his committee, and revoked the charters.  The following spring, Brigham Young advised Lucius Scovill to suspend all Masonic activities on April 10, 1845.  Masonry in Nauvoo was dead.

            The mobs again conspired against the Saints, and they were forced to leave their beautiful home.  The exodus to the West began in February 1846, and the Saints crossed the frozen Mississippi River.  The trek to the Rocky Mountains under Brigham Young’s direction does not concern us here.  His party arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, and the settlement began to spread.  On the third day in the Valley, Brigham Young struck his cane into the ground and said, “Here we will build a Temple to our God.”  That place is now the Salt Lake Temple.  Converts began to arrive from Europe and the British Isles, and soon Salt Lake City was a viable place.

Utah

            Masonry arrived in Utah some time later.  President James Buchanan had sent troops to Utah to quell a supposed rebellion, but no one was rebelling when they arrived.  They set up Camp Floyd, and the Masons in the Army petitioned the Grand Lodge of Missouri for a dispensation, which was issued in 1859.  However, the coming of the Civil War took the soldiers home, and the jewels and dispensation were returned to Missouri about a year later.

            After the war, a group of Masons met in 1865 and petitioned the Grand Lodge of Nevada for a dispensation, which was granted on the condition that no Mormon be allowed to join.  The Utah lodge (Mt. Moriah) objected; not because they wanted Mormons to join, but because they did not want a foreign lodge to exercise such authority.  Another group of Masons petitioned the Grand Lodge of Montana to open King Solomon Lodge.  Montana granted the petition, but objected to the name of King Solomon, who was a polygamist.  It was therefore called Wasatch Lodge #8 (later #1), Wasatch being the name of the mountain range that borders Salt Lake City on the east.  Mt. Moriah then turned to Kansas for its charter, becoming #70 (later #2).  The Grand Lodge of Utah was formed in 1872 with about 123 members in three lodges, the third, Argenta, having been chartered by Colorado.[18]

            With the coming of the railroad and the mining industries, Utah Masonry grew, but slowly.  In its first 25 years, Utah had nine lodges and 763 Master Masons.

            The Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Utah made no mention of the Latter-day Saints.  The purpose was to be for Masons and not against Mormons.  One member was expelled in 1879 for converting to the Church, ostensibly because of plural marriage.  The grand representative from Minnesota accused the Utah Masons of fraternal relations with the Church, and the Grand Master promptly suspended him.  The Grand Secretary printed a circular, which was mailed to every Grand Lodge in America.  It stated that while every Mason was free “to join any church and embrace any creed…he should be loyal to the Government under which le lives, and yield a willing obedience to all its laws.”  Mormons practiced plural marriage, “which a United States statute has declared to be a crime, and all civilized nations consider a relic of barbarism.”[19]

            President Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church, formally renounced plural marriage as a practice of the Church in 1890, and statehood was granted in 1896.  During this time the Church underwent many changes.  Brigham Young died in 1877; his successor, John Taylor, died in 1880.  President Woodruff died in 1898, and his successor, Lorenzo Snow, only survived him three years until 1901.

            The Fraternity had tried to avoid open conflict with the Church.  The stricture against the Saints was an unwritten law, but perfectly understood by all concerned.  In the 1923 Grand Communication it was noted some Latter-day Saints had joined lodges while in the East at school, but were refused visitation privileges when coming back to Utah.  A resolution was adopted to inform all Grand Masters of the situation.  In 1924 a resolution was presented and held over to the following year that “a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church, is not eligible to become a member of any lodge F&AM in this state.”

            Also in 1924, Samuel H. Goodwin, Grand Master of Utah, wrote a pamphlet, Later enlarged, called “Masonry and Mormonism.”  It was published by the Masonic Service Association of the United States, and would be Masonry’s “official” position for years.

            In 1925 the resolution was re-worded as follows: “Whereas the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church, is an organization, the teachings and regulations of which are incompatible with membership in the Masonic Fraternity, therefore:

            Be it Resolved: that a member of the Church…is not eligible to become a member of any lodge F&AM in this state and membership in such Church shall be sufficient grounds for expulsion.”  This resolution was adopted.[20]

            In 1927 a resolution was proposed to repeal the anti-Mormon legislation, but this was defeated.

            The passage of some 20 years and World War II did nothing to alleviate the situation.  In 1948, Grand Master Skaife ruled that a Mormon was ineligible to visit, even if he were in good standing in another jurisdiction, stating that visitation is a privilege and not a right.  The jurisprudence committee supported him in this.  Skaife also recommended a reprint of the above-mentioned book by Grand Master Goodwin.

            In 1959, an amendment to the Code was proposed to formally bar Latter-day Saints from visitation.  However, this was defeated, inasmuch as a Worshipful Master already had the right to deny anyone from visitation.  If no one objected to a visit, it should be allowed.

            By the 1970s some latitude was evident.  At the Centennial Banquet of the Grand Lodge in 1972, the program noted that the “honored guests” were E.J. Garn, mayor of Salt Lake City and Governor Calvin Rampton, both of whom were Latter-day Saints.  The banquet was held in the Hotel Utah, owned by the Church and adjacent to the Church Office Building and Temple Square.  At the end of the first century of Masonry in Utah, the Grand Lodge was composed of 32 lodges and had just over 6000 members.

            At the Grand Lodge session on January 31, 1984, the rule was abrogated and Latter-day Saints were allowed to petition Masonic lodges in Utah.  A letter from the current Grand Secretary states that, “the last thirty years have been uneventful.  There has been little involvement with the LDS Church, none that I am aware of, and we have no issues with them.  Members of the LDS Church have joined our several lodges, and have, and do hold offices in the many Masonic organizations.”[21]  At the dedication of the new Shrine Hospital in Salt Lake City in 1996, the mayor of Salt Lake, the governor, and a member of the First Presidency of the Church were all honored guests.

Issues of Faith

Concepts of God

            The concept of God in Freemasonry is agreed by all to be non-specific.  God is address as the Great Architect of the Universe, Supreme Grand Master, and following the lead of the Bible, Father.  No concept of the Christian Trinity, the Jewish Eloheim, or the incarnations of the Buddha are mentioned.  (The Knights Templar are nominally Christian, but that does not concern us here.)  No man may be asked to define his concept of Deity to join a lodge, but the candidate must believe in a Supreme Being.  They may not, indeed, must not, make this definition for the Mason, for all members must be free from theological debates in the lodge.

            Of course, the concept of God in the Church is very specific.  Joseph Smith taught, “When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is.  We shall see that he is a man like ourselves.  The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as a man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.”[22]  IN his First Vision, the Prophet “saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.  One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is my Beloved Son.  Hear Him!”[23]

            In other words, Joseph taught about a personal and tangible God, not a divine essence or a mysterious presence, but a real, physical Father in Heaven, in whose image the Son is.  This doctrine has been soundly criticized by the sects of Christendom as wholly unorthodox and even heretical.  The Grand Master of Utah made a specific point of this doctrine in showing why Latter-day Saints could not be Masons.[24]

Concepts of Scripture

            The Great Light of Masonry, the Holy Bible, is set upon each altar.  No mention is ever made in the Lodge about the veracity of what is written, however.  Indeed, many statements in the ritual start, “Masonic tradition informs us…” when the Bible is plain about what happened.  All candidates in this country are obligated with their hands on the Bible, but I have heard that if a candidate is of a religion that accepts other books such as the Koran, those books may be used.

            We do know that the rituals of the Craft are highly Biblical.  Long sections of the Bible are quoted extensively, and the Mason is even encouraged to use the Bible as one of the boundaries of his behavior, “for while he keeps himself thus circumscribed, it is impossible that he should materially err.”

            We are also told in the first degree that the Bible is that “great book of nature and revelation, which at once constitutes our moral, spiritual, and Masonic Trestle Board.”  Most Masons with a Protestant background probably believe that there is no other word of God except the Bible, and that the canon of scripture is closed.

            The Latter-day Saint concept of Scripture is quite different.  “We believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly.  We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the Word of God.  We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”[25]  In other words, Mormonism has an open canon of Scripture.  While Latter-day Saints use the Bible extensively (and in English countries, it is always the Authorized or King James Version), they also use and accept The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price as authoritative.

            The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is an account of the peoples who lived in the Western Hemisphere from about 650 BCE to 400 CE.  It tells of their wanderings and of the visit of the resurrected Jesus to the Americas.  Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of revelations to Joseph Smith and some of his successors that direct the Church and clarify the organization and procedures used to this day.  The Pearl of Great Price is a collection of the translations and narrations of Joseph Smith that did not fit into a classification used with the prior volume.

            In addition, Latter-day Saints also accept the current president, his counselors, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as “prophets, seers, and revelators.”  “Whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord.”[26]

      This was another point of contention in the 1920s, and Grand Master Goodwin likewise condemned the Church for having any other Great Light than the Holy Bible.

Concepts of Authority

      Surprisingly, this is one area where the Lodge and the Church are in great agreement.  The Lodge recognizes the Master as supreme in his lodge. To help him he has two counselors, called Wardens.   If a Master declares a discussion stopped, it is.  If he decrees that one may not visit, the door is closed.  The Grand Master supersedes all Masons in his state.  He may make a Mason at sight, and he can expel without discussion.  Unless there is manifest illegality, a Master of his lodge (or the Grand Master) governs without censure.  He must, of course, obey the rules and constitution and he is not above the laws.

      The same procedure is observed in the Church.  The bishop of his ward, the president of his stake, or the President of the Church, is in charge.  He has two counselors who may advise him, but once the decision has been made, the counselors are bound to follow where he leads.  Each member of the congregation “sustains” or votes to follow these leaders, regardless of personal opinion.  This is not to say that an individual may not differ from the leader’s opinion.  Nevertheless, the leader may pursue his course without reference to the member’s opinion.  Very few active members of the Church will withstand a bishop or stake president merely for a matter of opinion.

The Temple and Its Centrality

      The Temple of Solomon is crucial to the thought of Freemasonry.  In all its degrees, lectures, ceremonies, and ritual, the construction of the Temple is foremost.  In the Blue Lodge, we are admitted to the ground floor with its checkered mosaic, up the winding stairs to the middle chamber, and finally to the Holy of Holies.  In the Chapter degrees we actually see it completed and the glory of God fills the room.  We even see the desecration of the Temple and start to rebuild it in the Royal Arch.  Our buildings are called Temples.  Many of them are buildings the Craft is rightly proud of.  Each is consecrated by the labor of many Masons who labor to build “that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

      While a Masonic temple is open to all, a Latter-day Saint temple is not.  LDS Temples are consecrated as the House of the Lord, and as such have a character that separates them from all other buildings.  These buildings house the most sacred ceremonies of the Church, and only members who are worthy and recommended by their leaders may go in.  There are now 120 Temples in the world, and more are being constructed.[27]  It is taught that the highest degree of salvation cannot be obtained without going through the ceremonies of the Temple.  The Temple is vital to the thinking and practice of Latter-day Saints.

The Temple Ceremonies vs. the Degrees of the Lodge

History of the Endowment

      Plainly stated, the KDS Temple Endowment is a dramatic, religious ritual.  It is considered by the Church to be vital to the highest degree of salvation and exaltation.  Brigham Young stated, “Let me give you a definition in brief.  Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of he Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back into the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them all of the key words, the signs and tokens of the Holy Priesthood, and thus gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.”[28]

      The content of the religious drama known as the Endowment has changed some over the years.  In the 1990s, much of the repetitious language was dropped.  A musical background was added to make the presentation more interesting, and some of the wording was changed to be more meaningful to contemporary listeners.  In all of the Temples except two (Salt Lake and Manti Utah), the Endowment is presented by means of a video and audiotape, with live officiators giving the signs and tokens.  In the two older Temples mentioned, the endowment is given with live actors.

      The Endowments gives its participants a view of the Creation, the passing of the six creative periods, the Garden of Eden and the Fall, and Man’s subsequent search for truth.  During the presentation, participants are asked to make covenants of sacrifice, obedience, chastity and consecration.  A sign of the priesthood, which has a name and a token (or handclasp), accompanies each covenant.  Because members promise to keep these sacred, they will not be discussed further here.

      The Endowment had its beginnings in the Temple at Kirtland, Ohio.  This endowment was not a dramatic ceremony.  It probably included the initiatory ordinances, and perhaps the signs.  Section 136 of the Doctrine and Covenants indicates that Joseph gave part of the Endowment in 1836 there in Kirtland.  Due to the expulsion of the Church from Ohio and then Missouri, no further ordinances were revealed until the Temple was built at Nauvoo.

      While this Temple was being constructed, the Nauvoo Masonic lodge was formed.  Joseph Smith, an excellent diarist, mentions only three occasions that he attended a Masonic function.  The first two were when he received the degrees and was made a Mason at sight by the Grand Master.  The other was the dedication of the Lodge hall a year later.  While little is recorded, we may be sure that the members of Nauvoo Lodge shared many of the secrets with Joseph Smith.  The important thing to remember in this connection is that Joseph was willing to take truth wherever he found it and adapt it to his own purposes.

      It is less than sure that Joseph wrote the dramatic parts of the Endowment ritual.  The signs and tokens were probably all he gave, and the dramatics entered in as the thought and revelation grew.  John Taylor, one of the Apostles and third president of the Church, wrote much of the play.  Brigham Young added other parts.  The full Endowment was not given to the people until the winter of 1845-46, long after Joseph’s death.  To assume that Joseph revealed the entire ceremony before his death and the Temple’s completion would not be logical.

Ancient Origins

      In the article “Freemasonry and the Temple,” the Encyclopedia of Mormonism makes many pertinent observations.  Much of the content of this section will discuss this article by Kenneth W. Godfrey.

      Ancient and sacred ceremonies have existed through all societies.  Babylon, Egypt, Israel, and their successors in Protestant and Catholic churches have all sought to find and worship Deity in certain ritualistic means.  Elements common to all of these are sacred vestments, ritual speech, dramatic forms, and the use of symbols.  Godfrey states that, “One theme common to many—found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Egyptian pyramid texts, and Coptic prayer circles, for example—is man’s journey through life and his quest, following death, to successfully pass the sentinels guarding entrance to eternal bliss with the gods.”  Certainly, there is a common element to the beginning of all these ceremonies.

      The ceremonies of the Temple are allegorical, much like the Masonic degrees.  Each is believed to represent not an immediate reality, but a model, showing the pattern that we are to follow.  In the Temple, participants are taught about the pre-mortal existence, the journey through the lone and dreary world, and eventual death and resurrection to eternal life.  Although the ceremonies were first revealed in Kirtland and Nauvoo, the Saints believe that these teachings are as old as man; indeed, Adam knew these truths.  They were committed in turn to Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and each prophet in his dispensation.  Joseph Smith and his contemporaries adapted these eternal truths to a modern audience, and their successors have done the same.

      Many of the ancient religions practice some of these truths, and there is much allusion to them in the ceremonies of the Scottish Rite.  Godfrey states, “Joseph smith suggested that the endowment and Freemasonry in part emanated from the same ancient spring.  The Nauvoo Masons thought of the Endowment as a restoration of a ritual only imperfectly preserved…and viewed Joseph Smith as a master of the underlying principles and allegorical symbolism.”[29]

Contemporary Concepts

      The concept of the Endowment has changed little in the 150 years that it has been practiced.  The ceremonies have changed somewhat in their details, but not in the essence.  As in the early days, members are asked to dedicate and consecrate themselves, and they make covenants to do so.  They also learn the signs of the priesthood, which they believe will enable them to gain their exaltation.

      Masonry has likewise changed.  Each year the Grand Lodges consider proposed changes to the ritual, some of which are adopted.  While details change, the essence of what is practiced remains the same.  Most Masons would be comfortable in a lodge of 150 years ago, and still know what to do and how to do it.  Even today, with all the differences of the Grand Lodges, a Mason from another state who visits a lodge feels comfortable in what is happening.

Concepts Similar to Both

The White Garment

      The garment in Masonic work is a white apron.  It is made of lambskin or leather.  The candidate is informed that it is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason.  It constantly reminds us of the purity of life and rectitude of conduct so essentially necessary to gain admission into the celestial lodge above.

      The Temple also has an apron, but this apron is green.  However, the correlative to the Masonic apron is not this green apron.  It is, rather, a white undergarment, which all endowed members of the Church wear.  This is the Temple garment, or the Garment of the Holy Priesthood.

      This garment is ritually placed on each person who receives the endowment.  In its original form it was a regular union suit, down to the ankles and wrists.  It differed from standard underwear by having the signs of the priesthood sewn into it.  Today it is like a standard T-shirt and shorts, with the legs of the pants coming down to the knees.  There are different fabrics for personal taste.  The garment is worn under all other clothing.  It is not removed except for bathing, some sports activities, and personal relations.  Each person has many pairs.  One sleeps with it on and is buried with it on.

      The concept of the white garment is truly ancient.  In instructions to the Aaronic priests, Moses said they were to wear “linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: and they shall be upon Aaron and his sons, when they come into the tabernacle.”[30]

      Masons are justifiably proud of their aprons and keep them for years.  Most Masons are buried with their aprons on.  Both groups wear the garment as a sign of who they are and what they believe.  This symbol of faith and practice is deeply rooted in both groups.

The Square and Compass

      Masons have long used the square and compass as an official symbol of the craft.  The sign is everywhere Masons are.  It is used on rings and other jewelry, placed on buildings, printed on stationary, sewn into clothing.  This candidate is first introduced to the compass when its point is applied to his left breast, to remind him not to reveal what he sees and hears in a lodge.  The square is applied to his right breast, reminding him to square his actions throughout his life.  The square and compass are two of the great lights of Masonry, and are placed on the altar with the Bible.  While they tough each other, the lodge is in session.

      These two symbols are also important in the Temple.  They are two of the signs of the priesthood, and are sewn into the white garment, the square on the right breast and the compass on the left (in the shape of a V).  By the square, one is reminded to keep all of his covenants with honor.  The compass tells us told that all truth may be circumscribed into one great whole (an interesting Masonic concept as well!).  While these signs are not seen elsewhere, their placement and meaning being so closely aligned between the two groups is fascinating.

Obligations and Penalties

      Masons make many obligations, or covenants, at the altars of Masonry.  Each obligation is accompanied by a sign, a token (the grip), and a word (or name of the token).  Each also carries a due guard, which alludes to the penalty of the obligation.  These obligations are strictly temporal, and relate only to the duties of the candidate to the lodge.  In many jurisdictions, the Mason is obliged to memorize these things to advance to the next degree.  Each succeeding obligation is longer and more involved, leading the candidate into a higher commitment to the lodge and his brethren, their families, and society.

      In the Temple Endowment, the people also make covenants.  A name and a sign accompany each.  Penalties were in use until the 1990 revision, where they were dropped.  They were similar in nature to the lodge penalties, and it was explained that they were symbolic.  These names, signs and tokens are considered sacred, and while they may be found out in other places, it is not my intention to disclose them here.  We will merely say that there is a similarity in their manner of being presented. 

      Each covenant in the Temple, however, is between the person and the Lord, rather than the others in the room as in the lodge.  As in the lodge, one is asked at the beginning if this is of one’s own free will, with a chance to leave if one is not ready to assume the obligations.

Light and Truth

      The whole journey of a Mason is to acquire more light and truth.  From the first, the candidate seeks light.  Masonry is found in three great lights, the Holy Bible, the square, and the compass, which he is enabled to see by the aid of three lesser lights.  Truth is a divine attribute and the foundation of every virtue.  To be good and true is the first lesson we are taught.  All of the succeeding degrees of the Scottish and York Rites allude to knowledge for light and truth.

      In the Temple, near the end of the Endowment, the patron is introduced at the Veil.  Here he gives three knocks, and the person behind the Veil asks what is wanted.  “Adam…seeks further light” is the answer.

      Throughout the Endowment ceremony, the company has advanced from a semi-lit room through three different stages, each with more light.  In the older temples, going up stairs into a brighter room did this.  The final room, the celestial room, is the brightest and most glorious room in the Temple, sumptuously decorated and glowing with crystal chandeliers.  In some of the newer temples, there is decorated or stained glass, allowing the sunlight to enter.  Joseph Smith taught, “Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.  Intelligence, or the light of truth, we not created or made, neither can be.  The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth.”[31]

      It is interesting to note that both organizations seek truth wherever it may be found.  All sources are open to taking what is good and true and applying it to life.  In the article quoted above, Kenneth Godfrey states, “the philosophy and major tenets of Freemasonry are not fundamentally incompatible with the teaching, theology, and doctrines of the Latter-day Saints.  Both emphasize morality, sacrifice, consecration, and service, and both condemn selfishness, sin and greed.  Furthermore, the aim of Masonic ritual is to instruct—to make truth available so that man can follow it.”[32]

Restrictions

      While the Church and the Lodge both want all men to know the truth and follow it, they both keep the uninitiated from seeing it.  As stated above, the Temple ceremonies are open only to those who are living the Gospel and who complete an eligibility interview once every two years.  Those who can satisfactorily answer the questions are given a Temple Recommend.  This is a card that the member shows at the door of the Temple to gain admission.  The recommend can be withdrawn by the Church for certain sins such as apostasy, adultery, or if the person is suspended or excommunicated.

      The Lodge also has a form of recognition, called a dues card.  Each person in good standing with his lodge must technically show his dues card to be admitted to the ceremonies of the Masonic Temple.  It is proof of the Mason’s good standing.  It can be withdrawn when a man dies not pay his dues or is expelled from the Lodge for certain Masonic offenses.  This dues card is good for one year.

      In each case, as with a candidate, the person comes “under the tongue of good report, and well recommended.”

Other symbols

      There are many other symbols used by the Fraternity and the Church that have similar meaning.  The beehive, for example, stands for industry.  It is the state symbol of Utah, and “Industry” is the state motto.  The first name of the territory was given by Brigham Young as “Deseret,” a Book of Mormon word that means honeybee.  The beehive appears on almost all early Church buildings and is a prominent decoration of the Salt Lake Temple.  The explanation is almost similar to the lecture in the third degree.

      The all-seeing eye is a motif of the Salt Lake Temple, as are the clasped hands.  These symbolize the omniscience of God and the sealing together of generations.  In Masonry, they are used to symbolize the same attribute of Deity and the obligations that exist among the fraternity, as explained in the first degree.

      The sun and moon are symbols on the aprons and rods of the deacons.  They are also in the stones of the Temple, being symbols of the successive kingdoms to which mankind will be resurrected.[33]  All of these symbols are very ancient, and certainly existed before Masonry or the Church took them to explain their teachings.

Concepts that are Not Similar

God vs. the Great Architect

      As previously stated, the concept of God, so important to the Church, is not that important to the Lodge.  All the lodge requires is to believe in something, whereas the Church believes in Someone.  Godfrey states, “The active participation of God in the world and men’s lives is a distinctly LDS Temple motif.  While Masons believe in an undefined, impersonal God, everything in the LDS endowment emanates from, or is directed to, God who is a personage and man’s eternal Father.  The endowment looks to the eternities, but Freemasonry is earthbound, pervaded by human legend and hope for something better.”[34]

Family and the Lodge

      The family is the eternal unit around which the Church operates.  All things are done for the family, which is celebrated and unified in the Temple.  Patrons repeat these ceremonies for those who have died so that the human family may be a unified whole.

      Masonry, however, is concerned with the individual man.  No effort is made to teach his family within the ceremonies of the degrees.  Masons are obligated to help another’s widow and orphans, and they are told not to violate the chastity of another Mason’s female relations.  However, the concept of eternal families, performing the ceremonies by proxy for deceased persons, and even the inclusion of women, are wholly foreign to Masonry.

Salvation vs. Society

      Salvation is the term used by the Church to indicate the glorious state of those who are resurrected from the dead.  There are many levels of salvation in LDS theology, the highest being exaltation.

      The Lodge is not concerned with salvation in any form.  We are told a man must have purity of life and rectitude of conduct to gain admission into the celestial lodge, but how that is achieved is left to the discretion of the member.

All People vs. Only Men

      The Church takes very seriously what is called the Great Commission.[35]  Over 55,000 missionaries currently serve the world in over 160 nations.  All people are eligible to join the Church who are willing to believe the Gospel and repent.

      The Lodge, though, does not want everyone to join.  Only males may join the Masonic order.  Further, they must be willing to pay their dues, and be able and willing to commit to memory portions of the lectures and catechisms.  For years, both groups discouraged Blacks from joining, and progress remains slow in recognizing the Prince Hall lodges.  The Church removed its ban on Blacks from receiving the Priesthood in 1978.  No atheist may become a Mason, nor may men under 21 (18 in some jurisdictions).  As we have seen, Latter-day Saints could not be Masons in Utah for a century.

      Perhaps the most visible difference is that women participate fully in the Church, in all of its programs and Temple ceremonies.  Women are not ordained, but they function as presidents and counselors in many of the Church’s organizations.  Women are seen as essential to the progress of the race and to exaltation itself.  Although Masonry has women’s auxiliaries, their function in no way complements or enhances the ritual work of the degrees.  Masonry is completely uni-sexual.

Growth vs. Decline

      Gordon B. Hinckley, the President of the Church, once stated that growth was the Church’s greatest problem.  The Church grows at an astounding rate of over 400 people per day.  It is estimated by one sociologist that if Mormonism continues its growth, by 2030 (the Church’s bicentennial) there will be 35.1 million members.  BY 2050, there will be an estimated 78.9 million members.[36]

      Masonry, on the other hand, continues its slow and sad decline.  Each Grand Lodge notes its membership drop year by year.  The membership constantly ages, with over 50% of its members over the age of 70.  Younger and more active men are not joining the lodge and the current members are not replacing themselves. 

      It is not within the scope of this paper to answer the question as to why this occurs.  It is merely a point that these two organizations are so dissimilar in this respect that there can be no question as to the success of the one and the eventual demise of the other.

Conclusion

We have looked at many aspects of the LDS Church and the Masonic lodge.  Some of the concepts are similar and some are quite different.  It would be a safe assumption to say that while there is some resemblance between the two rituals, only a small degree of the words and actions are similar; however, the meaning between them is completely different.  The Church sees the Temple ordinances as fundamentally different from the Lodge ritual, and similarities are probably remnants of an ancient original.[37]

The philosophy of the two is remarkably similar.  Both work towards internal harmony and recognize the members as brothers.  Both are somewhat insulated from the outside world, and see themselves as fundamentally different from non-members.

As the Church and the Lodge enter the 21^st century, both organizations need to assess their role in a rapidly changing world.  One preaches an ancient gospel restored anew; the other perpetuated an old ritual and tries to make it relevant to a modern and increasingly disinterested society.  How they do this will determine their ultimate destiny.

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End Notes

[1] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It is also known as “the Mormon Church,” but this name is not proper usage according to Church standards.  There are break-off bodies that also accept the Book of Mormon and other revelations to Joseph Smith.  The largest of these is the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, now called the Community of Christ.  They are headquartered in Independence, Missouri, and until the 1990s were presided over by descendants of Joseph Smith.  However, they never accepted the Temple ceremonies.  This church does not come into our discussion, which will center only on the Church in Utah.

[2] For a full account of this version, please see Joseph Smith—History in The Pearl of Great Price, one of the four books accepted as Scripture by the Church.  It is also published in History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints¸ vol. 1, chapter 1-5.

[3] For a complete discussion of this episode, please see The Freemasons¸ by Jasper Ridley, chapter 15.

[4] A complete listing of these verses will be in the appendix.

[5] Mormonism and Masonry, S.H. Goodwin, 1924, Masonic Service Association.

[6] A Grand Lodge is the organization of all Masonic Lodges in a state.  There is an annual meeting, called the Grand Communication, where legislation is considered and the officers for the next year are elected and installed.

[7] A Grand Master is the highest elected officer in the state.  He is given broad powers to regulate the Fraternity.  His term runs one year, and is preceded by several years in the line of officers.

[8] Times and Seasons¸ April 1, 1842

[9] History of the Church, vol.4, pp. 565-66

[10] History of the Church, vol. 4, p. 480

[11] History of the Church, vol. 4, pp. 550-552

[12] U.D.=under dispensation.  In other words, a charter was not issued from the Grand Lodge, but only a dispensation from the Grand Master until the Lodge and its officers could be granted a charter at the next annual communication.

[13] Reynolds’ History of Freemasonry in Illinois, pp. 174-75.  Some Grand Masters have the right to make Masons at sight.  That is, a candidate is made a Mason without going through all the degree work, and has the immediate privilege of being a fully qualified Mason.

[14] Sangamon Journal, July 22, 1842.

[15] Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Freemasonry in Nauvoo”, p. 527

[16] Proceedings, Grand Lodge of Illinois, 1843, pp.85-86

[17] Doctrine and Covenants 135:1

[18] Some Latter-day Saints had thought to go to England and get charters to form an LDS Grand Lodge, but Brigham Young vetoed this plan.  See The First 100 Years of Masonry in Utah, published by the Grand Lodge of Utah, p.6

[19] First 100 Years, p.14

[20] First 100 Years, p. 51

[21] Letter from the Grand Lodge of Utah, August 27, 2002, in my possession [T. Thorman]

[22] Doctrine and Covenants 130:1, 22

[23] Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith—History 1:17

[24] Mormonism and Masonry, p. 106

[25] Articles of Faith, 8,9

[26] Doctrine and Covenants 68:4

[27] A list of temples is provided in the Appendix [A].

[28] Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 416

[29] From a letter from Heber C. Kimball to Parley P. Pratt, June 17, 1842, in the Church Archives.  Both men were members of the Twelve Apostles in Nauvoo.

[30] Exodus 28:42-43

[31] Doctrine and Covenants 93: 24,29,36

[32] Article “Freemasonry and the Temple,” The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

[33] See Section 76 of The Doctrine and Covenants; see also1 Corinthians 15.

[34] Article “Freemasonry and the Temple,” The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

[35] Matthew 28:19

[36] 2001-2002 Deseret News Church Almanac, pp.148-152

[37] Freemasonry and the Temple

      

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Works Cited

            ---The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, Salt Lake City

            ---Deseret News 2001-2002 Church Almanac, 2000, Salt Lake City

            ---The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, Salt Lake City

            ---The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1992, Salt Lake City, esp. Kenneth W. Godfrey, “Freemasonry and the Temple” and “Freemasonry in Nauvoo” Volume 2, pp. 527-529

            Grand Lodge of Utah, F. & A.M., The First 100 Years of Freemasonry in Utah, 1972, Salt Lake City

            Goodwin, S.H., Mormonism and Masonry, 1924, Washington, D.C., The Masonic Service Association of the United States

            Ridley, Jasper, The Freemasons: A History of the World’s Most Powerful Secret Society, 2002, New York

            Young, Brigham, The Discourses of Brigham Young, John A. Widtsoe, ed., 1941, Salt Lake City

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Appendices

Appendix A: TEMPLES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Here follows a listing of all Temples, listed alphabetically.  Temples are usually named for the nearest large city or landmark.  Names of cities in parentheses are where the Temple is actually located if a city is not evident.

Accra Ghana

Adelaide Australia

Albuquerque New Mexico

Anchorage Alaska

Apia Samoa

Asuncion Paraguay

Atlanta Georgia

Baton Rouge Louisiana

Bern Switzerland

Billings Montana

Birmingham Alabama

Bismarck North Dakota

Bogota Colombia

Boise Idaho

Boston Massachusetts

Bountiful Utah

Brisbane Australia

Buenos Aires Argentina

Campinas Brazil

Caracas Venezuela

Cardston Alberta

Chicago Illinois

Ciudad Juarez Mexico

Cochabamba Bolivia

Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Mexico

Columbia River Washington (Richland)

Columbia South Carolina

Columbus Ohio

Copenhagen Denmark

Dallas Texas

Denver Colorado

Detroit Michigan

Edmonton Alberta

Frankfurt Germany

Freiberg Germany

Fresno California

Fukuoka Japan

Guadalajara Mexico

Guatemala City Guatemala

Guayaquil Ecuador

Halifax Nova Scotia

Hamilton New Zealand

Hermosillo Sonora Mexico

Hong Kong China

Houston Texas

Idaho Falls Idaho

Johannesburg South Africa

Jordan River Utah (South Jordan)

Kona Hawaii

Laie Hawaii

Las Vegas Nevada

Lima Peru

Logan Utah

London England

Los Angeles California

Louisville Kentucky

Lubbock Texas

Madrid Spain

Manhattan New York

Medford Oregon

Melbourne Australia

Memphis Tennessee

Merida Mexico

Mesa Arizona

Mexico City Mexico

Montevideo Uruguay

Monticello Utah

Mount Timpanogos Utah (American Fork)

Nashville Tennessee

Nauvoo Illinois

Nuku’alofa Tonga

Oakland California

Oaxaca Mexico

Ogden Utah

Oklahoma City Oklahoma

Orlando Florida

Palmyra New York

Papeete Tahiti

Perth Australia

Portland Oregon

Porto Alegre Brazil

Preston England

Provo Utah

Raleigh North Carolina

Recife Brazil

Redlands California

Regina Saskatchewan

Reno Nevada

St. George Utah

St. Louis Missouri

St. Paul Minnesota

Salt Lake

San Diego California

San Jose Costa Rica

Santiago Chile

Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

São Paulo Brazil

Seattle Washington

Seoul Korea

Snowflake Arizona

Spokane Washington

Stockholm Sweden

Suva Fiji

Sydney Australia

Taipei Taiwan

Tampico Mexico

The Hague Netherlands

Tokyo Japan

Toronto Ontario

Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico

Veracruz Mexico

Vernal Utah

Villahermosa Mexico

Washington, D.C. (Kensington, Maryland)

Winter Quarters Nebraska (Omaha)

 

Temples announced or under construction

Aba Nigeria

Curitiba Brazil

Helsinki Finland

Kiev Ukraine

New York New York (Harrison)

Newport Beach California

Panama City Panama

Sacramento California

San Antonio Texas

Twin Falls Idaho

Utah Salt Lake Valley (name to be announced in this location)